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mellabella's review against another edition
3.0
After reading the first, few of the stories, I almost didn't go on...
They were weird and not holding my interest. I don't need zombies, other monsters, and special powers to hold my interest. But... I'm glad I kept reading. They got much better as they went on.
3.5 stars.
They were weird and not holding my interest. I don't need zombies, other monsters, and special powers to hold my interest. But... I'm glad I kept reading. They got much better as they went on.
3.5 stars.
jlgadberry0384's review against another edition
5.0
Great collection of short stories. Perfect for Halloween.
scheu's review against another edition
4.0
The selection of stories was surprisingly good. The lead-off Stephen King story, although a great idea, had some totally implausible dialogue (which tends to kill my urge to read Stephen King). I do have the urge to read some James Morrow, though...
paganhill's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
A good anthology that would probably end up being better if you didn’t read it all at once. The breadth of story types is wide and some clash with each other while others aren’t good and bring the reading to a slog. I would recommend taking this collection one or two stories at a time.
Still though I like many of the short stories and none of them were too long to get frustrated with the book. Some were forgettable. I mean this. I forgot two of them.
I lean towards liking the weirder and more B-movie post-apocalyptic tales.
1) The End of the Whole Mess by Stephen King -
Great start to the collection. Not a POST-apocalyptic story though. It’s happening as the story happens. A short roller coaster ride from hope to destruction.
2) Salvage by Orson Scott Card -
I truly don’t remember. I will have to jog my memory. Give me one sec...Okay, it was a fine treasure hunting story. Doesn’t criticize the Morons(LDS) enough for me. The ending is a deflater.
3) The People of Sand and Slag by Paolo Bacigalupi -
This is one of the stories that kept me reading. Its bonker characters and world are exactly what I want. Mutant humans that are so far removed from pre-apocalyptic life that we find ourselves in fantasy. Weird, imaginative, and B! Don’t let your logic get in the way.
4) Bread and Bombs by M. Rickert -
I liked the goats. The “twist” was easily guessed and the ending I liked but not convinced that the characters that start it would do it. Middling story at best.
5) How We Got in Town and Out Again by Jonathan Lethem -
Great world building in this short kind of sweet story. A young wasteland harden smart girl and her chummy dumpy pal, a young boy, get themselves fed. The traveling side show guys are assholes. Fine story, that through the boy’s POV.
6) Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels by George R. R. Martin -
Rat friend aside the story is nothing special and we know the ending long before it comes. The POV gimmick feels like that, just a gimmick.
Like most of the stories it does stick around long enough to cause hardship.
7) Waiting for the Zephyr by Tobias S. Buckell -
Feels like the beginning of something grander. A fine short that wants to continue the adventures of the protagonist. Maybe that’s the point. We can go off and have the adventures in our imaginations. This story has a bit of hope at its conclusion. Kind of a traveling side-show.
8) Never despair by Jack McDevitt -
I vaguely remember reading this one. I have no clue what I thought about it while reading it but it must have been not much. I forgot the whole story and reading a plot summary barely sparks a memory of it.
9) When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth by Cory Doctorow -
I like who the people are that survive the apocalypse. Who they are and what they do during it feels unique. But, this is also not a POST-apocalyptic story. It happens a little before and mostly during with a bit of a hopeful after.
I like people with good morals being smart.
The odd part about this one I got the feeling they mentioned about five different world/society ending things that happened and I wasn’t clear if that was speculation on the character’s part or all of the disasters actually happened.
10) The Last of the O-Forms by James Van Pelt -
Love this one. Bio-mutant critters and traveling circus! I think I am just a sucker for traveling side-shows. I love the main character’s little bio creation and another hopeful, jolly, ending that could turn into some funny wasteland antics. The main POV character is a loser and I hope the assistant takes over the business.
11) Still Life with Apocalypse by Richard Kadrey -
Very short piece. I liked it though. Would like to spend more time in this world that seems pleasantly rough. Lighthearted with funny things falling from the sky, that’s okay in my book. Neighbors even get along.
12) Artie's Angels by Catherine Wells -
Artie’s Angels reads the most like a complete story while still being short. Arcs come and get complicated. The main characters are likable and the POV one gets her world rocked hard at the end. Thought it might have been another hopeful apocalypse but no.
13) Judgment Passed by Jerry Oltion -
Fuck Dave. Good little story again. I would have gotten to enjoying myself on a mostly empty Earth a lot sooner than the characters in the book but love the kind of humorous biblical apocalypse with a minor oops I forgot those ones. I would have liked it to be a bit more humorous but it’s fine.
Fuck Dave.
14) Mute by Gene Wolfe -
Was the bus real? The bus seemed really real.
This is not a great story. I am guessing it plays with the power of a child’s imagination. Plus it’s a ghost story? Not sure if it is post-apocalyptic or just abandoned rural US. It didn’t seem to commit to anything therefore all seems like a first draft of a story.
This is my least favorite story due to too many changes to what world we are in.
15) Inertia by Nancy Cress -
This one's good. Love the ideas behind this pandemic enhanced post-apocalyptic world. It has characters to love and hate, a statifing reveal, and an ending that justifies the dislike of some characters and leaves you hoping the best for others.
16) And the Deep Blue Sea by Elizabeth Bear -
Another great B-movie book. Inanimate objects with feels, desert roads, deal giving devils, and a post-apocalyptic dealer job. The story is just fun through one of the more harsh environments of this collection.
17) Speech Sounds by Octavia E. Butler -
Way better use of a bus.
A bleak and hopeful story, hurray. Disease causing mental illness pops up in a handful of the stories. This being one of them. Butler is a great writer and this is a fine addition to her works. I got sad when a curtain thing happened near the end.
