Вот и всё. Зачем мы пугаем себя концом света?

by Adam Roberts, Адам Робертс, Сергей Афонин (Translator)

Мир на краю пропасти: чума уносит жизни миллионов, солнце выжигает посевы, тут и там начинаются войны, а люди, кажется, лишились остатков разума. Вы готовы к концу света?​

Нас готовят к нему на протяжении всей истории и все это уже было в книгах и фильмах, утверждает Адам Робертс — преподаватель литературы колледжа Роял Холлоуэй Лондонского университета, писатель, которого критики называют лучшим современным фантастом, и по совместительству историк жанра. «Вот и всё.» — это блестящий анализ наших представлений о гибели человечества, в которых отражаются состояние общества, психология индивида и масс, их заветные чаяния и страхи. Почему зомби — это мы? Что «Матрица» может сказать об эпидемиях? Кто был первым «последним человеком» на Земле? Робертс чрезвычайно остроумно показывает, как друг на друга влияют научная фантастика и реальность, анализирует возможные сценарии Армагеддона и подбирает убедительные доводы в пользу того, что с ним стоит немного повременить.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 11, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Adam Roberts (born 1965) is an academic, critic and novelist. He also writes parodies under the pseudonyms of A.R.R.R. Roberts, A3R Roberts and Don Brine. He also blogs at The Valve, a group blog devoted to literature and cultural studies.

He has a degree in English from the University of Aberdeen and a PhD from Cambridge University on Robert Browning and the Classics. He teaches English literature and creative writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. Adam Roberts has been nominated twice for the Arthur C. Clarke Award: in 2001, for his debut novel, Salt, and in 2007, for Gradisil.

Reviews

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantasies of the end take many different approaches: funny, inventive, ghastly, far-fetched and scarily realistic. It is fertile territory for our imaginations. But if we look more closely at the way we tell our stories, we can see that how we portray the end can also tell us much about how we understand the world and the people around us, not just about how we think about our mortality. They can illustrate our dread of judgement, the importance we place on our societal connections, the darker side of our own human nature. From religious doomsday and swarms of monsters to biological plague and technological doom, from the winding down of the universe to environmental catastrophe, in these pages we’ll explore not just our fear of death, but more importantly all the things we’re really afraid of in life.

This book was a lucky dip; a more or less “this looks like something” pick from NetGalley’s assortment of ARCs. Turns out, It's the End of the World: But What Are We Really Afraid Of? was perfectly suited to my tastes and interests: I thought this was going to be an overview of the ways the world could end — and it is that — but even more intriguingly, it’s how these possible end-of-days scenarios have been portrayed in literature, song, art, and film throughout the ages and around the world, and what these portrayals suggest about human nature. As both an author of science fiction and an English professor, Adam Roberts is incredibly knowledgeable about this subject and his tone veers from informed analysis to groanworthy jokes; and it all worked for me. (Note: As I read an ARC through NetGalley, passages quoted may not be in their final forms.)

Roberts suggests that people like apocalyptic plotlines because we’re used to stories having a beginning, middle, and end; and we need to know how stories will end. But, although we are each (superficially) aware of our individual mortality, we can’t imagine the world spinning on without us, so we’re always expecting the end to come within our own lifetimes — but with a hopeful caveat: the Biblical Apocalypse (or Norse Ragnarök, or other such traditions from the Hindus to the Hopi) may destroy the Earth, but the worthy will rise again in a better world; a nuclear holocaust (or its metaphorical equivalent, a zombie uprising) could lead to societal collapse, but some of us will be smart enough and strong enough to survive in the aftermath; we might push climate change to the point where the Earth becomes uninhabitable for humans, but by then we’ll be off in spaceships to untouched planets. “Eucatastrophe'' is the term coined by Tolkein to describe this type of story (one in which the protagonist escapes impending doom at the last minute through some happy turn of events), and according to Tolkein, and Roberts, these are the stories we like the best — and this book is filled with examples. Roberts treats equally Genesis’s prog-rock anthem “Supper’s Ready”, the comic zombie film Shaun of the Dead, and the works of authors as diverse as Susan Sontag, J. G. Ballard, and Immanuel Kant. In a representative blending of high and low culture, Roberts first explains Nietzsche’s idea of the Übermensch (as explored in Thus Spoke Zarathustra) as the strongest of souls; someone who could embrace an existence of Eternal Return (as the universe cycles through Big Bangs and Big Bounces and individuals knowingly live the exact same lives over, throughout infinity). Roberts then ties in the movie Groundhog Day, calling it “a masterpiece of supreme existential terror” and expanding in a footnote:

