Hellscape
A hellscape is a harsh environment, an unpleasant place, or a scene thought to resemble hell.[1] A depiction of hell in a work of art is called a hellscape.[2]
The earliest known use of the term in print was in 1894.[2]
In real life
Writers have sometimes described wartime environments as hellscapes,[3] and after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the cities were defined as such by its survivors.[4] Writers have also used hellscape to describe the scene of a natural disaster such as a drought, plague, flood, or wildfire.[5][6][7][8] Projections of the consequences of global warming have been described by journalists as hellscapes.[9][10][11]
The usage of recreational drugs such as heroin has been described by its users as creating hellscapes.[12][13]
In the tech press, journalists have defined Internet disinformation as a hellscape.[14] Some have speculated the replacing of human labor with intelligent robots could lead to a future hellscape,[15] as well as child sex dolls.[16]
Vox wrote that postmodern philosophers have predicted a post-truth hellscape.[17]
In October 2022, after purchasing Twitter, Elon Musk stated that it couldn't become "a free-for-all hellscape".[18]
In movies
In movies, depictions of hellscapes are common.
Apocalypse Now depicts earthly hellscapes, during war.[19] Other notable examples in cinema include Blade Runner 2049,[20] Alien,[21] Mad Max: Fury Road,[22] as well as all of the Mad Max series.
In art
Hieronymus Bosch's The Last Judgement depicts a religious hellscape.[23] Other examples are Jan van Eyck's Crucifixion and Last Judgement diptych, and Pieter Bruegel the Elder's Dull Gret.[24]
In literature
Dante Alighieri's Inferno is one of the best-known examples of a hellscape. The Great Gatsby depicts the "Valley of the Ashes" as a hellscape.[25]
In video games
A number of video games depict hellscapes,[26][27] including Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.[28]
References
- "hellscape, noun". Macmillan Dictionary. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- "hellscape, n.". OED Online. December 2020. Oxford University Press.
- Hanks, Tom (September 2, 2020). "We Are Still Living the Legacy of World War II". New York Times. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- Rothman, Lily. "Survivors of the Atomic Blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki share their stories". Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- Cullen, Art (September 15, 2020). "Wildfires, Drought, Plague, Apocalypse". TheGuardian.com.
- Greig, James (December 21, 2020). "The UK Is a Hellscape, and We're All Stuck in It". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- Lynn, Kristy (September 22, 2020). "Americans Are Living In A 'Hellscape'".
- "Blazing Fires Turn West Coast Skies into Post-Apocalyptic Hellscape". 9 September 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- Dahl, Kristy (22 July 2019). "Will the U.S. Be a Dystopian Hellscape in 2100 if Emissions Keep Rising?".
- Madrigal, Alexis C. (November 13, 2018). "Gadgets for the Climate Hellscape". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- Illing, Sean (February 24, 2019). "It is absolutely time to panic about climate change". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- Farr, Stephanie (February 19, 2017). "A Hidden Hellscape". Retrieved 2021-02-25.
- Wood, Sam (April 18, 2017). "Dr. Oz's tour of Philly's heroin hellscape airs today". Retrieved 2021-02-25.
- Phillips, Whitney (February 3, 2020). "The Internet Is a Toxic Hellscape—but We Can Fix It". Wired. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- Drum, Kevin (October 30, 2017). "A Different Take: Our Robot Hellscape Awaits Us". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- Lloyd, Alice B. (March 15, 2018). "Child Sex Dolls". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- Illing, Sean (November 16, 2019). "The post-truth prophets". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- Pitofsky, Marina (2022-10-27). "Elon Musk says Twitter can't become 'a free-for-all hellscape,' should be 'warm and welcoming'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
- Phillips, Brian (14 August 2020). "A Journey Back Into the Nihilistic Hellscape That Is 'Apocalypse Now'".
- Emerson, Sarah (October 9, 2017). "Is 'Blade Runner: 2049' GOOD or BAD?". Vice. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- Scherstuhl, Alan (May 21, 2015). "The Immersive Dark Star Plunges Into H.R. Giger's Hellscapes". The Westword. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- Vary, Adam B. (November 10, 2016). "Invasion Of The Big-Brained Sci-Fi Blockbuster!". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- Blackburn, Gabe (May 1, 2020). "Hieronymus Bosch on Heaven and Hell". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- Gotthardt, Alexxa (November 1, 2018). "The 11 Most Nightmarish Depictions of Hell in Art History". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- "Corruption In The Great Gatsby". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- Rivera, Joshua (December 22, 2020). "Video Game Hell Isn't Nearly Agonizing Enough". Wired. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- "10 Horrifying Hellscapes That Video Game Heroes Call Home". WhatCulture. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
- Bolding, Jonathan (January 18, 2021). "Ninja Theory's upcoming game takes place in an absurdly photorealistic apartment". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
External links
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- Security robots break up homeless camps
- Japan Sends Robot Into the Nuclear Hell of the Fukushima Reactor
- Nuclear war would be a hellscape
- Westerners are so convinced China is a dystopian hellscape they’ll share anything that confirms it
- Nuclear winter in Beijing
- If America becomes a dystopian hellscape, it might look like this
- The Architects of Our Digital Hellscape Are Very Sorry
- Astronomers discover hellscape planet that rains rocks, has lava seas
- A Youtube video, Heroin Hellscape in Kensington, Philadelphia
- Opinion: On the ground in Philly’s heroin scene