18) Killers by Carol Emshwiller -
I bet the story was pointing to the dark nature within us all that hovers just below the surface. I would rather know how we got two types of humans. What did the war or government do to them?
And what’s your excuse for being awful at the end main-character? Hmmm? Well? A fine story, not the best. I needed more than it offered.
19) Ginny Sweethips' Flying Circusby Neal Barrett Jr. -
I give you one guess from the title of this one on how I feel. I loved it. : )
Traveling attractions in the post-apocalyptic world must be my hero's journey dream life. Love the main characters, each is unique. Love the cookey world, office supply wastelanders, perfect. Love the traveling snakeoil, side-show pleasure wagon.
Great little story would follow this troupe into more adventures.
Card-playing dog, perfect.
20) The End of the World as We Know It by Dale Bailey -
A normie ends up not dying when the rnd kills so many.
Harmless story about a guy that may not survive long into the apocalypse he finds himself in. Also not POST-apocalyptic. It runs before and during.
Harmless story I didn’t need to read but it’s not the worst.
21) A Song Before Sunset by David Grigg -
The classy B-movie book. Great world, great piece of a story, great main character. I wanted more. It felt like a section of a greater story.
Even though the world building came across wonderful and loved the characters instantly.
22) Episode Seven: Last Stand Against the Pack In the Kingdom of the Purple Flowers by John Langan -
End this anthology with one more B. Mutant animal tracking the characters through the ruins of the world and mutant powers! Don’t get too excited. The story is fine, seems a little rushed. I like the potential for this world.
carinthia72's review against another edition
4.0
I love short stories, and themed anthologies like this one are a great way to cover a lot of authorial ground for your buck. This one, edited very capably by John Joseph Adams, had some true standouts - Elizabeth Bear's "And the Deep Blue Sea" is a clever, somewhat spooky tale,and David Grigg's "A Song Before Sunset" is a beautifully written and imaginative take on what the Apocalypse might mean to the cultural spirit of humanity. I can't say there were any stories I didn't like, but be warned - this is 300 pages of dark, mostly hopeless stories. Not a terribly cheerful read, but a good one.
carlylottsofbookz's review against another edition
4.0
About a year and a half ago, I was asked what my favorite book was. Unable to answer such a broad question, I responded that I have a favorite genre of books, and that is the dystopia genre.
Going hand in hand with dystopia is the form of post-apocalyptic stories of what happens when the world ends. I've read dozens of these stories, and never get tired of it. How did the world end? Who's left? How do they live? Do they help or hurt each other? I eat this stuff up.
So obviously, a book like this one, "Stories of the Apocalypse" is more than perfect for me. This is a collection of short stories, only two of the authors are people I've heard of before (King and Doctorow), but almost every story in this collection is solid.
My top two:
1. "The End of the World as We Know It" by Dale Bailey is superb. A local UPS delivery man wakes up one morning to find everyone is dead. Everyone. So, he does what he hasn't been able to do before: sit around and drink, watching sunsets and thinking to himself. This story is uniquely told in that it also describes the history of apocalyspe stories--a very worthy tale.
2. "The End of the Whole Mess" by Stephen King. We all know I heart my the King. And was surprised to see that this story was written in '86 (the 80s were the best for him, I think). This is the first story in the collection (starting off strong). A writer and his genious brother pollute the Earth with a purified water that was designed to calm people the eff down...and it does, but also makes them kinda lose their mind. The kicker: The narrator is typing away as quickly as possible, trying to get the story of What Went Wrong on paper before he himself succumbs to the disease.
But that is by no means the only good ones in this novel. It's a quality read. I only had a few issues with the entire book:
1. Why would you *start* with Stephen King? (I'd shove him somewhere in the middle)
2. There were THREE typos, in three different stories, where a person was talking and quotation marks* were omitted (but shouldn't have been). Ex: "We need to go," Adam was telling me before they get here." Three instances exactly like that--bad editor!
3. In Cory Doctorow's story, at the beginning of the story, his wife and SON die (only child)...then toward the end, Doctorow is too confused or too lazy to remember that the child was a boy, and writes that the "beautiful wife and beautiful daughter" are dead....that's aggrevating.
*Footnote: Thank you for correcting me, Mark! (Gotta give credit where it's due yo!*
Going hand in hand with dystopia is the form of post-apocalyptic stories of what happens when the world ends. I've read dozens of these stories, and never get tired of it. How did the world end? Who's left? How do they live? Do they help or hurt each other? I eat this stuff up.
So obviously, a book like this one, "Stories of the Apocalypse" is more than perfect for me. This is a collection of short stories, only two of the authors are people I've heard of before (King and Doctorow), but almost every story in this collection is solid.
My top two:
1. "The End of the World as We Know It" by Dale Bailey is superb. A local UPS delivery man wakes up one morning to find everyone is dead. Everyone. So, he does what he hasn't been able to do before: sit around and drink, watching sunsets and thinking to himself. This story is uniquely told in that it also describes the history of apocalyspe stories--a very worthy tale.
2. "The End of the Whole Mess" by Stephen King. We all know I heart my the King. And was surprised to see that this story was written in '86 (the 80s were the best for him, I think). This is the first story in the collection (starting off strong). A writer and his genious brother pollute the Earth with a purified water that was designed to calm people the eff down...and it does, but also makes them kinda lose their mind. The kicker: The narrator is typing away as quickly as possible, trying to get the story of What Went Wrong on paper before he himself succumbs to the disease.
