The Show Notes: Episode 15: Our Favorite Apocalypses: Zombies, Viruses, Meteors, oh my or Apocalypse Wow!
Nick, Georgia and Joe dig into their favorite doomsday scenarios. Zombies, vampires, wars, disease, natural disasters, AI and more. We discuss the plausibility, impact and survivability.
Welcome to the Shownotes! We are staying organized with timestamps (folks seemed to like them). As always, feel free to comment, and we will address it in future shows! Enjoy.
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@atomic_number14 https://www.instagram.com/atomic_number14/Joe’s Show Notes:
00:35 Welcome to the Basement Studio the Basement Bunker
1:04 Setting the Scene: Favorite Apocalypses episode title
Apocalypse Now vs Apocalypse Wow: Owen Wilson cover art
2:00 What are we Drinking?
La Fin Du Monde, Unibroue Brewery
Joe: The Haze Between, DeadHead IPA Series— DESTIHL Brewery
Nick: Impending Doom— Heavy Seas Beer and Liquid Death
Georgia: Impending Doom — Heavy Seas Beer
03:29 Debating the Apocalypse Categories
Joe’s List (See movie and book list below):
Zombie
Vampire
Meteor
Alien Invasion
Disease
Natural Disasters
Climate Change
Nuclear War
Technological Catastrophe
10:20 The Doomsday Clock and Real-World Threats
14:29 Survival and Human Nature in Apocalyptic Scenarios
19:20 Sting’s song ‘Russians’
debut solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles, released in June 1985
20:04 Favorite Apocalyptic Stories and Media
27:48 Popcorn and Apocalyptic Movies
28:11 Twilight Zone Favorites
Georgia: “Time Enough at Last”
31:12 Owen Wilson’s maybe apocalyptic movie
31:23 Zombie Apocalypse and Survival
Max Brooks: “The Zombie Survival Guide”
Joe’s favorite survival book:Country Wisdom & Know-How: Everything You Need to Know to Live off the Land
33:45 Alien Invasions and Human Nature
35:19 Bob burgers
37:00 Twilight Zone with Zombies:
Mr. Garrity and the Graves Season 5, Episode 32
38:50 Nuclear War and Survival Strategies
1983 ABC Movie: The Day After
44:53 Apocalyptic Optimism and Media Recommendations
A new PBS docuseries, “A Brief History of the Future,” that focuses on hope.
49:01 Trust and Humanity in Apocalyptic Times
Types of apocalypse
1. ZOMBIE
The zombie apocalypse genre has been a popular theme in movies and books, exploring the breakdown of society in the face of a viral outbreak that turns people into undead creatures. Here are notable works in this genre:
Movies:
"Night of the Living Dead" (1968) - Directed by George A. Romero, this classic film is credited with popularizing the modern zombie genre.
"Dawn of the Dead" (1978) - Also by Romero, this film is set in a shopping mall during a zombie outbreak, examining societal issues within a contained environment.
"28 Days Later" (2002) - Directed by Danny Boyle, this film features fast-moving infected humans and explores the aftermath of a virus outbreak in the UK.
"Zombieland" (2009) - A comedic take on the genre, following a group of survivors navigating a post-apocalyptic world while avoiding zombies.
"World War Z" (2013) - Starring Brad Pitt, this movie is based on the novel by Max Brooks and depicts a global pandemic of zombie-like creatures threatening humanity.
"Train to Busan" (2016) - A South Korean film that follows passengers on a train during a zombie outbreak, focusing on survival and human relationships.
Books:
"World War Z" by Max Brooks - A pseudo-documentary novel detailing the global response to a zombie pandemic, told through interviews with survivors.
"The Walking Dead" series by Robert Kirkman - Originally a comic book series, later adapted into a popular TV show, following survivors in a world overrun by zombies.
"Feed" by Mira Grant - The first book in the "Newsflesh" series, set in a post-zombie apocalypse America where bloggers cover politics amid the undead.
"Zone One" by Colson Whitehead - A literary take on the zombie apocalypse, focusing on a cleanup crew in Manhattan after the outbreak.
"Patient Zero" by Jonathan Maberry - The first book in the "Joe Ledger" series, featuring a detective fighting against terrorists and a viral zombie outbreak.
The Dead City series by Joe McKinney - is a collection of zombie apocalypse novels that follow the adventures of police officer Eddie Hudson in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by the undead.
2. VAMPIRE
Movies:
1. “30 Days of Night” (2007) - Based on the graphic novel by Steve Niles, this film follows a group of survivors in an Alaskan town besieged by vampires during a month-long polar night.
2. “Daybreakers” (2009) - Set in a future where vampires dominate the human population, this film explores the consequences of a blood shortage and a potential cure for vampirism.
