The Age of Calamities

by Senaa Ahmad

For fans of Karen Russell and Carmen Maria Machado, The Age of Calamities is a genre-defying, mind-bending collection of absurdist, funny, and speculative short stories.

In this bold and enchanting collection Senaa Ahmad takes license with history and its players, sending the reader on a thrilling ride. In “Let’s Play Dead,” Henry VIII wants Anne Boleyn gone, but there’s a tiny problem―she keeps coming back to life no matter what he does. “Choose Your Own Apocalypse” hurls readers back to 1945, where they assume the role of a technician for the Manhattan Project, surrounded by labyrinthine paths and harrowing outcomes. And “Inside the House of the Historian” invites us to a dinner party turned murder mystery full of figures like Nefertiti, Queen Victoria, John Adams, and Marilyn Monroe. These stories and others entice readers to confront the past, the present, and themselves all at once. Zany and haunting, inviting and brilliant, each poignant tale delves into surreal nature of today through the lens of yesterday, charting the tragicomic yet hopeful act of living.

The Age of Calamities is an evocation of life and death on history’s unsteady margins, of how to reckon with the blunt-force trauma of ill-fated times. Fiercely clever and wildly inventive, this debut establishes Senaa Ahmad as a literary force.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Historical, Anthologies, Science Fiction Fantasy

240 pages, Paperback

Expected publication January 1, 2026

Reviews

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was impressed by the range of Ahmad's imagination in these short stories that play intentionally fast and loose with realist history. The first story of an Anne Boleyn who keeps coming back to life after Henry VIII's increasingly desperate attempts to get rid of her was by far my favourite - funny, a bit gross, and very knowing, it picks up on modern feminist takes on this particular marriage and the gendered power dynamics of the Henrician court more broadly.

The other stories take a similar iconoclastic view of history: Genghis Khan and an army of werewolves (there was a distinct Angela Carter edge here); Lizzie Borden, Jeanne D'Arc, a Julius Caesar confronted by a very modern woman in Gaul!

Reading history through a modern, feminist, sometimes Gothic or fairy-tale lens gives all these stories and interest though not all of them follow through. Overall, though, an imaginative and creative collection, perhaps closer to 3.5 stars for the unevenness.

Thanks to Pushkin for an ARC via NetGalley

[Zana]

DNF @ 11%

This is too nonsensical and silly for me. While I like weird fiction, I can't really get into this. I only read two stories, and I found myself asking, "What was the point?"

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley for this arc.


---

Short story collections aren't usually my jam. But I saw this cover, read the title, and was intrigued by both the premise and the author, and I couldn't say no.

"Let's Play Dead"
4/5 stars

What if Anne Boleyn was immortal?

This was a such a macabre read that was enjoyable in a somber way. The writing was snarky and evocative (in a gross and cool manner). I enjoyed seeing a man like Henry VIII be haunted by the consequences of his actions, but seeing Anne suffer death and torture again and again was heartbreaking.

Sweet murder scenes though.

[Tina Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, this was a truly unique reading experience, bursting with imagination and creativity. The author blends historical figures into fictional, exaggerated, and at times seemingly illogical settings. For instance, in “Inside the House of the Historian,” Nefertiti, Queen Victoria, John Adams, and Marilyn Monroe all attend a dinner party together. And in “The Napoleons Are Multiplying,” multiple versions of Napoleon were generated, each different in personality and ability.

Rather than focusing on historical accuracy, these fantastical setups are used to explore real-world questions, like the nature of love and sacrifice, how people respond under extreme circumstances, and the complexity of human connection. Even in more extreme stories, like “Let’s Play Dead,” where Henry VIII repeatedly tries to kill Anne Boleyn in increasingly dramatic ways, the tone remains playful and light, which makes the stories more accessible despite their wild premises.

I’m not usually drawn to this kind of surreal fantasy, so it took me a while to get my bearings. Honestly, I can’t say I fully grasped everything. Some stories, like “The Wolves,” have clearer plotlines and are easier to follow. Others, like “Inside the House of the Historian,” are more abstract and open-ended. Many of the stories end without a firm resolution. Still, even when I didn’t completely understand what was happening, the journey was always fresh and thought-provoking—an imaginative experience like no other.

Thanks to Henry Holt & Company and Netgallery for the arc. This review is my honest opinion.

