Apocalypse Pretty Soon: Travels in End-Time America

by Alex Heard

Book Overview

The inspired madness of America's apocalyptic and pre-millennial organizations may have reached a fever pitch with the turn of the twenty-first century, but intrepid cultural traveler Alex Heard spent a ten-year period witnessing the crescendo firsthand. Heard's enthusiasm led him on errands as diverse as being a voyeur at a Republic of Texas militia standoff, accompanying an expectant UFO "greeting party" to a remote field in Minnesota, and enacting...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385498527
• ISBN13: 9780385498524
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Main Street Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Entertaining look at some bizarre world views

An entertaining, funny and often sad look at some of the various personalities that make up the cultish world of millenial apocalyptic groups. The common thread here is the belief in imminent apocalyptic change by the groups through different means (alien visitation, return of Jesus, cataclysmic Earth changes, etc.). Heard, it seems, tries to be objective and open-minded about each group at first. But when faced with the absurdity of their belief systems and after getting to know the people that form the leadership of these groups, he can't help but present a slightly more skeptical opinion. By the end of each chapter, after Heard has presented his study of the group, it's leadership, tactics, and beliefs, it's hard to not think these people are out of their minds.The book is also a fine study in the unusual aspects of the human psyche. From the egomaniacal and seemingly deranged leaders to their willing and needy followers, Heard gives us a hard look at some of the personalities that make up these fringe groups.

Things More Frightening Than The Apocalypse...

What's more frightening than the idea of an apocalypse? How 'bout all the people out there with so many freaky ideas of how and when it will come... From a psychological standpoint, this book is absolutely fascinating, darkly humorous, and yet undeniably frightening in its portrayal of people who might be neighbors or cousins of yours and mine who await an alien takeover or the return of Christ or what have you and the extent to which these hopes or fears have affected their lives and the lives of those they know and love. Obviously, the author has focused on one particular quirk of the various lives his subjects lead, and yet what is magnified for the reader are some of the most thought-provoking and bizarre ideas and behaviors I have ever encountered in print outside of an issue of Psychology Today. A book that can be aborbed and pondered by anyone with common sense and the ability to seperate reality from fantasy, I would avoid letting this fall into the hands of impressionable or highly imaginative young readers who might become fixated on some particular section and grow fearful because of it. Disturbing in both an entertaining and harrowing way, I couldn't put it down and hope for some sort of a sequel. Amazing.

Joyride to the Future

Alex Heard's adventures in the borderlands of culture remind me of the joys of listening to radical idealists of any stripe. I could feel the presence of each of his subjects, whether dreamer of a new Atlantis or channeler of benevolent, alien intelligence, or cross-bearing transcontinental walker. Each individual is a revelation in the spectrum of humanity, and most of them are endearing in distinct and peculiar ways. Heard is not unkind to either his subjects or his readers. He is a translator between "here" and "there," whose writing is so fluid and flawless that these strange world views slide into one another leaving the reader wondering how preferrable his own reality is in comparison. Read this book and be, by turns, amazed, entertained, touched, and more eager to engage the world and try out other lenses on reality.

Well-written, amazing and highly entertaining!

If this book doesn't land on the best-seller list there's no justice! My husband and I have been in a tug of war over it for the past several days (ever since I, having first discovered it, made the mistake of reading a few especially hilarious passages aloud to him). Heard's writing style is marvelous, and he relates his encounters with the book's incredible real-life cast of characters in such a way that the reader has the feeling of being right there, along for the (usually hilarious) ride. I was impressed with the author's fairness, wit, perseverance and writing ability. I loved this book so much that I hated for it to end, but I will revisit it more than once, and I am already recommending it heartily to all my friends. If I could afford to, I'd buy them all a copy!

Intriguing millennial account with a sense of humor

Superb work. Heard has captured the essence of millennialism. Using his own storied career as a backdrop, the author reveals his travels and his perceptions of those who endeavor to overcome the inevitable in the apocalypse. The story also reflects his genuine concern for humanity and his respect for phenomena not explained by the usual scientific method. Heard's pervading sense of humor amiably enlightens the reader.