If you think about it properly it is the most horrifying movie ever made. How long must he have been trapped there to learn jazz piano, ice sculpture and French? This was no two-week glitch, but one that went on for years, decades — or longer; director Harold Ramis, a Buddhist, said at the time of the film’s release that Buddhism teaches that it takes 10,000 years for a soul to evolve to its next level, and that he assumed that was how long Phil is trapped in his loop. I couldn’t last that long, reliving that day over and over; I’d go mad. At what point do you think your sanity would snap? At what point might you give up on ethics and morality when you realised your actions have no consequences? You might think that you could assert joy in every second of your relived existence in such circumstances, but that groundhog isn’t going to snare me in its Nietzschean nightmare.

Roberts goes over all the most common scenarios for the end of the world — from St John’s visions of God’s wrath in Revelations to the environmental apocalypse portrayed in the Dark Souls video game trilogy — and if I had a caveat it would be to prepare for spoilers: I didn’t mind Roberts giving away the ending of Neal Stephenson’s Seven Eves (because I’ve read it), and while I could have skipped ahead, I let him spoil the plot of all three books in Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past series. (And I let him spoil it because I was so interested in what Roberts had to say about it.)

In reality, most of the ways we portray Armageddon are unlikely to come about any time soon: the gods seem unwilling or unable to destroy their creation; the sun has a few more billion years of fuel to burn; disease can be devastating — something we’re very aware of in a world shaken by Covid-19 — but not world-ending. The chance of all life being extinguished in one dramatic event seems small. It is more likely that we’ll slowly dwindle away — but then there is always something to take our place. Other people carry on when we die; other species may evolve in our place; other planets will continue to exist without Earth. Like the Eternal Return, an end comes; the end never does. Perhaps, in fact, the end of the world is not nigh. Perhaps it is never.

So: part philosophy, part criticism; part scholarly, part comical; the whole was consistently interesting and entertaining.

[Ignacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entre la divulgación cultural y filosófica, Adam Roberts se acerca a nuestra fascinación por el fin del mundo y cómo codifica toda una serie de cuestiones individuales y colectivas. Lo mejor es la ligereza con la cual toca diferentes apocalipsis y perfila un puñado de ideas antes de pasar al siguiente. Lo que algunas personas pueden ver como superficialidad a mi me parece particularmente enriquecedor. Lejos de acogotarlas de sentido, abre discusiones y significados listos para la posterior búsqueda del lector a través de la literatura, la filosofía, el cine, los videojuegos... Un libro suculento.

Además, da gusto leer un texto que para hablar de lo apocalíptico, o lo postapocalíptico (que también tiene su lugar), jamás utiliza la palabra distopía. Roberts sabe.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

2020 has been pretty crap, to be honest. The pandemic spread around the world with startling rapidity and as I write this we are just entering lockdown for the second time in the UK. For some who have caught this virus, it is the end of the world, their individual world. But there are other things out there that scare people more than a virus, like the next asteroid, or the impending doom of climate change, amongst other things.

One of the most common types of apocalypse is the end of the world predicted by religions. A lot will be aware of the detail written in the books of revelations found at the end of the bible, but this is not a recent theme, as it can be found in other religions and even in the Norse mythologies. These are often tied into the return of a particular deity who with bring the end of days with them and amongst believers the belief that this will happen can be quite high. A lot of the reasons behind this end is a punishment for particular transgressions and is an opportunity for those in favour to move onto a better place. I have read lots of stories of those in cults who have trooped up hills expecting the end and a few days later shuffled back down again after nothing happened…

Science fiction is full of stories about worlds ending and one of the most popular genres at the moment is the Zombie one. Most of them are about these half-dead creatures that are intent on reducing you to the same as them. The lumber about, making them fairly easy to outrun, but I can see why these stories fill some people with dread. I am not a huge fan of zombie fiction, but of the few that I have read, The Girl With All The Gifts and the Boy On The Bridge by M.R. Carey are very good well-thought-out stories.

