Never Be Bored
19 March 2020
It's the End of the World as We Know It and I Feel Fine
Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson. Worm by Wildbow; Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman and tv show; The Umbrella Academy tv show.
Okay, so it's not really the end of the world. I think. Undoubtedly covid19 has and will continue to have a huge impact on our world. But even in this difficult time, we can find hope in the hundreds of millions of people practicing social distancing in hopes of flattening the curve, the healthcare professionals caring for the sick, and the scientists searching for a vaccine. Here are some stories of people trying their best, at the end of the world.
It's the robot uprising! All around the world, service robots, construction bots, automated cars begin to turn on humans. From Oklahoma to Tokyo to London, Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson collects the stories of humans and AIs as machines across the globe break Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.
I wasn't always such a huge sci fi nerd (hard to believe, I know). I think Robopocalypse was one of the first sci fi novels I read and really loved—the interconnected storylines, the mix of perspectives. In this book: all of humanity faces huge problems, and while some react to the situation rather badly, other characters band together, help each other, trust each other, sacrifice for each other. A futuristic sci fi novel to be sure, and yet, doesn't that sound familiar?
Got a lot of time on your hands, now that you're self-quarantining? Consider the webserial Worm, about the length of 25 novels. There's fight scenes, amazing characters, and a group of teenage supervillains seizing control of an entire city. The "the end of the world is coming" plot line doesn't start until about a third of the way through but stick with it and it'll definitely keep you entertained as you responsibly social distance.
My copy of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens has this quote from a review on its front: "The Apocalypse has never been funnier." I adore this book, the tale of an angel and demon and some human children and a book of prophecies in the days leading up to Armageddon. The Amazon Prime tv adaptation is quite good, too.
A dysfunctional family of superpowered individuals reunites for their asshole adopted father's funeral in The Umbrella Academy. The end of the world is coming, but family's gotta stick together, right? Watch it if for no other reason than the fact that there's a scene featuring They Might Be Giant's "Istanbul Not Constantinople."