4 Fictional Apocalypses I Wouldn't Mind

A prediction by radio preacher Harold Camping about the Rapture has had a lot of people talking about the end of the world recently.

Let's face it: it's a topic we're fascinated, even entertained by. Think of all the movies, books, or TV shows that show civilization collapsing via nuclear war, a virus, uber-powerful computers, or the ever-popular zombie outbreak.

None of these are pleasant scenarios, but let's face it, some are preferable to others. I've thought about it over the years, and come up with some fictional apocalypses that I wouldn't mind living through. (Spoiler alerts ahead.)

1. The Stand

What Happens: In Stephen King's 1,141-page epic, a killer flu wipes out most of humanity. The people who survive become locked in a Biblical good-vs.-evil confrontation.

Why it wouldn't be that bad: Assuming you're immune to the flu and can make it to Boulder, Colo. (where the book's heroes eventually settle), you'll find yourself in a struggling, but still more-or-less functional, community. If you choose to live in Las Vegas -- ruled by the book's villain -- then, well...things wouldn't end as nicely.

2. Battlestar Galactica (2oo3 version)

What happens: The Cylons, a race of highly-evolved robots, destroy the 12 planets that make up the Galactica universe. What's left of humanity -- about 50,000 people -- begin to search for a new home on the mythical planet called "Earth."

Why it wouldn't be that bad: This one is purely selfish. As a journalist watching BSG, I was always fascinated by the notion that the fleet of ships that the characters lived on had a fully functioning press corps large enough to serve a major city.

It was never really clear how these reporters continued to earn a living (society having vanished and all)  but it's still reassuring to know that my job would be safe in the face of a threat from genocidal robots.

3. Dawn of the Dead/28 Days Later/The Walking Dead/Zombieland

What happens: Zombies.

Why it wouldn't be that bad: I'd find myself a group of fellow survivors, hole up in a mall or a Wal-Mart, try to keep my head and reconcile with the fact that life as I once kne...Oh, who am I kidding? I'd be lunch. Let's move on.

4. Idiocracy

What happens: In this cult comedy from Office Space/Beavis and Butthead creator Mike Judge, Army librarian Joe Bauers is cryogenically frozen for 500 years, and wakes up in a crumbling 26th century America so dumbed down that he's -- by default -- the smartest man alive.

Why it wouldn't be that bad: The America of Idiocracy is more of a cultural wasteland than anything else. (There's a reason this movie gets mentioned whenever a particularly dumb reality show makes it to the air.) If you found yourself in Joe's position, you'd need a lot of patience, persistence and resourcefulness, but you might be able to, at the very least, convince people not to water crops with Gatorade.