This is a field that is normally concerned with the unforeseen period of the end of human civilization. In the excerpts from their books, the authors express their feelings and worries that this period will take effect as a result of potential catastrophes that will ensure that humanity within the human beings will no longer be existent. The authors give several reasons that could potentially lead to such events. Among these reasons are arguments that nuclear warfare could lead to eras in which humanity will be forgotten and hence not practiced. They also foresee that this period could be due to the unexpected climatic changes and other issues such as supernatural phenomenon taking their toll in the world. Ecological collapse may also mean that humans remain to scramble for the few resources that may be available by then, hence affecting the manner I which people relate. On the other hand, after the apocalyptic period, the post-apocalyptic period will take over. This is the period after the disasters that have been argued above have taken place. However, all this is a matter of science fiction and it is difficult to envisage such period in the history of the world. Although the possible reasons that may lead to such occasions may exist, it would be improper to think of them creating such scenes without anything being done to control the events. Humanity is inherent and is internalized by human beings no matter the events that may face them. It would be therefore wrong to think of there being a period that humanity will collapse.
Warm Bodies is a 2010 book that was written by Isaac Marion. The author of the book gives a description of how he thinks things will be in the future after humanity expires (Marion, 32). Although the feelings are entirely of the characters in the book, it is arguable that Marion was expressing his own views as regards to the apocalyptic period and its effects. In Warm Bodies, Marion introduces us to a world that is believed to be of the dead people, whereby even though everything that happens seems to be funny, people find it difficult to smile. The main reason for this is that their lips have rotten off and smiling is even unthinkable. Dying is not a bad thing after all (Marion, 26). However, one has to live with the fact that they are dead. The effects of death include one not having a name and therefore, introducing themselves becomes a difficult task. The names are easily lost and forgotten. By giving the events from the perspective of a dead person, the author manages to explain the events as though they were happening to them by the time they were writing the books. It would therefore be very difficult to argue against them because we are not in their state and have no clue of what they are talking about.
World war Z by Max, on the other hand, highlights similar sentiments about the apocalyptic period and the effects it may bring to the world. As described by Max Brooks in the book, the Zombie war came inches close to destroying and eradicating humanity. Of a similar nature between the two tales by Max Brooks and Marion is the manner through which these stories are narrated. The two authors managed to let their feelings and thoughts be known to the public through putting themselves in the shoes of the dead and highlighting it from that perspective (Brooks, 44). It is very difficult therefore to argue against them since one is unaware of what happens once an individual dies. They achieve to give narrations about what they think is the ultimate collapse of humanity in the world depending on the factors that have already been argued above such as natural disasters and the eradication of resources. Whether this time will come to happen is left open as one may not be in a better position to argue against such testaments.
In World War Z, Max gives a narration of the events experienced by the survivors of the apocalyptic years. The cities that at one time hosted more than thirty million people were now decimated and had become inhabitable places in the world for humankind to stay. The book is full of shocks and conveys deep fear and horror that existed among the people as a result of the argued events. The spirit of resistance in the human society had been affected seriously and what followed are events that are unimaginable of people facing a lot of suffering in the world. Similar to the narration in the Warm Bodies by Marion, this period is so unattractive that it is almost impossible for one to think about others and leads them to forgetting most of the events, just like anniversaries are forgotten.
As Marion argues in his narration, being in the condition he is is very disturbing. However, he thinks that death has been very kind to him than to others, even as he is yet to decay and become a Zombie (Marion et al, 39). This state is very disturbing as one has to live with the unpleasant smell and cope up with the dark cycles that build themselves beneath one’s eyes. However, all is not lost as they have a chance of making jokes against each other together with the other people who are in a similar state, more so on the issue about the clothes they are wearing or the occupations they were taking when they were alive, taking wild guesses against each other. Meanwhile, World war Z is narrated on several scenes to bring out the different places that the character travelled through in order to seek for better life. From the unnamed northern forest where several people sought refugee amid the terrible conditions, the United States of Southern Africa where people were promised of hope at a ridiculously high price, to the West of the Rockies and many more other places, the author successfully manages to reflect on the events that took place while the World war Z lasted. Such were the devastating and shocking experiences that are very difficult for any individual to cope with. This narration is, to some extent, similar to the one given in the Warm Bodies since in both events, the authors reveal the level of suffering that is brought about as a result of the decaying morals in the society and the manner in which the end of human civilization affects individuals negatively. These events are very disturbing in nature to the extent that it is almost impossible to think of such a period when the so-called disasters may lead to the end of civilization of humanity. In the real world, humanity plays a key role in the manner in which humans relate. The catastrophes that may lead to such periods as described by apocalyptic literature are almost unknown since people have already survived what may be termed as erotic moments in which the world could have taken a different form. The world wars that took place in the early periods are among such events that threatened the existence of humanity, yet, human beings have always found means through which they bring back humanity to the existence of individuals. Although resources are competed for, it is difficult to think of a time in history and the future when they will be exhausted, leading to human beings acting like they don’t care about each other any longer. The natural resources have, since the past periods, shown traits that may lead to one making assumptions that they could be eradicated within a given period of time. However, such has never happened despite the competition that exists for them by human beings in order to make life sustainable.
Marion narrates how they are living in an abandoned airport, in which the conditions are unimaginable of (Marion, 39). Shelter and warmth is not a necessity. The walls only serve the purpose of bringing some hope to them as they prevent them from being in an open place. It would have been worse if they were not enclosed by the walls since they would be in the middle of nowhere and that would have been a terrible experience to be told to any person. However, the author, through the character in the play, makes us aware that the difference between being half-death and full death is that when one is in the full-death condition, they may never have a chance to see the walls and any other hard lines. This is such a terrifying experience as they don’t have any place to look up to or even touch when they are faced with the challenges that they face. In the World war Z by Max, the author manages to capture the human dimension in a similar manner to what is narrated by Marion in the Warm Bodies of the epochal events. As such, the events are so terrifying to the extent that it requires the reader to be highly courageous in order to go through them. However, one of the mistakes that were made was the exclusion of the human nature which was a kind of detachment from the history. As such, humans may end up forgetting these events, something which may lead them to repeating the similar mistakes that were made in the early times. Referring to the living death as the necessary enemy, the human factor should therefore never be excluded since it gives the difference between humans and the death. In the introduction to this book, Max argues that by excluding the human factor, humans were risking detachment from history and as such, could end up repeating the same mistakes. This shows the extent to which the author was concerned by the assumptions that are made that humanity could decline due to the aforementioned reasons. Marion, in the Warm Bodies, vividly explains in the process that is followed in the extinction of mankind when they die. They are first partially detached and the only difference between them and the living is that they have decayed a little bit and they can vividly remember each other, though to a smaller extent. This makes everything seem impossible.
In conclusion, it is very difficult to think of there arising such scenarios as explained by the authors through the characters of the books. The end of humanity and civilization is such an unthinkable thing since humans have already been subjected to a myriad of problems, but humanity has always found a way to claw back and ensure that such a period is not experienced by humans.
Works Cited
Brooks, Max. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. New York: Crown, 2006. Print.
Brooks, Max. World War Z. London: Duckworth, 2007. Print.
Marion, Isaac, and Kevin Kenerly. Warm Bodies. Ashland, Or.: Blackstone Audio, Inc, 2011. Print.
Marion, Isaac. Warm Bodies: A Novel. New York: Atria Books, 2011. Print.