Having avoided the undead, Robert’s then confronts the virus. Well not just that one, but the real-life viruses that have changed and shaped humanity in the past. These have never been the end, we’re still the most populous mammal on the plant after all, but the fear of catching something nasty or unpronounceable is high of people’s fear list. This fear has seeped into fiction too, with stories about the end of civilisation captivating and scaring people in equal measure.

The end of the world as seen in films like the Matrix and Terminator occupy some of our fears, especially with the rise of AI that some bright spark thought it would be a good idea to give weapons to. Thankfully these ideas mostly inhabit the minds of science fiction writer as they can give people serious nightmares.

I must admit that the earworm that kept going through my head reading this was ‘It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) by R.E.M. It is a good job I like the song. For a book about the end of the world it is actually quite upbeat and light-hearted at times, but not in a cynical way. He has a bone dry sense of humour, and I think that he is another Pratchett fan too! Roberts wants to take a look at our fears in a rational way with crystal clear analysis as to why we think the way that we do and the reality behind a lot of the scenarios described. He hits the nail on the head by saying the fear of a lot of people is our mortality rather than the world at large. We worth reading and it might even put your mind at rest too.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 1000th review on Goodreads!!!!!!!!!

Like any sane person I have fantasized about the end of the world….anything to not have to get out of bed and go to work….I even have plans in place of the places I’d hit first once I know I’ve survived, in order of being hit is The Library, a Supermarket, a Garden Centre and then the Hospital, finally I would then rummage around in the neighbours houses to see what they got there. One thing the pandemic of 2020 and this book have shown me is that things ain’t gonna play out like that, mostly because too many will survive, so I’d have to hit the Supermarket first….gotta get me as much bog roll and pasta as I can seeing as it will be the currency of the New World.

When picking up this book I was expecting it to be very tongue in cheek, but it is much more serious than expected, Roberts does include the odd joke and pun to try and keep things light and stop the reader from spiralling into depression. There is a lot of science here and Roberts’ excellent writing keeps it simple and interesting, I’ve learnt loads, one of the most interesting was about the Big Bang and “The Big Crunch” (Read the book to find out what that is). Zombies, aliens, meteors, climate change and nukes are all stuff I know about from movies, but to read about how the Sun will die and what the future holds was mesmerising, Roberts takes the reader to that bleak abyss of nothingness and leaves you standing there for a while.

One problem with this type of book is finding any reference material, there ain’t many apocalypses to draw info from so Roberts has to delve into literature, film & TV and video games to base the chapters around the common methods of apocalypse. This was almost a trip down memory lane, remembering past episodes of Star Trek and books like World War Z, this left me wanting to re-read and re-watch many things, it also mad me realise that the book could do with an additional section, a list of books and movies mentioned in the book, I’d work my way through them.

I think Roberts has done a good job with this book, he has covered all areas of the apocalypse and tries to figure out just what our fascination is with the total destruction of everything, I pretty much agreed with all the points he made. The arguments were well structured and he tries to keep his distance from putting over his own opinion, especially in matters of religion. He started this book before Covid 19 arrived and continued writing whilst it was all going on and he does a good job weaving that experience into the book.

A very good read that I would highly recommend to anybody with an interest in science, books and movies and that like me hears a voice telling them to kill all humans.

Blog review (including a video): https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2020...

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this year of uncertainty, to read a book about the end of the world seems very timely, as I have indeed wondered just where we are headed when all around us seems to be changing, and not for the better.

In It's the End of the World, the author very cleverly leads us through a series of cultural visions about the different end of the word scenarios from, Escaping the Wrath of the Gods: Religious Doomsday, through to The World on Fire : Climate Armageddon.