But that is by no means the only good ones in this novel. It's a quality read. I only had a few issues with the entire book:
1. Why would you *start* with Stephen King? (I'd shove him somewhere in the middle)
2. There were THREE typos, in three different stories, where a person was talking and quotation marks* were omitted (but shouldn't have been). Ex: "We need to go," Adam was telling me before they get here." Three instances exactly like that--bad editor!
3. In Cory Doctorow's story, at the beginning of the story, his wife and SON die (only child)...then toward the end, Doctorow is too confused or too lazy to remember that the child was a boy, and writes that the "beautiful wife and beautiful daughter" are dead....that's aggrevating.
*Footnote: Thank you for correcting me, Mark! (Gotta give credit where it's due yo!*
michael_benavidez's review against another edition
4.0
As a whole this book is filled with ups and downs. Some stories just weren't to my liking, others had more potential than they lived up to. So I give it a 3.5. Here's a rundown of the separate stories.
The End of the Whole Mess is entertaining. But that's about it. It's short in the way that it felt as though Stephen King had to keep it short, and not that it just came out short. While the story calls for it to feel rushed and that there is more to be said but no time for it, the story doesn't feel like that. It feels like King's forcing it. 3.5
Salvage, is....i don't know what it is. It's a good story. It is, but well after finishing it, it's kinda forgotten. 3.5
The People of Sand and Slag is one of my favorites. It's subtle while at the same time being in your face. Subtle because that's the world they live in, and are used to and there really isn't much more to do about it than to treat it like that. Everything they do is done because that's how they live. All the while it's in your face because the message is there and it's not afraid to spout it off with small details or quick dialogue. and that ending...yeah easily one of my favorites. 5
Bread and Bombs is an interesting enough story. nothing rightly special about it though. it's written well, and leads to a pretty interesting moment that is slightly predictable. at least for me it was. 4
How We Got in Town and Out Again is a story that leaves me with little to say. It wasn't my cup of tea is all. The writing is there, the story...well i'm not all too sure about the story. I think it may have flown over my head. 3.5
Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels was actually really good. It was surprising for me because the start was presented as something that wouldn't necessarily catch my attention. The writing was okay, it moved things along, the dialogue really wasn't to my liking, but in the end it was well worth a read. 4 stars
Waiting for the Zephyr was interesting. the mechanical concepts that had thought put into it were fascinating in their descriptions. the story was simple, a girl wanting to go out on her own, a family who didn't want that for her. I think what made it so great was that it was short and simple to the point, it didn't waste any time trying to be more. 5
Never Despair is one that leaves me slightly speechless. it wasn't awe-inspiring, at least as far as the story goes. The idea though, that was something that interested me. This was a story that slowed in the action and the set up, but really began to flow when the dialogue started. Wonderfully crafted in that area. 4.5
When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth isn't bad. But I'm no technological genius and a lot of the techno-mumbo-jumbo just wore out it's welcome. Once that settled though, it really was an interesting read. Unlike the others this one actually focused on how to deal with a in-the-process-ending-of-the-world instead of a world already ended and survivors living years after the ashes had fallen. 4
The Last of the O-Forms is a small piece of a larger world, at least that's how it seems. It's simple with a bit of silent humor, a real treat compared to the last couple in your face humor moments. It's short and simple with it's little twisted ending that just seems right. 5 only because it was a nice change of pace from the rest of the stories.
Still Life With Apocalypse is the shortest and probably closest to one of my favorites. it's simple, portrait of what the world will keep doing after it ends, gotta keep moving and stay busy kind of story. 5
Artie's Angels is one of those stories that can be told and retold in any element, in any way shape or form. We see it in practically every book somehow. But this was different for me. This had heart. It wasn't a happy story of a kid spreading hope and law throughout lawless/hopeless lands. Instead it was different. It was a real story about a kid doing all he could to spread hope and law throughout lawless/hopeless lands, surrendering first love, second long and true love. This one earns my favorite. 5stars every last bit of it.
Judgment Passed was a story that wasn't what i expected. From the author detail/blurb that came before the story, I was expecting an anti-bible thumping story. It wasn't that, well not too much. It was more focused on saying, that if a God does exist, maybe it's not too bad to be left behind. It had it's moments where it seemed to say pretty loudly, that religion is dangerous, but for the most part it said that and moved on. 4.5
Mute is a strange story that deserves a reread in the near future. Because it's such a strange story I'm not all too sure what to make of it, or what to say of it. for sure it holds a 3.5 other than that well, I regretfully don't know.