[this_eel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many famous people in so many new situations! Senaa Ahmad does what a lot of my favorite short story writers do, which is blend whimsy and feeling kinda down in a way that’s not oppressive but is sort of tenderly, pleasantly unpleasant. Favorites were the wolves, the one with lots of napoleons, and the one about making horror movies based on Lizzie Borden. Several others I found incredibly effective as well. The star off is bc she is TOO coherent, and at a certain point in the book it feels less like a wholeness than like a running out of ideas. Taken individually I love most of the collection and I hope that her next thing has a new concept but the same caliber of emotionally adroit bruising.

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

The concept of this book is so cool! This is a pretty short collection of short stories (about 200 pages) and these stories follow different iconic figures throughout history and some whimsical situations they find themselves in.

Like I said above, I really liked the idea of this book, but I think I have just come to realize that short stories aren't really for me (which is sad because I really want them to be, I am trying so hard). I think that I struggle to connect with a shorter story, I like having the time to learn about characters and get invested in their problems.

This is definitely my favorite collection of short stories I've read thought, BY FAR! I did enjoy reading this, it reads super fast, and I was very much entertained by it. I think all of these stories were so unique, entertaining, and fun. I just wanted a little bit more. I just know that so many people are going to absolutely love this book. I also think the cover is cool, I like the colors and stylization of it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[Kate Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Senaa Ahmad takes some old history and weaves into it magic, the deconstruction of what we accept as real, and a healthy dose of humor. There were multiple quotes in this that I had to write down, they have stuck in my mind for days thus far. Ahmad asks questions with this book that may never have been before asked, such as "What if Anne Boleyn couldn't die?" and "What if Ghengis Khan was so successful in his efforts because his army consisted of werewolves?". I strongly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical retellings.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy weird and wacky short stories, this book is for you. It's a collection of historical characters and moments in time, viewed through the lens of a fever dream or possibly peyote. The collection begins with Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, where Anne refuses to stay dead, so Henry keeps inventing new ways to kill her. This is Anne as Everywoman, when husbands discard wives no longer wanted or deemed useful. My favorite scene was of her ladies-in-waiting sitting with their embroidery, making handkerchiefs for her but thinking, "I bayoneted this cloth nine thousand forty-two times and imagined it was the flesh of your enemies."

Most of the stories have the strangest pairing of historical figures, but the characters themselves don't seem to mind. Julius Caesar and Nellie Bly? Indeed, tripping back and forth between ancient Rome and New York City. I think I would enjoy dinner parties more if the guest list included Blackbeard, Queen Victoria, John Adams, Marilyn Monroe, and Nefertiti, as in another story. The Romanovs make an appearance in their own story, still tragic but warped and fantastical. "Our mother, the empress Alexandra, she'd never packed her own luggage before. In her leather case she stuffed roughly a million dresses and two tea sets. She forgot to bring anyone's toothbrush."

Did I understand all of the stories? Nope, but that's okay because that's how weird works. I hope Senaa Ahmad writes a novel next because I would love to read it!

My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the ARC. All opinions and the review are entirely my own.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This surrealist short story collection delights in the darkly absurd, and I loved it. Each story shifts shape and tone, with no unifying time period or geography. The golden thread running through the collection is asking the most extreme version of the question "what if?" The result is unsettling, funny, and strangely moving, the kind of reading that widens the edges of your imagination. Whilst you're reading, nothing has to make sense.

🎖️What if a group of physically identical yet temperamentally different Napoleons rented a house together?
🐺What if men turned into monsters and chased their women across the steppe, only becoming men again under a full moon?
🏚️What if a house became sentient and pulled in a bizarre cast of historical figures for its own dark purpose?
👑What if Anne Boleyn was unkillable?

My favourite tales were Inside the House of the Historian and what us arguably the most fully formed yet unresolved story - the final tale, Choose Your Own Apocalypse.

I read each story with a sense of delighted dread, never knowing where I would land next. This is the kind of collection that disrupts your expectations and leaves you wondering how the author constructed her ideas so strangely yet so brilliantly. The language is also beautiful, sometimes lyrical in the manner of a myth, sometimes shakingly direct, and throughout demonstrating the inner thoughts of this unbelievable yet realised cast of characters.

I would recommend this for readers who loved Susannah Clarke's PIRANESI for its lyrical beauty and surreal setting, and Carmen Maria Machado's HER BODY AND OTHER PARTIES for its unflinching point of view and melding of story and reality. I also think you would like this if you appreciate myths and legends, or if you find the most pleasure in the characters of history, rather than dates and facts. Serious suspension of disbelief is needed, and the rewards are well worth it.

