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My Family and the End of Everything
The end of everything begins closer than you think. Of course, it always includes such foul practices as bureaucratic corruption, disregard for science (or the overindulgence of it), and corrupted religion. But this is not where it starts. It begins much closer to home-smart homes to be exact, and well-intentioned inventions (they really did think it was a good idea)-and human consolidation, and old men doing their best to retire.
My Family and the End of Everything follows generations of the Profeta family as they march naively towards the setting sun. The ending doesn't come with explosions-at least, not at first. It arrives quietly, in funerals, final meditations, historical preservation, and decisions no one remembers volunteering for. From networked houses and autonomous bots to terraformed worlds, time travel, dying suns, and suspiciously ceremonial banquets, these stories track humanity's ongoing attempt to stay human, in all our gloriously human ways.
This isn't one apocalypse, but several, for the world ends far more often than we'd like to admit. Yet somehow, through all of them, a family-and their stubborn faith in each other and in their God-finds a way to endure and present to us this If we could change the future, would we?
My Family and the End of Everything follows generations of the Profeta family as they march naively towards the setting sun. The ending doesn't come with explosions-at least, not at first. It arrives quietly, in funerals, final meditations, historical preservation, and decisions no one remembers volunteering for. From networked houses and autonomous bots to terraformed worlds, time travel, dying suns, and suspiciously ceremonial banquets, these stories track humanity's ongoing attempt to stay human, in all our gloriously human ways.
This isn't one apocalypse, but several, for the world ends far more often than we'd like to admit. Yet somehow, through all of them, a family-and their stubborn faith in each other and in their God-finds a way to endure and present to us this If we could change the future, would we?
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 24, 2026
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About the author
Joe Graves
5 books6 followersJoe Graves is an author of both fiction and nonfiction whose work explores faith, power, and the deeply human consequences of the stories we tell ourselves. His fiction—including short stories published in various anthologies—often blends speculative elements with ethical questions, while his nonfiction centers on leadership, justice, and community renewal. He is the President of the Ohio Writers’ Association, a local nonprofit that serves hundreds of authors throughout Ohio. Through his writing and literary leadership, he advocates for thoughtful, inclusive storytelling. He has been featured in several local publications discussing issues like banned books and safeguards for authors. Learn more at http://www.joegraves.org/press.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 26, 2026
This is one of those books that feels quiet while you’re reading it — and then very loud in your head afterward. I went in expecting a more traditional sci-fi dystopia: smart homes, neural implants, generational timelines, the sun literally going dark. And yes, all of that is here. But what surprised me most is how personal it feels. The novel is structured as a collection of short stories that tell family histories. Each story stands on its own, with its own setting, tone, and central character, but they’re stitched together by bloodlines, history, and a shared looming reality: the slow unraveling of humanity under the weight of technology, time, and its own ambition.
The early stories, like The House and The Water That Shapes Us, are intimate and unsettling. They explore smart homes that optimize autonomy away and villages wrestling with the moral cost of hyperconnection. But those are just the opening notes. As the book unfolds, we move into space brokers and gravity trials, time-traveling historians chasing the elusive “Pivot,” off-world settlements, generational missions, political maneuvering, and ultimately the literal death of the sun. Each short story feels like a snapshot from a different era of the same extended family — different centuries, different planets, different moral dilemmas — but all orbiting the same core questions: What shapes us? What do we inherit? What do we sacrifice to survive?
Because it’s structured as a collection, the pacing feels episodic. Some stories hit harder emotionally, some lean more philosophical, and others feel almost like thought experiments wrapped in narrative. That variety is part of the experience. You’re not meant to sink into one continuous arc; you’re meant to see evolution over time — spiritual, technological, familial. The repetition of certain themes across generations (connection vs. isolation, faith vs. efficiency, autonomy vs. optimization) is deliberate. It builds a cumulative weight rather than a single crescendo.
