Dating After the End of the World operates within the hybrid genre of apocalyptic romance, which merges the high-stakes survival and horror of post-apocalyptic fiction with the character-driven emotional arcs of a romance novel. This blend capitalizes on the narrative tension of a drastically altered or ruined world, emphasizing the value of love and human connection to survive hardship. For example, the protagonist of Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss, is initially solely focused on surviving in a poor district that is ruled by the tyrannical Capital and the titular hunger games, a fight to the death among the districts’ children. However, she learns to rely on her partner, Peeta, and a romantic relationship grows out of their shared life-or-death fight. Similarly, Erik J. Brown’s All That’s Left in the World explores the romance of Andrew and Jamie, two boys who rely on each other to find a new civilization after their families are killed and civilization is destroyed by a flu-like virus. These novels, like Dating After the End of the World, show extreme circumstances to explore humanity’s need for love and connection.

One common tool of apocalyptic romance is the “enemies-to-lovers” trope, a narrative convention where two characters who begin with a mutual animosity gradually develop romantic feelings. For example, in Laura Thalassa’s Pestilence, protagonist Sara falls in love with one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Pestilence, despite the fact that he has destroyed humanity. Through their relationship, the novel explores the interplay between love and death, as well as love developed through grief. Similarly, the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith, a retelling of Jane Austen’s classic novel, explores the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy. While Elizabeth initially dislikes his vanity and arrogance, she slowly learns of his troubled past and his devotion to his friend, Bingley. Their romance develops with the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse, amplifying the tension, violence, and emotional feelings surrounding their relationship.

In Dating After the End of the World, the foundation of this trope in the novel is the lasting psychological impact of teenage bullying. Casey’s initial hostility is not arbitrary; it stems from years of torment, exemplified by Blake’s taunt: “Hey, Head Case! This is a school, not a bunker to store your doomsday supplies” (47). Her trauma informs her deep-seated distrust of him, making their eventual reconciliation and romance more complex and meaningful. By rooting its genre conventions in the realistic social context of bullying, the novel transforms a familiar trope into a nuanced exploration of overcoming deep-seated emotional wounds in a world where survival depends on trust.