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Through the Aftermath
Through the Aftermath is a collection of post-apocalyptic tales from 19 different storytellers, all with their own spin on the end of the world. Whether you're into zombies, nuclear wastelands, ecological disasters, dystopian nightmares, giant robots, or anything in between, this book covers it.
This anthology was created as an opportunity for a variety of voices to be heard in one place. From best-selling authors to first-time writers, this collection showcases some of the best short stories in modern apocalyptic fiction.
This anthology was created as an opportunity for a variety of voices to be heard in one place. From best-selling authors to first-time writers, this collection showcases some of the best short stories in modern apocalyptic fiction.
- GenresPost Apocalyptic
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 25, 2022
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62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 28, 2022
Anthologies are always hit and miss. Because there are so many writers, it's unusual to find one where every story is amazing. On the other hand, it's unheard of for them all to be bad - and this collection definitely has more hits than misses.
I love post-apoc stories, for many of the reasons given in the intro to the book (I don't want to spoil things so I won't repeat them here!) This is a good mix of different stories, from plagues to zombies to climate change to EMPs and several others. Truly something for everything, no matter your flavour of choice.
I did find that, while most of these are self contained and easy to follow, a few rely too heavily on made up lingo or have obvious back story that we aren't given, so I couldn't understand what was happening. I did end up skimming two that I just couldn't follow. Added to that, there's one or two that seem to be setting up other writing by the author. I don't object to that at all but it does mean the stories just stop rather than ending.
On the whole, though, I really enjoyed these. There's a lot of imagination here, both in the range of stories and within each one. Those creepy bugs will be living in my mind for quite a while to come.
A fantastic anthology that's introduced me to several new writers I'll be watching with interest!
I love post-apoc stories, for many of the reasons given in the intro to the book (I don't want to spoil things so I won't repeat them here!) This is a good mix of different stories, from plagues to zombies to climate change to EMPs and several others. Truly something for everything, no matter your flavour of choice.
I did find that, while most of these are self contained and easy to follow, a few rely too heavily on made up lingo or have obvious back story that we aren't given, so I couldn't understand what was happening. I did end up skimming two that I just couldn't follow. Added to that, there's one or two that seem to be setting up other writing by the author. I don't object to that at all but it does mean the stories just stop rather than ending.
On the whole, though, I really enjoyed these. There's a lot of imagination here, both in the range of stories and within each one. Those creepy bugs will be living in my mind for quite a while to come.
A fantastic anthology that's introduced me to several new writers I'll be watching with interest!
March 1, 2023
Thrilling compilation of original tales about life in every type of apocalypse you can imagine. Creative authors speculate on the horrors and trials of survival when faced with creatures and situations far beyond what our public school education's taught or prepared us for (except if you did a lot of running in PE class). Each story has its own style and angle for how the world ends and what happens after. Pick up a copy and enjoy the end of times!
January 21, 2023
I don’t usually choose to read short stories; just as I’m hooked in…it’s over. 🤷🏻♀️ However, I’ve been on a post-apocalypse binge for a couple years & a fresh herd of authors to enjoy sounded great! I appreciate Book Sirens for making this collection available & I’m happy to leave a review.
There are 19 total stories from all aspects of the post-apocalypse genre; they range from crisis-in-progress to 100 + years after the disaster. Most are earth based but some are fantasy/ monster setting to deep space astronauts. I’ve picked 7 favorites from the different aspects; the only complaint I have is a couple were very short…like I only read the middle of the story. They all were interesting…very rare in a compilation.
“Winds of Change; written by David A. Simpson”.
Setting is a small town that has been dealing with a climate disaster in progress; a current events scenario close to my heart. IMHO there is some real truth here…people are going to react just like this …unfortunately.
A Very Zombie Thanksgiving
A simple story about those unfortunate holiday gatherings that you sometimes would prefer to miss. It is very funny & had me laughing all the way through!
Going SilentWritten by Jeremy Zentner
I always enjoy reading stories from my area of Central Illinois; I’m going to look for other stories from this author. One of my favorites in the collection is set about a year or so after the events of the story. I really enjoyed the perspective of the deaf main character; it’s detailed & not simplistic.
