Planning for an ‘Apocalypse Any Day Now’

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Photo Credit: Megan Berendt Photography

The end of the world has been predicted with depressing regularity, especially by religious zealots drawing their own conclusions from the Book of Revelation. They have been joined during the past century by people fearful of secular catastrophes including nuclear war, climate change, pandemics, meteorites, economic collapse, the rise of artificial intelligence and invasions by aliens from other worlds or elsewhere. Unlike the Last Judgment, a secular catastrophe might be survivable if provisions are stockpiled and plans are laid.

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The “preppers,” as many of those determined survivalists call themselves, are the subject of the latest book by Shepherd Express freelancer Tea Krulos, Apocalypse Any Day Now. Krulos contacted several preppers around the U.S. and followed them into their various labyrinths. It wasn’t easy work. Many preppers are rural, lean right and are suspicious if not paranoid. But as he discovered after meeting them, stereotypes don’t always apply.

As with previous books on the “superhero movement” and paranormal investigators, Krulos was motivated by “a desire to learn more about unusual and maybe misunderstood subcultures.” At least some of the preppers in Apocalypse Any Day Now “are pretty normal people that want some insurance that they will be able to survive a major disaster. Some of them are really innovative and knowledgeable.” And some might simply be more aware of the dangerous direction of an unsustainable world order. “A lot of people, myself included at times, want to stick their head in the sand and not think about this crushing death trap called planet Earth,” Krulos explains. “I think it’s important to think and talk about these things and have a safety net or a plan. But I also think it’s not healthy to constantly worry.”

Tea Krulos will discuss his new book Friday, April 12 at 7 p.m. at Woodland Pattern Book Center.