Come the Apocalypse
Oct. 18, 2002
Why not make this 5 apocalyptic question thing a theme post?
<p>Assuming some sort of <i>Fallout/Mad Max</i> type of eschatology. (Nuclear waste, burned out wastelands, blasted cities, horrible mutants, etc.)
<p>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 <i>Zooropa</i> album, mostly for the song <i>The Wanderer</i> featuring Johnny Cash. Seems appropriate.
<p>2. Again bypassing the problems of powering the movies, I'd have to choose <i>Mad Max</i> and <i>The Postman</i>. Not because of any particular merit in either film, but merely for their relevance to my newfound situation. I need role-models.
<p>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, <i>There Will Come Soft Rains</i> 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 <i>Anarchist's Cookbook</i>, 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.
<p>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 <i>lembas</i>. I've never eaten it, but from the descriptions in <i>the Lord of the Rings</i>, it sounds tasty and filling.
<p>5. Whatever. I'm not going to play the popularity game and pick my five favorite people.