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Even if you're not an anthropology expert or a die-hard Fallout fan, the imaginative post-apocalyptic worlds crafted by authors are bound to captivate you. When society collapses and humanity must start anew, the emerging cultures often develop unique systems and values tailored to their survival.
These new civilizations can range from compact, efficient communities to vast tribal dominions covering extensive territories. Rather than dwelling on the collapse of the old world, let’s explore the fascinating emergence of these new societies.
Note: Spoilers ahead.
10. New California RepublicFallout
Featured across three installments of the Fallout franchise (1, 2, and New Vegas), the New California Republic (NCR) champions the values of the pre-apocalyptic United States: democracy, justice, security, and liberty. Starting as a modest coalition of settlements, the NCR banded together to combat threats like mutants and raiders, imposing its vision of order on a desolate wasteland.
By 2189, the NCR had expanded its influence across much of the former American Southwest, reaching into Oregon and Baja California. With its population booming, the republic sought essential resources like clean water and fertile land, leading to a fierce conflict over New Vegas and the Hoover Dam.
This struggle for territory and resources mirrors the very circumstances that triggered the nuclear apocalypse. If that seems symbolic, it likely is. The NCR, founded on the ideals of the United States, owes its existence to the atomic missteps of its predecessor.
Perhaps it’s wise to choose a role model other than the one responsible for initiating a nuclear conflict.
9. CrakersOryx And Crake
Following a catastrophic biological event that devastated an already fragile world, a peaceful, vegetarian society emerged near the coastline. Known as the Crakers, these individuals, as described by the narrator, are far from ordinary humans.
These beings were genetically designed by Crake, the very individual responsible for the world’s downfall. Their engineered traits include the ability to survive solely on grass and the possession of strikingly luminous genitalia.
Guided only by Snowman, a disillusioned self-proclaimed prophet, the Crakers remain unaware of the old world, whose remnants lie just beyond their settlement. They grieve for the fish they catch for Snowman and show curiosity when he describes the concept of toast.
Snowman, who once lived in the pre-apocalyptic world and was intimately connected to Crake, manipulated the Crakers into believing they were the creation of a deity named Crake, mocking the man who denied the existence of gods.
As Crake’s prophet, Snowman established basic rules for the Crakers, which eventually morphed into superstitions. Their reliance on him was so profound that when he disappeared briefly, they created an effigy of him, burned it, and pleaded with Crake for his return.
8. Fort ReposeAlas, Babylon
Fort Repose, a quintessential Florida town filled with sunbathers and playful children, faces chaos when a nuclear conflict with Russia disrupts its peaceful existence. Unlike many post-apocalyptic societies, Fort Repose remains relatively straightforward. As societal structures crumble, violence and resource theft become rampant.
Randy, a veteran, steps in to restore order by mobilizing the army reserves. To deter crime, he enforces public executions of offenders. The community adapts by pooling resources like housing, food, and water, storing radioactive items, and even traveling to a nearby salt beach to combat salt deficiencies.
While Fort Repose lacks the eccentricity of other post-apocalyptic communities, it exemplifies humanity’s ability to adapt and address emerging challenges in dire circumstances.
7. CorvallisThe Postman
Corvallis mirrors the land of Oz, but instead of a wizard, it boasts a supercomputer named Cyclops. Much like the Wizard of Oz, Cyclops is a deceptive tool designed to manipulate the populace. Ironically, it bears no resemblance to the mythical one-eyed giant it’s named after.
The residents of Corvallis leverage Cyclops to influence neighboring communities in the picturesque Willamette Valley. If the Doomwar has taught humanity anything, it’s that human leaders often make poor decisions. Thus, when guidance or conflict resolution is needed, they turn to the supercomputer, unaware that it ceased functioning after the EMPs from the war rendered it useless.
Contrary to expectations, this deception holds strong. When the protagonist uncovers Cyclops’ true nature, he chooses silence. This decision fosters a valley-wide trade agreement, culminating in a unified Oregon government determined to repel invading forces.
6. The ArkThe 100
Following Earth’s destruction in a nuclear inferno, survivors aboard space stations vowed to return and ensure humanity’s survival by forming the Ark. However, the harsh void of space offers few readily available resources, making their mission a daunting challenge.
