July 20, 2013

The End of the World and Other Entertainments

By Jon N. Hall
Folks have always been fascinated by the End of the World. Christianity addresses this little problem in Revelations, where we read about the Beast of the Apocalypse, the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse, the Whore of Babylon, the Seven Seals, and such. However, after those dread revelations, the faithful are assured of happier times. But for those who believe that may all be myth, there is a host of other apocalypses thatlie in wait. These other endings for life on Earth can be grimmer than those found in religion, for there is little chance of happiness afterward. But, happily, they've inspired entire genres of popular entertainments in film, fiction, and even comic books. These genres have been lumped together with the term "post-apocalyptic." Science says Earth will someday end when our Sun expands to become a red giant. Science fiction has responded to that eventuality with a bunch of stories about leaving the solar system before we're fried. My favorite of these is Arthur C....(Read Full Article)