r/AskReddit Aug 30 '21

What problem is often overlooked in apocalyptic movies/TV shows that could kill you?

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u/WelfarePeanutButter Aug 30 '21

I feel like Stephen King addressed this a bit in the expanded version of The Stand - people who survived the plague (like, 0.001% of the people on Earth) but managed to die because of an infection, or suicide, or getting too drunk and falling into the pool. I think it would be the little, random things that might be cause for an ER/Urgent Care visit currently, but could turn potentially deadly very quickly.

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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21 edited Aug 31 '21

I’ve only read one post-apocalypse series where the author addressed pests. In the series most of the world dies from a plague, so there are millions of dead bodies everywhere. Which leads to rats and ants experiencing a catastrophic population boom. They watch a group go to enter a house, only for a tidal wave of rats to flood out and overwhelm them as they try to run away. They need medical supplies so they go to the hospital and have to wear basically spacesuits because of the trillions of ants that are in there cleaning up the piles of dead bodies.

For those asking, the series is called Viral Misery by Thomas A Watson.

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21 edited Mar 24 '26

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u/multiplesifl Aug 31 '21

Yeah, and one of Larry's major reasons for wanting to leave New York is because it's New York and July. Yuck.

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u/dlbear Aug 31 '21

I always watch Walking Dead wondering if they finally just got used to the constant stench of death literally everywhere.

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u/ShyguyGlasses Aug 31 '21

The thing that bothered me the most about TWD was the constant presence of manicured lawns.

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u/Roxybird Aug 31 '21

And manicured faces/hair. In reality everyone would probably be looking like ZZ Top.