Inertia was one that held my interest. Hope, the lack of hope, and just knowing who you are what your place it and sticking to it, are what I got out of it. I didn't love it, some parts were slow to the point. But i liked it enough to read it in one sitting, and think on it. I enjoyed it well enough to the point that I may spoil it if I talk more. So I won't. 4.5
And the Deep Blue Sea felt like a road trip portrait of the post apocalypse with a bit of narrative to give the story reason to push along. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all too great for me either. I'm sure this is one that some will enjoy, but for me it doesn't hold well after such successful tales. 3
Speech Sounds may be the most intriguing and original story out of this whole book. Not because it's overly complicated, or because of what they figure the world to be after the world's ended and goes on. It's original because it focuses more on the emotions, mostly because this is a world without speak, but it still reaches for those emotions that we may have after everything we love and knew is gone. 5
Killers is said to be a heavy response to 9/11 and it's after effects. To me though, it was more of a statement on human nature, with the backdrop being a post apocalyptic world. Well not so much post apocalyptic, but more of a tired world that was in ruins and just kind of lazily stayed in that state. A good story though, really engaging main character that you do understand. 5
Ginny Sweethips' Flying Circus is probably one of the more unique stories. Well the characters are a bit more unique than the story. That being said, I'm not quite sure how to perceive this story, or what more to say on it. 4.5
The End of the World As We Know It, is just plain fun. It is a breakdown of how most apocalyptic tales take place, while at the same time telling it's own story. It knows what it is, and plays with it. It's a sort of comedic tale told with a serious face. 5
A Song Before Sunset is just beautiful. There is no denying that this is the most heartfelt story there is. It's a bit slow, a bit tedious at times, building itself to the revelation of just what means the most to the main character. The end result is a story that can move you if you're patient enough to read each line with a sort of dreamlike trance. Definitely a 5
Episode Seven is of the same like as The End of the World As We Know It, just in an opposite form. This is pretty much a rundown of the usual Apocalypse/Post-Apocalypse stories, only unlike TEofWAWKI, these group of survivors don't just sit around and wait for something to happen. It's well written, but the way it's written kind of makes it seem a bit drawn out more than it has to be. A kind of low end for a book that had plenty of good stories just mixed with plenty of bad stories. 3.5
The End of the Whole Mess is entertaining. But that's about it. It's short in the way that it felt as though Stephen King had to keep it short, and not that it just came out short. While the story calls for it to feel rushed and that there is more to be said but no time for it, the story doesn't feel like that. It feels like King's forcing it. 3.5
Salvage, is....i don't know what it is. It's a good story. It is, but well after finishing it, it's kinda forgotten. 3.5
The People of Sand and Slag is one of my favorites. It's subtle while at the same time being in your face. Subtle because that's the world they live in, and are used to and there really isn't much more to do about it than to treat it like that. Everything they do is done because that's how they live. All the while it's in your face because the message is there and it's not afraid to spout it off with small details or quick dialogue. and that ending...yeah easily one of my favorites. 5
Bread and Bombs is an interesting enough story. nothing rightly special about it though. it's written well, and leads to a pretty interesting moment that is slightly predictable. at least for me it was. 4
How We Got in Town and Out Again is a story that leaves me with little to say. It wasn't my cup of tea is all. The writing is there, the story...well i'm not all too sure about the story. I think it may have flown over my head. 3.5
Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels was actually really good. It was surprising for me because the start was presented as something that wouldn't necessarily catch my attention. The writing was okay, it moved things along, the dialogue really wasn't to my liking, but in the end it was well worth a read. 4 stars
Waiting for the Zephyr was interesting. the mechanical concepts that had thought put into it were fascinating in their descriptions. the story was simple, a girl wanting to go out on her own, a family who didn't want that for her. I think what made it so great was that it was short and simple to the point, it didn't waste any time trying to be more. 5
Never Despair is one that leaves me slightly speechless. it wasn't awe-inspiring, at least as far as the story goes. The idea though, that was something that interested me. This was a story that slowed in the action and the set up, but really began to flow when the dialogue started. Wonderfully crafted in that area. 4.5
When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth isn't bad. But I'm no technological genius and a lot of the techno-mumbo-jumbo just wore out it's welcome. Once that settled though, it really was an interesting read. Unlike the others this one actually focused on how to deal with a in-the-process-ending-of-the-world instead of a world already ended and survivors living years after the ashes had fallen. 4
The Last of the O-Forms is a small piece of a larger world, at least that's how it seems. It's simple with a bit of silent humor, a real treat compared to the last couple in your face humor moments. It's short and simple with it's little twisted ending that just seems right. 5 only because it was a nice change of pace from the rest of the stories.
Still Life With Apocalypse is the shortest and probably closest to one of my favorites. it's simple, portrait of what the world will keep doing after it ends, gotta keep moving and stay busy kind of story. 5
Artie's Angels is one of those stories that can be told and retold in any element, in any way shape or form. We see it in practically every book somehow. But this was different for me. This had heart. It wasn't a happy story of a kid spreading hope and law throughout lawless/hopeless lands. Instead it was different. It was a real story about a kid doing all he could to spread hope and law throughout lawless/hopeless lands, surrendering first love, second long and true love. This one earns my favorite. 5stars every last bit of it.
Judgment Passed was a story that wasn't what i expected. From the author detail/blurb that came before the story, I was expecting an anti-bible thumping story. It wasn't that, well not too much. It was more focused on saying, that if a God does exist, maybe it's not too bad to be left behind. It had it's moments where it seemed to say pretty loudly, that religion is dangerous, but for the most part it said that and moved on. 4.5
Mute is a strange story that deserves a reread in the near future. Because it's such a strange story I'm not all too sure what to make of it, or what to say of it. for sure it holds a 3.5 other than that well, I regretfully don't know.
Inertia was one that held my interest. Hope, the lack of hope, and just knowing who you are what your place it and sticking to it, are what I got out of it. I didn't love it, some parts were slow to the point. But i liked it enough to read it in one sitting, and think on it. I enjoyed it well enough to the point that I may spoil it if I talk more. So I won't. 4.5
And the Deep Blue Sea felt like a road trip portrait of the post apocalypse with a bit of narrative to give the story reason to push along. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all too great for me either. I'm sure this is one that some will enjoy, but for me it doesn't hold well after such successful tales. 3
Speech Sounds may be the most intriguing and original story out of this whole book. Not because it's overly complicated, or because of what they figure the world to be after the world's ended and goes on. It's original because it focuses more on the emotions, mostly because this is a world without speak, but it still reaches for those emotions that we may have after everything we love and knew is gone. 5
Killers is said to be a heavy response to 9/11 and it's after effects. To me though, it was more of a statement on human nature, with the backdrop being a post apocalyptic world. Well not so much post apocalyptic, but more of a tired world that was in ruins and just kind of lazily stayed in that state. A good story though, really engaging main character that you do understand. 5
Ginny Sweethips' Flying Circus is probably one of the more unique stories. Well the characters are a bit more unique than the story. That being said, I'm not quite sure how to perceive this story, or what more to say on it. 4.5
The End of the World As We Know It, is just plain fun. It is a breakdown of how most apocalyptic tales take place, while at the same time telling it's own story. It knows what it is, and plays with it. It's a sort of comedic tale told with a serious face. 5
A Song Before Sunset is just beautiful. There is no denying that this is the most heartfelt story there is. It's a bit slow, a bit tedious at times, building itself to the revelation of just what means the most to the main character. The end result is a story that can move you if you're patient enough to read each line with a sort of dreamlike trance. Definitely a 5
Episode Seven is of the same like as The End of the World As We Know It, just in an opposite form. This is pretty much a rundown of the usual Apocalypse/Post-Apocalypse stories, only unlike TEofWAWKI, these group of survivors don't just sit around and wait for something to happen. It's well written, but the way it's written kind of makes it seem a bit drawn out more than it has to be. A kind of low end for a book that had plenty of good stories just mixed with plenty of bad stories. 3.5
tsharris's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent collection of post-apocalyptic stories from a first-class group of writers. Some very much better than others - Cory Doctorow's contribution is unforgettable - but on the whole excellent. There were some especially novel takes in this collection.
