I quite liked Elizabeth Rosen’s explanation for the modern day fascination with the apocalypse and their post-modern adaptations. She provides a convincing argument about how people turned to the apocalyptic myth during the second half of the 20th-century because of several historic events after World War II. Just from reading her arguments on how secular adaptations of the apocalypse have managed to still retain even the religious motifs, I could already come up with examples in film and literature.

It never occurred to me before that a secular apocalypse can still have underlying religious motifs. The ideas of a deity, time, and judgment are elements that are found in a lot – if not all – apocalyptic media. It makes me think about all the different films I’ve seen and novels I’ve read and dissect each one for each element. I think that Rosen’s arguments will stick in my mind whenever I watch a contemporary apocalyptic film or read a novel.

I’ve never watched or read any of the examples Rosen uses in her text, but I really like how she includes the study of graphic novels. I’m definitely interested in hearing what she has to say in depth about these works, especially Watchmen. I’m also looking forward to reading the graphic novel.

I think that I finally understand the connection between the religious apocalypse that we find in the Book of Revelation and what Rosen calls postmodern apocalypse. I can finally piece the elements together and it makes a lot more sense after reading Rosen’s explanation.

On a side note that is a bit unrelated, I had an apocalyptic dream last week. I’m not claiming to be the next prophet, but I think that all of these readings are seeping into my subconscious. My apocalyptic dream had something to do with the planet’s alignment with Saturn’s moons. I feared an oncoming collision, because there were four distinct objects in the sky that were not the sun or the moon. No one believed me, but I woke up before I saw what happened.