Voices of the Apocalypse

dialogism, polyphony and conceptual integration in the Fallout universe

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the universe of the Fallout franchise, including its electronic games and television series, as a space for representing contemporary post-apocalyptic pop culture. The research is based on the notions of dialogism, polyphony (Bakhtin, 2008) and interdiscursivity (Fiorin, 2006; Faraco, 2008), articulated with the theory of Conceptual Integration (Fauconnier; Turner, 2002), within the scope of Cognitive Linguistics. The methodology adopted is qualitative and interpretative (Denzin; Lincoln, 2005), focusing on the analysis of narrative excerpts that evidence conceptual blends, in which diverse sociocultural frames are intertwined (Fillmore, 1976). The results reveal that Fallout operates as a hybrid discursive space, in which ideological, historical and cultural elements are resignified in new and complex structures of meaning, through the intersection of antagonistic discourses and recognizable signs of the Western imagination. Excerpts such as the retrofuturist aesthetic, the cult of Nuka Cola, the actions of the Enclave and the children's advertising in scenarios of destruction demonstrate how the franchise constructs social criticism through cognitive blends, activating dialogical and ideological experiences in the player. The study reinforces the potential of interdiscursive fiction as a tool for cultural and political reflection.