Introduction: Imagining the end

This is a book about an event that never happened, and the cultural, literary, political and historical consequences of this deferred moment. An edited collection dedicated to understanding apocalyptic thought, Imagining the End: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Apocalypse brings together new work by an impressive group of scholars in order to examine the myriad of ways in which society continually imagine and reimagine the end of days. How does this collection extend our understanding of the Apocalypse? One answer resides in the interdisciplinary approach this volume takes. Through 11 chapters this volume documents the contours of apocalyptic thought, exploring survivalist movements in 1960s America, post-apocalyptic literature in all its numerous forms, zombie narratives and bio-power, and environmental concerns. Taken together this volume provides new critical insight into the transformative power of apocalyptic thought and offers fresh perspectives on the enduring cultural influence of our perpetual collective preoccupation with the end of day