To Root Somewhere Beautiful

by Lauren T. Davila (Editor), Mallory Jones, Morgan Spraker

Imagine a world in which nature has lost patience with humanity. The wild is done waiting for humans to change their ways. Nature is ready to take matters into her own hands… And she is angry. In this new anthology, twenty two diverse authors explore what nature's vengeance might be like, and how humanity could adapt and change, giving these stories of climate change and disasters a center of hope. Within these pages, you will meet A grandmother who promises both bitterness and love. A desperate husband seeking to supernaturally win back his wife. Cafe patrons facing down vigilante trees. The last remaining flight attendants in Singapore after a climate apocalypse. The recipient of a mysterious gift, who might change or doom the future. And many more. Here, nature has a voice; what will you do once you hear what she says?

Genres: Short Stories, Science Fiction, Nature, Adult, Horror, Fantasy

316 pages, Paperback

Published March 5, 2024

Reviews

[Nicholas Perez]

March 5, 2024

TODAY IS PUB DAY!

My debut short story is in this anthology! I can't wait for everyone to meet Rafael and Beatriz next year, alongside all the characters in all the other authors' stories!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I backed To Root Somewhere Beautiful on Kickstarter and received the e-book. The description reads (in part): “twenty-two diverse authors explore what nature's vengeance might be like, and how humanity could adapt and change, giving these stories of climate change and disasters a center of hope.” The stories stay close to the theme, each featuring end-of-world scenarios all related to humans having dramatically changed the earth. There is a fair amount of horror-leaning and dystopian writing though I didn’t find anything in the collection scary really – moreso thought provoking and, in some instances, quite disturbing. I did star rate each story individually just for my own reference while reviewing; almost all my ratings were 3.5 or above.

Like any anthology, any reader will enjoy some stories more than others. I do think that it was strong overall. My favourite stories included “The Last Singapore Girls” by Wen-yi Lee, “They Used to Build Parks Here” by SJ Whitby, “When the World Gives Out” by Rachal Marquez Jones, and “To Root from Flesh” by Isa Arsen.

Content warnings: body horror, violence, gun violence, murder, death of a child, racism, racial slurs, sexism, fire injury, abandonment, suicidal thoughts

[alanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this anthology. There are always some stories I enjoy more than others, but overall this was a really strong collection. The stories were diverse despite the shared themes of eco horror and climate fiction, and I enjoyed the whole this. My favourites (in the order they appear in the anthology), were:

The Last Singapore Girls - Wen-yi Lee
El Grito de la Onda - Lauren T. Davila
Nectar: Unlimited - Laura G. Southern
To Root from Flesh - Isa Arsen
Emma - Morgan Spraker
The Roots Called Us Home - Onyx Osiris