I was privileged to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest review. US release date is 13 January 2026, UK 12 February, and I recommend you put it in your diary.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Age of Calamaties
What an amazing collection of bizarre surreal magical and absurd stories. I loved it!
Senaa Ahmad offers the reader an assortment of stories that contain an Anne Boleyn that won't stay dead, reverse werewolves, multiplying Napoleons, a murder mystery featuring celebrities from across the ages and a Manhattan Project choose your own adventure. Need I say that they are beautifully written too.
This collection might not be for every reader, but it was right up my alley.
I am a fan of Christopher Moore, Mark Leyner, Steve Martin, Jonathan Lethem, Carl Hiaasen and Kurt Vonnegut. Senna Ahmad's The Age of Calamaties fits in nicely on my bookshelf.
Thanks to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Company for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for an advance copy of this collection of short stories that feature historical characters set in times and places that are new to readers but deal with events, emotions, and entanglements that are familiar to us all.

Americans love to categorize things. And never letting the twains meet. How Reese's Peanut Butter Cups became popular is something I will never understand, because we as Americans don't like to think much. Male, female, American, other. Even in entertainment. This book is mystery, this one general fiction. This is historical fiction. This one is fantasy or maybe if one is reaching speculative fiction. Chocolate does not mix with peanut butter nor vice versa, so few know if they taste great together. To mix historical fiction with say magical fiction, well that just seems wrong. Though if one looks at the Outlander success, well maybe its not that wrong. Or if say an author takes the idea of mixing historical fiction with a bit of surrealism, what could that be like. Well according to this short story collection, these two genres go great together. The Age of Calamities by Senaa Ahmad is a collection of stories ranging across time and space, featuring known historical characters caught in situations that are different, odd, even magical, events that might not have happened, but events that still speak to us today.

The book is a short story collection, nine pieces that cover a variety of eras, and people, Some feature characters in their era, dealing with events in ways that are different than what the victors who wrote history have told us. A few feature people who should not have met, like Julius Caesar planning his conquest of Gaul interviewed by the plucky reporter Nellie Bly, asking questions that makes Caesar think of a world bigger than what he plans to conquer. One story deals with the question historians are always asked; if a historian was having a dinner party and could invite anyone, who would you invite. This party though becomes an Agatha Christie tale of full of murder, alibis and questionable characters like John Adams and Marilyn Monroe. A story of werewolves set in the middle east. And my personal favorite the first story dealing with Henry VIII and his wife Anne Boleyn. Henry wants to be rid of his wife, she vexes him continuously by having the audacity of not dying. Beheadings, drownings, firing squads even suffocated by scarves fail to keep Anne dead. Both sides create technology to stop the other, telephones, rockets, nuclear weapons, in a tale about love gone wrong.

One of the most beguiling and intriguing collection of short stories I have read in quite awhile. There are more than a few stories that make one wonder what is going on but Ahmad does a very good job of taking the reader along. Some hit very hard, some are almost there, but none of them are boring. I can see where some readers would be confused. This is as if a Mark Leyner Luis Buñel, and Arnold Toynebee wrote a collaborative novel. The writing is quite good, funny even at its darkest, but full of ideas that never overwhelm. One would love to find where Ahmad's imagination comes from, but I feel it might end with someone on a watch list.
A really wonderful, mind expanding, sometimes heartbreaking collection of stories, that make a reader think and wonder in all the right ways. In a time where literature seems to be staying on a course of blandness, this trip into the dark woods of what can be is a treat. My first experience with Ahmad, and certainly not my last.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a copy via a Librarything giveaway.

This collection of short stories centers around the idea of history mashups or fluid time. It is not surprising to see Nellie Bly and Julius Caeser met in these short stories. It is to Ahmad’s credit that she doesn’t have a reason or how, it is an established fact from the start.

At times this works extremely well. The two best stories (outside of the last one) are “Let’s Play Dead” and “Inside the House of the Historian”. Both stories make use of time as bendable. “Let’s Play Dead” centers around an undying Anne Boleyn, who refuses to stay dead much to the horror and annoyance of Henry VIII. It is both Tudor in feel but not Tudor in times. In many ways, the story not only makes use of the abusive nature of Henry VIII to stand in for abusive husbands in general, but also the changing nature of love. Strangely, in a story that does not use linear time, Ahmad creates one of the best Anne Boleyn’s in fiction.

