Something Like the End

by Ashley Morrow Hermsmeier

Fiction. Winner of the Fall 2017 Black River Chapbook Competition. Laced with foreboding and propulsive menace, Ashley Morrow Hermsmeier's new collection of short fiction reverberates with the clang of alarm bells. Confronted by inescapable dark in the face of a certain end or its apocalyptic aftermath, the characters in these six stories must come to terms with the lonely, inevitable questions that surround something as small and powerful as death, as big and catastrophic as the end of the world. Grim and haunting in one turn, uncanny and wildly strange in the next, SOMETHING LIKE THE END asks us to look long and hard into the darkness--and then dive in.

"Ashley Morrow Hermsmeier is as fearless as her protagonists, who face down disasters, natural and fantastical, using their wits and wisdom. These eloquent and uncanny stories give the reader no safe place to stand, but plenty of reason to dance."--Bonnie Jo Campbell

"Ashley Morrow Hermsmeier makes dread fun, and uneasy look easy, because there is no reason we can't have the most delicious language, dry wit, and downright dancing along with the impending apocalypse. How wonderfully doomed we are!"--Steve Amick

"These dazzling, unsettling stories flash through the darkness like shooting stars. Each highlights a different catastrophe looming on the horizon, and in this way, Ashley Morrow Hermsmeier infuses each story with menace and mystery--and captures the anxious spirit of our times."--Valerie Laken

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Poetry

34 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2019

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why aren't more people talking about this chapbook?! This teeny tiny little collection of apocalyptic stories is pretty friggen amazing. We are thrust into strange and frightening realities in which characters await an angry swarm of killer bees (When the Bees Come Back), survive an earthquake only to learn that it's still wreaking havoc beneath them days later (The Big One), and are forced to repeatedly, and literally, bury past versions of themselves (Every Version of Me). They are powerful, punchy little things that sit heavy on the chest and leave you breathless with their effortlessness.

(one of my Most Anticipated Small Press Books of 2019: https://bit.ly/2SHKV5L)

[William Jeanes Memorial Library]

These aren’t happy stories, not that I mind. The one short story was much harder to read due to its mention of abuse and then stalking. Each short story is connected by this feeling of dread. I thought the ones connected to the environment in the beginning were an interesting take. If felt relevant. The others felt more personal. It was different in content, but the feeling was continuously there. It’s well-developed as a chapbook.
-Patron J.L.

[Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an addictingly eerie and beautiful collection of short stories. So unique and thought-provoking and uncomfortable-but-in-a-good-way. I felt this undercurrent of anxiety when reading the stories but I didn’t want any of them to end, the writing is so gorgeous and the stories so instantly engrossing. It’s too hard to choose a favorite, especially among standouts like “When The Bees Came Back,” “The Big One,” and “Every Version Of Me.” I just want more!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good, I couldn’t put it down. But then, when I finished it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I read it again. And then again. And some stories, I just can’t get out of my head, so I visit them regularly. They are spooky yet somehow comforting, and somehow, while mucking around in dark sadness, the stories find a way to be empowering. Guidelines and Tips for Becoming a Shooting Star was my favorite!

[Chris Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful - very brief! - collection of six stories with some intriguing premises. I won’t give them away here. The hardest part was stretching out the enjoyment as long as I could; with most stories only being two or three pages, it was over almost as soon as it was begun. Yet within that minimal space Hermsmeier manages to offer some truly beautiful writing. I recommend this.

[Nicole Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, haunting and brilliant. I can’t recommend enough

[Benjamin Niespodziany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impending bees and impending earthquakes. Relationship struggles and expired goods. All of these short stories in this short collection pack a harrowing punch. Highly recommend.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ominous little collection that shows great promise. ‘Every Version Of Me’ was the standout for me.

[Shallow · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dook Dook… it was a steal of a deal on amazon 50% off and now i see why. This is fanfiction for old ladies who haven’t been touched in a few years.