Children of the Last Days: Difference between revisions

* [[Apocalypse How]]: An unspecified level 1 cataclysm that depopulates the globe.

* [[Apocalypse of the Week]]: The premise of these books is the then-current idea that the world would end with the turn of the millennium.

* [[Author Avatar]]: Just read some of O'Brien's non-fiction, which is partially autobiographical, and compare it to excerpts of ''Plague Journal''.

* [[Author Filibuster]]: Plenty of these in ''Plague Journal''. The eponymous journal contains rather lengthy and [[Anvilicious]] excerpts of writing by the [[Author Avatar]]. Some of these articles have appeared in [[Real Life]] magazines, under the author's byline.

* [[Black and White Morality]]: Played straight and lampshaded.

* [[Boarding School of Horrors]]: Where Binemin goes. A teacher there, Mr. Mc Kenna, is a sadistic pedophile.

* [[Brainwashed]]: What the teacher attempted to do to Jack Tobac's mother. Also, what Fr. Andrei and Fr. Potempko fear will happen to Arrow.

** This is what the cult did to Colin in the back-story of ''Eclipse of the Sun''.

** Fr. Elijah and Fr. Ron seem to have these, though we don't see them come true in-story.

* [[Easy Evangelism]]: Averted, particularly with Anne and Colin.

* [[Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"]]: The Antichrist is simply known as the Antichrist or the President of the Europarliament.

** The Archbishop of Vancouver is also known simply by his title.

* [[Precocious Crush]]: Zoë for Anthony, in ''Plague Journal''.

* [[Punch Clock Villain]]: The Nazi professor in ''Sophia House''.

* [[Reality Is Unrealistic]]: Invoked in the foreword of ''Strangers and Sojourners''.

* [[Redemption Equals Death]]: {{spoiler|Maurice and Count Smokrev.}}

* [[Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness]]: Nathaniel uses this in his writing. Teachers and readers lampshade and call him on this in ''Strangers and Sojourners'' and ''Plague Journal'', respectively.

* [[Shout-Out]]: The title of ''Plague Journal'' is one to Daniel Defoe. The books also feature a [[Shout-Out]] to [[Swallows and Amazons]], [[Lord of the Rings]], and G.K. Chesterton.

* [[Son of a Whore]]: Mc Kenna.

* [[Strawman Political]]: Judging from what O'Brien pits his characters against, it's pretty clear his stance on many issues. Then again, there's a reason why some people call this a Catholic ''[[Left Behind]].''

* [[Villain Ball]]: Perhaps the reason the [[Government Conspiracy]] so determined to stamp out an increasingly marginalized group of people?

** In addition, if, as Maurice implies, the drug commune and the [[Government Conspiracy]] are both on the same side, why does the Government Conspiracy wipe them out?

* [[We Can Rule Together]]: Maurice offers Nathaniel a position with the government in ''Strangers and Sojourners''. Later, in ''Eclipse of the Son''. Maurice states that, had Nathaniel accepted, he would have shared in the global conspiracy's power {{spoiler|instead of being liquidated by Maurice}}.

** The Antichrist gives a makes a straight version of this offer to Fr. Elijah. He refuses, of course.

* [[Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?]]: Twice, Arrow's name is commented upon.

* [[Wicked Cultured]]: The Antichrist and Maurice.