And if you had asked me if I wanted an Agatha Christie mystery featuring a rather unique group of dinner guests and featuring time travel, I would have replied something like “didn’t Dr. Who do this already”. But no, people, Dr Who did not do something like “Inside the House of the Historian”. Like “Let’s Play Dead” the historical figures here – including Queens Victoria and Nefertiti, Ibn Battuta, John Adams, Blackbeard and Marylin Monroe – seem to be true to their real selves. Nefertiti’s comment about seeing for example, the interaction between Ibn Battuta and John Adams as well. The story functions as locked room mystery with the strangest group of suscepts but it works. It reads like a Christie; you half except the fictional characters of Marple and Poirot to show up. Yet, this story too is about the abuse of power; in particular abuse of power by men.

That theme also runs though “The Wolves” which presents the conquering of Genghis Khan as a different than what standard history book say. It pops up in most of the other stories as well.

Sometimes the stories fall a bit flat. There were a couple that I didn’t enjoy it. But that is pretty common for any short story collection.
The story will undoubtedly get the most attention, because it has garnered the most attention already is “Choose Your Own Apocalypse”. If you are person of a certain age, and hopefully even if you are not, you might have been a huge Choose Your Own Adventure fan. Amad’s story makes use of that but narrows it though the pivotal moment with Oppenheimer. It is a thought-provoking story, though to my mind “Inside the House of the Historian” is far superior.

[moka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absurd. Poetic. Provocative. Cannot recommend this ENOUGH!!

The Age of Calamities by Senaa Ahmad is a collection of short stories that are as absurd as they are poetic and unexpected. Just when you think you know where the stories are going, BAM!…total-and-complete-upside-down-throw-the-tables-across-the-room switch up of events.

It’s a delight to be surprised by movements in the plotlines after reading a lot of predictable fiction. It feels like traveling through wormholes…we are in one place and then suddenly we have been whisked away to a different place. All with elegance and a flourish after which trails a smirk you can feel shining at you through the page.

Bullet summary:

* short story collection (of 9 tales)
* absurd twist of historical figures
* poetic, hilarious, and provocative writing style

The most memorable stories for me were Let’s Play Dead, The Wolves, and Choose Your Own Apocalypse (one which I can see why this is placed last and I would recommend reading last). While each story centered around “calamitous” moments and figures of history, they still felt very unique in the structure of how the author offers a point or statement or commentary. Each one felt like a new adventure or disturbing nightmare or hilarious happenings until they aren’t so hilarious anymore. It’s a bizarre set of tradgedies really. Funny, but not funny h.a.h.a…

I highly highly recommend this to anyone who’s looking for something clever, for something different, for something to get swept up in for awhile, and for those of you that simply want to be in awe of the human imagination.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. for the review ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All my thoughts are my own.

[Natalia Isabal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is unlike anything I've ever read before. 

Described as reminiscent of Carmen M. Machado's writing, Age of Calamities is a compendium of short stories with bold and absurd concepts. Each story follows various historical figures: Julius Cesar in a situationship, Ghengis Khan with an army of werewolves, a dinner party with John Adams, Nefertiti, and Marylin Monroe, and more. Weird fiction lovers, this is for YOU. 
When I was a kid, I LOVED the movie Night at the Museum, and this book ever so slightly reminded me of it with the intertwining of prominent characters of history into a slew of new situations. 
I felt myself gravitate towards the ones with stronger feminist themes, especially the opening story of an immortal Anne Boleyn, who continues to persevere despite King Henry VIII's attempts to execute her. I loved being able to interpret the resilience of Boleyn as the common and intrinsic ability for women to endure, and how even today Anne is loved and sympathized with by women everywhere. 

Overall, the absurdity led me to fun interpretations of the stories and their characters, but I'll admit I did get lost in them at times. Some of this book felt like navigating a fever dream in both a good and bad way. There were a handful of instances where I just felt like things went over my head, perhaps too abstract for me, perhaps too abstract for anyone. I did believe that the better stories outweighed the ones I didn't quite get, and I enjoyed this wacky, outlandish collection. 

Special thanks to Henty Holt Books for the ARC. This review is my honest opinion. 

[Acantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really strange collection of tales from an Anne Boleyn that cannot die, to a house full of Napoleons and so much more.

My favourites were the dinner party - six famous figures from across time gathered for a meal, how many times have you pondered who you'd invite - and the Romanov sisters - grief caught in a moment, like a frozen snapshot scattered all across time.

