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Part of Jan van Eyck's Crucifixion and Last Judgement diptych

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

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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 war

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The United States Department of Defense has a significant drone program called “Replicator” to counter China’s military mass and capabilities. This program aims to create many thousands of low-cost, highly autonomous drones for deployment by the United States Indo-Pacific Command in the Indo-Pacific theater by 2025. “Hellscape” refers not to the program itself but to the complex and intensely contested battlespace environment that these drones are intended to navigate and dominate. The strategic intent is to enable U.S. forces to quickly identify and engage up to 1,000 targets within 24 hours using a network of land, air, and sea drones. These drones are designed to enhance the U.S.‘s operational flexibility and deter potential Chinese military actions, particularly regarding Taiwan’s security against a Chinese invasion force.[19]

In movies

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In movies, depictions of hellscapes are common.[citation needed]

Apocalypse Now depicts earthly hellscapes, during war.[20] Other notable examples in cinema include Blade Runner 2049,[21] Alien,[22] Mad Max: Fury Road,[23] as well as all of the Mad Max series.

In art

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Hieronymus Bosch's The Last Judgement depicts a religious hellscape.[24] Other examples are Jan van Eyck's Crucifixion and Last Judgement diptych, and Pieter Bruegel the Elder's Dull Gret.[25]

In literature

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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.[26]

In video games

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A number of video games depict hellscapes,[27][28] including Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.[29]

References

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  1. ^ "hellscape, noun". Macmillan Dictionary. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  2. ^ a b "hellscape, n.". OED Online. December 2020. Oxford University Press.
  3. ^ Hanks, Tom (September 2, 2020). "We Are Still Living the Legacy of World War II". New York Times. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  4. ^ Rothman, Lily. "Survivors of the Atomic Blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki share their stories". Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  5. ^ Cullen, Art (September 15, 2020). "Wildfires, Drought, Plague, Apocalypse". TheGuardian.com.
  6. ^ Greig, James (December 21, 2020). "The UK Is a Hellscape, and We're All Stuck in It". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  7. ^ Lynn, Kristy (September 22, 2020). "Americans Are Living In A 'Hellscape'".
  8. ^ "Blazing Fires Turn West Coast Skies into Post-Apocalyptic Hellscape". 9 September 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  9. ^ Dahl, Kristy (22 July 2019). "Will the U.S. Be a Dystopian Hellscape in 2100 if Emissions Keep Rising?".
  10. ^ Madrigal, Alexis C. (November 13, 2018). "Gadgets for the Climate Hellscape". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  11. ^ Illing, Sean (February 24, 2019). "It is absolutely time to panic about climate change". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  12. ^ Farr, Stephanie (February 19, 2017). "A Hidden Hellscape". Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  13. ^ Wood, Sam (April 18, 2017). "Dr. Oz's tour of Philly's heroin hellscape airs today". Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  14. ^ Phillips, Whitney (February 3, 2020). "The Internet Is a Toxic Hellscape—but We Can Fix It". Wired. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  15. ^ Drum, Kevin (October 30, 2017). "A Different Take: Our Robot Hellscape Awaits Us". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  16. ^ Lloyd, Alice B. (March 15, 2018). "Child Sex Dolls". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  17. ^ Illing, Sean (November 16, 2019). "The post-truth prophets". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ Tucker, Patrick (August 28, 2023). "'Hellscape': DOD launches massive drone swarm program to counter China". Retrieved 2023-08-28.
  20. ^ Phillips, Brian (14 August 2020). "A Journey Back Into the Nihilistic Hellscape That Is 'Apocalypse Now'".
  21. ^ Emerson, Sarah (October 9, 2017). "Is 'Blade Runner: 2049' GOOD or BAD?". Vice. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  22. ^ Scherstuhl, Alan (May 21, 2015). "The Immersive Dark Star Plunges Into H.R. Giger's Hellscapes". The Westword. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  23. ^ Vary, Adam B. (November 10, 2016). "Invasion Of The Big-Brained Sci-Fi Blockbuster!". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  24. ^ Blackburn, Gabe (May 1, 2020). "Hieronymus Bosch on Heaven and Hell". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  25. ^ Gotthardt, Alexxa (November 1, 2018). "The 11 Most Nightmarish Depictions of Hell in Art History". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  26. ^ "Corruption In The Great Gatsby". Retrieved 2021-02-23.
  27. ^ Rivera, Joshua (December 22, 2020). "Video Game Hell Isn't Nearly Agonizing Enough". Wired. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  28. ^ "10 Horrifying Hellscapes That Video Game Heroes Call Home". WhatCulture. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  29. ^ Bolding, Jonathan (January 18, 2021). "Ninja Theory's upcoming game takes place in an absurdly photorealistic apartment". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
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