Amy Key's academic look at the apocalyptic genre of literature helps to explain why positive, happy, optimistic people would want to read about zombies, plagues, nuclear war, the end of fossil fuels, and many other disasters. Apocalyptic authors write books that address problems of contemporary Western society, such as the size and power of the federal government and the fragility of the economy. People are so dependent on technology that they are losing their creativity and problem-solving abilities, becoming a nation of people who cannot care for themselves; who have lost their self-sufficiency. The independent spirit of the pioneers is long gone, but the rugged individuals of the Wild West return in the pages of post-apocalyptic fiction. The western genre has many parallels with post-apocalyptic work. Both involve groups of hardy individuals fighting to make their way in a world that can be harsh and challenging. The pioneers and the survivors of catastrophe must grow their own food and make their own household goods, and they both face groups of lawless savages that fight against the move toward civilization.The thought of destroying the world so that it can be remade in a way that solves the problems of the present is a very appealing one. The apocalyptic genre is an expression of hope for the future.