Earth has frozen over in the past — at least five times. Science fiction is full of takes about how it might happen again and the implications of a modern ice age. The problem: At a minimum, sci-fi gets the timetable for Earth turning into a “snowball” wrong — often laughably.
Here’s how some stories have portrayed it: Earth freezes. Humankind’s remnants huddle in ice caves, fending off giant alien monsters (Snowball Earth). Or people shelter in the New York Public Library as ice encases the Empire State Building (The Day After Tomorrow). Or a train hurtles in an endless loop, both protection and prison for Earth’s scant survivors (Snowpiercer).
Explainer: Understanding ice ages
These stories are all set in Earth’s near fut...
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