In part because I read this collection at the same time that I've been reading a book on post-Roman Europe and Stoicism I think I've gained a new appreciation for why post-apocalyptic fiction is so popular and so enduring a genre. Reading it is essentially a form of meditating on bad things, a Stoic practice for being aware of what could go wrong in one's life as a way to prepare for the worst and appreciate what one has. Thanks to Rome, an awareness that civilization could crumble is virtually baked into Western Civilization's DNA. Everything manmade ends sooner or later.
In part because I read this collection at the same time that I've been reading a book on post-Roman Europe and Stoicism I think I've gained a new appreciation for why post-apocalyptic fiction is so popular and so enduring a genre. Reading it is essentially a form of meditating on bad things, a Stoic practice for being aware of what could go wrong in one's life as a way to prepare for the worst and appreciate what one has. Thanks to Rome, an awareness that civilization could crumble is virtually baked into Western Civilization's DNA. Everything manmade ends sooner or later.
exeidur's review against another edition
2.75
This is one of the better anthologies I've read lately. Still only 2,8 stars once I take the average of all stories combined, but there were quite a few different writing styles and a great variety of apocalypses. A few stories I really enjoyed, quite a few I actively disliked, and a whole lot were basically alright. You can see my (short) review of each story below.
1) The End of the Whole Mess by Stephen King - ****
I honestly quite liked this one! A good story to start with, I feel. Not too heavy, but a pretty interesting concept (young genius tries to save mankind from war, but gets them into a whole other mess). Written well and the protagonists are likeable and fleshed out nicely for such a short story.
2) Salvage by Orson Scott Card - ***
A bit of a depressing ending,but a solid story. The protagonist doesn't know about the world before the apocalypse, which is a smart way not to have to explain much about what happened. I just know he's in a town, earning money by salvaging items from the old world and staying with a nice older woman. I didn't find the protagonist very likeable, but af least he seemed like a real person to me.
3) The People of Sand and Slag by Paolo Bacigalupi - **
I don't think this was a bad story, per se, but i just didn't like it. It's a bit too weird for me, and it seems very unrealistic that this is how the world would be (people eating sand and regenerating limbs within 24 hours, while camping on a beach near an oil lake). The ending was to be expected, but I still didn't like it. SpoilerDid they really have to kill the dog? I don't think humans will all evolve to be psychopaths like them, really.
4) Bread and Bombs by M. Rickert - **
A bad start, because I absolutely hated the first sentence, and it didn't get much better. I really don't like the writing style of this piece. The dialogue is written as it would be spoken, but that still doesn't mean you have to write "could of" instead of "could've". Those sound exactly the same, so there's no reason to intentionally write it the wrong way to resemble spoken language. Anyway, I also didn't much like the story itself, especially the ending. That seemed needlessly drasticSpoiler (children burning down a building containing their parents and all other adults and their babies, because all adults are apparently racist in this world and not something children would actually do.
5) How We Got in Town and Out Again by Jonathan Lethem - **
To shortly summarise the story: people enter a virtual reality world, which was made in the past before the apocalypse or something, and our protagonist tried online dating, a flight simulator, and some other stuff while an audience watches him and the others. They only get thirty minutes of sleep/breaktime every three hours, so it's basically a contest of who can stay awake the longest. SpoilerThe protagonist doesn't win, because they killed his virtual snowman pall and that makes him freak out and punch an organiser.
I think the protagonist is quite stupid and because the narration is done from his perspective, the narration sounds dumb as well. Very simple use of words and short sentences, but without an interesting or witty personality to make the narration stand out a bit. There was one sort of funny moment in this story, but otherwise it really didn't do it for me. Maybe because the writer dislikes virtual reality of any kind, while I think it's a pretty cool idea. He also seems to dislike gaming/the internet in general, or at least the protagonist is mostly indifferent towards it. This is also the only story so far which had a few typos/some missing punctuation. All in all, quite boring though it might've been fun had someone else written about it.
6) Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels by George R. R. Martin - ****
Earth is pretty much uninhabitable after a nuclear war, but hundreds of years later, scientists and soldiers (whose ancestors were in space at the time of the disaster?) look for signs of life on the desolated planet. The tunnels deep beneath the earth's surface seem the most likely location to them.
The story is told from two different perspectives, which gives away a bit of what is about to happen but not too much. The different perspectives also have different narration styles, a good choice in my opinion. Since the story is quite short, it becomes obvious quickly that it can't end too well, and it doesn't. I still liked it though!
