September 11, 2001 Attacks In Popular Culture
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This list of cultural references to the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
and to the post-9/11 sociopolitical climate, includes works of art,
music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...
, books, poetry,
comics a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...
, theater, film, and television.


Art and design

*''A Garden Stepping into the Sky'' (2002–03) by Ron Drummond is a design for a World Trade Center Memorial built out of the "clay" of functional interior space suitable for commercial, cultural, or residential uses. Praised by New York novelist and critic
Samuel R. Delany Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ; born April 1, 1942) is an American writer and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays on science fiction, literature, sexual orientation, sexuality, and ...
and architecture critic
Herbert Muschamp Herbert Mitchell Muschamp (November 28, 1947 – October 2, 2007) was an American architecture critic. Early years Born in Philadelphia, Muschamp described his childhood home life as follows: "The living room was a secret. A forbidden zone. ...
, Drummond's design was the focus of a documentary by the award-winning independent filmmaker Gregg Lachow and was featured on CNN and KOMO-TV News. *''9/11 Flipbook'' (2005–present) by Scott Blake allows viewers to watch a continuous reenactment of
United Airlines Flight 175 United Airlines Flight 175 was a domestic passenger flight from Logan International Airport in Boston to Los Angeles International Airport in California that was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001, as ...
crashing into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Accompanying the images are essays written by a wide range of participants, each expressing their personal experience of the September 11 attacks. In addition, the essays' authors posted their responses to the request that they reflect on, and respond to, the flipbook itself. *''Golden Angels Over Lower Manhattan'' (2011), a painting by the New-York based Polish artist, Leokadia Makarska-Cermak, who was in
Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...
during the attacks. She presented the painting at the Sanctuary Still remembrance event held at the St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church on September 11, 2011. *''Save Manhattan'', a series of works by the Moroccan artist Mounir Fatmi. Three Installations show Manhattan as if the attacks did not take place, and a light is projected to create a sharply defined shadow of the pre-9/11 skyline of the city. Save Manhattan 1 is made with books, Save Manhattan with videotapes and Save Manhattan 3 is a sound installation with speakers. In the ''Save Manhattan Video'', the skyline progressively dissolves and becomes the memory and the ghost of something that was but that is not anymore. *''September'' (2005), a painting by
Gerhard Richter Gerhard Richter (; born 9 February 1932) is a German visual artist. Richter has produced Abstract art, abstract as well as photorealistic paintings, photographs and Glass art, glass pieces. He is widely regarded as one of the most important con ...


Biology

* Osama bin Laden (elephant) – an elephant in India nicknamed after the attacks’ mastermind due to its tendencies of reckless mass murder


Classical music

* Robert Gulya – Guitar Concerto (2001), written for Johanna Beisteiner


Film


International

*'' 11'09"01 September 11'' (2002), an international
anthology film An anthology film (also known as an omnibus film or a portmanteau film) is a single film consisting of three or more shorter films, each complete in itself and distinguished from the other, though frequently tied together by a single theme, premise ...
composed of contributions from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Egypt, France, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Mexico, United Kingdom, and the US, each exploring reactions to 9/11. *''
Copilot In aviation, the first officer (FO), also called co-pilot, is a Aircraft pilot, pilot in addition to the Pilot in command, captain, who is the legal commander. In the event of incapacitation of the captain, the first officer will assume command ...
'' (2021), a German-French film by Anne Zohra Berrached, based on United Airlines Flight 93's hijacker pilot
Ziad Jarrah Ziad Samir Jarrah (11 May 197511 September 2001) was a Lebanese man who was one of the four terrorist hijackers of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed into a rural area near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, as part of the September 11 atta ...
and his relationship with Aysel Sengün, prior to the events of the 9/11 attacks.


