Chasing the Phoenix and Musings on Nations After the End

[Faeelin]

I just finished Chasing the Phoenix, a delightful little romp through a post-apoctolyptic world (it's less bad than it sounds) where a genetically engineered man-dog and his English companion con their way through the Warring states of China.

One of the things that struck me is that unlike, in, say, Dies the Fire, or any of any dozens of post-apocalyptic novels, the populace is ecstatic about the idea of China being restored; when the red and gold flag of the Republic of China flies over a newly conquered city, the city council weeps.

They also view the fall of technology as the end of a utopia.

It's an intereresting novel in a lot of ways.

 

[dissentcontinues]

I think after an apocalypse and the initial period of chaotic looting and iron masked warlords and tanker chases and Thunderdome gladiatorial combat and arguing over Braille Bibles and scavenging with your telepathic dog and the last Hells Angel delivering a vaccine across country, nations would sort of come back.

Sort of.

I think anything that traumatic will change nations alot. Not just by blowing up large parts of them. For example, look at the Syrian refugees in Europe. Imagine that times a hundred with nations in much worse shape if they survive at all receiving them. It would alter population demographics and culture as refugees would cross borders alot. Or looters and raiders. Survivors from Pakistan that missed an Indian nuclear strike might go into Iran and raid for food and supplies and then stay there, for example.

So when nations get back together, they'll be shells of their former selves or incomplete attempts at reconstructing a previous culture.

For other fictional examples of what I'm talking about, see Panem for America, Britain in Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban, or those sort of scenarios.

 

[Faeelin]

Well, we have an obvious example of a state that collapsed. We called it Rome. How much of an influence did it have on European history to the present day?

 

[dissentcontinues]

It had enough influence to shape European nations trying to imitate it, but not enough to actually get it back together. Byzantium, the Roman Catholic church and the Holy Roman Empire and the use of Latin in academics are examples, but though Justinian and a few others tried, and you could say Napoleon and other would be Euroconquerors tried, Rome never reunited.

I think a post apocalyptic pattern like that would happen in the West. Other cultures would follow their own patterns.

America or the EU would be seen as some great superstate everyone could learn from, but fully resurrecting it would run into many snags. Once you've cried over spilled milk, even if you get some of it back in the cup, its dirty and tastes like the floor now.