An estimated 80% of my fiction output is rooted in spite.

[magistrate]

Ran across this in my Twitter reading today. Made me stop and raise an eyebrow. Because, really – "grim" and "bleak" are the descriptors they've chosen to entice me to see this film? (Well, there's also "incredible", but that gives me little insight into what sets this film apart, and thus does little to capture my interest.)

Now, possibly I just haven't read widely enough in the genre to realize that there's a strong undercurrent of happy, lush, uplifting post-apocalyptic fiction out there. Something like that. But to me, grim, bleak landscapes aren't exactly the aspects of a post-apocalyptic work you need to advertise – they're more or less to be expected from the genre. Advertising those, especially when you have a medium such as Twitter and have to seriously consider which few, precious words you're going to use, makes it sound to me like you just don't have anything more interesting to say than "This work competently executes the tropes it's expected to." It's the "square house, door in front" of the review world.

...which all basically means that, in a fit of pique, I have decided that I want beautifully optimistic post-apocalyptic fiction to exist. If someone else doesn't write it, I may have to.

(It's not even that I dislike grimdark post-apoc. I do enjoy it, when it's done well. But sometimes you just have to go for the subversions.)

Comments

[magistrate]

But noooo, how these things work is that other people write stories so that I don't have to!

That's... that is how these things work, isn't it?

I did spend a while this morning trying to think of happy post-apocalyptic things that wouldn't be read as being happy about the apocalypse. So, that's something.

[squeemu]

Does "chance to start over" count?

[magistrate]

"Trans young adult saved from abusive home situation by unexpected apocalypse."

Hm. Could do.

[yetregressing]

That's definitely how things work. Unless other people write them and they're not to your satisfaction. And then YOU have to write them.

Aahha yeah I ran into that problem initially. Like "WOW EVERYTHING IS GREAT, MOST PEOPLE ARE DEAD!" no shhh characters. I think for me, The Road But Hopeful is going to be like. Mostly about family and hope for tomorrow and stuff. i DON'T KNOW.