What makes the format work is the throughline of family. Even when the timeline jumps or the setting shifts from Earth to orbit to distant systems, you feel the continuity. The book reads like an archive passed down through centuries, asking whether progress always equals improvement. It’s ambitious in scope — far bigger than just one storyline — and that ambition is both its strength and its defining characteristic. If you go in expecting one protagonist and one conflict, you might feel untethered. But if you lean into the anthology-style structure, the mosaic effect becomes the point.
This collection is less about the end of the world and more about the slow rewriting of what it means to be human.
Find my full review here: https://likelystory.blog/2026/02/25/r...
The early stories, like The House and The Water That Shapes Us, are intimate and unsettling. They explore smart homes that optimize autonomy away and villages wrestling with the moral cost of hyperconnection. But those are just the opening notes. As the book unfolds, we move into space brokers and gravity trials, time-traveling historians chasing the elusive “Pivot,” off-world settlements, generational missions, political maneuvering, and ultimately the literal death of the sun. Each short story feels like a snapshot from a different era of the same extended family — different centuries, different planets, different moral dilemmas — but all orbiting the same core questions: What shapes us? What do we inherit? What do we sacrifice to survive?
Because it’s structured as a collection, the pacing feels episodic. Some stories hit harder emotionally, some lean more philosophical, and others feel almost like thought experiments wrapped in narrative. That variety is part of the experience. You’re not meant to sink into one continuous arc; you’re meant to see evolution over time — spiritual, technological, familial. The repetition of certain themes across generations (connection vs. isolation, faith vs. efficiency, autonomy vs. optimization) is deliberate. It builds a cumulative weight rather than a single crescendo.
What makes the format work is the throughline of family. Even when the timeline jumps or the setting shifts from Earth to orbit to distant systems, you feel the continuity. The book reads like an archive passed down through centuries, asking whether progress always equals improvement. It’s ambitious in scope — far bigger than just one storyline — and that ambition is both its strength and its defining characteristic. If you go in expecting one protagonist and one conflict, you might feel untethered. But if you lean into the anthology-style structure, the mosaic effect becomes the point.
This collection is less about the end of the world and more about the slow rewriting of what it means to be human.
Find my full review here: https://likelystory.blog/2026/02/25/r...
February 24, 2026
Three and a half stars. (My star-rating criteria is at the bottom.)
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I didn't actually pay quite enough attention when I received my advance review copy to understand it was a series of stories. I generally don't care for books with this structure.
But it turns out the stories are all connected through one bloodline of a family, revealed over and connected across many generations. The connection is slight - but enough to sustain a series of ideas about what humanity might be like across generational time.
The story starts in the earth-human future (we think…), and immediately puts you into the "world is different" context. Yet, for its differences, that world is recognizable; made up of geographically separated communities separated by value systems. (Sound familiar?) Characters move between them rarely, uncomfortably, and at personal risk. A chapter is a slice of the life of a character; it ends, though the character presumably moves on.
And each chapter is the same - a slice from the life of later generations. While the science, context & world around them change as years jump by the hundreds from story to story, some human ways of being remain recognizable always. And I guess that's the theme the author is trying to get at.
I liked the values that were being held by the main characters. Values are much what make us who we are, and are what hold societies together. These were preserved over time, despite the changes and adaptations required to fit into the context of a future society. And the ideas about what the future looks like at various future points are what makes sci-fi fun to read.
So this leans towards 4-stars; in my system, that means this is (probably) worth reading. But, it's got some problems, too, meaning I'm not going to defend it rigorously, which leans 3-stars. Details about the future seem to have not changed enough in some future stories, and those unchanged things make some parts of stories less-credible, less-defensible. These are not key to the stories, but showed up for me nonetheless. And the "ties that bind" don't bind much; the connections are pretty tenuous & trivial.
- Five stars – You want to read it again, or dive straight into the sequel. Plainly extraordinary and easy to recommend.
- Four stars – Well-written, structurally sound. Worth finishing, maybe even defending – but you’ll never reread it.
- Three stars – You finish it … and mostly forget it.
- Two stars – Bad enough to deserve a negative review. You just won’t bother writing one.
- One star – You can’t read past chapter 3. Not even as penance for your sins.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I didn't actually pay quite enough attention when I received my advance review copy to understand it was a series of stories. I generally don't care for books with this structure.
