As the year 2000 approached, widespread anxiety over the 'Y2K bug'—a flaw in computer systems—gave rise to apocalyptic prophecies and millenarian movements. Many believed that the collapse of global infrastructure would herald a new world order or even the end of the world. Governments and businesses spent billions on mitigation, and the event became a modern example of how technological folklore and prophecy can shape global decision-making.

The Y2K prophecy inspired a wave of cyberpunk and apocalyptic literature, from novels to poetry, exploring humanity's relationship with technology and the allure of the end times. It became a symbol of the digital age's anxieties and has been referenced in works by authors like Neal Stephenson and William Gibson, blending prophecy with speculative fiction.