Is It the End of the World?

From nuclear preppers to a child growing up in an apocalyptic cult, read on for four compelling and surprising stories about doomsayers.

1.  Secret Life of a Leftist Doomsday Prepper

Story by Kitty Stryker

When it comes to preparing for the end of civilization, gun-loving red-staters aren't the only ones taking matters into their own hands.

2. The Appalachian Writer Imagining What the Climate Apocalypse Will Look Like

Story by Kudrat Wadhwa

Narratively contributor Alison Stine on her new novel and her advice for writers looking to find their voice.

3. Inside the Mind of a Die-Hard Prepper

Story by Sonali Prasad & Qinling Li

Hazmat suits? Check. Emergency food rations and 30,000 seeds for planting? Check. Meet a New Yorker who has spent $25,000 ensuring the survival of his young family.

4. My Childhood in an Apocalyptic Cult

Story by Flor Edwards 

A clandestine cult with twenty children to a room, no outside music, movies or books, and no contact beyond the compound. For the first fifteen years of my life, this was my normal.