Throughout the book there is a comprehensive exploration in the way we, as a race of people, perceive destruction, and the increasing rise of popular culture only serves to emphasise this fascination with our apocalyptic demise. The author puts forward comprehensive ideas and I enjoyed reading the well thought out arguments and fascinating scenarios which, overall, gave me much food for thought.

It's the End of the World is one of those clever little books, whilst not huge in size, coming in at just over 190 pages, it certainly packs a generous punch in terms of thought provoking ideas and it is definitely one of those interesting books which I am sure I will find myself dipping into from time to time or whenever I feel that the end of the world is nigh.

[K.J. Charles]

Love a bit of eschatology. An interesting shortish read on visions of the end times, starting with the mythic ones (Ragnarok and Revelations) and moving on to break down the most-imagined types of apocalypse (plague, zombies, climate etc) in recent popular culture. Well written, amusing and interesting on picking apart how we think about this and why it's so compelling. It's the kind of analysis where you get annoyed that he didn't mention this or that book/film just because it would have been really interesting to see his thoughts.

All that said, if I starred books I'd really have to deduct one for the three-day REM earworm, jeez. The last book that did that to me was Mr. Loverman (also excellent so I guess it's worth it.)

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam Roberts is better known for his sci-fi novels but he's actually an academic. In this short work he looks at how the end of the world has been thought of by society for generations. From biblical apocalypses to zombies to alien invasion, how we think the world will end tends to reflect society in general. An interesting work to delve into.

[Justine]

Thanks to NetGalley and Elliott & Thompson for providing an ARC!

[Tom Stanger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like so many others enduring 2020 I really wasn't sure I wanted to read Adam Roberts' It's the End of the World: But What Are We Really Afraid Of? but having just finished reading it at (ironically 11:59) this is a book that genuinely transcends its own title and relates a more optimistic view of any such impending apocalypse and looks at whether the end really is nigh.


From various portrayals of the apocalypse, ranging from religious myths, Zombies, climate change, technology, all have brought about their own version of the end of the world. Adam Roberts in It's the End of the World: But What Are We Really Afraid Of? consider each, individually, and weighs up whether their viability to really be a portent of the end times. Roberts' knowledge of popular culture makes this an intriguing and thought-provoking book without taking the subject too seriously, which greatly helps the book achieve its purpose of looking at the end of the world but in an easy and accessible manner which becomes more intriguing with each page.


The subject for me is one I've looked at within my own studies (at university) and my own writing, so Roberts' use of sources such as cinema, books and other media such as video games is one that appeals to me greatly. As a lover of old B-Movies and 1950s/60s science-fiction, the end of the world has been dealt with more times than I can even care to mention. Roberts' own experience as a science-fiction writer and his knowledge of literature is certainly put to good use here.
However, with all the pop culture aside It's the End of the World: But What Are We Really Afraid Of? takes a very serious tone (and quite rightly) when it comes to climate change. While the rest of the book takes a lighter-hearted approach, climate change is certainly a very real event within our lives and something we can't ignore just by turning off the television. Roberts' compelling narrative of the subject kept me riveted to the end and serves as a reminder that we are often the source of our own destruction.


Whether 'the end is nigh' or in some distant future the apocalypse hasn't happened yet, and It's the End of the World: But What Are We Really Afraid Of? reminds us all that our survival is reliant on fragile means and our greatest fear is fear of ourselves and our own personal extinction. Whether it be Armageddon, Zombies, killer machines or just the end of the Universe our time is limited, but as Welsh band Super Furry Animals say, "At least it's not the end of the world".


[Laura Newsholme · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a really interesting and funny exploration of the various ways human beings anticipate the end of the world, be it a religiously inspired apocalypse, a zombie outbreak, disease, asteroid collision, climate catastrophe or the heat death of the universe! Professor Roberts takes each scenario and discusses what the likelihood of each is along with what the actual impact to the human race would be, which makes for both exciting and scary reading. I thought he argued his case very well and made excellent use of various sources to ensure that each argument was evidence based. There were times when I felt the book was a little repetitive, but overall, I thought this was a great read and would definitely recommend it for anyone who has contemplated packing their own bug-out bag!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Georgi_Lvs_Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know why I put myself through these types of books because my god they scare me! But they are oh so fascinating. ​

From start to finish I was intrigued through out. Not one part was dull for me and I highly recommend this to any non-fiction reader and this is also ideal for readers who are interested in knowing about theories for the end of the world.

