# What is your favorite apocalypse? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 1, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140 "2013-10-01T21:46:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gateway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dbc845/32.png) [@Gateway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gateway)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/1 "2013-10-01T21:46:05Z")
Mine is a ‘The Walking Dead’ type apocalypse. What’s yours? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/2 "2013-10-01T22:02:12Z")
“The Stand” type apocalypse. I love the idea of the world being left pretty much as it is, with just the people removed from the equation. Well, I guess you sort of get that with the zombie apocalypse, too. The disease apocalypse has less running in terror, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/3 "2013-10-01T22:02:29Z")
Global Thermonuclear War, accept no substitutes. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/4 "2013-10-01T22:11:15Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > “The Stand” type apocalypse. I love the idea of the world being left pretty much as it is, with just the people removed from the equation. > > Well, I guess you sort of get that with the zombie apocalypse, too. The disease apocalypse has less running in terror, though. 🙂 Ditto. Double points if the disease in question disproportionately affects stupid people, so that when I do encounter other survivors they are worth knowing. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/5 "2013-10-01T22:12:05Z")
I’d love to know if there are entities from outer space. I’d vote ET. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/6 "2013-10-01T22:19:34Z")
[Collapse of the false vacuum.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_vacuum) It doesn’t just destroy the universe, it destroys the rules that allow the universe to exist. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/7 "2013-10-01T22:26:06Z")
Other- something makes all our high technology stop working, so we have to go back to solving problems by bashing each other with bits of metal. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/8 "2013-10-01T22:30:13Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I’d love to know if there are entities from outer space. I’d vote ET. Me too, be they ever so slimy and painful to know. [QUOTE=ZPG Zealog] Ditto. [/QUOTE] Well, that’s kind of a gimme for you, isn’t it? Roddy ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/9 "2013-10-01T23:10:56Z")
I was leaning towards Mad max collapse of society, then I recalled that when the stars are right the Great Old Ones will return to reclaim that which belongs to them, and all the works of Man will be swept away, leaving the survivors to scurry about the unspeakable eldritch wainscottings of cyclopedean citadels like cursed rodents. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/10 "2013-10-01T23:25:41Z")
ET would be cool for a few minutes until you realize that facing off against aliens that had the technology and the gall to invade another planet is hopeless. I am just going to go with the war and financial collapse angle. I have always had a survivalist streak and I have very real plans for most scenarios. I don’t know if my family and I could make it or not but I would be willing to give it the best shot I have. I have a fuel tank of gas and printed maps to the Canadian border via back roads in my car now plus enough supplies to last a few days plus ways to get many more even without money. I can start executing an effective evacuation and survival plan even for nuclear war at any time with just a couple of minutes warning. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/11 "2013-10-02T00:06:53Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > ET would be cool for a few minutes until you realize that facing off against aliens that had the technology and the gall to invade another planet is hopeless. > > I am just going to go with the war and financial collapse angle. I have always had a survivalist streak and I have very real plans for most scenarios. I don’t know if my family and I could make it or not but I would be willing to give it the best shot I have. I have a fuel tank of gas and printed maps to the Canadian border via back roads in my car now plus enough supplies to last a few days plus ways to get many more even without money. I can start executing an effective evacuation and survival plan even for nuclear war at any time with just a couple of minutes warning. Being heavily involved in medieval reenactment, I have all of my gear stowed in bins that all fit neatly in the back of my truck… bins get overhauled and repacked when I get back so when it comes time to leave, I can load for an event in like 30min and roll. Give me an extra 5-10 min to round up some more canned food, my gun/ammo, and the box of important papers (just in case its temporary). So with less than an hour warning I can be loaded to survive entirely from my truck, probably for a couple weeks if its just me. I have light, food, heat, shelter, weapons, heavy protective gear (sca armor), tools, one of the bins has all my leatherworking gear in it. So I am pretty well set. As long as the first wave of whatever does not kill me, I am golden. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/12 "2013-10-02T00:20:11Z")
Science experiment goes bad and creates a black hole that sucks the earth into it. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5XVI6erJ8-s/hqdefault.jpg "The Large Hadron Collider Will Destroy Earth?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XVI6erJ8-s) That would be quick. A zombie apocalypse would be more fun though. Although in that situation I’d give it a month at best before humans took the planet back. ---
**Author:** ![slowlearner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@slowlearner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slowlearner)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/13 "2013-10-02T00:35:01Z")
In Deliverance (the book) Ed points out to Lewis that if he’s so in love with survivalism there’s no reason to wait for the Apocalypse, just take your family and head up into the hills now and do it. I favor the personal Apocalypse myself. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/14 "2013-10-02T00:56:17Z")
Yellowstone blows! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/15 "2013-10-02T01:07:03Z")
_Day of the Triffids_. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/16 "2013-10-02T01:08:01Z")
Now ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/17 "2013-10-02T01:39:13Z")
What, no nukes? Kids these days… ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/18 "2013-10-02T01:45:13Z")
The one where all the men die off and the ones that survive are used as sex slaves. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/19 "2013-10-02T01:49:59Z")
You left out runaway nanotech and the “grey goo” fate. (John T. Sladek foresaw this beautifully in his book “The Reproductive System,” where a scientific think-tank invented a machine that had no other purpose than to replicate itself. The damn thing got loose, and ate Las Vegas. The book contains the great line, “Damn Las Vegas, I hope never to see nor hear of Las Vegas again.”) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140/20 "2013-10-02T02:20:30Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > You left out runaway nanotech and the “grey goo” fate. > > (John T. Sladek foresaw this beautifully in his book “The Reproductive System,” where a scientific think-tank invented a machine that had no other purpose than to replicate itself. The damn thing got loose, and ate Las Vegas. The book contains the great line, “Damn Las Vegas, I hope never to see nor hear of Las Vegas again.”) AKA “Mechasm” in the US, which is the title I read it under. my favorite Apocalypse story is Philip Jose Farmer’s **The Making of Revelation, Part I** which first appeared in Robert Sheckley’s _Not Long Before the End_, a collection of _upbeat_ end-of-the-world stories, and subsequently reprinted in the Farmer anthology **The Purple Book**. It’s an old-fashioned religious Apocalypse, with a Judeo-Christian God bringing the world to an end. What makes it hilarious is that He subcontracts the production and direction to Cecil B. deMille. DeMille hires Harlan Ellison to write the script, because he;'s the only scripter who isn’t afraid to argue with God (Eventuallyboth God and Cecil get fed up, and replace him with a Hack From Peoria). There’s more, about the couch session for casting the Whore of Babylon, and how deMille goes over-budget (who knew there was a budget?). An Apocalypse run by Hollywood. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-apocalypse/670140.md?page=2)