But it turns out the stories are all connected through one bloodline of a family, revealed over and connected across many generations. The connection is slight - but enough to sustain a series of ideas about what humanity might be like across generational time.
The story starts in the earth-human future (we think…), and immediately puts you into the "world is different" context. Yet, for its differences, that world is recognizable; made up of geographically separated communities separated by value systems. (Sound familiar?) Characters move between them rarely, uncomfortably, and at personal risk. A chapter is a slice of the life of a character; it ends, though the character presumably moves on.
And each chapter is the same - a slice from the life of later generations. While the science, context & world around them change as years jump by the hundreds from story to story, some human ways of being remain recognizable always. And I guess that's the theme the author is trying to get at.
I liked the values that were being held by the main characters. Values are much what make us who we are, and are what hold societies together. These were preserved over time, despite the changes and adaptations required to fit into the context of a future society. And the ideas about what the future looks like at various future points are what makes sci-fi fun to read.
So this leans towards 4-stars; in my system, that means this is (probably) worth reading. But, it's got some problems, too, meaning I'm not going to defend it rigorously, which leans 3-stars. Details about the future seem to have not changed enough in some future stories, and those unchanged things make some parts of stories less-credible, less-defensible. These are not key to the stories, but showed up for me nonetheless. And the "ties that bind" don't bind much; the connections are pretty tenuous & trivial.
- Five stars – You want to read it again, or dive straight into the sequel. Plainly extraordinary and easy to recommend.
- Four stars – Well-written, structurally sound. Worth finishing, maybe even defending – but you’ll never reread it.
- Three stars – You finish it … and mostly forget it.
- Two stars – Bad enough to deserve a negative review. You just won’t bother writing one.
- One star – You can’t read past chapter 3. Not even as penance for your sins.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 28, 2026
My Family and the End of Everything
This was the kind of book I wish I could read again for the first time. The way the characters connected with each other, not just within their own timeline but within the framework of the entire multigenerational universe, gave a very human-centered vibe, even in a world peppered with clones and robots. The themes of family, faith and looking ahead to future generations -- while building upon the successes and failures of the past -- were more timely and relevant than you'd think. Perhaps that's one of the great allures of sci-fi, after all, to subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) remind us of our humanity and what it really means to love each other and do the hard work to make it all worthwhile, even if it's for a future we may likely never see. Joe Graves is able to capture moments of joy, pain, and hope in ways that will surprise and delight you. It's a book that you should read slowly and intentionally, sit with, reflect on, wonder about... and hopefully take great comfort in, especially in times that can often seem hopeless.
This was the kind of book I wish I could read again for the first time. The way the characters connected with each other, not just within their own timeline but within the framework of the entire multigenerational universe, gave a very human-centered vibe, even in a world peppered with clones and robots. The themes of family, faith and looking ahead to future generations -- while building upon the successes and failures of the past -- were more timely and relevant than you'd think. Perhaps that's one of the great allures of sci-fi, after all, to subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) remind us of our humanity and what it really means to love each other and do the hard work to make it all worthwhile, even if it's for a future we may likely never see. Joe Graves is able to capture moments of joy, pain, and hope in ways that will surprise and delight you. It's a book that you should read slowly and intentionally, sit with, reflect on, wonder about... and hopefully take great comfort in, especially in times that can often seem hopeless.
March 12, 2026
I absolutely devoured this novel! The storytelling and world building in this novel is one of a kind. Joe’s writing has some Andy Weir and John Scalzi vibes but with his own signature voice. The thing I loved most is how this sci-fi story that spans hundreds of years is still relevant to current times. Not only relevant but creates some thought provoking commentary on the matter. So many great dualities in here - technology vs nature, faith vs technology. Many great tensions as well related to faith, racism, ableism and immigration. It is a beautiful story and one you should read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a really interesting read! I did really enjoy it! What a great idea, it is really well written, time travelling through different dystopian times with a nicely balanced selection of characters. A really great read, I do recommend & I will definitely read more by this writer.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews