Post-Apocalyptia

This week on Post-Apocalyptia: Professor David Perlmutter returns to talk about the saddest book we've ever read: Nevil Shute's 1957 novel, On The Beach! And its movie adaptations, as well. We'll look at grief, fate, time, and how people approach them. We'll take a ride on the last submarine in service, and the fastest car in Australia. And we'll ask ourselves the only question left that matters:...

This week on Post-Apocalyptia: We look at a lesser-known film by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, 1973's Genesis II! We'll talk about suspended animation, mutants, and the third World War. We'll look at high tech subway lines, '70s sex appeal, and the ugly specter of slavery. And we'll ask ourselves: Just what's it take to get a show on the air, anyway? This and more, in Gene Roddenberry's Gene...

This week on Post-Apocalyptia: We return to Mid-World, with the third book in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series, The Waste Lands! We'll meet up with Roland the last gunslinger and his ka-tet as they find the path of the Beam, and make their way to the crumbling city of Lud. We'll learn the layout of the world, and more clues about the apocalypse that created it--and we'll end with a showdown wi...

Welcome back! Today Michael Lee joins us to talk about the 2013 video game masterpiece from Naughty Dog, The Last of Us, Part I! We'll look at a brand new type of zombie, and a chance at a cure. We'll talk about fatherhood, trust, and lies, and we'll look at whether it's the humans or the infected who are the real danger. And we'll ask the most pressing question: What is it with 2013 games impalin...

We're back! Today, musician and streamer RemmyLebo joins us to wrap up our look at Richard Matheson's I Am Legend with the final film adaptation, 2007's (appropriately titled) I Am Legend! We'll talk about vampires vs. zombies, basement labs, and just how highly ranked you have to be to build professional defenses. We'll compare with the other versions of the story, and look at the social anxietie...

We're back! Today in this special bonus episode, we continue down the trail of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend with the second of its three adaptations: 1971's The Omega Man, starring Moses himself, Charlton Heston. We'll compare the movie with the novella and with its predecessor, and talk about racial issues in 1970s film (bet you didn't see THAT coming!) We'll discuss the relative success of eac...

We're back! Today in this special bonus episode, we continue down the trail of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend with the first of its three adaptations: 1964's The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price. We'll compare the movie with the novella, and talk about the urge to soften the blow. We'll discuss Matheson's favorites versus Price's favorites, and we'll ask ourselves the question we least ex...

This week on Post-Apocalyptia: James Gomes of the Jimbo Radio podcast joins us to talk about Richard Matheson's 1954 novella, I Am Legend! We'll talk about vampires, germ theory, and the last man on earth. We'll look at military service and PTSD; the power of purpose; and even a little hysterical blindness. And we'll ask ourselves, why can't a movie go all in on the ending? This and more, in I Am ...

We're back, and visiting a new part of the world! Today, let's take a look at the Russian response to the apocalypse, in 4A Games' 2010 game, Metro 2033! We'll talk about psychic mutants, bullets as currency, and winged demons. And we'll ask ourselves, could we actually survive the apocalypse in a subway system? All this and more in Metro 2033 (and its remaster, 2014's Metro 2033 Redux)! Join us t...

This week on Post-Apocalyptia: We go way back to a cautionary tale from more than a century ago, in E.M. Forster's "The Machine Stops"! We talk about AI, conformity, and a world that wasn't ready for social media--and whether ours is. And we ask the question: Where do we draw our lines? Because when the Machine stops, it may well take us with it! All this and more, in "The Machine Stops". Join us...

Today on a special bonus episode of Post-Apocalyptia: Enjoy this audiobook of the story we'll be covering this weekend, E.M. Forster's 1909 short story, "The Machine Stops"! And join us on Sunday for our discussion of this disturbingly prophetic story, on our regular weekly episode. Join us there, at the end of the world! Post-Apocalyptia can be found on most podcast apps, and on our website at ht...

This week on Post-Apocalyptia: The zombies have evolved! In Danny Boyle's 2002 film, 28 Days Later, we'll check out a new breed of zombies. They don't want to eat you, they just want to kill you--and they're fast enough and angry enough to do it. The Rage virus takes over England, and we're here to see just how badly that works out (spoiler: it's VERY bad!). All this and more, in 28 Days Later! Jo...

What does it take to ruin a life? We'll find out today on Post-Apocalyptia, as we look at the most famous episode of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, "Time Enough At Last"! We'll talk about relationships, duty, and the love of reading; and we'll ask ourselves, what good is survival if everything you love is gone? All this and more, as we accompany nearsighted bank teller Henry Bemis (played by the...

