Introduction:
Five Major Characteristics of Apocalyptic Literature
Apocalyptic literature, found in various religious and secular texts, often exhibits several distinctive characteristics:
1.Dualism:
Apocalyptic literature frequently portrays a stark contrast between good and evil, often personified by opposing forces such as God and Satan, or cosmic powers of light and darkness.
2.Eschatological Themes:
Eschatology refers to beliefs about the end times or the ultimate destiny of humanity. Apocalyptic literature often focuses on prophetic visions of the end of the world, including themes of judgment, salvation, and the final triumph of good over evil.
3.Symbolism and Imagery:
Symbolic language and vivid imagery are hallmarks of apocalyptic literature. Authors use metaphors, allegories, and visionary language to convey their message, often describing cataclysmic events, celestial phenomena, and supernatural beings.
4.Crisis and Catastrophe:
Apocalyptic texts typically depict a time of crisis or impending catastrophe, such as wars, natural disasters, or divine punishment. These events serve as catalysts for the revelation of hidden truths and the fulfillment of prophetic visions.
5.Hope and Redemption:
Despite the bleakness of the apocalyptic worldview, there is often a message of hope and redemption for the righteous or the faithful. Apocalyptic literature frequently emphasizes the ultimate triumph of good over evil and the promise of a new era marked by justice, peace, and divine presence.
These characteristics can be found in a wide range of texts, including religious scriptures like the Book of Revelation in the Bible, as well as secular works such as dystopian novels or cosmic horror stories.
Post- Apocalyptic Fiction in literature
- The Ice People is a 1998 sci-fi novel by Maggie Gee, set in a future world dominated by a new ice age. Global warming is the initial context, where increases in temperature are then followed by the cyclic appearance of an ice age.
- Surviving Evacuation: Book one: London by Frank Tayell is a post apocalyptic novel about zombies: that is one of the major concerns in modern world. An outbreak has occurred in New York, of what no one’s entirely sure. There are zombies on the streets and the numbers of the living is diminishing day by day.
- Flood by Stephen Baxter, published in 2008, is set in England 2016, where the summers are becoming more and wet with each passing year. The sea levels are rising at a catastrophic speed because of the melting ice caps. When the world starts drowning, the race to safe places begins. The novel portrays the current estimates of climate change-related sea level rise- the effects of which are catastrophic.
- Greybeard is a science fiction novel by British author Brian Aldiss, published in 1964. Set decades after the Earth’s population has been sterilised as a result of nuclear bomb tests conducted in Earth’s orbit, the book shows a world emptying of humans, with only an ageing, childless population left.
- H.G. Wells, in nineteenth century, wrote several novels that have a post-apocalyptic theme. The Time Machine (1895) has the unnamed protagonist traveling to the year 802,701 A.D. this is a post catastrophic world, where civilization has collapsed and humanity has split into two distinct species, the elfin Eloi and the brutal Morlocks.