North America


Video, television, and theatrical release: documentaries

*'' 102 Minutes That Changed America'', a 2008 American made-for-television
History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
documentary which follows the events of 9/11 through raw footage. *''
9/11 The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
'', a 2002 Franco-American made-for-television
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
documentary which includes the only footage shot inside the World Trade Center that day. *'' 9/11: One Day in America'', a 2021 6-part documentary miniseries for
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
. *'' 911: In Plane Site'', a 2004 American documentary film which advocates 9/11 conspiracy theories. *'' 9/11: Inside the President's War Room'', a 2021 American documentary film for
Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription over-the-top streaming service owned by Apple. The service launched on November 1, 2019, and it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service w ...
. *'' 9/11 Kids'', a 2020 Canadian documentary film about the now young adults who were in the classroom where president
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
was reading " The Pet Goat" when he was interrupted and informed of the attacks. *'' 9/11: Press for Truth'', a 2006 American independent film which investigates the events of 9/11. *'' 9/11: The Twin Towers'', a 2006 American made-for-television
Discovery Channel Discovery Channel, known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery, is an American cable channel that is best known for its ongoing reality television shows and promotion of pseudoscience. It init ...
documentary about the events of 9/11. *'' Answering the Call: Ground Zero's Volunteers'', a 2005 American documentary film. *'' Beyond Belief'', a 2007 American independent film about the post-9/11 experiences of two women who lost their husbands on 9/11 and who set up a humanitarian program for war widows in Afghanistan. *'' Bowling for Columbine'', a 2002 American documentary film by
Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Moore's work frequently addresses various Social issue, social, political, and economic topics. He first became publicly known for his award-winning debut ...
that refers to the events of 9/11 in its "Wonderful World" montage. *'' The Cats of Mirikitani,'' a 2006 American documentary about the painter Jimmy Mirikitani who lived in New York at the time of 9/11. *'' Children of 9/11: Our Story'', a 2021 American documentary about the children born to fathers who died during the September 11 attacks. *''
The Concert for New York City The Concert for New York City was a benefit concert that took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City in response to the September 11 attacks. Aside from performing for charity, the concert honored the first responders from the New Yor ...
'', documentary of the five-hour benefit concert at Madison Square Garden. *'' Countdown to Ground Zero'', a 2006 American made-for-television
History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
documentary which covers a 9/11 timeline. *''United States of Banana'', 2011 series of art films by photographer Michael Somoroff, based on the 9/11 novel ''United States of Banana'' by Hispanic-American author
Giannina Braschi Giannina Braschi (born February 5, 1953) is a Puerto Rican poet, novelist, dramatist, and scholar. Her notable works include '' Empire of Dreams'' (1988), '' Yo-Yo Boing!'' (1998), '' United States of Banana'' (2011), and '' Putinoika'' (2024). ...
. *'' Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing'', a 2006 American independent film about the backlash experienced by the country music band,
Dixie Chicks The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. The band consists of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar, bass guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and Emily Stra ...
during the Post-9/11 climate. *'' Dust to Dust: The Health Effects of 9/11,'' a 2006 American documentary broadcast on the Sundance Channel. *''
Fahrenheit 9/11 ''Fahrenheit 9/11'' is a 2004 American documentary film directed, written by, and starring Michael Moore. The subjects of the film are the presidency of George W. Bush, the Iraq War, and the media's coverage of the war. In the film, Moore state ...
'', a 2004 American documentary film by
Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Moore's work frequently addresses various Social issue, social, political, and economic topics. He first became publicly known for his award-winning debut ...
. **'' FahrenHYPE 9/11'', reaction to the above film *'' Firefighters: Heroes of Ground Zero'', a 2002 American made-for-television
WNET WNET (channel 13), branded on-air as Thirteen (stylized as THIRTEEN), is a primary PBS member television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey, United States, serving the New York City area. Owned by The WNET Group (formerly known as the Educ ...
documentary film following firemen from two firehouses in the days and weeks following 9/11. *'' Flight 175: As the World Watched'', a 2006 American made-for-television
The Learning Channel TLC is an American multinational cable television, cable and satellite television, satellite television network owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks, Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established in 1980 as The Learn ...
documentary about
United Airlines Flight 175 United Airlines Flight 175 was a domestic passenger flight from Logan International Airport in Boston to Los Angeles International Airport in California that was hijacked by five al-Qaeda terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001, as ...
. *'' The Flight That Fought Back'', a 2005 American made-for-television
Discovery Channel Discovery Channel, known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery, is an American cable channel that is best known for its ongoing reality television shows and promotion of pseudoscience. It init ...
documentary about
United Airlines Flight 93 United Airlines Flight 93 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight that was hijacked by four al-Qaeda terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001, as part of the September 11 attacks. The hijackers planned to crash the plane into a feder ...
, one of four planes that was hijacked on
9/11 The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
. *'' Grounded on 9/11, '' a 2005 American made-for-television
History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
documentary. *'' Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear & the Selling of American Empire'' a 2004 documentary *''
The Heart of Steel ''The Heart of Steel'' is a documentary film, documentary directed by Angelo J. Guglielmo, Jr., which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival, Tribeca Film Festival in 2006. Personally selected by festival co-founder, Jane Rosenthal, th ...
,'' a 2006 American independent film about the post 9/11 experiences of a group of volunteers. *'' Hotel Ground Zero,'' a 2009 American made-for-television
History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
documentary. *'' I Missed Flight 93'', a 2006 American made-for-television
History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
documentary about people who missed United Airlines Flight 93. *'' Inside 9/11'', a 2005 American made-for-television
National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by the National Geographic Global Networks unit of Disney Enter ...
documentary about the events before, during, and after 9/11. *'' The Love We Make'', a 2011 American documentary about
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
's experiences in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
after the
September 11, 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, following him as he prepared
The Concert for New York City The Concert for New York City was a benefit concert that took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City in response to the September 11 attacks. Aside from performing for charity, the concert honored the first responders from the New Yor ...
October 2001 benefit event. *'' The Man Who Predicted 9/11,'' a 2002 American made-for-television
History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
documentary. *'' Metal of Honor: The Ironworkers of 9/11'', a 2006 American documentary. *'' Native New Yorker,'' a 2005 American documentary. *'' No Responders Left Behind,'' a 2021 American documentary. *'' NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021½,'' a 2021 4-part American documentary by
Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...
. *'' On Native Soil: the Documentary of the 9/11 Commission Report'', a 2005 American documentary. *''
Rebirth Rebirth may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Film * ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film * ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film * ''Rebirth'', a 2011 documentary film produced by Project Rebirth * '' ...
'', a 2011 American documentary about five individuals impacted by 9/11. *'' The Outsider'' (2021), about the making of the
National September 11 Memorial & Museum The National September 11 Memorial & Museum (also known as the 9/11 Memorial & Museum) is a memorial and museum that are part of the World Trade Center complex, in New York City, created for remembering the September 11 attacks in 2001 which k ...
in New York City *'' The Secret History of 9/11'', a 2006 American documentary. *'' The Tillman Story'', a 2010 American independent film about the death of football star and Army Ranger
Pat Tillman Patrick Daniel Tillman Jr. (November6, 1976– April22, 2004) was an American professional American football, football player for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) who left his sports career and enlisted in the United ...
during the Post-9/11 climate. *'' Toxic Clouds of 9/11,'' a 2006 American documentary. *'' Toxic Legacy'', a 2006 Canadian documentary. *''
Twin Towers Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of Twin Last Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two e ...
'', a 2003 American documentary. *''The Woman Who Wasn't There'', a 2012 documentary about false survivor Alicia Esteve Head. *'' Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?'', a 2008 American documentary directed by Morgan Spurlock *'' Zero Hour: The Last Hour of Flight 11'', a 2004 Canadian/British television documentary.


