Reset Your Future with a Good Apocalypse

11/2/2014

One of the things I love most about post-apocalyptic artwork is that it makes me think about the history behind the collapse. As a writer of speculative science fiction—most of which takes place in the far future—I find these periods of disruption incredibly useful when developing the backstory of a novel. They free me from modern conventions and expectations of how things will or should progress and allow me to rebuild the world in a way that best suits the tale I’m telling. I can slow down the pace of technological advancement, or use the collapse as a unifying event that spawns a new golden age of global cooperation. After wiping the slate clean, the possibilities for the future become endless, and I’m free to tell the story the way it wants to be told.

Below are a few thought-provoking images to help your Muse destroy the world and become the master your fictional future.