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Issue Details: First known date: 2011... 2011 Introduction
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Imagining Australia in apocalyptic terms has long been of interest to writers and filmmakers. Many speculative texts narrate Australia's complete destruction in the future or envisage a chaotic post-apocalyptic society. Apocalyptic scenarios and themes are found in works by writers (Nevil Shute's On the Beach, Gabrielle Lord's Salt) and filmmakers (Where the Green Ants Dream, Until the End of the World); in texts for adults (Tess Williams's Map of Power, Simon Brown's Winter) and for children (Lee Harding's Waiting for the End of the World, John Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began); and in works by authors of both genders and varying cultural backgrounds.' (Author's introduction, 3)

Notes

  • Epigraph:
    But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

    - 2 Peter 3:10-13

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Apocalypse in Australian Fiction and Film : A Critical Study Roslyn Weaver , Jefferson : McFarland and Company , 2011 Z1820733 2011 single work criticism 'Australia has been a frequent choice of location for narratives about the end of the world in science fiction and speculative works, ranging from pre-colonial apocalyptic maps to key literary works from the last fifty years. This critical work explores the role of Australia in both apocalyptic literature and film. Works and genres covered include Nevil Shute's popular novel On the Beach, Mad Max, children's literature, Indigenous writing, and cyberpunk. The text examines ways in which apocalypse is used to undermine complacency, foretell environmental disasters, critique colonization, and to serve as a means of protest for minority groups. Australian apocalypse imagines Australia at the ends of the world, geographically and psychologically, but also proposes spaces of hope for the future.' (From the publisher's website.) Jefferson : McFarland and Company , 2011 pg. 3-21
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Last amended 1 Jun 2012 08:53:48
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