7) Waiting for the Zephyr by Tobias S. Buckell - ***
I'm not very fond of stories that take place in the desert, so this wasn't a great setting for me. Even so, I did sort of like this short little piece. Sort of, because it's too short to really get to know any of the characters or build up the world. Nice, but forgettable.
8) Never despair by Jack McDevitt - ***
A quite optimistic story, even though the world we know is in ruins. The people now living on earth only know of their ancestors as "the Roadmakers", since long stretches of road cross the country. A few of these people have set out to search for remains of the old world, something that'll teach them who they once were. Short and sweet, nice writing style, no information about what the people are really like after the apocalypse though.
9) When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth by Cory Doctorow - ***
This is one of the longest stories in the anthology, yet it didn't feel like much happened at all. The world goes to shit because of bio-weaponry/terrorism/electronic attacks & bombs. The main character is a system administrator and tries to start a new world together with another bunch of "sysadmins". Only he doesn't do a very good jobs and there are just a whole lot of dead bodies lying around. He's kind of likeable, but there's too much geek-speak for me in this story.
10) The Last of the O-Forms by James Van Pelt - ***
Mutated animals started appearing years ago, and the protagonist started a traveling zoo. No "original-form" animals are being born anymore, so the zoo's failing about 12 years later. The protagonist is trying to save his zoo, even though it's doomed to fail.
This one was alright, though the ending was a bit predictable & I didn't like it mostly because of that.
11) Still Life with Apocalypse by Richard Kadrey - **
Straight away, not fond of the title, but luckily it's very short. Nothing really happens in this story, but I didn't hate it enough to be a 1* review. Still a waste of pages in my opinion.
12) Artie's Angels by Catherine Wells - ****
A well-written story with interesting characters and a solid plot. It's not very long, but it still packs a punch. Some people (those with money) are leaving earth, and others stay behind, trying to live life as best they can. This is either in a devastated wastelands outside, or within a protective shield. But the area inside the shield is pretty much lawless, so it's still a tough life.
Probably my favourite in this anthology. I really like the main characters and though the ending is a bit predictable, it really worked and just made sense. A great read!
13) Judgement Passed by Jerry Oltion - ***
A starship crew returns to earth only to find that biblical judgement has been passed on all humans on earth (& the moon). Now the crew is going to try to to get Jesus to pick them up as well.
I think the way the characters talk to each other in this story is a bit fake. They don't really come across as real people, for some reason. The plot was easy to follow, the futuristic tech not difficult to understand, but it all felt quite shallow. An alright story, not great.
14) Mute by Gene Wolfe - **
The introduction to this story sets it up to be pretty darn amazing. Sadly, it wasn't. Just a bit strange and depressing. Two kids are dropped off at a house to live with their dad, but they can't find any people anywhere and the television is on mute. Eh.
15) Inertia by Nancy Cress - ****
Told from a grandma's perspective, which is a bit of fresh air in this anthology. Her family is weird though, and they act strangely towards each other.
Apparently, people with a disfiguring contagious disease live in colonies and have learned to be self-sufficient. Now the world outside seems to be breaking down.
They're actually a reason for the fact the that the family acts so strangely, which I honestly hadn't expected. I didn't really like the characters or the story, but it did keep me reading for some reason. It didn't take me a lot of effort to read through it. 4* because the ending is written well and the style of the entire story compliments what's going on.
16) And the Deep Blue Sea by Elizabeth Bear - *
It's a very American story. Some boring talk at the start, then the main character Harrie goed on a trip. Through a radioactive zone in Last Vegas, I believe. She seems to be on a sentient Kawasaki bike. She's supposed to be in a hurry, but she's only going 140-200 kilometres per hour on deserted roads (surely her bike could do 240?)
It's just so boring. SpoilerEven when it turns out she's skipping through time and space on her trip, visiting Chernobyl and Manila. But why? It ends on an open ending as well, which isn't exciting but boring.
Recommended to people who really like Kawasaki bikes and Cross fountain pens.
17) Speech Sounds by Octavia E. Butler - ***
People seem to have lost the ability to speak and can only use basic/crude sign language, not real sign language.
And even though the concept is very strange, the story still turned out a bit predictable, but the ending was sort of sweet.
18) Killers by Carol Emshwiller - ***
What would it be like if terrorists came to America en masse? That's apparently the premise of the story. People and their way of life have regressed immensely - no electricity, no plumbing - and most of the men are gone.
SpoilerThe main character takes in a man who was hiding in the forest and killing other men over there. She makes him look presentable, makes up a story about where he came from and it all goes well. Then he seems to like another woman and she tells the town who he really is and they hang him.
The ending is a bit abrupt and it makes the entire story feel kind of pointless. The writing was alright though, and the world building was pretty nice for such a short story.
19) Ginny Sweethips' Flying Circus by Neal Barrett Jr. - **
Really do not like this writing style. The punctuation is very strange, the sentences sound choppy, and it's very hard to get into the story this way.
I honestly could not take in what was happening because the sentence structure bothered me do much. I just didn't want to read this at all, so I skimmed through.
They're selling time with Ginny for gas. Only it turns out they're not really doing the thing with her, they're just drugged & then think they are, because of a sort of simulation or something.
I don't think the story was horrible, it just wasn't very well written. I liked the little twist though.
20) The End of the World as We Know It by Dale Bailey - **
A guy waffles on about how he felt like the world was ending every day, and then it did. People are suddenly dead and the narrator just doesn't feel like telling you why just yet.
It's kind of annoying, really.
The writing style is a bit distant, the main character seems a bit boring, and I just didn't really care. There's no tension, no sense of curiosity. Especially when, halfway through, the narrator simply states that he's not going to tell you what happened.
