The End

July 2, 2012
Readers who voraciously consume apocalypse-themed YA novels should feel right at home with this guide to end-of-days scenarios, as depicted in pop culture. A diverse sampling of books, art, movies, music, and more are arranged alphabetically and include information about the origins, inspiration behind, and impact of each work. Among the entries: R.E.M.’s song “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine),” the film Dr. Strangelove, and Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle. Barcella thoughtfully sums up the context of each entry, interpreting the ways in which pop culture both mirrors and feeds our fears of the end. Ages 12–up.

June 1, 2012
An entertaining and fascinating compendium of doomsday scenarios depicted in fiction, film, graphic novels, plays, songs, television series and works of art. In her introduction, Barcella notes it was "overwhelming...having to narrow the list down to just fifty," but offers no insight into how she arrived at her final list. Her sole criterion for selection seems only to be that they are "iconic." The apocalyptic scenarios include alien conquest, bioterrorism, natural catastrophe, nuclear war, superviruses and zombie plagues. R.E.M.'s song "It's the End of the World" and the film When Worlds Collide are obvious selections, but there are many interesting surprises. Who knew authors as different as E.M. Forster, Jack London and Mary Shelley all wrote apocalyptic short stories and novels? Most people listening to Nena's "99 Luftballons" today probably don't realize it's about the Cold War-era shadow of nuclear annihilation. The examples are unimaginatively listed in alphabetical order by title rather than by type of apocalypse or medium. Each entry includes a concise synopsis of the work, brief discussion of its impact and influence, photograph or visual outtake, and quotes from or relating to it. A sidebar called "Reality Factor" discusses the plausibility of the scenario. Doomsday buffs will especially enjoy second-guessing Barcella's choices and dissecting her synopses. An amusing, informative look at apocalyptic pop culture. (Nonfiction. 12-18)

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August 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-No cultural medium goes unexamined in this compendium of 50 apocalyptic visions of the world. Moving fluidly between fine art, mega-hit movies, obscure plays, comic-book series, and everything in between, the author explains how all have looked into the future and seen the end of life as we know it. Barcella describes each work in detail and then provides background and context, explaining what was going on in the world that may have contributed to the creator's particular vision of the end of the world. Reality checks, interesting quotes, thoughts about the wider impact on the culture round out each entry. In an introduction, Barcella explains that she spent a lot of time trolling through plenty of end-of-times material but doesn't specify how she landed on these specific 50, so the list feels vaguely random, but in a fun, surprise-on-every-page kind of way. Michelangelo's The Last Judgment comes not long after cult favorite Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and a few page turns before V for Vendetta, a comic-book-series turned movie. Teenagers and adults alike will find this an entertaining book to thumb through, searching for familiar works as well as exploring some of those less well known. Readers of dystopian novels may find this collection particularly intriguing. Plenty of people will have their own ideas about what should have been included, but this particular collection is varied and interesting.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.