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Come the Apocalypse

Oct. 18, 2002

Why not make this 5 apocalyptic question thing a theme post?

Assuming some sort of Fallout/Mad Max type of eschatology. (Nuclear waste, burned out wastelands, blasted cities, horrible mutants, etc.)

1. I'm not sure what good a CD would do me, since the electric grid will surely have gone down, and batteries don't last that long. I suppose I could wire up a bicycle to produce electricity when I pedal, if I really wanted to listen to a CD. Given the state of the world post-apocalypse, I'd have to take U2's Zooropa album, mostly for the song The Wanderer featuring Johnny Cash. Seems appropriate.

2. Again bypassing the problems of powering the movies, I'd have to choose Mad Max and The Postman. Not because of any particular merit in either film, but merely for their relevance to my newfound situation. I need role-models.

3. I don't know of as many good post-apocalyptic books. There are two works that seem appropriate, both with the same title. First, There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury. Its a short-story about an automated house going through its daily routine after the owners were annihilated by a neutron bomb. The other is a poem by Sara Teasdale, on which the story is based. The story actually contains the poem, so I actually get both for the price of one. While I'm at it, I might as well take my entire SF anthology, since it contains this short story, as well as some other good ones. Others mentioned the Bible, and that seems like a good choice as well. Finally, I'll go with the Anarchist's Cookbook, on reputation only (there may be better manuals which cover the same information, I wouldn't know). It might be handy to know how to construct my own surveillance equipment and ammunition.

4. I get to choose anything? I'll take Nuka-Cola, Lizard-on-a-stick, and Meat pies. That's all that will be available anyway, so I might as well be realistic. Also, I'd like some Elven lembas. I've never eaten it, but from the descriptions in the Lord of the Rings, it sounds tasty and filling.

5. Whatever. I'm not going to play the popularity game and pick my five favorite people.