Beyond the Walls ; written by by Maira Dawn
This one is set a few years into the apocalypse. It’s a more traditional story about a man on a scouting mission, looking for medicine. What he finds first is a young man who is trapped because his wheelchair was stolen. They help each other find what they need & return home safely. This was a more hopeful, positive story ; it was also a favorite.
Fear in a Handful of Dust
Two sisters are exploring the ruins of what used to be cities. They aren’t supposed to go past certain areas, because their are rumors of monsters . But stories are just that until you see for yourself.
A Father’s Love
This story of a man protecting his son from dangerous strangers was easily the creepiest tale of them all!
Spaceman; written by James Shortridge
A Space explorer comes home to Chicago after a scouting expedition. The computer tells him it’s been 50 years and that, yes, it’s Chicago…but what he sees outside his spaceship doesn’t make sense. Also one of my favorites!
There are 19 total stories from all aspects of the post-apocalypse genre; they range from crisis-in-progress to 100 + years after the disaster. Most are earth based but some are fantasy/ monster setting to deep space astronauts. I’ve picked 7 favorites from the different aspects; the only complaint I have is a couple were very short…like I only read the middle of the story. They all were interesting…very rare in a compilation.
“Winds of Change; written by David A. Simpson”.
Setting is a small town that has been dealing with a climate disaster in progress; a current events scenario close to my heart. IMHO there is some real truth here…people are going to react just like this …unfortunately.
A Very Zombie Thanksgiving
A simple story about those unfortunate holiday gatherings that you sometimes would prefer to miss. It is very funny & had me laughing all the way through!
Going SilentWritten by Jeremy Zentner
I always enjoy reading stories from my area of Central Illinois; I’m going to look for other stories from this author. One of my favorites in the collection is set about a year or so after the events of the story. I really enjoyed the perspective of the deaf main character; it’s detailed & not simplistic.
Beyond the Walls ; written by by Maira Dawn
This one is set a few years into the apocalypse. It’s a more traditional story about a man on a scouting mission, looking for medicine. What he finds first is a young man who is trapped because his wheelchair was stolen. They help each other find what they need & return home safely. This was a more hopeful, positive story ; it was also a favorite.
Fear in a Handful of Dust
Two sisters are exploring the ruins of what used to be cities. They aren’t supposed to go past certain areas, because their are rumors of monsters . But stories are just that until you see for yourself.
A Father’s Love
This story of a man protecting his son from dangerous strangers was easily the creepiest tale of them all!
Spaceman; written by James Shortridge
A Space explorer comes home to Chicago after a scouting expedition. The computer tells him it’s been 50 years and that, yes, it’s Chicago…but what he sees outside his spaceship doesn’t make sense. Also one of my favorites!
March 2, 2023
This book was amazing. It's everything i asked for and some. Reading this was a blast and i enjoyed ever second of it. I hope this book continues to grow and It's a must have. 5 stars to the Author on this. The story is awesome and i can't wait to see what's next.
December 21, 2022
This was a really good collection of stories! A good choice of subjects, something for everyone! Good to dip in & out of! A great way to pass the time!
December 20, 2022
Why do I enjoy reading post apocalyptical fiction? This is something that I started thinking when I read the introduction in this book, I guess I really enjoy reading how people would try to survive against all odds, even when we (mankind) must die we want to live… even in the dark stories people hope to survive or better, to live, and in some cases bring life to the future…
In this book we have 19 tales from different authors, some I already knew their work, and others I got to discover them in this anthology and I do love to get to know new authors. Not all the stories are about post-apocalyptical survival, some are more like a dive in a dystopian world, like “the memory store”, you have stories from alien invasion, or better, it really feels like an alien invasion, AI getting wrong, sickness that bring the world to their knees, how a man cope with losing his entire family, a man that left his bride in the altar and now feels that there is no wrath as one of a scorned woman, how tofu turkey brought forward the zombie apocalypse, how climate changes can destroy the whole world… and yeah without spoilers this was a great read, I will be honest, some stories felt more like a dive into a fantasy world, for example one with a woman that controls the dead… I don’t like mages, or witches, things that go more into fantasy, but I respect that even those stories have a place in this anthology. This is a great read for people who want a casual read, most stories are short, around 3o minutes or less long, and is a good introduction for people that want a sci-fi fix, or even being introduced to apocalyptical fiction…
Thank you BookSirens for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
In this book we have 19 tales from different authors, some I already knew their work, and others I got to discover them in this anthology and I do love to get to know new authors. Not all the stories are about post-apocalyptical survival, some are more like a dive in a dystopian world, like “the memory store”, you have stories from alien invasion, or better, it really feels like an alien invasion, AI getting wrong, sickness that bring the world to their knees, how a man cope with losing his entire family, a man that left his bride in the altar and now feels that there is no wrath as one of a scorned woman, how tofu turkey brought forward the zombie apocalypse, how climate changes can destroy the whole world… and yeah without spoilers this was a great read, I will be honest, some stories felt more like a dive into a fantasy world, for example one with a woman that controls the dead… I don’t like mages, or witches, things that go more into fantasy, but I respect that even those stories have a place in this anthology. This is a great read for people who want a casual read, most stories are short, around 3o minutes or less long, and is a good introduction for people that want a sci-fi fix, or even being introduced to apocalyptical fiction…
Thank you BookSirens for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
January 6, 2023
My rating for this is actually a 3.5.
