History Main / RuinsOfTheModernAge

* A section of Gran Pulse from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' provides the trope picture. All around there, especially in places like Oerba, are ruins that have been abandoned for over half a millenium, owing to the fact that most of the inhabitants were either Cie'th-ed or killed, and the last survivors were frozen for centuries elsewhere.

[[folder:RealLife]]
* The ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'' and other works record the culture shock experienced by the Saxon incomers on discovering the size and the extent of the evidence that a great civilization once lived in the British Isles. The works of the Roman Empire are discussed as well as the awe Saxons felt at discovering the extensive network of paved roads linking cities, the stone fortifications, the still-extant stone buildings of unbelievable size and structural grandeur. To the Saxons, the three-or-four centuries old Roman infrastructure was indeed Ruins of the Modern Age. The more thoughtful Saxons also wondered exactly what calamity had befallen this race of Gods that they had fled the land and were no longer there. [[note]]They also thought Stonehenge was a Roman building - a ruin of a far earlier Modern Age...[[/note]]

* In ''Literature/StarCarrier's'' back story, global warming caused water levels to rise, with many coastal cities across the world drowning, while others were only protected by sea walls. Then the Chinese performed their ColonyDrop in the Atlantic, causing most of those cities to be completely flooded. Now, these largely abandoned cities are called the Periphery. Only squatties live these, refusing the join the modern society. In particular, the ruins of [[BigApplesauce Manhattan]] are frequently referenced, as Trevor Gray, one of the point-of-view characters, lived most of his life in the ruins of the [=TriBeCa=] Tower[[labelnote:*]]an {{arcology}} built in the Tribeca area of NYC in the mid-21st century[[/labelnote]]. Another key character is from the Washington Swamps, the remains of the former D.C. area (the administrative District of Columbia has been moved to Columbus, Ohio, the new capital). Yet another character is from the ruins of Baltimore. Notably, the Statue of Liberty is mentioned to have largely survived being drowned several times, and Periphery restoration efforts are shown at the end of the third novel.

* Just about every environment in ''Videogame/{[Destiny}}'' takes place at least partially in some version of these (save for the Dreadnaught and the Black Garden, which are... [[EldritchLocation something else entirely.]]) Most of the action on Earth takes place in the ruins of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia, which was the site of massive colonization ship launches up until humanity was attacked by the Darkness; the site is now being looted by [[SpacePirates the Fallen]]. On the Moon, the remains of lunar colonies and facilities are scattered across the surface, where the Guardians are fighting [[ReligionOfEvil the Hive.]] On Venus, the remnants of a large university and research campus known as the Ishtar Collective is spread across the [[{{Terraforming}} terraformed]] landscape, mixed in with the older structures of [[ClockworkCreature the Vex.]] Finally, on Mars, an old human city known as Meridian Bay hides scientific secrets and research being fought over by humanity and [[SpaceRomans the Cabal]].

* just about every environment in ''Videogame/{[Destiny}}'' takes place at least partially in some version of these (save for the Dreadnaught and the Black Garden, which are... [[EldritchLocation something else entirely.]]) Most of the action on Earth takes place in the ruins of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia, which was the site of massive colonization ship launches up until humanity was attacked by the Darkness; the site is now being looted by [[SpacePirates the Fallen]]. On the Moon, the remains of lunar colonies and facilities are scattered across the surface, where the Guardians are fighting [[ReligionOfEvil the Hive.]] On Venus, the remnants of a large university and research campus known as the Ishtar Collective is spread across the [[{{Terraforming}} terraformed]] landscape, mixed in with the older structures of [[ClockworkCreature the Vex.]] Finally, on Mars, an old human city known as Meridian Bay hides scientific secrets and research being fought over by humanity and [[SpaceRomans the Cabal]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'': It has been many decades since the winds of the apocalypse blew in over America and took the old world with it, leaving only the Wasteland in its place. Post-war America is a central muse of this series.

* ''Anime/SoRaNoWoTo'''s No Man's Land and the battlefield of Binnenland seen in flashbacks are full of tumble-down skyscrapers and ravaged cities. Even though there are glimpses of super-advanced LostTechnology in the show, the urban landscape come across as [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture current day]].

Want to make something set in the future? What better way then making it look like our current era has passed. Have all the trappings of our modern time fall into disuse and litter the landscape. Used to great effect in many AfterTheEnd pieces. Related to SceneryGorn and RagnarokProofing. See also MonumentalDamageResistance. For further down the line see TechnoWreckage.