Video, television, and theatrical release: feature films


Middle East, South Asia, and diasporas


Video, television, and theatrical release: documentaries

*''Arabs and Terrorism'' (2007), an American documentary in six languages, filmed in 11 countries, comprising 120 interviews with "experts/politicians and hundreds of street interviews in the United States, Europe, and the Arab world." *'' Being Osama'' (2004), a Canadian documentary that explores the Post-9/11 lives of six Montreal Arab men, all with the first name Osama. *''Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath'' (2006), an American documentary made in response to the murder of a Sikh man as a result of the post-9/11 atmosphere. *'' It's My Country Too: Muslim Americans'' (2005), a documentary that follows the journey of the
South Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...
rock music band Junoon during their tours to post-9/11 America. *''Stand Up: Muslim-American Comics Come of Age'' (2009), an American documentary about five stand-up comedians who respond to the post-9/11 atmosphere.


Video, television, and theatrical release: feature films


Internet

*''
Ill Bethisad Ill Bethisad is a collaborative alternate history project which had 58 active participants . Originally created by Andrew Smith from New Zealand, it was initiated in 1997 as the ''Brithenig Project''. It can be characterized as an instance of t ...
'' (1997–present), a collaborative
alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...
project. Like in real life, September 11, 2001, was marked by a tragedy where two twin towers in New York City were attacked by terrorists although there are also several differences between the attacks in reality and the fictional alternate universe where Ill Bethisad takes place. The first difference is that "New York City" was never called by that name, instead using its original name of "
New Amsterdam New Amsterdam (, ) was a 17th-century Dutch Empire, Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''Factory (trading post), fac ...
". The second difference is that two
airship An airship, dirigible balloon or dirigible is a type of aerostat (lighter-than-air) aircraft that can navigate through the air flying powered aircraft, under its own power. Aerostats use buoyancy from a lifting gas that is less dense than the ...
s were used for the attack as airplanes never caught on in Ill Bethisad. Others include the face that the buildings themselves, the "World Trade Towers" are built in a style that resembling the
Chrysler Building The Chrysler Building is a , Art Deco skyscraper in the East Midtown neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. Located at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, it is the tallest brick building in the world wit ...
instead of the World Trade Center as well as that due the different structures between airships and airplanes, the towers did not completely collapse (although the top 20 floors of both do fall off thanks to an explosion caused by the airships using
hydrogen Hydrogen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol H and atomic number 1. It is the lightest and abundance of the chemical elements, most abundant chemical element in the universe, constituting about 75% of all baryon, normal matter ...
instead of
helium Helium (from ) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol He and atomic number 2. It is a colorless, odorless, non-toxic, inert gas, inert, monatomic gas and the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table. Its boiling point is ...
to fly). Another was that unlike real life, the attack on the towers was the ''only'' attack on that day. The final and most important differences to reality was that the attacks were done by a cult called "The Janus Fellowship" (named after "
Janus In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janus (''Ianu ...
" the Roman god of duality) who did it in an attempt to recreate a similar attack in a twin parallel world (implied to be the 9/11 attacks of real life) to allow the attackers to achieve enlightenment by a meaningful death. For four years, it was a mystery who caused the attacks as no organization claimed responsibility for the attacks while investigations stalled and conspiracy theories circulated. In fact, the collaborators of the Ill Bethisad project moved on to other parts of the storyline not related to the attacks and came up with the cult after realizing that they forgot to add a perpetrator. *'' The Best Page in the Universe'' (1997–present), a satirical website run by George Ouzounian (better known as " Maddox"). One part of the site spoofs the 9/11 conspiracy theory film series '' Loose Change'' with a set of pages (and a corresponding
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
video) titled "Unfastened Coins". Both parody ''Loose Change'' by applying the same methods that the series uses for 9/11 to another disaster, the Sinking of the
Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers a ...
in 1912. In "Unfastened Coins", Maddox joking purports the Titanic sinking was not an accident but instead, the ship was deliberately sunk as part of a government conspiracy. As a result of this spoof, Maddox shows that the logic used by ''Loose Change'' is actually outlandish. On another page, with the title "There is no 9/11 conspiracy you morons", Maddox once again spoofs ''Loose Change'' by noting various inconsistencies with the series. For example, Maddox noted that Dylan Avery, the creator of ''Loose Change'' was still alive while noting that it 9/11 really ''is'' a government conspiracy then Avery would be dead by now because the US government would have assassinated him to stop the secret from leaking. Maddox noted how many people would need to be involved in such a large-scale conspiracy that Avery claims 9/11 was and showing that if that was true than one of those people would have revealed it by now. Maddox also claims that if one folds the backs of certain U.S. dollar notes depicting the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
, The note turns into two depictions of 9/11 though Maddox goes out of his way to show that it is a coincidence and that the notes had that design ''years'' before 9/11 even happened.


Literature and poetry


Fiction and non-fiction


Australia

*"The Caribou Herd" (2003) by Miles Hitchcock won The Age Short Story Award in 2003. The narrator is an elderly English man with dementia, flying to New York on the day of the attacks and reminiscing about the 20th Century.


