The Disturbing Realism of The Last of Us
The cordyceps brain infection that turns humans into terrifying monsters in The Last of Us is something that already exists in our world. So is it time to start worrying about Clickers and other fungus zombies?
We are going to cut right to the chase on this one: Cordyceps, the brain infecting fungus that causes people to mutate into increasingly grotesque zombies in The Last of Us video games and the HBO TV adaptation, is very real. Of this, there is no doubt, as you’ll see in our episode and read below. But like any good sci-fi, horror, or fantasy storytelling, the secret isn’t so much in how realistic something is, but in how it obeys its own rules in-story.
After all, who the heck needs a story about a devastating pandemic that was exacerbated by global warming these days, right? It’s not like sci-fi and horror have ever been used to illustrate real world issues before. Why not just let escapism be escapism and leave all this uncomfortable real world stuff out of it?
In case you couldn’t sense the sarcasm (Does it Fly? is a Roddenberry podcast after all, and it’s not like Star Trek has ever been shy about taking our present moment to task via the denizens of the 23rd, 24th, and 25th centuries), the inherent realism of The Last of Us is an integral part of what makes it work. But it’s far from the only reason we’re so enamored with this disturbing sci-fi and horror hybrid. And that’s where Hakeem and Tamara come in
Watch the latest episode of Does it Fly? right here (and try not to eat any infected grain)…
SUGGESTED VIEWING
One of the best things about The Last of Us is that the show is 100% accessible for folks who have never played the video games. It’s also, perhaps not coincidentally, one of the only truly great video game to screen adaptations we’ve ever seen. We based our conversation for this episode on the first season of the show, but if you’ve even watched the first two episodes, you can probably keep up. Oh, just watch the entire first season!
For some additional fungus-induced “fun” we also recommend the brilliant 2016 sci-fi horror movie The Girl With All the Gifts, which mines some similarly terrifying themes as The Last of Us.
And don’t forget, The Last of Us season 2 just kicked off on HBO and MAX so what are you waiting for? Go get caught up! Who knows? This could just be something in our future…
FURTHER READING
Do you want to delve a little deeper into the facts, concepts, and stories Hakeem and Tamara referenced in today’s episode? Of course you do!
The Zombie Ants Are Already Here
The intricately orchestrated way this fungus takes over insect brains and makes them do their bidding sure does give us something to think about. Read more at National Geographic! Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like we have to worry too much about this becoming a human issue…just yet.
Fungal Pathogens
It even sounds gross when we put it that way. The Last of Us is so dead-on with its depiction of global-warming induced fungal infections that no less than the Yale School of Medicine wrote about it.
Respiratory vs. Fungal Infections
We usually don’t associate the usual respiratory viruses with fungal infections. But this article asks…why not both?
A Guide to Knowing and Loving Your Infected Fungus Zombies
Proper care and feeding for their lifecycle is important. Not really…run! Read more here.
WANT MORE FROM DOES IT FLY?
Black Mirror is back with a brand new season on Netflix. Check out our episode on one of its most iconic episodes, “San Junipero” right here!
Whether fungus zombies or otherwise, we do occasionally take a look at the scarier side of genre entertainment from time to time. Like our episode on werewolves, for example.
FOLLOW US!
Stay in the loop! Follow DoesItFly? on YouTube and TikTok and let us know what you think!
Subscribe to Does It Fly? Pod: https://www.youtube.com/@doesitflypod?sub_confirmation=1
And don’t forget to follow Roddenberry Entertainment:
Instagram: @RoddenberryOfficial
Facebook: Roddenberry
Bluesky: @roddenberrypod.bsky.social
For Advertising Inquiries: doesitfly@roddenberry.com
Check out the official Does it Fly? playlist, too!
MORE EPISODES
Horror Movie Trauma Doesn’t Get More Real Than Smile
The terrifying central concept of Smile has a surprising number of real world parallels in areas you might not expect.
Are We Headed Toward the Dystopian Future of Children of Men?
Join us as we delve into the intricacies of a childless society’s functioning, the plausibility of a species-wide epidemic, and the mechanics of viral transmission as we explore the blend of fact and fiction that underpins the iconic sci-fi film: Children of Men.
The Real Science of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock are built around one key piece of technology which may or may not have real world implications.
