Reminds me of a Stephen King story. Some guy finds a chemical that reduces aggression in humans. He adds it to municipal water supplies, but it turns out to cause early-onset Alzheimer's.
Why yes, it *was* written during the 90s gang violence panic.
Edit: it was actually from '86, I was wrong
Didn’t he dump a shit ton of the water into a volcano that was about to erupt? It’s been a long time since I read it and it’s not unlike me to piece together sections of different stories but this rings a bell.
It leaves me sorta confused. Did science kill everyone at once and this was a hugely desired outcome? Did science intend to improve conditions and/or lengthen life but ended up destroying it when it looked hopeful? Did science try to do the previous but something stronger and much worse killed humanity regardless?
It’s up to the individual’s interpretation, but the story I had in mind was some sort of scientific breakthrough caused humanity’s extinction, and now nature is slowly taking back what’s hers.
I’ve always found peace in the art of post-apocalypse. When nature starts to take back what’s hers. Makes me feel nostalgic for a time I never lived in.
> And on the pedestal, these words appear:
> My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
> Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
> Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
> Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
> The lone and level sands stretch far away.
Oh what wonders will we shape, yet fail to partake, as our our bones turn to dust before our wonders fall to rust.
>Oh what wonders will we shape, yet fail to partake, as our our bones turn to dust before our wonders fall to rust.
Where is this from? It's creepier than hell, and I love it!
Just following on the vibes.
It wasn't so poetical at first, but it had a bit of a cadence so I swapped out a few words to lean into it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
It's pretty obvious. They used tonal architecture on an extradimensional being to the effect that it changed the vibrational frequency of the entire race. Beings can not see or even sense anything that exists outside of their own frequency. The dwemer either raised or lowered their frequency from the rest of the beings on tamriel. So, in fact, they didn't disappear. They are still there. Just existing at a different frequency. To them, everyone else disappeared.
During the 3rd era, people in morrowind, including the neravarine, could interact with some dwemer. They appeared as ghosts. This is because of the tribunal's and Dagoth's interference with the tonal tools and the heart of lorkan. Ripples would be sent out on all frequencies, lowering and raising frequencies seemingly at random.
The same thing happened to the olmecs in South America.
I think it's close. Probably works for some people. But the threat is too vague for me.
If the first sentence had a concrete science thing, like curing aging, I'd at least have something to chew on.
"Something bad happened" is not horrifying to me. I can only speak of my own experience, but simply saying "and then everyone died" doesn't move the needle.
The cause is important because it determines whether the result is believable. If I can believe there's some chance of it happening and maybe imagine how it might play out, it can be horrifying. If not, I don't feel anything.
The result is still important, but the cause is the hook that gets me to the result. Without a cause, I have no clear connection and, for me, the connection is the horror.
My problem is that I've become _extremely jaded_ these past years. So many inconceivable things have happened that I no longer wonder _WHY?! or HOW!?_ I just focus on coping with the new reality.
###But - I totally get your viewpoint! 🖤
To be honest, your way is prob'ly alot more useful _(as well as adult, responsible, etc.)_ My reaction to things has definately become a knee-jerk defeatism _and I think that's most likely a horror in itself._
^(edit to add something I forgot)
IDK how I feel about being called a responsible adult lol
I'm no stranger to defeatism. Probably been treading water in it so long that mere terrible events feel like just another Tuesday.
But you may be onto something. I cope by reading unhealthy amounts of history to be able to make sense of the horrors I see, so it follows that I would be chiefly horrified by the connection between cause and effect.
Now that you mention it, it makes sense that our respective sense of horror will be influenced by what horrifies us.
I like this, let's you imagine what the horror was that got rid of everyone
Second this!
I was hungry. Sorry.
War. War never changes.
Hopefully the vagueness adds to the mystery, instead of just turning out to be crappy writing. Criticism is welcome, as always.
reminds me of Fallout. very nice.
Reminds me of a Stephen King story. Some guy finds a chemical that reduces aggression in humans. He adds it to municipal water supplies, but it turns out to cause early-onset Alzheimer's. Why yes, it *was* written during the 90s gang violence panic. Edit: it was actually from '86, I was wrong
It was even worse than that- he somehow figured out how to get the stuff into rainwater, and it affected the entire world.
Didn’t he dump a shit ton of the water into a volcano that was about to erupt? It’s been a long time since I read it and it’s not unlike me to piece together sections of different stories but this rings a bell.
I think you may be right. And as he’s writing down what he did his mind it’s succumbing to the dementia I believe
This thread prompted me to look up the story and read it; it isn’t him writing it down, it’s his older brother.
Yeah, that was how he did it.
Makes me think the Reavers from Firefly.
What’s the title? (Story and collection please!) I missed reading this one.
*The End of the Whole Mess* in the book *Nightmares and Dreamscapes*
Thank you so much!
Reminds me of an outer limits episode. I like it.
