From Ape to Zombie, which dystopian horror story feels the most likely to happen?

There are so many post-apocalypses out there, so we have to know: which one feels the most realistic to you?

Image credit: 20th Century Studios

Feature by Graeme McMillan Staff Writer

Published on April 12, 2024

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Look, I don’t want to get too heavy on you in the first paragraph, but… have you looked out your window lately? It’s looking bleak out there, and that’s been the case for… well, quite awhile, really. It’s clear that there’s a significant contingent of people out there that believe wholeheartedly that things are unstoppably getting worse, and that we’re headed towards disaster. (Perhaps even a Great Disaster.) To those people, we tentatively ask the following:

…What kind of disaster are you expecting?

Let’s not beat around the bush: there are plenty of worst case scenarios to find in pop culture, especially when it comes to science fiction and speculative fiction — in fact, some of the biggest SF stories of recent years have been about the end of the world in some way or another. But which of those stories do you think are the most likely to happen?

We’ve made a poll below for you to give us the answer. For ease of use, we’ve tried to define the type of apocalypse beyond simply the name of the project, so you know exactly what you’re voting for. We’re not asking you to choose your favorite apocalyptic possibility, or your favorite dystopian show or movie, to clarify: we’re really asking which one you think is most likely to actually happen in the real world (ideally long after we’re all no longer here). Sure, it’s dark, but what else do you expect from an end of the world scenario?

Look at your options below, but choose wisely: it could be the last thing you ever do... (Unlikely, but still.)

Get ready for the end of the world with our guide to best dystopian TV shows of all time, a guide to how to watch/play the entire Fallout saga, and how to watch the Mad Max & Furiosa saga.