Europe

*'' A Manhã do Mundo'' (''The Morning of the World'') (2001) by Pedro Guilherme-Moreira. *''
Brick Lane Brick Lane () is a street in the East End of London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, borough of Tower Hamlets. It runs from Swanfield Street in Bethnal Green in the north, crosses the Bethnal Green Road before reaching the busiest, mo ...
'' (2003) by
Monica Ali Monica Ali (; born 20 October 1967) is a British writer of Bangladeshi and English descent. In 2003, she was selected as one of the "Best of Young British Novelists" by ''Granta'' based on her unpublished manuscript; her debut novel, ''Brick L ...
. The novel tells the story of Nazneen, a Bangladeshi woman who moves to England and her life before and after 9/11. *''Burnt Shadows'' (2009) by Kamila Shamsie *''
Dead Air Dead air, also known as unmodulated carrier, is an unintended period of silence that interrupts a broadcast during which no audio or video program material is transmitted. Radio and television Dead air occurs in radio broadcasting when no audio ...
'' (2002) by
Iain Banks Iain Banks (16 February 1954 – 9 June 2013) was a Scottish author, writing mainstream fiction as Iain Banks and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, adding the initial of his adopted middle name Menzies (). After the success of '' The Wasp Fact ...
. An early chapter is set in London on September 11, 2001. The main protagonist is a left-wing radio "shock jock" attending a wedding when news of the attacks filters through (Tuesday afternoon British time). *'' Eleven'' (2006) by David Llewellyn. The novel takes place in
Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
and London on September 11 and deals with the impact the terrorist attacks have on the lives of people in the UK. *'' False Impression'' (2005) by
Jeffrey Archer Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English novelist and former politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Louth (Lincolnshire) from 1969 to 1974, but did not seek re-election after a fina ...
. The novel is a thriller that takes place during and immediately after 9/11. The heroine, Anna Petrescu, survives the World Trade Center attack. *'' Netherland'' (2008) by Joseph O'Neill. The novel tells the story of a Dutch businessman who lives in New York and is traumatized by the events of 9/11. *''
Saturday Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. No later than the 2nd century, the Romans named Saturday ("Saturn's Day") for the god Saturn. His planet, Saturn, controlled the first hour of that day, according to Vettius Valens. T ...
'' (2005) by
Ian McEwan Ian Russell McEwan (born 21 June 1948) is a British novelist and screenwriter. In 2008, ''The Times'' featured him on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945" and ''The Daily Telegraph'' ranked him number 19 in its list of the ...
. The novel is set in London after the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
but before the
7 July 2005 London bombings The 7 July 2005 London bombings, also referred to as 7/7, were a series of four co-ordinated suicide attacks carried out by Islamist terrorists that targeted commuters travelling on Transport in London, London's public transport during the ...
. The novel shows how much the world has changed since the attacks in America. *'' When God Was a Rabbit'' (2011) by
Sarah Winman Sarah Winman (born 24 December 1964) is a British author and actress. Biography In 2011, Winman's debut novel, '' When God Was a Rabbit'' (2011), became an international bestseller and won Winman several awards including New Writer of the Yea ...
. The protagonist and her brother are living in America at the time of the 9/11 attacks, and the main character believes her brother and his best friend have died in the crash. *'' Windows on the World'' (2003) by
Frédéric Beigbeder Frédéric Beigbeder (; born 21 September 1965) is a French writer, literary critic and television presenter. He won the Prix Interallié in 2003 for his novel '' Windows on the World'' and the Prix Renaudot in 2009 for his book '' A French Nov ...
. The novel is set in the restaurant at the top of the North Tower on September 11. It tells the story of Carthew Yorston and his two sons as they try to escape or somehow survive the attack. Each chapter of the book represents one minute in time between 8:30 and 10:30 on 9/11. It also features a parallel narrative wherein the author, a French writer sympathetic to America, discusses the process of writing the book and his motivations for doing so.


