Shadow of the Atom

I went out walking
Under an atomic sky
Where the ground won’t turn and the rain it burns
Like the tears when I said goodbye

- U2 with Johnny Cash, The Wanderer, Zooropa, 1993

Aspects of the World

The World Throbs Like An Open Sore

Refuse of Total War Is Everywhere

Useful Salvage Is Scarce

Barter Is Commerce

Community Is Survival

Prospectors Work The Ruins

Knowledge Is Prosperity

Factions Shape The World

We Are Not Alone

Alien Survivors Xenomorph the World

Inspiration

70s science fiction informed by the history of the atomic age, the Cold War, RPG history (tabletop and computer), and all apocalyptic fiction.

Fashion and Style

Alien (1979), Andromeda Strain (1971), Clockwork Orange (1971), Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), Deathrace 2000 (1975), Futureworld (1976), Logan’s Run (1976), Rollerball (1975), Shape of Things to Come (1979), Silent Running (1972), Solaris (1972), Soylent Green (1973), THX 1138 (1971), Westworld (1973)

State of the World

A Boy and His Dog (1975), Capricorn One (1977), Damnation Alley (1977), Death Race 2000 (1975), Last Man on Earth (1964), Logan’s Run ;) (1976), No Blade of Grass (1970), Omega Man (1971), Road Warrior (1981), Stalker (1979), Zardoz (1974)

Apocalyptic Books

A Boy and His Dog (Harlan Ellison, 1969), A Canticle for Leibowitz (Walter M. Miller Jr., 1959; Mary Doria Russell, 2006), Alas, Babylon (Pat Frank, 1959; David Brin, 2005), Apocalypse Parenting (Erin Ampersand, 2022), Brain Wave (Poul Anderson, 1954), Brave New World (Aldous Huxley, 1932), Childhood’s End (Arthur C. Clarke, 1953), Children of the Dust (Louise Lawrence, 1985), Crypt-City of the Deathless One (Henry Kuttner, 1943), Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Philip K. Dick, 1968), Earth Abides (George R. Stewart, 1949), Endworld Series (David Robbins, 1986), I Am Legend (Richard Matheson, 1954), Lucifer’s Hammer (Larry Niven, 1977; Jerry Pournelle, 1977), On the Beach (Nevil Shute, 1957), Raven Rock (Garrett M. Graff, 2017), Red Storm Rising (Tom Clancy, 1986), Roadside Picnic (Arkady Strugatsky, 1972), Silo Trilogy (Hugh Howey: Wool, 2011; Shift, 2013; Dust, 2013), Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel, 2014), Swan Song (Robert R. McCammon, 1987), The Day of the Triffids (John Wyndham, 1951), The Last Man (Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, 1826), The Long Tomorrow (Leigh Brackett, 1955), The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (Robert A. Heinlein, 1966), The Postman (David Brin, 1985), The Road (Cormac McCarthy, 2006), The Stand (Stephen King, 1978), Twilight World (Poul Anderson, 1961), Y: The Last Man (Brian K. Vaughan, 2002; Pia Guerra, 2002)

Credits

A high-fantasy TTRPG powered by Shadow of the Weird Wizard RPG