GE Commercial, Robots, and the End of the World
General Electric has a new commercial that taps into both the apocalyptic angst related to a possible robot uprising, as well as the alleged Mayan calendar prophecy of doom, both of which have been in the news lately. An article on this on North Illinois University NIU Today website described the background behind the commerical: [...]
The Coffee Table Book of Doom
We can run, but we can’t hide. Eventually we will meet our Doom, individually as well as collectively. And there are a variety of ways in which it might happen, with some more plausible than others. Many believe that The End will come in December of this year in keeping with certain interpretations of an [...]
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 [...]