Didn't like it, not interesting, funny, or especially original. It gets two stars instead of one because I didn't actively hate it.
21) A Song Before Sunset by David Grigg - ****
A tiny bit predictable, but a good story. An old piano player has survived for years after the apocalypse and misses the days of old, when he could still play.
I like the main character, and the story is short and solid.
22) Episode Seven: Last Stand Against the Pack In the Kingdom of the Purple Flowers by John Langan - ***
My goodness that title. The title is a warning for what's to come, because the first sentence is divided by an interminable number of commas, and there's no period in sight. This makes it so that you feel like it all happened in a rush, but also makes it a whole lot harder to read. Not sure if I like this stylistic choice.
If you only take the essence of the first few sentences, you end up with:
"After three days and nights on the run they managed to pull ahead of the Pack, cross the Bridge, set up camp on the other shore, and were preparing an ambush. Jackie sat waiting for Wayne. The sun was hot. Later, Wayne returned long enough to pick up some rope and return to the Bridge."
Which is pretty basic, but I didn't get all of that until I literally wrote it out. It gets better the further you read on, though, and it's good that it's placed almost directly after #20, which apparently partially inspired the story. In the end, it was alright and cleverly written.
1) The End of the Whole Mess by Stephen King - ****
I honestly quite liked this one! A good story to start with, I feel. Not too heavy, but a pretty interesting concept (young genius tries to save mankind from war, but gets them into a whole other mess). Written well and the protagonists are likeable and fleshed out nicely for such a short story.
2) Salvage by Orson Scott Card - ***
A bit of a depressing ending,but a solid story. The protagonist doesn't know about the world before the apocalypse, which is a smart way not to have to explain much about what happened. I just know he's in a town, earning money by salvaging items from the old world and staying with a nice older woman. I didn't find the protagonist very likeable, but af least he seemed like a real person to me.
3) The People of Sand and Slag by Paolo Bacigalupi - **
I don't think this was a bad story, per se, but i just didn't like it. It's a bit too weird for me, and it seems very unrealistic that this is how the world would be (people eating sand and regenerating limbs within 24 hours, while camping on a beach near an oil lake). The ending was to be expected, but I still didn't like it. SpoilerDid they really have to kill the dog? I don't think humans will all evolve to be psychopaths like them, really.
4) Bread and Bombs by M. Rickert - **
A bad start, because I absolutely hated the first sentence, and it didn't get much better. I really don't like the writing style of this piece. The dialogue is written as it would be spoken, but that still doesn't mean you have to write "could of" instead of "could've". Those sound exactly the same, so there's no reason to intentionally write it the wrong way to resemble spoken language. Anyway, I also didn't much like the story itself, especially the ending. That seemed needlessly drasticSpoiler (children burning down a building containing their parents and all other adults and their babies, because all adults are apparently racist in this world and not something children would actually do.
5) How We Got in Town and Out Again by Jonathan Lethem - **
To shortly summarise the story: people enter a virtual reality world, which was made in the past before the apocalypse or something, and our protagonist tried online dating, a flight simulator, and some other stuff while an audience watches him and the others. They only get thirty minutes of sleep/breaktime every three hours, so it's basically a contest of who can stay awake the longest. SpoilerThe protagonist doesn't win, because they killed his virtual snowman pall and that makes him freak out and punch an organiser.
I think the protagonist is quite stupid and because the narration is done from his perspective, the narration sounds dumb as well. Very simple use of words and short sentences, but without an interesting or witty personality to make the narration stand out a bit. There was one sort of funny moment in this story, but otherwise it really didn't do it for me. Maybe because the writer dislikes virtual reality of any kind, while I think it's a pretty cool idea. He also seems to dislike gaming/the internet in general, or at least the protagonist is mostly indifferent towards it. This is also the only story so far which had a few typos/some missing punctuation. All in all, quite boring though it might've been fun had someone else written about it.
6) Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels by George R. R. Martin - ****
Earth is pretty much uninhabitable after a nuclear war, but hundreds of years later, scientists and soldiers (whose ancestors were in space at the time of the disaster?) look for signs of life on the desolated planet. The tunnels deep beneath the earth's surface seem the most likely location to them.
The story is told from two different perspectives, which gives away a bit of what is about to happen but not too much. The different perspectives also have different narration styles, a good choice in my opinion. Since the story is quite short, it becomes obvious quickly that it can't end too well, and it doesn't. I still liked it though!
7) Waiting for the Zephyr by Tobias S. Buckell - ***
I'm not very fond of stories that take place in the desert, so this wasn't a great setting for me. Even so, I did sort of like this short little piece. Sort of, because it's too short to really get to know any of the characters or build up the world. Nice, but forgettable.
8) Never despair by Jack McDevitt - ***
A quite optimistic story, even though the world we know is in ruins. The people now living on earth only know of their ancestors as "the Roadmakers", since long stretches of road cross the country. A few of these people have set out to search for remains of the old world, something that'll teach them who they once were. Short and sweet, nice writing style, no information about what the people are really like after the apocalypse though.
9) When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth by Cory Doctorow - ***
This is one of the longest stories in the anthology, yet it didn't feel like much happened at all. The world goes to shit because of bio-weaponry/terrorism/electronic attacks & bombs. The main character is a system administrator and tries to start a new world together with another bunch of "sysadmins". Only he doesn't do a very good jobs and there are just a whole lot of dead bodies lying around. He's kind of likeable, but there's too much geek-speak for me in this story.
10) The Last of the O-Forms by James Van Pelt - ***
Mutated animals started appearing years ago, and the protagonist started a traveling zoo. No "original-form" animals are being born anymore, so the zoo's failing about 12 years later. The protagonist is trying to save his zoo, even though it's doomed to fail.