North America

*'' American Widow'' (2008) by Alissa Torres. A graphic novel by Alissa Torres, who was eight months pregnant when her husband Eddie Torres perished in the WTC on 9/11. *'' Between Two Rivers'' (2004) by Nicholas Rinaldi *''
Bleeding Edge Emerging technologies are technologies whose development, practical applications, or both are still largely unrealized. These technologies are generally new but also include old technologies finding new applications. Emerging technologies are o ...
'' (2013) by
Thomas Pynchon Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. ( , ; born May 8, 1937) is an American novelist noted for his dense and complex novels. His fiction and non-fiction writings encompass a vast array of subject matter, Literary genre, genres and Theme (narrative), th ...
. The novel is a detective story which takes place between the burst of the
dot-com bubble The dot-com bubble (or dot-com boom) was a stock market bubble that ballooned during the late-1990s and peaked on Friday, March 10, 2000. This period of market growth coincided with the widespread adoption of the World Wide Web and the Interne ...
and the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. *'' Brooklyn Follies'' (2005) by
Paul Auster Paul Benjamin Auster (February 3, 1947 – April 30, 2024) was an American writer, novelist, memoirist, poet, and filmmaker. His notable works include '' The New York Trilogy'' (1987), '' Moon Palace'' (1989), '' The Music of Chance'' (1990), ' ...
*'' The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah'' (2004) by
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
. Two characters place an artifact known as Black Thirteen in a coin-op storage unit in the World Trade Center in 1999, intending to leave it there forever. After leaving, they half-jokingly discuss what would happen if the towers were to collapse on the object. *''A Disorder Peculiar to the Country'' (2006), by
Ken Kalfus Ken Kalfus (born April 9, 1954 in New York City) is an American author and journalist. Three of his books have been named ''New York Times'' Notable Books of the Year. Early life and education He was born in the Bronx, and grew up in Plainview, ...
. The novel follows the lives of New Yorkers Joyce and Marshall Harriman who are in the middle of a nasty divorce. In the early morning hours of September 11, Marshall leaves for the World Trade Center and Joyce for the airport. *'' The Emperor's Children'' (2006), by Claire Messud. The novel traces the lives of three NYC friends before and after the events of 9/11. *''
Everyman The everyman is a stock character of fiction. An ordinary and humble character, the everyman is generally a protagonist whose benign conduct fosters the audience's identification with them. Origin and history The term ''everyman'' was used ...
'' (2006), by
Philip Roth Philip Milton Roth (; March 19, 1933 – May 22, 2018) was an American novelist and short-story writer. Roth's fiction—often set in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey—is known for its intensely autobiographical character, for philosophical ...
. The protagonist of the novel moves to the New Jersey shore as a result of the fear he feels in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. *'' Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close'' (2005) by
Jonathan Safran Foer Jonathan Safran Foer (; born February 21, 1977) is an American novelist. He is known for his novels '' Everything Is Illuminated'' (2002), '' Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close'' (2005), '' Here I Am'' (2016), and for his non-fiction works '' Eat ...
. The novel follows the narrator, 9-year-old Oskar Schell, whose father was on the upper floors of the World Trade Center when the jets crashed into the Twin Towers. To fight his grief and quell his imagination, Oskar embarks on a quest to find what he hopes is his father's most illuminating secret. In service of this quest, Oskar conquers many of his irrational fears and comforts other damaged souls. *'' Falling Man'' (2007), by
Don DeLillo Donald Richard DeLillo (born November 20, 1936) is an American novelist, short story writer, playwright, screenwriter, and essayist. His works have covered subjects as diverse as consumerism, nuclear war, the complexities of language, art, televi ...
. The novel features a protagonist who survives the attacks on the World Trade Center. *''Forever'' (2003) by
Pete Hamill William Peter Hamill (June 24, 1935August 5, 2020) was an American journalist, novelist, essayist and editor. During his career as a New York City journalist, he was described as "the author of columns that sought to capture the particular flavo ...
. The novel tells the story of an Irish immigrant who is granted immortality, provided that he never leaves the island of Manhattan. Hamill completed his manuscript at 11:20 pm on the evening of September 10, 2001; he was about to deliver it to his editor when the attacks occurred. He spent another year revising the book. As a result, the 9/11 attacks form the culmination of 250 years of New York history described in the novel. *'' The Good Life'' (2006) by
Jay McInerney John Barrett "Jay" McInerney Jr. (; born January 13, 1955) is an American novelist, screenwriter, editor, and columnist. His novels include '' Bright Lights, Big City'', ''Ransom'', '' Story of My Life'', '' Brightness Falls'', and ''The Last o ...
. The novel takes place immediately before, during, and after the events of 9/11. *'' Home Boy'' (2009) by H. M. Naqvi. The novel tells the story of three Pakistani college students, AC, Jimbo and Chuck, before and after 9/11.
"In Spirit"
a science fiction novella by Pat Forde, published in ''Analog'' in September 2002 and nominated for a
Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...
. A time travel story in which a form of "spiritual" time travel is perfected in the middle of the 21st century and the aged children of 9/11 victims are given the opportunity to go back in time and be with their loved ones "in spirit" in their final moments. *'' Last Night in Twisted River'' (2009) by
John Irving John Winslow Irving (born John Wallace Blunt Jr.; March 2, 1942) is an American and Canadian novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of his fourth novel '' Th ...
. Portions of the end of the novel take place on September 10 and 11, 2001, and deal with several characters' reactions to learning about the attacks. *''The Last Illusion'' (2014) by Porochista Khakpour *'' Let the Great World Spin'' (2009) by Colum McCann. The novel focuses on
Philippe Petit Philippe Petit (; born 13 August 1949) is a French highwire artist who gained fame for his unauthorized highwire walks between the towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in 1971 and of Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1973, as well as between the Twi ...
's 1974 tightrope crossing of the Twin Towers, and the effects it has on New Yorkers in 1974. At the end, the novel jumps to 2005, in which one of the character's daughters deals with living in a post-9/11 world, connecting the destruction of the towers to Petit's 1974 walk. *'' The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up'' (2012) by Jacob Appel. The novel depicts the life of fictional botanist Arnold Brinkman, a New Yorker falsely branded a terrorist-sympathizer in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. *" The Mutants" (2004) a short story by
Joyce Carol Oates Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. Her novels ''Black ...
in '' I Am No One You Know: Stories''. *'' My Year of Rest and Relaxation'', a 2018 novel by Ottessa Moshfegh, ends with the attacks in Manhattan, which the unnamed narrator and protagonist records on her VCR. *'' Night Fall'' (2004) by
Nelson DeMille Nelson Richard DeMille (August 23, 1943 – September 17, 2024) was an American author of Adventure fiction, action adventure and Thriller (genre), suspense novels. His novels include ''Plum Island (novel), Plum Island'', ''The Charm School (nov ...
. The novel connects TWA Flight 800 to the September 11 attacks. *''Patriot Acts: Narratives of Post-9/11 Injustice'' (2011, non-fiction) edited by Alia Malek. *''
Pattern Recognition Pattern recognition is the task of assigning a class to an observation based on patterns extracted from data. While similar, pattern recognition (PR) is not to be confused with pattern machines (PM) which may possess PR capabilities but their p ...
'' (2003) by
William Gibson William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as cyberpunk. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, his ear ...
. The first novel to address the attacks; the main character is a marketing consultant whose father disappeared in Manhattan on the morning of September 11. *''Saffron Dreams'' (2009) by Shaila Abdullah. *'' Small Wonder'', a collection of 23 essays on environmentalism and social justice by novelist and biologist Barbara Kingsolver, published in 2002 and written in response to the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. *" The Suffering Channel" (2004) is a
novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...
by
David Foster Wallace David Foster Wallace (February 21, 1962 – September 12, 2008) was an American writer and professor who published novels, short stories, and essays. He is best known for his 1996 novel ''Infinite Jest'', which ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine ...
in '' Oblivion: Stories''. Set in July 2001, its central protagonist, Skip Atwater, is a journalist who works for the fictional ''Style Magazine,'' which is located in the World Trade Center. Atwater is attempting to write an article about a midwestern artist, Brint Moltke (whose excrement reportedly resembles famous cultural objects) for the September 10, 2001, issue of ''Style.'' *''Sons and Other Flammable Objects'' (2007) by Porochista Khakpour *''
Terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
'' (2006) by
John Updike John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth Tar ...
. The novel explores post 9/11 America through the eyes of a radical Muslim youth and his Jewish guidance counselor. *" The Things They Left Behind" (2005) by
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
. A supernatural short story about
survivor guilt Survivor guilt or survivor's guilt (also survivor syndrome, survivor's syndrome, survivor disorder and survivor's disorder) happens when individuals feel guilty after they survive a tragic, near death, or traumatic event when others perished. It ...
, narrated by a man employed in the World Trade Center who avoided the attacks by taking an impulsive day off. *''Theater of the Stars: A Novel of Physics and Memory'' (2003) by N. M. Kelby. The novel centers on two women, a mother and daughter. Both of them are physicists - and both of them have dizzying gaps in their memories of their pasts. *''United States of Banana'' (AmazonCrossing 2011) by
Giannina Braschi Giannina Braschi (born February 5, 1953) is a Puerto Rican poet, novelist, dramatist, and scholar. Her notable works include '' Empire of Dreams'' (1988), '' Yo-Yo Boing!'' (1998), '' United States of Banana'' (2011), and '' Putinoika'' (2024). ...
is a dramatic novel in which the collapse of the Twin Towers marks the fall of the American empire on September 11, 2001. *'' United We Stand'' (2009) a novel that focuses on the aftermath of the attacks. *'' Villa Incognito'' (2003) by
Tom Robbins Thomas Eugene Robbins (July 22, 1932 – February 9, 2025) was an American novelist. His most notable works are "seriocomedies" (also known as "comedy dramas"). Robbins had lived in La Conner, Washington, since 1970, where he wrote nine of his ...
. The novel features several scenes of military and CIA officials reacting to news of the attacks. *'' We All Fall Down'' (2006) by
Eric Walters Eric Robert Walters, (born March 3, 1957) is a Canadian author of young adult fiction and picture books. As of 2020, Eric Walters has written over 100 books. Background Walters was an elementary school teacher at Vista Heights Public School ...
. September 11, 2001, was "Bring Your Kids to Work Day", and the main protagonist, Will was going to meet with his father in his office in the World Trade Center. This novel focuses on how Will and his relationship with his father changes on the day of the 9/11 attacks. *''The Zero'' (2006) by Jess Walter is a novel about Brian Remy, a New York City police officer suffering memory gaps in the wake of 9/11.