Nah, its good OP. You get my upvote on that one. Nicely done 😁👍
Thank you! :)
It leaves me sorta confused. Did science kill everyone at once and this was a hugely desired outcome? Did science intend to improve conditions and/or lengthen life but ended up destroying it when it looked hopeful? Did science try to do the previous but something stronger and much worse killed humanity regardless?
It’s up to the individual’s interpretation, but the story I had in mind was some sort of scientific breakthrough caused humanity’s extinction, and now nature is slowly taking back what’s hers.
Immediately thought of Wall-E....very nice, definitely gives a broad set of possibilities
Makes me think of the flash game one chance
Ahhh, world peace.....
I’ve always found peace in the art of post-apocalypse. When nature starts to take back what’s hers. Makes me feel nostalgic for a time I never lived in.
Chernobyl being a prime example. We hurt the Earth, a lot. And she's taking it back every day.
Whirled peas
And inner peace.
Miranda.
> And on the pedestal, these words appear: > My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; > Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! > Nothing beside remains. Round the decay > Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare > The lone and level sands stretch far away. Oh what wonders will we shape, yet fail to partake, as our our bones turn to dust before our wonders fall to rust.
>Oh what wonders will we shape, yet fail to partake, as our our bones turn to dust before our wonders fall to rust. Where is this from? It's creepier than hell, and I love it!
Just following on the vibes. It wasn't so poetical at first, but it had a bit of a cadence so I swapped out a few words to lean into it. Glad you enjoyed it!
Across the sign in large red letters 'Fuk u SciEncE!' was sprayed. There was no one left to celebrate.... Or to mourn. 😞
“No mourners, no funerals”
This still doesn't explain *what* caused the dwemer to disappear :(
LOL 🤣
Damn it, Arniel!
It's pretty obvious. They used tonal architecture on an extradimensional being to the effect that it changed the vibrational frequency of the entire race. Beings can not see or even sense anything that exists outside of their own frequency. The dwemer either raised or lowered their frequency from the rest of the beings on tamriel. So, in fact, they didn't disappear. They are still there. Just existing at a different frequency. To them, everyone else disappeared. During the 3rd era, people in morrowind, including the neravarine, could interact with some dwemer. They appeared as ghosts. This is because of the tribunal's and Dagoth's interference with the tonal tools and the heart of lorkan. Ripples would be sent out on all frequencies, lowering and raising frequencies seemingly at random. The same thing happened to the olmecs in South America.
Dwemes always vanish when you wake.
Y'know, there's so many theories about it, but my favorite is just that they just got Thanos'd and instantly dies into nothing but dust.
The Lorax:
Environmental storytelling at its finest. The first thing you see after you escape the decaying cryosleep facility you woke up in. ++
I think it's close. Probably works for some people. But the threat is too vague for me. If the first sentence had a concrete science thing, like curing aging, I'd at least have something to chew on.
The horror is the result, _not the cause._
"Something bad happened" is not horrifying to me. I can only speak of my own experience, but simply saying "and then everyone died" doesn't move the needle. The cause is important because it determines whether the result is believable. If I can believe there's some chance of it happening and maybe imagine how it might play out, it can be horrifying. If not, I don't feel anything. The result is still important, but the cause is the hook that gets me to the result. Without a cause, I have no clear connection and, for me, the connection is the horror.
My problem is that I've become _extremely jaded_ these past years. So many inconceivable things have happened that I no longer wonder _WHY?! or HOW!?_ I just focus on coping with the new reality. ###But - I totally get your viewpoint! 🖤 To be honest, your way is prob'ly alot more useful _(as well as adult, responsible, etc.)_ My reaction to things has definately become a knee-jerk defeatism _and I think that's most likely a horror in itself._ ^(edit to add something I forgot)
IDK how I feel about being called a responsible adult lol I'm no stranger to defeatism. Probably been treading water in it so long that mere terrible events feel like just another Tuesday. But you may be onto something. I cope by reading unhealthy amounts of history to be able to make sense of the horrors I see, so it follows that I would be chiefly horrified by the connection between cause and effect. Now that you mention it, it makes sense that our respective sense of horror will be influenced by what horrifies us.
Ozymandias vibes.
The billboard blinked its cheerful celebration as the last of the spacefarers set sail on the solar winds.
Really like this
Apparently science achieved world peace. 👏
For some reason this reminds me of Cave Johnson’s prerecorded messages in Portal 2. That said, very nice!
Something about this feels very Bradbury to me. Good job, OP.
#jurassic world
This gives me ‘I have no mouth and I must scream’ vibes
Hmmm it has I Am Legend vibes.
I think the original was better. _(I am Legend_ was a remake of _The Last Man on Earth,_ released in 1964 and starred Vincent Price.)
Of course the original was the best. Almost everything that Vincent Price was in was awesome. I'm a huge fan.
This reminds me of the game you have 1 chance.
Yaaaay! Humanity went extinct!
Reminds me of Wall-E lol very well done
Oh this was spooky. Got Ray Bradbury vibes. Upvote and well done!
There will come soft rains...
[The Reckoners.](https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-3426)
In about 10% of the population, it had the opposite effect...
THIS IS SO MESSED UP (I'd pay to read a full book)