3. “Stake Land” (2010) - Although primarily a post-apocalyptic film, “Stake Land” features vampires as one of the primary threats to survivors navigating a ravaged America.
4. “Priest” (2011) - In a dystopian world ravaged by centuries of war between humans and vampires, a warrior priest embarks on a mission to rescue his niece from vampire kidnappers.
5. “The Strain” (2014-2017) - While originally a TV series, “The Strain” was based on the book trilogy by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. It depicts a viral outbreak caused by an ancient strain of vampirism.
Books:
1. “The Passage” by Justin Cronin - The first book in a trilogy, “The Passage” introduces a post-apocalyptic world overrun by vampire-like creatures known as virals.
2. “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson - Although primarily focused on a solitary survivor battling vampiric beings, this novel has been adapted into several films exploring themes of isolation and survival.
3. “The Strain Trilogy” by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan - This book series delves into a modern-day vampire apocalypse caused by an ancient and highly contagious strain of vampirism.
4. “The Vampire Chronicles” by Anne Rice - While not strictly about a vampire apocalypse, Anne Rice’s series delves deeply into vampire mythology and the existence of vampires alongside humanity.
3. METEOR
Movies:
1. “Armageddon” (1998) - Directed by Michael Bay, this blockbuster film follows a team of deep-core drillers sent by NASA to plant a nuclear bomb on an asteroid to prevent it from colliding with Earth.
2. “Deep Impact” (1998) - A science-fiction disaster film that depicts humanity’s efforts to deal with an impending collision between Earth and a large comet, showing both the scientific and personal impacts of such an event.
3. “Melancholia” (2011) - Directed by Lars von Trier, this psychological drama unfolds as a rogue planet approaches Earth, causing widespread anxiety and existential crisis among the characters.
4. “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” (2012) - While not centered on the impact itself, this film explores human relationships and reactions to the news of an asteroid strike that will likely wipe out life on Earth.
Books:
1. “Lucifer’s Hammer” by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle - This novel follows multiple characters before, during, and after a comet hits Earth, causing massive destruction and societal collapse.
2. “The Forge of God” by Greg Bear - In this science fiction novel, two alien species have different plans for Earth as a massive black hole is discovered heading toward the solar system.
3. “Impact” by Douglas Preston - This thriller novel involves a team of scientists racing against time to stop an asteroid from colliding with Earth, discovering a government conspiracy along the way.
4. “Meteor” by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven - Set in the near future, this book explores the aftermath of a meteor strike in the Pacific Ocean, leading to geopolitical tensions and global consequences.
4. ALIEN INVASION
Movies:
1. “Independence Day” (1996) - Directed by Roland Emmerich, this blockbuster film depicts humanity’s fight against technologically advanced aliens intent on destroying Earth.
2. “War of the Worlds” (2005) - Based on the novel by H.G. Wells, this film directed by Steven Spielberg follows a father and his children as they try to survive an alien invasion.
3. “Battle: Los Angeles” (2011) - Set in Los Angeles, this film portrays a group of Marines defending the city against hostile alien forces.
4. “District 9” (2009) - This sci-fi film explores themes of segregation and discrimination as aliens are forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth.
5. “The War of the Worlds” (1953) - An earlier adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel, this classic film showcases the panic and chaos caused by Martian invaders.
6. “The Andromeda Strain” (1971) - Based on the novel by Michael Crichton, this film follows scientists investigating a deadly extraterrestrial microorganism that threatens human life.
Books:
1. “The War of the Worlds” by H.G. Wells - The classic novel that inspired numerous adaptations, telling the story of a Martian invasion of Earth.
2. “The 5th Wave” by Rick Yancey - This young adult novel follows a teenage girl navigating a post-apocalyptic world after a series of devastating alien attacks.
3. “Footfall” by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle - In this novel, aliens invade Earth, and humanity must unite to fight back against technologically superior foes.
4. “The Three-Body Problem” by Liu Cixin - While not a traditional alien invasion story, this sci-fi trilogy explores contact with an advanced alien civilization and its impact on humanity.
5. “Childhood’s End” by Arthur C. Clarke - In this classic novel, aliens arrive on Earth with seemingly benevolent intentions, but their arrival heralds profound changes for humanity.
5. DISEASE
Movies
1. “Contagion” (2011) - Directed by Steven Soderbergh, this film follows the rapid spread of a deadly virus and the efforts of scientists and officials to contain it while society unravels.
2. “Outbreak” (1995) - A thriller film that explores the consequences of an Ebola-like virus outbreak in a small town in California, starring Dustin Hoffman and Morgan Freeman.
Books:
1. “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel - This novel follows a traveling theater troupe in a post-pandemic world where a flu virus has wiped out most of humanity.