This week on Post-Apocalyptia: Sony and Guerrilla Games' 2017 video game, Horizon Zero Dawn! We'll look at two firsts: Our first environmental collapse, and our first total extinction. We'll talk about artificial intelligence, the evils of corporations, and destruction of our own making. Then we'll counter that with the challenge of rebuilding, and the power of hope! And we'll wrap it up with a cl...

We're back, with Part 2 of Pat Frank's 1959 classic novel, Alas, Babylon! In Part 2, Professor David Perlmutter and I talk about the makings of a truly good leader; the value of dying skills; and the power of community. We'll see our characters navigate racial issues, enforce order, and bury one of their own. And in the end, they'll ask themselves: Will they stay, or will they go? (With apologies...

We're back, and asking ourselves: How does a small town survive the apocalypse on its own? Professor David Perlmutter returns today to talk about Pat Frank's classic 1959 novel of the nuclear apocalypse, Alas, Babylon! In Part 1, we'll talk about the necessities for survival; the Cold War and the nuclear threat; and the risk of being a forward thinker in a backward time. We'll meet our characters,...

Welcome to Post-Apocalyptia! This week, we take a break from our normal schedule for the holiday weekend, and bring you this special bonus episode instead. We'll look at something brand new, and I mean REALLY new: Jim Swiss's audio drama, The Carrington Doctrine! We'll join Colin as he leaves audio logs at the end of the world, or something like it--but he can't be sure, because he's joined a sun-...

We're back! This week, Windy joins us again as we look at George Romero's second zombie film, 1978's Dawn of the Dead! Things get serious in Pennsylvania, as there's no room in Hell, and the dead walk the Earth...and go to the mall, while they're at it. We'll talk about special effects, fluorescent blood, and the pros and cons of mall life. We'll weigh the power of movie bans versus the power of p...

We're back! This week on Post-Apocalyptia, we're looking at the very first post-apocalyptic story I ever encountered: the 1980 Ruby-Spears cartoon, Thundarr the Barbarian! It's swords and sorcery, mayhem and Moks, and all the wizards you can handle! We'll talk about the Cataclysm, our first environmental collapse, and how the world may have changed in the two millennia since. We'll see technology...

Welcome back to Post-Apocalyptia! This week, we're heading back to the 1990s with Paul Cook's sci-fi novel, Fortress on the Sun. We'll talk about aliens, supergeniuses, and narcolepsy, and we'll ask an intriguing question: What if the apocalypse happened, and you didn't know it? Join us there, at the end of the world! Fortress on the Sun is available in used print copies, and also in ebook format....

It’s back to Mid-World, in today’s episode of the Post-Apocalyptia Podcast! We’re talking about The Drawing of the Three, book two of Stephen King’s magnum opus, The Dark Tower. We’ll talk about the edge of the world, and lobsters that will eat you if you don’t eat them first. We’ll see three very strange doors, and pay a visit—or several—to New York City, through the eyes—literally—of the most un...

Max is back, and better than ever! Today Professor David Perlmutter joins us as we talk about the one that really kicked the series into gear: George Miller's 1981 classic, Mad Max 2! Or if, like us, you're in the USA, you may know it better as The Road Warrior. Why is that? Listen and see! We'll talk about leather gear, the real cost of gasoline, and the best villain we've seen yet: the Warrior o...

This week, we continue our series on the Fallout video game series with Fallout 3! We'll make the leap from isometric to 3D, as Bethesda Softworks assumes control of the series. Travel east with me to the Capital Wasteland, where we'll meet new companions, new friends, and some old enemies. As the Lone Wanderer, we'll search for our missing father, and save the wasteland--but at a terrible price....

In this week's episode, we look at Margaret Atwood's 2003 novel, Oryx and Crake! We'll talk about the evils of capitalism, the horrors of bioengineering, and the historical greed of company towns. And, oh yeah, a man-made disease that is deliberately released. We'll ask ourselves, what happens when an entire society's morals are defined by the ability to make money? Warning: It's not great! Join u...

We are BACK, with Season Two! Today we're opening our season with our most requested story so far, the 2009 comedy film, Zombieland! Marley joins me as we talk about the rules for surviving the apocalypse; why you shouldn't use your real name; and of course, the last Twinkies in the world! We'll talk about the value of comedic stories, even in a typically dark genre, and why it's okay to not take...