That old saying about the last one turning on the lights may amuse, yet it has little to do with the future of the planet. If action stalls, the world could reach limits of global development. Population pressures, resource strain, and continuous, linear growth threaten climate balance and the richness of nature. Films, TV, and novels echo this fear daily. Collapse, Blackout, and similar visions are not only dramatic plots; they are serious questions shaping contemporary science and public discourse.
Work in collective resistance
Collapsology, the study of how societal systems unravel, began in France in 2011 within the Momentum Institute. Its founder, Yves Cochet, described it as the study of processes that may push nations beyond their basic needs. The idea highlights a critical issue: if basic needs become harder to meet, inequality can widen dramatically. The covid pandemic underscored how fragile the global economy can be, accelerating conversations about resilience. In 2015, French thinkers Pablo Servigne and Raphael Stevens published Made in 2015’s science of collapse, offering a compact guide for new generations to understand the stakes. Later writers joined by biologist Gauthier Chalvet explored psychological, philosophical, artistic, and even spiritual paths to endure shocks without surrendering to them. The goal, they say, is not renunciation or selfish focus but the cultivation of collective resilience, experimentation with new ways of living on the planet, and the creation of shared narratives that connect people, cultures, and even nonhumans online.
Understand the truth
In the field of collective narratives, how societies frame reality matters. Literature serves as a key warning system and remains a powerful medium for insight. Artists often sense winds of change and, through their work, can raise awareness and spur meaningful shifts. Essays and studies by Servigne helped popularize the idea of collapse and its potential rebound in popular culture. Various television series and podcasts have reflected these themes, strengthening public discourse about the future. Contemporary novels frequently imagine environmental disasters, but warnings have a long literary history. Margaret Atwood, for example, expanded the conversation with works that blend science fiction and social critique. Her fictional futures have echoed real-world concerns about sustainability and governance. The Handmaid’s Tale era and later works pushed readers to confront the consequences of ecological and political choices. Other writers—Cormac McCarthy, J. G. Ballard, and more—explored dystopian landscapes that still resonate today. The boundary between literary fiction and science fiction has long blurred, inviting readers to consider future scenarios with more seriousness.
Ready for bookstores
The current, non-exhaustive selection of works exploring these themes includes titles that imagine a future shaped by climate, technology, and social change. A prominent science fiction line features thoughtful explorations of governance and resilience. Other novels probe a divided world where health status and social order influence daily life. Contemporary authors rework familiar motifs about endurance and rebuilding, offering fresh perspectives on the last person and the community that survives. Readers encounter stories of leadership, survival, and the making of a new society from multiple angles. Works set in post-crisis contexts raise questions about memory, culture, and the kind of world people choose to rebuild. The catalog also includes reflections on oppression, power, and the human drive to imagine something brighter beyond catastrophe.
The most recent publications continue to expand the conversation. They emphasize how writing about oppression can illuminate overlooked aspects of society and invite readers to reconsider relationships, structures, and norms. These novels show how the future can be imagined not as a bleak end but as a field for rebuilding social ties, rethinking communities, and reimagining what intelligent, compassionate living could look like in a damaged yet recoverable world.