Also, I now have PLENTY more movies I need to watch... and my TBR pile is now growing even more! Thank you Adam!

[Lisa Konet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is kind of a hypothetical nonfiction/sci-fi account about how the world and mankind will end. In some ways it was a little sobering in some parts and more humorous/not too likely in other parts.

I rather enjoyed reading this given the title and subject matter. I know in some respects, the end of the world is already happening. I do not think this will happen in my lifetime, and may be not in my 10yr old nephew's lifetime either. This book was great but I think the only reason why I did not give this 5 stars is that it had TOO MANY reasons for why it will happen....

The book did not keep to one or two or three ways how the Earth's demise was going to occur. This did not really bother me but sticking to one or two main points of why would have been more helpful. It could be one main event like an asteroid or one of the super volcanoes exploding, which there is no preparation for. Hope this instantaneous and you have no awareness. OR, it is a slow process life climate change.

Highly recommended. Maybe a re-read for next year.

Thanks to Netgalley, Adam Roberts and Elliot & Thompson for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available: 11/5/20

[Jen Tidman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fascinating look at the various ways that humankind has feared the world will end, as envisaged in literature and film, as well as set out in philosophy and science. Roberts groups potential apocalypses and armageddons by theme: wrath of god, zombies, plagues, technology, heat death, and climate change - all are fascinating and (except the first two) frighteningly feasible. The only downside is that if you're not familiar with the books and films he references, then there are massive spoilers, but I skimmed over some of these parts and don't feel I lost anything.

[Simon B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pithy, witty and insightful, this is an interesting piece of cultural criticism focusing on literature, film and video games from one of my favourite authors. Some of its points could be developed in more detail but it provides interesting insights into the fears and desires that animate popular interest in apocalyptic and dystopian dramas. I especially liked the chapter about the social significance of Zombie narratives (in part, cultural fears of enduring slavery and never-ending labour that have morphed into critiques of the miseries of consumerism and social alienation). The chapter on the multitudinous stories about machines turning on humanity (oh, hi there Capitalism's metabolic rift and its rising organic composition of capital) or rapacious aliens colonising Earth (oh, hi there deep-seated Imperialist anxieties) also makes some thoughtful points. I was a bit disappointed with the chapter on climate fiction, which eloquently states the gravity of the climate emergency but relies overly-much on George Marshall's pop-science notion that human brains are just not wired right to think about long term problems. This idiosyncratic neurological explanation for the climate impasse is unconvincing and neglects the far more important social explanations. Robert's deploys the royal 'we' a bit too much when describing the barriers to climate action: as though we all share responsibility for the Anthropocene, rich and poor alike. Contrary to this, I'm a more of a Utah Phillips kind of guy. He once said: "The Earth is not dying, it is being killed, and those who are doing it have names and addresses." Survival in the face of climate change requires wiping out many trillions of dollars of value in some of the world's most profitable industries. Inertia in climate politics originates from the world's most powerful protecting these investments no matter what. It's not because our stupid brains are addicted to endorphins. But in a world being stubbornly and knowingly driven into a mass extinction event it makes sense there will be a whole host of morbid, selfish and deeply dysfunctional cultural ramifications. Crazy will engender crazy. The only hope is through the efforts to change their circumstances people begin to change themselves and forge a more sensitive and truly human culture that nurtures our connections with the rest of nature.

[tomi green · Rating 3 out of 5]

About how people are fascinated by the idea of the nearness of the end of the world. Of course, one that involves the end of people. Who cares about the extinction of other species.