My least favourite was the 'choose your own adventure' tale, which sadly was the last one in the book, so to me was a bit of a damp squib to end on. It was a cool idea, but it didn't work for me. Or maybe the story wasn't strong enough to work within the very interesting framework that was provided.

I appreciate what the author was trying to do, each story is different, exploring limits and twisting things around. They are really pushing the boundaries of not only what a story is, but *how* a story is. A choose your own where the choice is taken from you, a dinner party where there is a 7th guest who is also another host and so much more. They are all great ideas however I felt quite a few of the stories weren't strong enough because they weren't long enough, there were some that simply ended in what felt more like a paragraph ending rather than a story ending. These are experimental, so it makes sense not all work.

An interesting idea that I would return to if the tales were longer next time.

~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Company for the free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This was such a uniquely different short story collection. I never knew what was going to happen and I admired the creative twists that threw famous historical figures into different situations, time periods, etc. Typically I avoid any short story that centers around a famous person because I feel it rests too heavily on inferred knowledge the reader already has about the person, and because the author doesn't work very hard to describe the character or their motivation. Not so in this collection-my heart broke for Anne Boleyn, and the Romanov sisters.

Unfortunately, I am someone who likes a detailed explanation or at least a resolved ending for each story or book I read, and this book of stories does not always provide that. A lot of the stories end without a clear view of why something happened the way it did, or what was about to happen, which leaves me digging back into the previous pages, hoping I just missed something. I was particularly frustrated that The Wolves didn't left me with an unanswered question and no one to ask their opinion. That being said, I think people who don't insist on concrete endings will love this book-it's whimsical and dark in the best of ways.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Age Of Calamities by Cinna Achmed, this is a book with some strange short stories and some even include famous people. From King Henry to Anne B Andrew Jackson Anastasia Alexander and the other Romanoff sisters and many many more at first I was really enjoying the first story but then found that it really was just meandering and it seemed it had no place to go or maybe it did but didn’t know how to get there. I think someone who has a talent at wordsmithing is a rare thing it’s something I hardly ever see and current day books but this author definitely possesses that talent. After reading this collection of stories I would definitely read more from this author because there was some really good ones in there especially the one about Lizzie Borden in the second book whose name escapes me so I would definitely recommend this book and read it at your own risk because the good ones are really good and the ones that aren’t so good are still very well done.. Having said that however I still really enjoyed her stories especially how she worded them and how with very few words she could go from one emotion to a totally different one and it all seemed plausible and definitely well done.#NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

These short stories are wildly unique, absurd, just crazy, and a pure delight.

Characters from history are incongruously brought together, like Nellie Bly and Julius Caesar. Napoleons multiply in their decrepit house, the neighbors feeling threatened, perhaps a fair assessment considering the original Napoleon. Anastasia and her sisters are left behind in the Winter Palace by their mother and young brother. A dinner party gathers historical figures including Queen Victoria, John Adams, and Marilyn Monroe.

One story stood out from the others for me, The Wolves, which early states, “When I was young, there were wolves who turned into men under the light of the full moon.” The narrator can’t sleep, knowing the wolves of Genghis Khan were destroying the city. The wolves, his army, were once boys from the village.

It wasn’t just any old wolf. We all knew him. He was one of our boys, or he used to be. He was no longer a boy, obviously. from The Age of Calamites

The brilliance made me shudder: of course, war turns boys into killers, into wolves to be feared.

I can’t claim to understand all of these gems, but I did enjoy them.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would be unusual for me to give a short story collection five starts. Like all short story collections some stories are better than others. I did not like the first two stories. For example, one of the first two stories is about a group of Napoleons living together. I did not see how someone as egotistical and desiring of power as Napoleon could live together as a group of clones.

However, I found her later stories either improved or I got used to her writing style. Her writing style I would call surrealistic; she mixes up historical figures with ordinary events and often putting them in modern times. I like history so the historical references where a plus for me.

I am looking forward to her debut novel.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[bexbooklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a unique and fun reading experience. The author seamlessly blends actual historical figures into fictional settings. I really love how different elements were explored using characters that people already know of and putting them in real world situations with real world questions.

Some of these stories take absolutely wild turns like in "Let's Play Dead" You have Henry VII repeatedly trying to kill Anne Boleyn and increasingly weird and outlandish ways. But it's not done in a very dark or depressing way it's weirdly light-hearted and screwball comedy like.