Poetry

*''Anything Can Happen'' (2004) by
Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish Irish poetry, poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. Among his best-known works is ''Death of a Naturalist'' (1966), his first m ...
(a loose translation of
Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). Th ...
's Ode 1.34) is a response to the attacks. *''Photograph from September 11'' (2002) by
Wisława Szymborska Maria Wisława Anna SzymborskaVioletta Szostagazeta.pl, 9 February 2012. ostęp 11 February 2012 (; 2 July 1923 – 1 February 2012) was a Polish people, Polish poet, essayist, translator, and recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Liter ...
*''Curse'' (2002) by Frank Bidart *''Didactic Elegy'' by
Ben Lerner Benjamin S. Lerner (born February 4, 1979) is an American poet, novelist, essayist, and critic. The recipient of fellowships from the Fulbright, Guggenheim, and MacArthur Foundations, Lerner has been a finalist for the National Book Award for P ...
*''Fallacies of Wonder'' (2001) by Richard Howard is poem about the difficult task of trying to remember the Twin Towers as they actually were now that they are gone. *''Inventory'' (2006) by
Dionne Brand Dionne Brand (born 7 January 1953) is a Canadian poet, novelist, essayist and documentarian. She was Toronto's third Poet Laureate from September 2009 to November 2012 and first Black Poet Laureate. She was admitted to the Order of Canada in ...
is a collection of poems written about the importance of witnessing in a globalized post-9/11 world. *''Routine Procedure(s) 2: Prayer Beads of Cold Sweat or Driving While Izlaamic'' (2006) by Ismail Khalidi (writer) *''The Hudson Remembers'' (2008) by Pascale Petit *''September 2001, New York City'' (2013) by Sharon Olds *''Out of the Blue'' (2005) by Simon Armitage *''The Names'' (2002) by Billy Collins *''Last Words (sequence)'' (2002) by Michael Symmons Roberts *'' 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East'' (2002) by
Naomi Shihab Nye Naomi Shihab Nye (; born March 12, 1952) is an Arab American poet, editor, songwriter, and novelist. Born to a Palestinian father and an American mother, she began composing her first poetry at the age of six. In total, she has published or con ...
; explores the lives of people in the Middle East in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. *''December'' (2001) by Frederick Seidel contains the line "I am flying into area code 212/ To stab a Concorde into you", referring to Manhattan's famous area code. It was published in the Wall Street Journal on December 13, 2001.