This one was alright, though the ending was a bit predictable & I didn't like it mostly because of that.
11) Still Life with Apocalypse by Richard Kadrey - **
Straight away, not fond of the title, but luckily it's very short. Nothing really happens in this story, but I didn't hate it enough to be a 1* review. Still a waste of pages in my opinion.
12) Artie's Angels by Catherine Wells - ****
A well-written story with interesting characters and a solid plot. It's not very long, but it still packs a punch. Some people (those with money) are leaving earth, and others stay behind, trying to live life as best they can. This is either in a devastated wastelands outside, or within a protective shield. But the area inside the shield is pretty much lawless, so it's still a tough life.
Probably my favourite in this anthology. I really like the main characters and though the ending is a bit predictable, it really worked and just made sense. A great read!
13) Judgement Passed by Jerry Oltion - ***
A starship crew returns to earth only to find that biblical judgement has been passed on all humans on earth (& the moon). Now the crew is going to try to to get Jesus to pick them up as well.
I think the way the characters talk to each other in this story is a bit fake. They don't really come across as real people, for some reason. The plot was easy to follow, the futuristic tech not difficult to understand, but it all felt quite shallow. An alright story, not great.
14) Mute by Gene Wolfe - **
The introduction to this story sets it up to be pretty darn amazing. Sadly, it wasn't. Just a bit strange and depressing. Two kids are dropped off at a house to live with their dad, but they can't find any people anywhere and the television is on mute. Eh.
15) Inertia by Nancy Cress - ****
Told from a grandma's perspective, which is a bit of fresh air in this anthology. Her family is weird though, and they act strangely towards each other.
Apparently, people with a disfiguring contagious disease live in colonies and have learned to be self-sufficient. Now the world outside seems to be breaking down.
They're actually a reason for the fact the that the family acts so strangely, which I honestly hadn't expected. I didn't really like the characters or the story, but it did keep me reading for some reason. It didn't take me a lot of effort to read through it. 4* because the ending is written well and the style of the entire story compliments what's going on.
16) And the Deep Blue Sea by Elizabeth Bear - *
It's a very American story. Some boring talk at the start, then the main character Harrie goed on a trip. Through a radioactive zone in Last Vegas, I believe. She seems to be on a sentient Kawasaki bike. She's supposed to be in a hurry, but she's only going 140-200 kilometres per hour on deserted roads (surely her bike could do 240?)
It's just so boring. SpoilerEven when it turns out she's skipping through time and space on her trip, visiting Chernobyl and Manila. But why? It ends on an open ending as well, which isn't exciting but boring.
Recommended to people who really like Kawasaki bikes and Cross fountain pens.
17) Speech Sounds by Octavia E. Butler - ***
People seem to have lost the ability to speak and can only use basic/crude sign language, not real sign language.
And even though the concept is very strange, the story still turned out a bit predictable, but the ending was sort of sweet.
18) Killers by Carol Emshwiller - ***
What would it be like if terrorists came to America en masse? That's apparently the premise of the story. People and their way of life have regressed immensely - no electricity, no plumbing - and most of the men are gone.
SpoilerThe main character takes in a man who was hiding in the forest and killing other men over there. She makes him look presentable, makes up a story about where he came from and it all goes well. Then he seems to like another woman and she tells the town who he really is and they hang him.
The ending is a bit abrupt and it makes the entire story feel kind of pointless. The writing was alright though, and the world building was pretty nice for such a short story.
19) Ginny Sweethips' Flying Circus by Neal Barrett Jr. - **
Really do not like this writing style. The punctuation is very strange, the sentences sound choppy, and it's very hard to get into the story this way.
I honestly could not take in what was happening because the sentence structure bothered me do much. I just didn't want to read this at all, so I skimmed through.
They're selling time with Ginny for gas. Only it turns out they're not really doing the thing with her, they're just drugged & then think they are, because of a sort of simulation or something.
I don't think the story was horrible, it just wasn't very well written. I liked the little twist though.
20) The End of the World as We Know It by Dale Bailey - **
A guy waffles on about how he felt like the world was ending every day, and then it did. People are suddenly dead and the narrator just doesn't feel like telling you why just yet.
It's kind of annoying, really.
The writing style is a bit distant, the main character seems a bit boring, and I just didn't really care. There's no tension, no sense of curiosity. Especially when, halfway through, the narrator simply states that he's not going to tell you what happened.
Didn't like it, not interesting, funny, or especially original. It gets two stars instead of one because I didn't actively hate it.
21) A Song Before Sunset by David Grigg - ****
A tiny bit predictable, but a good story. An old piano player has survived for years after the apocalypse and misses the days of old, when he could still play.
I like the main character, and the story is short and solid.
22) Episode Seven: Last Stand Against the Pack In the Kingdom of the Purple Flowers by John Langan - ***
My goodness that title. The title is a warning for what's to come, because the first sentence is divided by an interminable number of commas, and there's no period in sight. This makes it so that you feel like it all happened in a rush, but also makes it a whole lot harder to read. Not sure if I like this stylistic choice.
If you only take the essence of the first few sentences, you end up with:
"After three days and nights on the run they managed to pull ahead of the Pack, cross the Bridge, set up camp on the other shore, and were preparing an ambush. Jackie sat waiting for Wayne. The sun was hot. Later, Wayne returned long enough to pick up some rope and return to the Bridge."
Which is pretty basic, but I didn't get all of that until I literally wrote it out. It gets better the further you read on, though, and it's good that it's placed almost directly after #20, which apparently partially inspired the story. In the end, it was alright and cleverly written.