What Sparks The Apocalypse? The so-called Mayan Doomsday is approaching quickly.
I predict that most of us will survive December 21st.
I also predict that the apocalyptic genre of fiction will also survive.
This genre has gotten a lot of attention recently, but predicting the end of the world is hardly a new thing.
I guess that one of the oldest apocalyptic stories is the tale of Noah's Ark.
Some scholars believe that parts of this story were actually even derived from earlier works.
Apparently people have been inspired to write or speak about Doomsday since the beginning or recorded time.
As they are in present times, ancient floods were probably pretty awful things.
Since news did not get spread around like it does now, a flood that covered a vast area may have seemed like it covered most of the world.
Of course, modern fiction has presented us with a lot of pretty scary scenarios too.
Flooding still hangs in there as a notable way to end the world as we know it.
A horrifying zombie apocalypse has appeared as a popular favorite for decades.
Some fiction speculates that our end could be brought about by other supernatural forces or beasts like vampires or demons.
Natural explanations include meteor strikes, a change in the planet's rotation, and black holes.
There are as many creative ways to doom most of the human race as there are readers and writers.
Why Do Readers Enjoy Apocalyptic Fiction? I have seen a lot of articles and forum posts where readers discuss the reasons why they enjoy this sort of book.
These are interesting to read.

• Some readers enjoy these gloomy books because they give them a way to escape thinking about their current lives for awhile.
  
• Some books may also give warnings about things that could happen if mankind stays on its present course.
  Some readers find these speculative books educational.
  
• Most of the good apocalyptic books also showcase the human spirit as people rise above their situations.
  In that way, doomsday books can also be quite hopeful! That may seem sort of ironic, but it is true.
  

Why Do Authors Write Apocalyptic Books? What inspired authors to write about the end of the world? I have asked some apocalyptic fiction authors this very question.
The answer to this question varied as much with writers as it does with readers.

• Some were inspired by other books in the genre.
  The authors just wanted to expand upon a topic from a different angle.
  
• A few actually decided to write a doomsday book because of real-world experiences.
  They were either involved in a war or caught in a disaster area.
  Writing the book was a way to come to terms with their experiences.
  
• A few stories even came about because the author wanted to expand upon a dream or night mare.
  
• Some writers wanted to hold up a mirror to current issues in society by writing a doomsday book about what could happen if these problems do not get solved, or if these problems get worse.
  

Of course, let's not overlook the obvious.
Some readers just want to be entertained.
Some writers just want to entertain us!