Relegere Call for Papers: Histories of the End
CALL FOR PAPERS – Histories of the End In 2012 Relegere: Studies in Religion and Reception will publish a special issue dedicated to reception histories of the end times, however they might be imagined, in religious contexts. We welcome reception histories not only of Christian imaginaries of the book of Revelation, but also of the [...]
French Fear of Apocalypse, and 2012 Mayan “Prophecy”
A recent news item discussed serious pessimism in France leading to fears of mass suicide in the country, perhaps in connection with fears over the Mayan “prophecy of doomsday” in 2012. CNN reported: Paris (CNN) — The specter of a mass suicide tied to the widely predicted end of the world in December 2012 has [...]
LiveScience.com: A Brief History of Doomsday
In response to another failed doomsday prophecy, and in anticipation of the next to come in 2012 in connection with the Mayan calendar, a nice graphic comparison of various cultural, religious, and secular doomsday prophecies and scenarios from LiveScience.com. Related posts: “Doomsday America: The Pessimistic Turn of Post-9/11 Apocalyptic Cinema” “Pop Culture Explores the Apocalypse” [...]
Doomsday America: The Pessimistic Turn of Post-9/11 Apocalyptic Cinema
Fears, and perhaps for some, joyful anticipation, of apocalyptic doom is in the air. This is perhaps most evident with Christian radio and television preacher Harold Camping’s prediction of the end of the world on May 21st. But this is nothing new, and science fiction and horror films have often involved depictions of apocalypse. But [...]
’68: Zombie Horror Comic Preview by Image Comics
A new horror comic series with a focus on zombies titled ’68 is debuting from Image Comics. USA Today recently ran an article which discusses the series based upon the premise of a zombie apocalypse breaking out in connection with the Vietnam War. ’68 Exclusive Preview
Bombs, Earthquakes, Tsunamis: Japan and Future Apocalyptic Monstrosity
Apocalyptic thinking seems to be the order of the day lately. As Max Brooks, author of various zombie survival guides has said, “People have apocalypse on the brain right now…. It’s from terrorism, the war, [and] natural disasters like Katrina.” The nation with perhaps the greatest sense of apocalypse is Japan. The devastation wrought in [...]
Suvudu: Could a Robot Apocalypse Really Happen?
A piece from an interesting website I found today was appealing. The website is Suvudu, which addresses a variety of topics of interest to TheoFantastique. In this case, Matt Staggs asks, “Could a Robot Apocalypse Really Happen?” In order to answer this he interviews P. W. Singer, author of Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution [...]
Kyle Bishop: American Zombie Gothic
I first became aware of Kyle Bishop and his work on zombies in film and culture for his PhD while researching the surge in academic work on horror. I then came across an article on his research in The University of Arizona’s UA News, “The Zombie: A New Monster for a a New World.” I [...]
Cinefantastique Online DVD Review of THE BOOK OF ELI
My review of the recent release of The Book of Eli on DVD is now available at Cinefantastique Online. From the introduction: The recent release of THE BOOK OF ELI (2010) on DVD provides an opportunity for a reassessment of important elements within its story. Viewers with religious convictions have interpreted it in strongly positive [...]
THE ROAD: Post-Apocalyptic Thriller, Depressing, But Brilliant
Last night I had the privilege of enjoying a few movies at home with my wife, one of which was The Road. This 2009 film is based on the novel by Cormac MCarthy, and it stars Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McKee, Charlize Theron, and Robert Duvall. It tells the story of the post-apocalyptic struggle of a [...]
