Random Ramblings: Surviving the Apocalypse, Part 2

Last week, I posted about how I would never, ever survive the apocalypse. Because all of this.  Now it is time for me to talk about the stuff in books that seriously baffles me. From a writing standpoint, I get it: no one wants to read about the mundane details of daily life in the world you’re writing about. But as someone who spends way too much time inside her own head, I need to know. So, the thoughts my brain has pretty much every time I read an apocalyptic/dystopian book go something like this:

  • Where do these people pee? Seriously, no one ever addresses this. Are they using outhouses? Holes in the floor? Is plumbing still a “thing”? I need answers. One book that actually answered these questions was the Apocalypsis series by Elle Casey. I kind of wanted to call her up and thank her, because I did, in fact, know where her characters peed. 
  • How do you stand each other’s stank? Okay, this is more for apocalyptic stuff than dystopian, because really, I guess they might just be used to it? But if you’ve gone from smelling fresh as a daisy with mint-infused breath one day, how exactly can you stand the malodorous wafts coming from your new end-of-days comrades the next? And of course, there is always some romancing happening too. Which is a bit of extra yuck for my brain to process. Grooming must have gone out the window, since everyone is busy foraging for food and shelter, but you know, ew. 
  • Where is everyone else? I assume, in a lot of cases, that the readers don’t know because the characters don’t know. But I want to. Really badly. I mean, you can’t have hovercrafts but not know what’s shakin’ in Europe! You can’t! 
  • What did you do with all the stuff? So of course, the apocalypse probably rendered a lot of your stuff useless. Electronics serve no purpose of course, so you can just ignore those. But what about all the other stuff? How about all the food in the fridge and freezer? It’s probably going to go bad before you can eat it. And the smell, again with the smell. Let’s face it, as a society we have a lot of stuff. And now, since it is the end of the world and all, there are a lot of people who aren’t using it anymore. Kind of seems like a problem. Oh, and morbidly, those people are also probably an issue. I’ll stop now.
  • Everyone knows English? Even aliens? Okay, again, I get it. If I was writing a book, obviously everyone would speak English, because I am writing a book in English. But you just cannot all speak English. Especially on other planets and junk. 
Okay, listen, all of these are ridiculous things that are left out of books for good reason, for the most part. But my warped mind ruminates on them all the time. Who knows, maybe someday I will pen a ridiculously boring apocalyptic or dystopian book spending tons of time on grooming and bathroom habits, telling you all about what the latest in Asia is. I’ll give you the play-by-play of emptying the fridge, and if you are extra lucky, I’ll do it in Polish or something. 
Does this kind of stuff bother anyone else while reading? 


Posted April 28, 2014 by Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight in Uncategorized / 2 Comments

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2 responses to “Random Ramblings: Surviving the Apocalypse, Part 2

  1. I also always wonder what is going on in other places of the world. When there is an apocalyptic happening in America, I’m always curious if it’s local or if it’s worldwide. It’s sometimes a shame authors don’t address this! Haha, lol for the peeing. I always imagine they use the bathroom or if that doesn’t work, they make a hole in the ground.

    Mel@thedailyprophecy

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