* ''Film/{{The Time Machine|2002}}'' has the protagonist visit a library TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, and then visit the same library AfterTheEnd. The library has deteriorated quite a bit by the second visit, although the A.I. is still active. Also, WordOfGod is that the cliffs used by the Eloi to build their villages are remains of New York skyscrapers, apparently able to withstand 800,000 years of erosion and an Ice Age but covered in dirt.

* Much of StephenKing's ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' series has this aesthetic. Especially the city of Lud, which is an alternate-universe New York hundreds of years AfterTheEnd, populated by violent, fanatic gangs who scavenge the ancient technology and mostly use it to kill each other.

* ''Series/{{The 100}}'' largely averts this on the Earth's surface, as [[MonumentalDamageResistance (except for the Lincoln Memorial)]] the world has been reclaimed by wilderness. Stuff buried ''underneath'' the surface is a different matter. MainCharacters seem to have a knack for stumbling across underground tunnels and bunkers full of pre-apocalypse artifacts.

* In ''The Book of the New Sun'' there are entire towns that make their living by digging up the refuse of the past. Then again, the novels are set so far into the future that it may not be the ruins of the ''modern'' age, rather some future age. (We are told that the mine tailings contain perfectly preserved corpses, which is probably beyond today's science.)

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' had a location that was an archaeological dig. One of the relics that's been partially unearthed is quite clearly an F-14 Tomcat, implying that the story takes place on Earth in the distant future. While this was possibly {{Jossed}} by WordOfGod's claim that ''VII'' is a distant sequel to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', there is, however, [[spoiler:still the "500 years later" coda that shows Midgar in ruins]]

* ''Anime/SakasamaNoPatema'': In the film's final scene, Age/Eiji asks Patema to take him with her so they can explore the ruins of [[spoiler: the surface world]]. Which is strewn with collapsed skyscrapers that've been overgrown with vines, set beneath [[spoiler: an AlienSky]].

* Large Staple of the ''MetalSaga'' series.

* The alternate ending of ''[[Franchise/EvilDead Army of Darkness]]'' has Ash accidentally traveling from medieval England into a post-apocalyptic era. A wide landscape shot reveals this via the ruined face of Big Ben.

* HGWells' ''Literature/TheTimeMachine'' (the original novel and probably other adaptations as well) has a museum dedicated to the rotting ruins of the past. The museum itself had long been forgotten by the dull and complacent future children of humanity.

[[folder:Anime]]
* ''CowboyBebop'': Every time there's an episode that takes place on Earth. In one episode, Spike trudges through an abandoned museum in search of a rare Beta video tape player.

* ''[[SonicTheHedgehogTheMovie Sonic: The Movie]]'' treats the viewers to the long-abandoned ruins of a city on the surface on the hero's way to Eggman Land--and amazingly, the traffic lights still work!
* At one point in ''ScrappedPrincess'', the three main characters pass through the decrepit remains of a skyscraper. All that's left is the cement skeleton, but one of them remarks on how unnatural the "rock formations" look.
* ''SoraNoWoto'''s No Man's Land and the battlefield of Binnenland seen in flashbacks are full of tumble-down skyscrapers and ravaged cities. Even though there are glimpses of super-advanced LostTechnology in the show, the urban landscape come across as [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture current day]].
* ''TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' has Acid Tokyo, which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, a future version of Tokyo where unceasing acid rain has made decades look like centuries and the place has begun to become a desert. By extension, [[spoiler: Clow Country]] is also this, although there has been has been enough time that only one building remains immediately visible above the sand, and its weathered enough to be unrecognizable.

* ''[[Anime/SakasamaNoPatema Sakasama no Patema]]'': In the film's final scene, Age/Eiji asks Patema to take him with her so they can explore the ruins of [[spoiler: the surface world]]. Which is strewn with collapsed skyscrapers that've been overgrown with vines, set beneath [[spoiler: an AlienSky]].

* [[{{DCU}} The DCU's]] ''{{Kamandi}}'' by JackKirby was full of this, including the first issue cover which homaged/ripped off the Statue of Liberty from ''PlanetOfTheApes''.

* ''{{Valerian}}'': "City of Moving Waters" takes place in a flooded post-apocalyptic New York City. Most of the city's landmarks are still around.

[[folder:Documentary]]
* Shown in ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aftermath:_Population_Zero Aftermath: Population Zero]]'' and ''Series/LifeAfterPeople''. Both show the ruined remains of the modern cities succumbing to nature's relentless advances, but showcases also several ancient ruins surviving for even more time.

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Series/{{Survivors}}'' is set in the then-present day and depict the aftermath of a ''virulent'' disease. Our works are sliding into ruin.
%%* Related: V'Ger in ''Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture''.

