All three novels in the Taraxacum Trilogy begin with a brief excerpt from a single scene (in reverse order) that takes place on June 28, 2033. But beginning at midnight that night, the world as it existed until then comes to an abrupt end in an event that becomes known as the "Great Cataclysm." Chapter 1 propels us ahead by 15 years and into a world that has since been remolded and reshaped by the 30-35% of the global population who lived to tell the tale. But what exactly is this Great Cataclysm and why does such a dark and morbid event serve as the backdrop to this trilogy? This post will explore this question and hopefully shed some light into this overwhelming darkness.
Is it Post-Apocalyptic Fiction?
I never liked apocalyptic/end-of-the-world type of stories. In fact, they always terrified me in ways that snakes and spiders never could. Just the thought of the world as we know it coming to an end, having to survive under strenuous circumstances, a complete collapse of society and civilisation... those are all things I never wanted to delve into, let alone experience in my own lifetime!
And yet, here we are. My very first novel falls into the (broad) category of post-apocalyptic fiction(!) So what happened? But first of all, is the Taraxacum Trilogy really best described as "post-apocalyptic" fiction? Yes and no!
At first glance, I suppose it can and inevitably will be described as such. The events do take place after a global apocalyptic event, leaving almost 2/3rds of humanity dead and the remaining third to make do with what was left. But the story itself takes place 15 years after all of this. By this time, civilisation has reasserted itself; societies, towns and governments are up and functioning again and in places such as Neukonstanz (which we discussed in the previous post), the people live in peace, prosperity and harmony (at least superficially).
This reassertion of functioning societies, especially the one in Neukonstanz which is like any old run-of-the-mill provincial town from the early 1900s, is why I prefer to describe the Taraxacum Trilogy as a series of mystery novels rather than branding it with the post-apocalyptic label . The post-apocalyptic element is important of course, otherwise I could have just as easily dispensed with the Great Cataclysm altogether. But in general terms, the story itself is more about the characters and their personal stories rather than the moment in time during which the story is set. It is a backdrop, but not the point.
Inspirations that Helped Change my Mind
So then, what ended up changing my mind about the "horrors" of the post-apocalyptic genre and even inspired me to let such a daunting disaster serve as the backdrop to this story? While I am still not a fan of this genre in general, there are three notable exceptions to this prejudice of mine that helped me to appreciate the possibilities that can be explored in stories set after the "old world" came to an end. These three masterpieces, which I find myself coming back to again and again are the video game The Last of Us (2013) and the two anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) and Cowboy Bebop (1998).
The Last of Us (an action adventure game developed by Naughty Dog) begins with the outbreak of an infectious disease which effectively turns people into plant-like zombies. After the tragic prologue, the story jumps 20 years into the future and we get to see the permanent effects that this one fateful night had on the rest of the world. I particularly loved the "quiet" moments of the game where you're not fighting (or running) for your life but get a chance to explore the remnants of towns and family homes that have since been long abandoned and frozen in time. Each building you enter has its own little story to tell and even though the inhabitants themselves are long gone, the "spirit" of their former lives still rests within those four walls they once called "home".
The outbreak in The Last of Us resulted in a complete overhaul of societal structures and was responded to in different ways by different factions. The U.S. government declared martial law and many cities were turned into quarantined military zones which deal mercilessly with those who step out of bounds or are unfortunate enough to get themselves infected - an automatic death sentence. There are other factions as well, such as the Fireflies, another militia group who rebelled against the military, and Hunters, who live within their own close-knit communities and hunt down any unlucky survivors who happen to stumble into their territory. A similar form of factionalism also finds its way into the Taraxacum Trilogy, mainly in the different ways people have interpreted their times and what they believe the true implications of their current situation are.
Hideaki Anno's Neon Genesis Evangelion is set in 2015 and takes place 15 years after the "Second Impact" which wiped out most of humanity. The human race is now preoccupied with ongoing battles against "angels", monstrous beings whose arrival had been foretold by the Dead Sea Scrolls (this series is replete with biblical and cabalistic imagery and symbolism). I will do a separate blog sometime in the future to discuss Evangelion itself in more detail. It's just one of those shows that struck a chord with me and will probably continue to influence most my work from here on out.
Of a similar vein is Shinchiro Watanabe's highly acclaimed (and rightfully so) Cowboy Bebop, another series set in the future, this time in the form of a "scifi-western-noir-samurai-mafia show" as someone on YouTube aptly described it. Set in a futuristic universe in which the planet earth has been laid waste and humanity has settled on other planets instead, the plot follows four space-shuttle flying bounty hunters who each "carry that weight" from their past lives. The existentialist themes explored in Bebop are so deep and profound, I still have to wrap my head around and come to terms with everything that this show has to offer. Needless to say, as a die-hard fan of the show, now I'm the one "carrying that weight..." But I can proudly say that it was worth it!
Making Sense of It All
And this brings us to the initial question that got us started on this matter: What exactly is the Great Cataclysm? and why is it important to the story? This second question I'll leave up to the reader's interpretation. So, for now let's look at what the citizens of Neukonstanz believe this "Great Cataclysm" to have been.
As a deeply religious community whose perspective and beliefs are rooted in the Sacred Scriptures and teachings of the Traditional Catholic Faith, the Great Cataclysm was nothing less than God's Divine Judgment finally executed on a wicked and twisted world that had broken every commandment in the book and dared to call evil good and good evil (cf. Isaiah 5:20). As prophesied in the Book of Revelation, especially in the form of the seven bowls of God's wrath (Rev 16), many woes and disasters would fall upon the world in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ and His Final Judgment upon humanity...
As it lasted for three whole days and nights, many regard the Great Cataclysm as the "Three Days of Darkness" foretold by many mystics and prophets. According to these prophecies, these three days would wipe out a substantial portion of humanity and pave the way to an "Era of Peace" during which the world would finally experience some reprieve and a vibrant faith in God is restored. At least until things start taking a downturn again, this time paving the way for the Antichrist and his three and a half year reign of terror...
But is this really what the Great Cataclysm was? Perhaps it was just some natural phenomena and those who survived it just happened to be the lucky ones? Or maybe it was a scientific experiment gone dreadfully wrong? Or... none of the above? The fascinating thing about it is that no one really knows! There are lots of theories but no real answers. This is another thing you can draw your own conclusions on just the like the characters in the story have to do. Who are these characters? Glad you asked! I'll introduce them to you next time. In the meantime, don't let the sky fall on your head!