Television

*''
Euphoria Euphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and da ...
'' (2019) - In the pilot episode, Rue Bennett narrates that she was born “three days after 9/11” while a plane crashes into one of the towers. *''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...
'' - In the episode " It Takes a Village Idiot, and I Married One", Lois Griffin repeatedly chants "Nine-eleven" to gain voters at a rally while running for mayor. *''
Homeland A homeland is a place where a national or ethnic identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethnic natio ...
'' (2011–2020) - The show centers on the characters of
Carrie Mathison Carrie Anne Mathison, played by actress Claire Danes, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American television drama/thriller series ''Homeland'' on Showtime, created by Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon. Carrie is a CIA officer who ...
(Claire Danes), a bipolar Central Intelligence Agency officer, and Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), a homecoming U.S. Marine. Mathison has come to believe that Brody, who was held captive by
al-Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...
as a prisoner of war, was "turned" by the enemy and now supposedly poses a serious threat to the security of the United States. The series' first season in particular plays with the steadily-shifting equilibrium of not-knowing who-is-who and thrillingly depicts the aftermath of 9/11 as a national trauma and the fragile state the nation's collective mind has been left with. *'' Ramy'' (2019) - In "Strawberries," the fourth episode of ''Ramy,'' the lead character as an adolescent is already having enough trouble fitting in before the terrorist attacks make him even more isolated at his New Jersey middle school. Footage of the smoking towers is seen only briefly, for establishing purposes, on the screen of his classroom. *'' Rescue Me'' (2004-2011) an FX series about firefighters in New York City with the aftermath of the attacks and the impact on the characters used as plot points. *'' The Lone Gunmen'' (2001) - In the pilot episode of this short-lived spinoff of ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...
'', the plot has similarities to both the 9/11 attacks itself and popular conspiracy theories about them, which is completely coincidental because it aired in March 2001, six months ''before'' the real attacks. The episode involves the eponymous conspiracy theorists The Lone Gunmen uncovering a plot by rogue members of the U.S. government to hijack an airliner, fly it into the World Trade Center, blame it on terrorists and use it to start a war. In the episode, The Lone Gunmen successfully foil the plot by taking over the controls and flying it away just before it hits the towers. *'' Travelers'' - The first test of sending human consciousness through time involved sending a man to the World Trade Center on September 11, minutes before Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower. The test is featured in the first episode of season 2.


Theater

*'' Bystander 9/11'' (2001) by Meron Langsner. A documentary play written by a playwright who survived the attacks in NYC. *'' The Domestic Crusaders'' (2005) by Wajahat Ali. The play is about a Pakistani-American Muslim family grappling with their own internal struggles, the changing dynamics of American society and a globalized, post-9/11 world. *'' The God of Hell'' (2004) by
Sam Shepard Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, ...
. The play was written in part as a response to the post-9/11 atmosphere. *''
The Guys ''The Guys'' is a play by Anne Nelson about the aftereffects of the collapse of the World Trade Center. A film version of the play was released in 2002 and starred Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia. History In the play, Joan, an editor, h ...
'' (2001) by Anne Nelson. The play explores the memories and emotions of a surviving fire captain and a writer who helps him write eulogies for his lost comrades. *'' The Mercy Seat'' (2002) by
Neil LaBute Neil N. LaBute (born March 19, 1963) is an American playwright, film director, and screenwriter. He is best known for a play that he wrote and later adapted for film, ''In the Company of Men'' (1997), which won awards from the Sundance Film Fest ...
. The play is about a protagonist who considers faking his death after having coincidentally survived the attacks. *''Recent Tragic Events'' (2003) by Craig Wright. The play takes place on September 12, 2001, and deals with a blind date between a man and a woman who is trying to reach her sister, who lives in New York. *'' Omnium Gatherum'' (2003) by Theresa Rebeck and
Alexandra Gersten-Vassilaros Alexandra I. Gersten-Vassilaros (born 1960) is an American playwright and actress. With Theresa Rebeck, she co-authored ''Omnium Gatherum'', which was a finalist for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Gersten-Vassilaros graduate from New York ...
. The play involves a sophisticated dinner party of characters talking about and who perished in the 9/11 attacks. *'' Elegies'' (2003), a
song cycle A song cycle () is a group, or cycle (music), cycle, of individually complete Art song, songs designed to be performed in sequence, as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rarely a combinat ...
by
William Finn William Alan Finn (February 28, 1952 – April 7, 2025) was an American composer and lyricist. He was best known for his musicals, which include ''Falsettos'', for which he won the 1992 Tony Awards for Tony Award for Best Original Score, Best O ...
about deaths of friends and family, concludes with three songs about the September 11 attacks and the aftermath. *''Truth Serum Blues'' (2005) by Ismail Khalidi. The play tells of the story of Kareem a "young Arab-American" whose life is changed by the Post-9/11 atmosphere. *''United States of Banana'' (2011) by
Giannina Braschi Giannina Braschi (born February 5, 1953) is a Puerto Rican poet, novelist, dramatist, and scholar. Her notable works include '' Empire of Dreams'' (1988), '' Yo-Yo Boing!'' (1998), '' United States of Banana'' (2011), and '' Putinoika'' (2024). ...
is a cross-genre dramatic work conjuring a post-9/11 world in which
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
,
Zarathustra Zarathushtra Spitama, more commonly known as Zoroaster or Zarathustra, was an Iranian religious reformer who challenged the tenets of the contemporary Ancient Iranian religion, becoming the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism. Variously descr ...
, and Giannina are on a quest to liberate Segismundo who is trapped in the dungeon of the
Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; ) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The copper-clad statue, a gift to the United States from the people of French Thir ...
after the fall of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. *'' Good Morning Gitmo'' (2014) by Mishu Hilmy and Eric Simon is a one-act dark comedy. The play takes place decades into the future, where the warden creates a deranged morning talk show for the staff and detainees stuck on
Camp Delta Camp Delta is a permanent American Guantanamo Bay detention camp, detainment camp at Guantanamo Bay that replaced the temporary facilities of Camp X-Ray. Its first facilities were built between 27 February and mid-April 2002 by Seabee (US Navy), ...
. The play devolves when actual visitors from the mainland arrive.Hayford, Justi
Review: ''Good Morning Gitmo''
.
Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. The ''Reader'' has been ...
. Retrieved on November 15, 2014.
*'' Come From Away'' (2017) is a Canadian musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein set in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland. It tells the story of the town's response to 38 US-bound international flights that were diverted to Gander International Airport as part of the Canadian government's Operation Yellow Ribbon, almost doubling the population of the small town overnight. The musical tells the story from the points of view of the townspeople, various passengers, and
American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...
pilot Beverley Bass. After premiering on Broadway in 2017, ''Come From Away'' won Best Direction of a Musical at the 71st Tony Awards and was a nominee for Best Musical. *'' Ordinary Days'' (2008) by Adam Gwon. In the song "I'll Be Here", the character Claire recalls the events of September 11 and the loss of her husband in the attack, coincidentally on their one-year wedding anniversary.


