Critics and viewers have been raving about HBOs The Last of Us. Set in a post-apocalyptic world that has been destroyed by a parasitic fungus, the popular video game adaptation tells a dark story of survival, love and loss.

The series is the latest in a line of recent shows and movies centered on dystopian or post-apocalyptic realities, from franchises like A Quiet Place and The Hunger Games to streaming hits like Station Eleven and The Handmaids Tale.

Post-apocalyptic narratives have been around forever and as popular narratives in print and film since the 19th century at least, Chris Begley, an archaeologist and author of The Next Apocalypse: The Art and Science of Survival, told HuffPost.

He noted that the threats in these stories change over time and reflect contemporary concerns, such as nuclear warfare in the 1950s and contagions in the 1980s and 90s.

Now they seem more popular than ever, and that could reflect greater anxiety created by climate change, political shifts toward authoritarianism, economic stress or any number of other concerns, Begley said. Its not recent, but certainly the quantity of apocalyptic narratives seems to have grown dramatically in the last couple of decades.

As the ratings show, this increasing quantity is meeting high demand. But why are so many people keen to watch all this apoca-tainment ? HuffPost asked Begley and some mental health experts to break down the reasons behind the appeal.

We get to explore dangerous situations from the safety of the couch.

My research shows that people are curious about dangerous and threatening situations, said Coltan Scrivner , a behavioral scientist and researcher at the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark. Post-apocalyptic shows are replete with dangers and threats that most of us have never experienced. These fictions allow us to mentally explore unknown territories, which can lead to a feeling of enjoyment when done safely, such as from your living room couch.

Morbid curiosity is incredibly common. Its why so many people slow down and rubberneck when they see an accident on the road. TV shows and movies give us the opportunity to explore this interest in death and darkness, face our fears and offer a bit of a thrill in the process.

When we watch shows like The Last of Us, our bodies and our brains engage with the content as though its really happening although much less dangerously, said psychotherapist and The Truth Doctor Show host Courtney Tracy . We are able to experience the rush of fear, adrenaline, suspense. This can help make our own world, which may be mundane at times, far more interesting.

He added that the ability to enjoy this type of content is a privilege, as many people are experiencing real-world despair (even if not as a result of zombies). So you might feel some relief that your life isnt as much of a struggle or feel a sense of community and empathy with the characters as you can relate to their grief, loss, strength and weakness.

I think people just need to be mindful of how they feel watching these shows, said Dr. Sue Varma , a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at New York University Langone Health. Sometimes binge-watching these shows can also cause a dip in our mood if we feel we are living the reality.