In the 1940s, the Manhattan project and the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki shocked the world with the enormously destructive potential of human technology. Tensions caused by the Cold War led to the nuclear arms race, which furthered humanity’s fears that nuclear warfare would lead to a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With countries’ development of nuclear weapons, the concept of mutually assured destruction was the only safeguard protecting the world from obliteration. Nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl and Fukushima have further intensified fears. Radiation fallout has also had detrimental and long-lasting impacts on the environment, harming entire ecosystems for generations. Since then, the frightening fact that humans can—and will—annihilate themselves with nuclear technology has shaped various media. Many of these texts use the eco horror genre to project fears of humanitarian and environmental catastrophes.  

One common idea that these texts convey is that uncontrolled technological progress is not the best way for society to advance. In radiation eco horror, texts often explore the threat of nuclear warfare—warfare that is a result of uncontrolled progress in weapons development.  Many texts portray rapid technological progress alongside nuclear disaster, and show how new technologies do not save humans from the effects of nuclear disaster. Additionally, in some texts, the destruction of technology can result in an improved society that places less emphasis on capitalism and profit. However, this restructuring of society is often too late, because communities are destroyed by radiation, and there is a shortage of resources for survival. 

Another common theme is the hostility of an unforgiving nature and the fear of the unknown in nature. Post-apocalyptic settings, which are common in the horror genre, demonstrate how careless destruction of nature can lead to humanity’s own demise. Many texts also focus on societal challenges and nature’s indifference to humanity’s fate. Additionally, texts in the horror genre vary in their degree of optimism in the face of nuclear disaster. While some texts emphasize that humanity can recover from nuclear disaster, others find nuclear disaster to cause irreparable damage. These media complement each other and show both the direct horrors of radiation and the horror of inhabiting and rebuilding from an annihilated world.

In recent years, the geopolitical conflicts within the Russia-Ukraine region have sparked real fears of thrusting our world into the apocalyptic landscapes foretold in some of our most popular stories. When Russia seized control of one of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants, there were fears that this acquisition could lead to a release of radioactive materials. Russia shelled the power plant and set one of the buildings ablaze. Russia’s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty has also furthered apprehensions about a future nuclear attack. These significant events highlight the impact that radiation had on the eco horror genre not only in the past, but in the present. Because of that, there is the expectation that there will be more of this media in the future.