Adam is one of the science fiction fields best writers but also does thought provoking non fiction as well. Here he does the letter with a series of chapters about various end of the world scenarios. Despite what you may expect this is as funny as it is serious in places but doesn't shy away from pessimism about our current climate crisis. I do think it's hard to gauge who the actual audience is for the book but as a summary of end of the world scenarios and fiction it is very good.

A detailed book on the many possible ways the world could end, from the unlikely to the very likely. As we’ve been experiencing the pandemic this has been on my mind a lot. The author explores each option scientifically but in a way that is accessible to the layman

Smart, witty, engaging with persuasive argument, finally, for participating in climate changes measures. It's a kind of belief in apocalyptic thinking that steers us to ignore and almost enjoy the climate discussions of doom! .. using literature, philosophy , films and sociologists ...not to speak of environmental discussion, professor Roberts pursues his line .. will people listen ? Really enjoyed this intriguing work ..

This was very interesting! I love to read about death and such topics (because I'm terrified as hell), so this was a fresh take opposite to the memoirs or stories about old age and then dying, because it warps in the direction of "What if?", diving into all those imaginations we've got going on about the end of the world: Zombie apocalypse, an uncontrollable disease (this one hits close to home) or climate catastrophes. Delightful and also frightening, this was a quirky non-fiction fiction read.

I loved this! End of the world fiction has always been a favorite genre for me, but I never really understood why. People have always asked me why the heck I would want to read books about the world ending, and I could not articulate an answer. After reading this book however, I feel like I understand my reasoning so much more. I highlighted many, many parts of this book that really spoke to me about life and death and our part in the grand scheme of humanity. This book tackles a mode of the end of the world in each chapter. Some were more interesting than others, but ALL were enjoyable. This book is for anyone who is curious what might cause the end of humanity, and for those who struggle with questions about how life can continue after the unthinkable happens. This book is not all doom and gloom. It has many rays of hope, and many times reminds us how resilient humans are even under the worst of circumstances. At the end of this, you will find that no matter what is thrown at us, there will always be some sort of survival possible. Humans will always find a way to survive, and even when all seems lost, Earth will figure it out somehow.

This is an interesting book exploring all the ideas we have about the end of the world and why we might think them and how probably some are. I find those kind of books good so it was nice to have some background context to them.

This book was a lucky dip; a more or less “this looks like something” pick from NetGalley’s assortment of ARCs. Turns out, It's the End of the World: But What Are We Really Afraid Of? was perfectly suited to my tastes and interests: I thought this was going to be an overview of the ways the world could end — and it is that — but even more intriguingly, it’s how these possible end-of-days scenarios have been portrayed in literature, song, art, and film throughout the ages and around the world, and what these portrayals suggest about human nature. As both an author of science fiction and an English professor, Adam Roberts is incredibly knowledgeable about this subject and his tone veers from informed analysis to groanworthy jokes; and it all worked for me.

I found this to be a really interesting and funny exploration of the various ways human beings anticipate the end of the world, be it a religiously inspired apocalypse, a zombie outbreak, disease, asteroid collision, climate catastrophe or the heat death of the universe! Professor Roberts takes each scenario and discusses what the likelihood of each is along with what the actual impact to the human race would be, which makes for both exciting and scary reading. I thought he argued his case very well and made excellent use of various sources to ensure that each argument was evidence based. There were times when I felt the book was a little repetitive, but overall, I thought this was a great read and would definitely recommend it for anyone who has contemplated packing their own bug-out bag!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

De vez en cuando intento salirme del terreno más conocido de la ficción para adentrarme en algún ensayo que me parezca atractivo sobre alguno de los temas que me interesan, que son bastante variados. Y si lo que buscaba era un libro ecléctico, no cabe duda de que con esta corta obra de Adam Roberts he dado en el clavo.


El autor nos ofrece una serie de pequeños ensayos sobre los posibles finales del mundo, con algo de ese humor británico que a muchos gusta y a otros muchos exaspera y con una muestra muy acertada de su erudición. Ser capaz de hilar temas tan variados como los apocalipsis religiosos con los videojuegos o las invasiones zombies con el cambio climático no creo que esté al alcance de cualquiera, pero Roberts es capaz de hacerlo de una forma amena y didáctica.

Quizá el inconveniente de este libro es precisamente su amplio espectro, ya que toma muchos temas y juega con ellos, quizá sin llegar a profundizar en demasía en ninguno de ellos y dejando al lector con cierta sensación de vacío. Por ejemplo, no faltan las referencias a la ciencia ficción en general y a H.G. Wells en particular, pero quizá cada lector pueda aportar nuevos ejemplos que el autor no ha tenido en cuenta en alguna de sus enumeraciones.

Se trata por lo tanto de una lectura que puede resultar fascinante y es bastante asequible para el lector, con muchísimas referencias para continuar con el «estudio» si eso es lo que nos atrae, pero que me parece dirigido a un tipo de público muy específico y bastante restringido.

This is kind of a hypothetical nonfiction/sci-fi account about how the world and mankind will end. In some ways it was a little sobering in some parts and more humorous/not too likely in other parts.

I rather enjoyed reading this given the title and subject matter. I know in some respects, the end of the world is already happening. I do not think this will happen in my lifetime, and may be not in my 10yr old nephew's lifetime either. This book was great but I think the only reason why I did not give this 5 stars is that it had TOO MANY reasons for why it will happen....

The book did not keep to one or two or three ways how the Earth's demise was going to occur. This did not really bother me but sticking to one or two main points of why would have been more helpful. It could be one main event like an asteroid or one of the super volcanoes exploding, which there is no preparation for. Hope this instantaneous and you have no awareness. OR, it is a slow process life climate change.

Highly recommended. Maybe a re-read for next year.

Thanks to Netgalley, Adam Roberts and Elliot & Thompson for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available: 11/5/20

Delightful. “This is the way the world ends this is the way the world ends not with a bang but with a whimper”... I enjoyed this book immensely on the ways that the world could potentially end. I highly recommend it