Nerd Word of the Week: Ecopocalypse

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Ecopocalypse (n.) - Collapse of civilization caused by widespread and rapid environmental degradation or change. A subgenre of apocalyptic fiction that focuses on ecological collapse. Sometimes referred to as The Ecopocalypse. Also used as a derogatory (and/or ironic) slang term for human impact on the environment.

I bring it up because: The term ecopocalypse tends to bubble up whenever a major environmental disaster, like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, makes headlines. If you're a bookseller, now would be a great time to stock up on some apocalyptic fic with an environmental (or, at least, post-peak oil) bent, such as Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl, Margaret Atwood's Oryx & Crake or The Handmaid's Tale, The Rift by Walter Jon Williams, or S.M. Stirling's Dies the Fire.

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