Essential resources like oxygen, food, water, and medicine must be meticulously conserved to avoid system collapse. This necessity explains why all offenses are punishable by death for individuals aged 18 and above. Even acts like stealing medicine for an ill child lead to execution. It’s a brutal society shaped by extreme conditions.
5. The SorrowsFallout: New Vegas
The Sorrows began as a group of children who sought refuge in Zion National Valley decades after the Great War devastated civilization. A mysterious elderly man living in nearby caves guided them, leaving behind books, supplies, and notes signed as “the Father.” This rare instance of an old man overseeing children actually resulted in a positive outcome.
Generations later, the Sorrows thrive peacefully in Zion, adhering to the Father’s teachings of kindness and non-violence. They revere the Father as a divine figure or spirit, believing that venturing into his caves invites divine retribution.
In reality, the caves are equipped with booby traps, explaining why those who entered never returned. Contrary to their beliefs, the Father no longer watches over them; he perished long ago, as is common in post-apocalyptic worlds.
4. The CitadelMad Max: Fury Road
The Citadel, governed by Immortan Joe and his War Boys, represents one of the most extreme societies imaginable. Built around an aquifer with a village at its base, entry into the Citadel is restricted to those who serve a specific purpose, whether willingly or by force.
The War Boys are warriors engaged in road wars, while the Black Thumbs maintain the vehicles crucial for combat. Blood bags are drained for their healthy blood, Milk Mothers are exploited for calcium-rich milk, and the Five Wives are treated as breeding stock to ensure strong offspring.
In the Citadel, nothing goes to waste—a necessity in a barren wasteland. The War Boys extract every possible resource from the bodies they plunder. Unsurprisingly, women occupy the lowest tier of this society, living as slaves or confined wives, reflecting a grim reality.
3. The Brotherhood of SteelFallout
Established just before the Great War, the Brotherhood of Steel operates on the principle that humanity cannot responsibly handle advanced technology. Roger Maxson, their founder and inaugural Elder, created the group after discovering biological weapons tested on POWs.
Over two centuries and across North America, the Brotherhood has evolved under various leaders and ideologies. At their peak, they functioned as a knightly order safeguarding the vulnerable from mutant threats. At their worst, they became oppressive figures wielding laser rifles, seizing technology from the defenseless.
In response to the new Dark Age, the Brotherhood adopted a chivalric structure, complete with knights, scribes, and paladins—though notably lacking swords. While some factions welcome outsiders, most prefer isolation, retreating to underground bunkers and employing tactics like launching tactical nukes or waiting out conflicts until adversaries perish.
Despite their mission to prevent another apocalypse, the Brotherhood has a troubling tendency to commit genocide against peaceful mutants and villages unwilling to surrender technology. On a lighter note, their uniforms are undeniably impressive.
2. The Many MothersMad Max: Fury Road
In the past, the Vuvalini, known as the Many Mothers, thrived in the Green Place, a lush region amidst the radioactive Australian Outback. Their matriarchal society valued motherhood as essential to preserving the environment. This philosophy sustained them even after their land turned desolate, forcing them into the desert.
As their fertile land vanished, their population dwindled, and they adopted the life of desert raiders, mirroring others in the wasteland. One Mother reflects that she has killed everyone she encountered, illustrating how even once-peaceful societies can descend into the same brutality as their foes.
In their fertile homeland, the Vuvalini embraced peace. However, driven into the desert, they resorted to raiding, much like others in the wasteland.
Nothing remains good indefinitely, especially not in Australia.
1. The Tree PeopleThe 100
The Tree People, survivors of a nuclear apocalypse, inhabit the forests of former Virginia. Constantly threatened by the technologically advanced Mountain Men, they rely on primitive weapons like swords and bows for defense.
As forest dwellers, they adhere to a harsh legal code that exiles thieves and executes traitors through extreme methods, including fire and prolonged torture. This ruthless justice system fosters unity, crucial for their survival as warriors. They embrace the belief that life is a battle, and victory comes only through the destruction of their foes.
Even children are trained for combat, apprenticing under seasoned warriors and earning ritual scars for each enemy they defeat. Like many in such dire circumstances, they adapted to the harsh realities of survival.