Starring zombies, plagues, technology, physics, climate change and, of course, religion - the pioneer of the horror fairy tale world. The author devotes a chapter to each topic. We learn something about the history of interest in each topic, we get a glimpse into the cultural analysis of the movies and books (e.g. about zombies as a consumer mass and vampires as an aristocracy), and we get a lot of more or less interesting recommendations for watching and reading.

The individual chapters are mostly informative and slightly philosophical, with one exception - the chapter on climate, where the author goes bit into an activist mode. This makes sense given the current times. Partly. In fact, the brief analysis of the "climate crisis" somehow fails to look for deeper causes in economics, anthropocentrism and other phenomena. But nevermind, the end of the world is supposedly not around the corner, and we have tips for the next entertainment, so it doesn't really matter.

------------------------------------------------

O tom, ako ľudí fascinuje predstava blízkosti konca sveta. Samozrejme takého, ktorý sa týka konca ľudí. Čo tam po vymieraní iných druhov.

V hlavnej úlohe zombíci, morové nákazy, technológie, fyzika, zmena klímy a, samozrejme, náboženstvo – priekopník sveta hrôzostrašných rozprávkových príbehov. Autor venuje každej téme vlastnú kapitolu. Dozvieme sa čo-to o histórii záujmu o jednotlivé témy, načrieme do kultúrnej analýzy filmov a kníh (napr. o zombíkoch ako konzumnej mase a vampíroch ako aristokracii) a popritom dostaneme mnoho viac či menej zaujímavých odporúčaní na pozeranie a čítanie.

Jednotlivé kapitoly majú väčšinou informatívny a mierne filozofický charakter, až na jednu výnimku – kapitolu o klíme. Tu autor nachvíľu prejde do jemne aktivistického módu, čo vzhľadom na súčasnú dobu dáva zmysel. Čiastočne. Stručná analýza „klimatickej krízy“ totiž akosi nezakopne o hľadanie hlbších príčin v ekonomike, antropocentrizme a iných fenoménoch. Ale koniec sveta vraj za rohom nie je a máme tipy na ďalšiu zábavu, takže to je vlastne jedno.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3644975.html

I like Adam both as a person and as a writer, in particular (usually) his non-fiction, but this seemed much slighter than usual to me. It's a set of lists of sff writings on various apocalypses, caused by gods, zombies, plagues, technology, cosmic disaster and climate change, with some fairly light analysis. I'll give him good marks for including games, as well as books and films - it's become clear to me that no assessment of any theme in sff as it is being written today can be complete without the ludic dimension.

However. One unfootnoted and uncaveated remark about 7th century China particularly caught my attention: "many people believed the Han prince Li Hong was the promised messiah. His mother, alarmed that he would use his popular support to seize power, had him poisoned." Reasonably thorough, if brief, research on my part failed to support any of this; Li Hong the prince - 李弘 - is not even spelt the same way as Li Hong the Taoist messiah - 李洪; it's not clear that his mother poisoned him, and if she did, it was probably because of palace politics about his marriage, not because of any messianic pretensions, for which I found no further evidence. It's disappointing; his other work is generally better.

[Aimee (Book It Forward) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this! End of the world fiction has always been a favorite genre for me, but I never really understood why. People have always asked me why the heck I would want to read books about the world ending, and I could not articulate an answer. After reading this book however, I feel like I understand my reasoning so much more. I highlighted many, many parts of this book that really spoke to me about life and death and our part in the grand scheme of humanity. This book tackles a mode of the end of the world in each chapter. Some were more interesting than others, but ALL were enjoyable. This book is for anyone who is curious what might cause the end of humanity, and for those who struggle with questions about how life can continue after the unthinkable happens. This book is not all doom and gloom. It has many rays of hope, and many times reminds us how resilient humans are even under the worst of circumstances. At the end of this, you will find that no matter what is thrown at us, there will always be some sort of survival possible. Humans will always find a way to survive, and even when all seems lost, Earth will figure it out somehow.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Graham Vingoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam is one of the science fiction fields best writers but also does thought provoking non fiction as well. Here he does the letter with a series of chapters about various end of the world scenarios. Despite what you may expect this is as funny as it is serious in places but doesn't shy away from pessimism about our current climate crisis. I do think it's hard to gauge who the actual audience is for the book but as a summary of end of the world scenarios in fiction it is very good.

[Snoakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

In It's the End of the World: But What Are We Really Afraid Of? Adam Roberts investigates humankind's obsession with the end of the world.

It's a good topic for a science fiction writer and he looks at it from the viewpoint of predominantly western culture, using art, literature and films as his sources. Themes range from Armageddon, via zombie apocalypse to the more likely and therefore more terrifying climate catastrophe.

He has an entertaining and witty style which lightens the doom laden content and is as likely to quote Terry Pratchett as Nietzsche.

[oldb1rd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Набор тематической публицистики на тему отношений человека и конца света, выдающий себя за… черт его пойми что.

В книге есть 2-3 интересные мысли, но в сравнении с даже каким-то средним культурологическим или антропологическим научопопом - это дно, в котором плещется вода рассуждений автора.

50% текста - пересказ сюжетов любимых фильмов, книг и игра автора по теме. Остальное даже у Барнса в «Нечего бояться» вышло лучше.

[John Mannion · Rating 3 out of 5]

This looked like an intriguing survey of apocalyptic literature but within the limits of its quite short length it didn't have very much new to say. The final section dwelt in detail on the very real threat of climate change.

[Jude Pickthorne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zombies, vampires , plagues and viruses to name but a few ways for the world to end. Enjoyed this read, interspersed with film and literature references so much so that I had to make a list of movies to watch and books to read. I found this an easy to read and thought provoking book.

[Tommy Maker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought provoking concept on this subject. Interesting read.

[Ken Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining analysis of humanity's obsession with the 'End of the World' by SF author and critic Adam Roberts.

[Euzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 rounded up

[Darya Sadykova · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a short compilation of common knowledge from pop culture and it has little to no interesting thoughts

[Emily Yaoyang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like it as its talk about the perspective of each person on the end of the world, and each of person have a different opinion like Gods, disease, virus, global warming or even the Sun can end the world. These reasons really scared off people but we all live our life the best as the code say “live like there is no tomorrow”. I would really recommend this to others people to read, it’s would give us a lot of perspective that let us think and analyze.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone loves a good apocalypse story. Whether it’s zombies, robot uprisings, Covid-19, or just boiling to death over several decades due to global climate change, people seem to really be infatuated with (or, more to the point, terrified of) the end of the world.

Professor Adam Roberts, in his book “It’s The End Of The World: But What Are We Really Afraid Of?” examines the many ways the world could end and why we all seem so convinced that it will.

Believe it or not, the book is not only entertaining but actually quite humorous at times, as Roberts illustrates his many points with jokes, personal anecdotes, and pop-cultural references. Any professor that incorporates as many references to “Thor: Ragnarok”, the “Matrix” movies, and “Snowpiercer” in a lecture, is a professor worth his salt.

Starting with an eye-opening chapter on the Book of Revelations (so, apparently, St. John was secretly making digs at the Romans throughout) and other religious end-of-the-world predictions (many, if not all, weren’t so much world-ending as they were world-rebooting narratives masking our fears of death and hopes for an afterlife), Roberts looks at our fear of zombies (which is really a fear of mob mentality and death), robots and evil A.I. (a fear of technology and death), global pandemics (a fear of illness and death), and climate change (a very real fear of destroying the Earth and our inevitable death).

Basically, we’re all afraid of death. Which probably doesn’t sound so eye-opening now that I think about it. It’s kind of like, “duh.”

Still, Roberts’s book is, despite its subject matter, fun to read, if you are a fan of books and movies in which catastrophes are global and body counts are in the millions.

[Santi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a long time since I read a Pop Culture 101 book like this one, that goes not deeply but fast over the obsession of our culture with the end of times in its different forms. Roberts comes across as a nice guy and the writing is superbly clear, but the whole thing is rather inconsequential with the exception of one (very interesting) idea that he states in the opening chapter and repeats in the end. The aftertaste was worsened by Roberts' shallow and unfair grasp on videogames. All in all an enjoyable book for those who want a primer on apocalyptic (pop) culture.