It's so hard to really describe this book It's one of those that you just have to read and I highly recommend that you do It's a very quick fast-paced short read that I read in less than a day so it would be absolutely perfect for a cold winter day.

Thank you to Henry Holt for the arc of this book!

[Hannah Jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird and whimsical. I loved the concept of taking well-known figures from history and imagining the what ifs - what if you could slip through the cracks of time and bend reality?

Some of the stories were fairytale-like, others more speculative sci-fi. As with any collection of short stories, some were better than others. It was fun trying to unravel the allegories and symbolism of the tales, but there one or two where I was just confused and wished they could have been developed a bit more.

Overall, I enjoyed this. It was fresh and playful, with an interesting range of characters and settings.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an odd one. Ahmad has taken real people and turned the dial on their lives, which works in some cases and befuddles in others. The first story, in which Anne Boleyn keeps coming back to life, is the most entertaining (if grotesque). Ahmad also asks the reader to imagine a young scientist working with Oppenheimer making choices that well, we all know what happened. We also meet Napoleon and Joan of ARC. Some of the stories were a bit too farcical for me but I enjoyed the language and the imagination. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For short story fans open to alternative histories.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I think the premises for the stories were interesting, but some of them just felt too meandering without a strong conclusion for my tastes. I did really like the last story, though - "Choose Your Own Apocalypse." I'm just a fan of choose your own adventure books in general, and it was a nice surprise for one to be included here. It was a bit hard to get through since my copy didn't have page numbers, so I might go back and read more of the endings later.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahmad’s story “Let’s Play Dead” is one of my favorites of all time so I was itching to get my hands on her debut collection. I greatly enjoyed reading more from Ahmad’s mind. I really liked the stories where multiple historical figures interact with each other, such as the story of dinner party with historical figures like Marilyn Monroe and Nefertiti at a historian’s house. The final story Choose Your Own Apocalypse was unlike anything I’d read before and I had so much fun reading it.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightful surprise. The stories all felt really well paced and a great length (sometimes short stories feel too condensed or too drawn out). The writing is imaginative and unexpected. I loved the incredibly imaginative use of historic characters. Deeply lyrical and not the type of writing that can be sped through.

[Fanna]

i've heard this is going to be "mind-bending"

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Age of Calamities by Senaa Ahmad is bold, clever, and wildly imaginative, the sort of collection that jolts you awake and reminds you exactly how thrilling short fiction can be when a writer refuses to hold back.

Ahmad balances absurdity, intellect, and genuine emotional pull with such confidence that the whole book feels both exhilarating and deeply meaningful.
One of the great delights of the collection is the way she flings historical figures into utterly bizarre, wonderfully unexpected scenarios. My personal favourite is the Anne Boleyn story. I was obsessed with the Tudors as a child and, truthfully, never quite grew out of it, so watching Ahmad take that familiar history and twist it into something surreal was an absolute treat.

What impressed me most, though, is the writing itself. It is rich, witty, imaginative, and sharply observant. Ahmad shifts effortlessly between farce and horror, creating a delicious undercurrent of unease that lingers long after you turn the final page.
I also loved how gloriously strange these stories are. Ahmad throws herself into the weirdness and commits fully, pushing every idea as far as it will go, trusting readers to follow her into the chaos. For me, that made the collection endlessly engaging and wonderfully re-readable.

It is worth saying that this level of inventive disorientation will not appeal to everyone. The stories can be deliberately chaotic and unpredictable. I personally loved the chaos, but I can see how readers who prefer neat realism might find it a bit overwhelming.

Ahmad has delivered a remarkable debut that feels funny, haunting, and genuinely fresh. It is brilliant, surprising, and full of heart, and I will be enthusiastically pressing it into the hands of fellow speculative fiction fans.
(Ad/pr) Thank you to @pushkin_press for the advance copy. Publishing February 2026.

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled with this book. Some of the stories were funny and clever and enjoyable, some just didn’t make a lot of sense to me.

[J R · Rating 5 out of 5]

absurdist and wild historical-y short fiction focused on some interesting historical figures at wild times. my favorite was the first one, Anne Boleyn. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

[Wanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but I am clueless as to what the author was trying to portray in literally any of the stories.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of wildly creative, bizarre, abstract, ridiculous short stories. I applaud the originality. Once I got in sync with the flow of the stories I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. Loved the social commentary. This is my kind of weird. I hope this book gets the buzz it deserves.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐

A month later + I 'm still thinking about it.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Goodreads for my advanced reader copy.