Tag: Wastelands

Cliches are a pretty general guilty pleasure. As movies prove humans strive for that perfect romantic moment. Or in contrast, watching the world burn. Wastelands and ruined cities allow us to play these out. Maybe not the lovey dovely stuff. More so vicariously living in these dangerous environments. But why would we want to watch a ripped apart version of the world we live in?

Our brain automatically puts us in these situations. To me, that is where all the appeal lies.

In these narratives the environment is alive. Breathing the dark smoggy air it produces. The setting is another character in a sense. Because there is some much interaction between the two. Normally playing some part in the conflict’s that arise as well. Writers like to play on this. Needing the protagonist to use their creativity in solving issues along the journey. Where understanding the environment plays in your favour greatly.

It’s important to find the distinction between two twins in literature. Science fiction and supernatural. Now this is pretty simple. Sci-fi deals with natural consequences (climate change, astronomical factors, etc.) or humans caused events (world wars, pandemics, etc.). Whereas the supernatural goes as told, going against the laws of nature, featuring elements like magic, ghosts, and gods.

Think about the franchises “X-Men” and “Alien”. Both dealing with monster like creatures. Where one can be explained through science, and the other leaning into ancient gods.

You can understand how they’d be in the same family tree. Just with interchangeable key detailing. A formula bound for success as the genres have aged like wine. Allowing themselves to be recycled time and time again yet we are still hypnotized by our own imagination.

Pulling ourselves, into these worlds.

Considering how much the general population likes to hate cliché’s, the census still would like to see the world burn. And that’s exactly what wastelands and ruined cities allow us to play out. To live vicariously in these dangerous environments, just so we can lean over to our friends afterwards and ask, “what are the odds you even last a week?”. Our brain automatically puts us in the environmental situations. To me this is where all the appeal lies.

In these narratives the environment is alive, breathing the dark smoggy air it produces. The setting acts as another character in a sense because there is some much interaction between the two, normally playing some part in the conflict’s that arise as well. Writers like to play on this usually needing the protagonist to use their creativity to solve issues faced along the journey, where understanding the environment plays in your favour greatly. Video games do an exceptional job of this, most notable being the series Fallout and Borderlands where you are dropped into these massive sandboxes and are asked to adapt to your new surroundings whist completing tasks.

Although we need to remember with these environments there are different ways in how we come about the finished product. What I’m talking about is finding the distinction between science fiction apocalypses and those that are supernatural. Now this is pretty simple, sci-fi examples are either caused by nature (climate change, astronomical factors, etc.) or by humans (world wars, pandemics, etc.). Whereas the supernatural goes as told, going against the laws of nature, featuring elements like magic and gods. A good example for this would be “X-Men: Apocalypse”, where the source of conflict is brought by the awakening of an enchant Egyptian mutant god wanting to end all of humanity. Think of it like regular burgers and impossible burgers, you may not be able to clock the differences based on the surrounding conditions until you sink your teeth into it. Similar audiences but serve different purposes.

As a writer creating a narrative that takes place in wastelands and ruined cities can’t be as daunting as physically living them out, as the idea relatively stays the same, almost with interchangeable detailing. There is great flexibility when using this particular setting as long as you cater to your distinction, meaning what you chose the cause to be. A formula bound for success as the theme has aged like wine, allowing itself to be recycled time and time again yet we are still hypnotized by our own imagination pulling ourselves into these worlds.