* ''[[Film/TheTimeMachine2002 The Time Machine]]'' has the protagonist visit a library TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, and then visit the same library AfterTheEnd. The library has deteriorated quite a bit by the second visit, although the AI is still active.
** Also, WordOfGod is that the cliffs used by the Eloi to build their villages are remains of New York skyscrapers, apparently able to withstand 800,000 years of erosion and an Ice Age but covered in dirt.

* ''Film/IAmLegend'' (the film adaptation) is set in New York City three years after the ZombieApocalypse. ''Film/TheOmegaMan'', an earlier adaptation of the same book, features suburban UsefulNotes/LosAngeles AfterTheEnd.
** WordOfGod is that the setting was deliberately moved to New York in order to show just how empty it is. After all, New York is ''never'' empty. LA looks empty at 3PM.

--> '''Nostalgia Critic:''' And over here we see a mouse god named Mickey.

* In the short story "By the Waters of Babylon," by Stephen Vincent Benét, the son of a priest goes on a spiritual journey to the ruins of an American city. This story came out in 1937.

* Becomes omnipresent in Robert Jordan's ''TheWheelOfTime'' at just about the point the reader starts thinking he's reading a standard fantasy tale. The Breaking of the World, followed by repeated wars and a slow depopulation, have left wrecked cities (along with the occasional ArtifactOfDoom) all over the world. Unexpectedly played for laughs when a mysterious museum artifact that "radiates pride and vanity" can be recognized by readers as a Mercedes hood ornament.

* HGWells' ''TheTimeMachine'' (the original novel and probably other adaptations as well) has a museum dedicated to the rotting ruins of the past. The museum itself had long been forgotten by the dull and complacent future children of humanity.

* Larry Niven's ''[[KnownSpace Beowulf Shaeffer]]'' series mentions crumbling roadways on Earth. They're crumbling not because of disaster, but quite the opposite - they became obsolete once flying vehicles were ubiquitous. There's a section of roadway around Los Angeles preserved so that people can drive on it for sport.

** His other books ''Literature/TheDayOfTheTriffids'' and ''The Kraken Wakes'' also feature the descent into ruin of civilisation, although more on a permanent scale in the former book, describing London being reclaimed by vegetation and buildings collapsing.

[[folder:Music]]

* The early stages of ''EnslavedOdysseyToTheWest'' are set in a New York that is actually in ''better'' shape than it should be.
* ''[[FragileDreams Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon]]''

* In ''[[{{VideoGame/Crysis}} Crysis 3]]'', New York City has been abandoned and quarantined within a huge dome, and the old buildings are now covered in moss and greenery as [[MegaCorp CELL soldiers]] and [[AliensAreBastards the Ceph]] roam the streets.

* ''{{Futurama}}'' occasionally includes sojourns to the underground ruins of Old New York.
** Played straight with Los Angeles, which was never rebuilt after an apocalypse. The city is still inhabited, and Bender refers to mentioning this as "social commentary".
* Just about every episode of ''ThundarrTheBarbarian''.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{WALL-E}}'', the Earth has been reduced to one big pop-culture garbage heap.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Later Comics'' has the [[http://www.latercomics.com/071/ memorable image]] of a flooded False Creek, the instantly-recognisable (to anyone who's spent much time in StargateCity, anyways) Science World geodesic dome protruding from the water.
* ''{{Homestuck}}'' has a subplot involving characters in future times exploring a planet whose civilisation has been desolated.
--> [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=002148 Years in the future, but not many...]] [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/storyfiles/hs2/waywardvagabond/recordsastutteringstep/ A WAYWARD VAGABOND records a stuttering step in the sun-bleached dust.]]
* ''AuroraDanseMacabre'': The wasteland is littered with the ruins of old cities.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other]]
* [[http://www.dezeen.com/2008/06/22/flooded-london-by-squintopera-2/ The Flooded London series of images]] by Squint/Opera, which also depict a CosyCatastrophe.
* Artist tokyogenso has done some truly spectacular illustrations of ruined Tokyo, hosted [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=list&tags=tokyogenso here]] on the SFW Safebooru (as well as the originals on his [[http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?id=170125 pixiv account]]).
[[/folder]]

* Creator/JohnWyndham's ''Literature/TheChrysalids'' has the remains of US cities as being still radioactive enough to still glow at night and kill passing sailors over a millenium after the 'Tribulation', where nuclear and mutagenic weapons were used in an all-out world war.

* ''Film/PlanetOfTheApes'': "You maniacs! You blew it up! Damn you! Damn you all to hell!"