Why is modern society so drawn to dystopian and apocalyptic stories?
RT: I think it’s a way of taking back control in a sense in a world where we really do often feel that we are not in control of what’s going on. In the movies, a band of hardy survivors, ordinary people doing heroic things because they have to; that really helps us make sense of our own world, where so often we feel like we are out of control of what’s going on.
Are dystopian stories a uniquely modern phenomenon?
RT: The very word dystopia wasn’t even coined until after World War II, although there are predecessor versions of it. The idea that there are certain modern phenomena that have led to classical dystopian novels like "Brave New World," "1984," and "Fahrenheit 451;" these scenarios of either governments, corporations, or other massive modern institutions being part of what makes things dystopian, strikes me as very modern.
Why do apocalyptic narratives resonate today?
RT: Those of us who lived through and are still living through the COVID-19 global pandemic know that an infection seemingly out of nowhere can really transform our lives in meaningful ways. This is one of the reasons why these entertainments are so relevant to us.