Video games

* ''8:46'' – A
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...
video game which takes place inside the World Trade Center during the attacks. * '' Laden VS USA'' – A
LCD A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers to display information. Liquid crystals do not em ...
handheld electronic game Handheld electronic games are interactive electronic games, often miniaturized versions of video games, that are played on portable handheld devices, known as handheld game consoles, whose controls, display and speakers are all part of a singl ...
that is heavily based on 9/11 that displays a photo of the World Trade Center wreckage, alongside those of Osama Bin Laden and George W. Bush on the box art and on the game machine itself. The screen on the system also displays a World Trade Center wreckage photo. The game has two modes. One allows you to play as Osama and fly planes into the World Trade Center, the other allows you to play as the United States and deflect the planes from the towers. This game was made in China and was supposedly manufactured by Chinese company Panyu Gaming Electronic Co. Ltd., located in
Guangzhou, China Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...
but it is unknown if Panyu Gaming actually made the game due to mass counterfeiting in China. Some copies of ''Laden VS USA'' were shipped to the United States and have even been put on sale in New York City. In 2005, A Brooklyn store called "Oakdale Dairy" caused outrage among Brooklyn residents by displaying the game for sale, the store withdrew the game from its shelves due to the outrage. Other stores in the United States have banned the game outright due its subject matter, which was considered in very poor taste. During a
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
toy review video by Mike Mozart of JeepersMedia, Mozart noted in his '' Fail Toys'' review of ''Laden VS USA'' that "it boggles the mind that it was actually manufactured and sent to the United States". * ''Terrifying 9.11'' – an unlicensed
Game Boy Color The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...
game that was an unlicensed port of the run and gun
arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily game of skill, games of skill and in ...
'' Metal Slug''. This game was not licensed either by
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
(the creators of the Game Boy Color) or by SNK (the developers of the original ''Metal Slug'' arcade game). This game was originally planned for release as ''Metal Slug'' to match the title of the game it is based on but during development, the 9/11 attacks happened and either Ruanxin Co., Ltd. (the developer of the game) or Hitek (the publisher) decided to change it into a 9/11-themed game. This involved altering the game from the arcade original by changing the title, adding video footage of 9/11 to the
title screen A title screen (also called an opening screen or intro) is the method by which films or television programmes present their title and key production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often an opening theme song with visua ...
and adding
cutscene A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
s before and after each level where George W. Bush and Osama Bin Laden (characters who otherwise make no appearances in the game) taunt each other. The original ''Metal Slug'' title screen planned for the game before it got turned into ''Terrifying 9.11'' is actually still in the game's files, albeit unused. These changes aside, the game is very accurate to the arcade original at least as the Game Boy Color allows compared to the much powerful Neo Geo arcade system that ran ''Metal Slug'' and had unusually high quality production for an unlicensed game. ''Terrifying 9.11'' was released in two languages, English and Chinese. This game is infamous for its 9/11 theme. In 2018, a ROM hack of Terrifying 9.11 was made to turn it back into ''Metal Slug'' by removing the cutscenes though this version does not restore the original title screen due to technical reasons but instead changes the words "''Terrifying 9.11''" to "'' Metal Slug'', maintaining the World Trade Center in the background.


See also

* List of entertainment affected by the September 11 attacks * Cultural influence of the September 11 attacks


References


External links


The Collected Works: How artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, video-game designers, and quilters responded to the attacks—a selection
- ''
New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...
'', August 27, 2011.
Rebuilding NYC: 9/11 in Art and Culture: September 11 Film and Video Documentaries
a lengthy list of September 11-related documentaries. The site also has lists o
bookssongstheater
and works in other media inspired by September 11. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cultural references to the September 11 attacks Aftermath of the September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...