2. “The Stand” by Stephen King - A post-apocalyptic novel where a superflu called Captain Trips wipes out most of the world’s population, leading to a struggle between survivors.
3. “The Hot Zone” by Richard Preston - A non-fiction book that explores the origins and impact of deadly viruses like Ebola and Marburg, highlighting the potential dangers of infectious diseases.
4. “Year One” by Nora Roberts - The first book in a series where a mysterious illness wipes out most of humanity, and survivors must navigate a changed world filled with magic and danger.
6. NATURAL DISASTERS
Movies:
1. “San Andreas” (2015) - Starring Dwayne Johnson, this film follows a rescue pilot navigating through California after a series of devastating earthquakes caused by the San Andreas Fault.
2. “Dante’s Peak” (1997) - A volcanic disaster film where a volcanologist (played by Pierce Brosnan) and a mayor try to evacuate a small town threatened by an impending eruption.
3. “Pompeii” (2014) - Set against the backdrop of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, this film follows a gladiator’s quest for survival amid the destruction of Pompeii.
4. “10.5” (2004) - A TV miniseries depicting a series of catastrophic earthquakes along the West Coast of the United States, leading to widespread destruction and chaos.
5. “Volcano” (1997) - A disaster film set in Los Angeles, where a volcano unexpectedly erupts, and emergency responders scramble to save the city from lava flows and ash clouds.
7. CLIMATE CHANGE
Movies:
1. “Snowpiercer” (2013) - In a future where a failed climate-change experiment has killed most life on the planet and turned Earth into a frozen wasteland, survivors live on a train that travels around the globe.
2. “Waterworld” (1995) - Set in a future where the polar ice caps have melted, leaving the Earth covered by water, this film follows a lone hero navigating a world of waterborne societies.
3. “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004) - Directed by Roland Emmerich, this film depicts a series of catastrophic weather events triggered by climate change, leading to a new Ice Age.
4. “Interstellar” (2014) - While not solely focused on climate change, this sci-fi film portrays a future Earth where environmental collapse threatens humanity’s survival, leading to a search for habitable planets.
5. “Geostorm” (2017) - In this disaster film, satellites controlling the global climate go haywire, resulting in extreme weather phenomena that threaten the planet.
8. NUCLEAR WAR
Movies:
1. “Threads” (1984) - A British television film depicting the impact of a nuclear war on the city of Sheffield, highlighting the breakdown of society and the long-term consequences of radiation.
2. “The Day After” (1983) - A TV film that follows the residents of Lawrence, Kansas, before, during, and after a nuclear war between NATO forces and the Warsaw Pact, depicting the devastating effects of a nuclear exchange.
3. “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964) - Directed by Stanley Kubrick, this satirical film explores the absurdity of nuclear warfare through a dark comedic lens.
4. “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) - While not strictly a nuclear war film, this post-apocalyptic action movie is set in a world ravaged by nuclear conflict, showcasing a brutal society fighting for resources.
5. “The Road” (2009) - Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, this film follows a father and son’s journey across a post-apocalyptic landscape devastated by an unspecified catastrophe, likely nuclear in nature.
Books:
1. “Alas, Babylon” by Pat Frank - A classic novel depicting the struggles of a small Florida town to survive and rebuild after a nuclear war devastates the United States.
8. TECHNOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE
Movies:
1. “The Matrix” (1999) - Directed by the Wachowskis, this sci-fi film depicts a dystopian future where intelligent machines have enslaved humanity in a simulated reality, highlighting themes of control and resistance.
2. “Children of Men” (2006) - Set in a world where humanity faces extinction due to infertility, this film explores societal collapse and the quest for hope amid despair.
3. “The Book of Eli” (2010) - This post-apocalyptic film follows a lone traveler carrying a sacred book in a world devastated by war, showcasing survival skills and moral dilemmas.
4. “WALL-E” (2008) - While primarily an animated film, “WALL-E” portrays a future Earth abandoned by humans due to environmental degradation caused by over-reliance on technology.
5. “The Terminator” (1984) - Directed by James Cameron, this sci-fi action film introduces the premise of the series: a cyborg assassin known as the Terminator (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back in time from a post-apocalyptic future to kill Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton), whose unborn son will lead the resistance against the machines.
Books:
1. “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy - This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel describes a post-apocalyptic world resulting from an unspecified cataclysm, likely involving technology.
2. “Oryx and Crake” by Margaret Atwood - The first book in the MaddAddam trilogy, it presents a dystopian future caused by genetic engineering and bioengineering gone wrong.
3. “Neuromancer” by William Gibson - A seminal work in the cyberpunk genre, it explores the potential dangers of AI and cyberspace.
4. “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson - A fast-paced novel that explores the consequences of a computer virus in a hyper-commercialized future.
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