Christina VanHuss (Cox)
asked
Lenore H. Gay:
What do you think accounts for the appeal of postapocalyptic fictions?
Lenore H. Gay
During the Cold War US citizens were preoccupied with the Red Menace. It gave rise to the McCarthy hearings and other Communist witch-hunts. Spy books and books about war were popular with readers then.
Now the younger generation, as well as some older Americans, are preoccupied with the degradation of the planet, and terrorist attacks. With the explosion of media, Americans can stay immersed in news about homegrown terrorists, as well as attacks in other parts of the world. Since 9/11 the preoccupation with terror has grown, and it’s reflected in the book’s imagining a world of chaos.
Now the younger generation, as well as some older Americans, are preoccupied with the degradation of the planet, and terrorist attacks. With the explosion of media, Americans can stay immersed in news about homegrown terrorists, as well as attacks in other parts of the world. Since 9/11 the preoccupation with terror has grown, and it’s reflected in the book’s imagining a world of chaos.
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