I love reading short stories because I can read them at work where I don't always have time to hold my attention span for a full length novel. The downside to reading short story anthologies is that there will always be a story or two that didn't have enough buildup, I've yet to actually crack open an anthology and enjoy every story fully. Sadly was the case with this one.
The editing was good for the most part. (Towards the end I noticed some weird spacing issues) I appreciated the snippets of information about each writer who contributed to the anthology.
I think my favorite story in the lot was about the boy survivor who was searching for supplies to bring back to the other children in his little settlement. It reminded me of the children's settlement in Fallout 3. The one story that absolutely didn't click for me was the story about the family on Thanksgiving that turn into zombies over tofu turkey, I actually thought it was stupid to read.
I received a copy of this as an ARC through BookSirens. My review is voluntary.
I love reading short stories because I can read them at work where I don't always have time to hold my attention span for a full length novel. The downside to reading short story anthologies is that there will always be a story or two that didn't have enough buildup, I've yet to actually crack open an anthology and enjoy every story fully. Sadly was the case with this one.
The editing was good for the most part. (Towards the end I noticed some weird spacing issues) I appreciated the snippets of information about each writer who contributed to the anthology.
I think my favorite story in the lot was about the boy survivor who was searching for supplies to bring back to the other children in his little settlement. It reminded me of the children's settlement in Fallout 3. The one story that absolutely didn't click for me was the story about the family on Thanksgiving that turn into zombies over tofu turkey, I actually thought it was stupid to read.
I received a copy of this as an ARC through BookSirens. My review is voluntary.
April 8, 2023
This was a roller coaster of decent and ok stories. My favorites were Shade, The Memory Store, Raiding the Broken World, and Not a Raccoon Stealing Doritos in the Basement. They were both interesting premises and overall good stories. The others were ok, either a premise I couldn’t get behind or a story I felt was written in a strange way. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 14, 2022
this was a really well done post-apocalyptic anthology collection. It had great writing and I enjoyed the mix of new authors and known authors. Each story worked well and I'm glad each one was so well done. The post-apocalyptic elements worked well and I'm hoping that the anthologies continue.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 16, 2022
An excellent selection of short stories of the calamity kind! There is a little something for everyone. It doesn't matter if you prefer zombies, EMP, plague or future tech. They are well written, even leaving you wanting to seek out more from these assembled authors. To see what else happened to our heroes and victims.
December 17, 2022
This review is for the story "A Very Zombie Thanksgiving" by R.E. Radke, which is included in this compilation.
This is a 3.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 4 🌟.
A tongue-in-cheek look at the beginnings of an apocalypse starting at a Thanksgiving dinner. It definitely has a pro-meat flavour! 🤣 (I just KNEW being a vegan was bad for your health.)
This is a 3.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 4 🌟.
A tongue-in-cheek look at the beginnings of an apocalypse starting at a Thanksgiving dinner. It definitely has a pro-meat flavour! 🤣 (I just KNEW being a vegan was bad for your health.)
February 26, 2024
Being a sucker for postapoc stories and anthologies, this one hits it out of the park. Just awesome. Mr. Schuster did a great job collecting these stories from some fantastic indie-authors. I can't recommend it enough.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews