Apoca Lypse Sink Ships

by Adam Wing, Diana Pearson

Explore the strange, the dark, and the unexpected (and on occasion, the ridiculous). This anthology of weird tales will pull you into the hidden cracks and lost places of the human experience. What waits beneath the surface? Who are we when the real and the impossible have become one? What do we hide from the people around us? From ourselves? Stories After the Seraphim Earth’s greatest secret agent, in humanity’s direst moment, fails. The world pays the price, and she is left with an impossible help the perpetrators of the worst mass murder of all time, or sabotage our species’ future on Earth. Can she find another option? A balance between the two? Can she live with these monsters without losing her own humanity? Or alone without doing the same? Pretty-Boy Fast Freddy Fast has never been defeated. He’s never even been hit. But how good is he? Can he beat ten men in a row? Fifty? A hundred? Find out as he faces his greatest challenge yet. The Other Man in the Bathroom On an exhausting red-eye flight across the Atlantic, James encounters an unexpected, and inexplicable, visitor. What is this impossible being before him, and what does it want with him? Can he trust it? Faced with a frightening dilemma, will James have the courage to act? Every choice has consequences. What will be they for James? And for those around him... Last Place on Earth Her life isn’t what she thought it would be. Running away is all she could think to do. But what is this train on which she’s found herself? And why doesn’t it seem to be stopping? DEEP-FU An engineering firm has constructed the perfect fighting robot. To test it, they’ve set up televised match against the Legendary Master of an ancient kung fu school. When a wrench is thrown in the works the morning of the fight, the company scrambles figure out a way to pull it off without anyone noticing. Sweetie Guest author, Diana Pearson explores the final moments of her father’s life, from his perspective. Greet the darkness in a confluence of hallucinations, memories and reality—confusion, fear and love—anxiety and blissful serenity. And more..

216 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2018

Reviews

[Adam Wing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this. There are no ships in this book.

[Jennie Rosenblum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a collection from the twilight zone, varied, intense, whimsical and terrifying - it has it all. A thought-provoking group that can lead to some wonderful discussions and where you are not sure what is real and what is not.

[Travis Beaudoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

APOCA LYPSE is a tight collection of short fiction (along with a few poems) that are either dark or darkly comic, and that tend to lean into the New Weird. The best among them (I especially liked "The Other Man in the Bathroom," "After the Seraphim," "The Last Place on Earth," and the poem "Encore") are evocative and surprising, with a nice slow-burn creepiness factor.

Even, however, on the stories that didn't absolutely slay me, Wing is a strong writer, creating compelling characters and rich settings. I don't think there was a single story that didn't at least make me chuckle. (I love fiction that plays with genre like that, building up tension and then giving me an opportunity to release it.)

Although this collection was published after Wing's short novel ICARUS (which I cannot recommend highly enough) he states that these are mostly early stories, edited for inclusion in this work. I enjoyed seeing seeing him play in different genres and a shorter form. I look forward to seeing what he does next.

[S.J. Lomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Book of Weird Stories" is exactly what you'll get in this collection. The stories will take your mind on a journey similar to the type of thing you'd find in a Twilight Zone episode or Black Mirror. The first story was probably my favorite, just because it was so bizarrely unique and chilling. You haven't read anything like it before, that's for sure! A nice, quick read, this collection of short stories is definitely worth diving into.

[Lara Rouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story collection is an extremely varied lot, which would make it an interesting experience in its own right. The stories are often fun, exciting, and weird; always clever and intense. Serious whoa moments when you start figuring out what's going on in some of these.

The Other Man in the Bathroom and After the Seraphim were my favorites.

[Brent Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Full disclosure: I am a friend and writing partner of the author who received an advanced copy of this collection.**

I’m always feel hesitant to a friend’s work. There is always that nagging question of what if I don’t like it? That said, I don’t have that fear when it comes to Adam Wing’s books because they have always out a smile on my face.

This collection is no different. A variety of stories spanning a variety of genres means that you never feel like you are reading simple variations on a theme. The stories here are immersive and weighty despite being “short.” And, since this collection contains both prose, poetry and picture book, it really adds a nice slice of mediums that Wing is capable of.

Also, while being a clever use of words, the title is oddly fitting. Even if there are no ships, there is plenty of apocalypse. There is a form of cheerful bleakness to the writing that gives it a nice weight while keeping it from feeling burdensome.

Still, to offer some critiques so you don’t think this is just a worthless friend review, not all stories herein are created equally. My favorite being After the Seraphim. The other stories are enjoyable as well, but don’t quite rise to the grander and completeness of this high point. Some of the others, while entertaining, do beg to be unpacked and turned into an individual work themselves.

[LadyDay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this fun book in one sitting. Collection of short stories, poems, and art, Apoca Lypse Sink Ships is thrilling, touching, funny, scary and most of all, entertaining. Six months later, I still think about some of its stories especially when....

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag of short stories and poems with a very strong first half and an okay second half. There are definitely some great pieces in here, but they are mixed with some that could have used a little more work in my opinion. Still, a good, quick read for someone who wants some oddities on the go.

[J.T. McAndrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book full of stories and a couple of poems, it reminded me of tales from the unexpected or the twilight zone and as usual from Adam very well written.

[J.T. McAndrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good book of short stories, a bit like tales of the unexpected or tales from the crypt. good little read.