Post-Apocolyptic Dystopia Meets Snowpiercer by Diane Burton

 

I am a huge movie and TV series fan. No surprise there if you've read my posts. A couple of years ago, Hubs happened upon Snowpiercer, the movie. I caught bits and pieces of it. Since I'm not a fan of Tilda Swinton, I didn't pay much attention. Shortly after, I caught Snowpiercer, the TV series, and I was hooked. I watched the first season, but in the middle of the second "life" interrupted, and I didn't finish. Hurray for the 3rd season, which came out last week. Hubs and I binge-watched the 2nd season to catch up.

Fascinating program.

The premise is that seven years ago, Earth became a frozen wasteland, brought about by efforts to reverse global warming. Boy, did the scientists get that wrong! In preparation, a brilliant (but eccentric) billionaire designed and built a perpetual motion train to house humanity. The train (1,001 cars long) travels around the world 2.7 times a year. The series focuses on the passengers--from the very rich, at the front of the train, to the dregs of humanity at the rear.

In this tight environment, you have the setup for class warfare, injustice, crime and punishment, and conniving politics while everyone tries to survive.

One of the things I didn't catch (or it wasn't explained) is who built the tracks the train travels on. Was it the billionaire? How did the tracks cross over large expanses of water (like the oceans)? Another question is how were the people chosen to get on the train? Did the rich buy their way in? How did you get a ticket? There are scenes of masses of people trying to get on the train before it left the station. What happened to them? Did they just freeze to death?

I've never written a dystopian thriller. Never really wanted to. I prefer happy-ever-after or happy-for-now stories. (Just call me Pollyanna.) The horrible things people do to each other when civilization breaks down upsets me. I cringed while watching movies like The Book of Eli or Blade Runner. 

Yet some post-apocolyptic stories are thrilling and full of hope, for example The Hunger Games, Divergent, the Terminator series, and The Matrix. As I watch Snowpiercer, I hope the revolutionaries will take back the train and form a democracy. (See, there's the Pollyanna coming out.) 

If you plan to write this type of story, you would do well to watch dystopian movies (better yet, read the books) and check out common themes. 

How many different ways will Earth be destroyed? How will humanity survive? What would you do to survive? 

Change by Diane Burton

 

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.  Charles Darwin

That quote is particularly relevant over the past year. How we deal with change says a lot about our character. I've been known to grouse, complain, and cry over changes. Stiffening my spine and controlling my lip's quiver make me stronger. "Fake 'til you make it." Now that's something I can identify with.

Have you seen the commercial for a drug (an antidepressant, I think) where a woman holds a smiling mask in front of her face, telling everyone she's okay? I've done that, too. I don't want to admit my life is a mess. After a time of faking that I'm okay, I convince myself I am.

When our governor shut down schools last March, I watched in admiration as teachers changed from in-person teaching to virtual. Parents stepped up and worked with their kids using this new medium. Was it easy? No way.

Restaurant managers filled an empty spot in our lives and offered take-out. It sort of  replaced our weekly night out dining and kept their staff working. Door Dash, Uber Eats, and Grub Hub exploded in popularity. As did Shipt and Instacart.

We learned to adapt.

I hate to shop, especially for groceries, because I have chronic low back pain. I'd heard of grocery delivery but never tried it. Until covid. Hubs and I hunkered down and stayed away from people. For a while I did curbside pickup. Then came the time when I couldn't leave Hubs alone for fear of him falling. Delivery service was like a miracle.

We talk about the time when we can get back to normal. I don't think we ever will. At least, not the "normal" we knew. We will have a new normal. Mask wearing and social distancing will be around for a while. It's not easy. Change never is. We like our status quo. 

Change is always around the corner. How we adapt to change is the key. What changes have you had to make?