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After: Nineteen Stories of Apocalypse and Dystopia

(Across the Universe #0.1 (The Other Elder))

Ellen Datlow (Goodreads Author) (Editor),

Terri Windling (Editor),

Genevieve Valentine (Contributor),

Carrie Ryan (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

N.K. Jemisin (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

Katherine Langrish (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

Carol Emshwiller (Contributor),

Beth Revis (Goodreads Author) (Contributor),

more…

3.59 · Rating details · 1,903 ratings · 308 reviews

If the melt-down, flood, plague, the third World War, new Ice Age, Rapture, alien invasion, clamp-down, meteor, or something else entirely hit today, what would tomorrow look like? Some of the biggest names in YA and adult literature answer that very question in this short story anthology, each story exploring the lives of teen protagonists raised in catastrophe's wake--wh ...more

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Hardcover, 1st Edition, 384 pages

Published October 9th 2012 by Hyperion Book CH

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Oct 19, 2012 karen rated it liked it

Shelves: hey-shorty, why-yes-i-ya, the-end

i know that this collection is a YA collection, but it really doesn't read like one. usually in YA collections, there is sort of a range of stories, qualitatively, that reflect the range of teen readers, from stronger to more reluctant readers. but these stories, even the ones i wasn't totally crazy about, are completely sophisticated and could be included in any adult fantasy collection. well, mostly. there is the "meh" one that didn't really do anything for me, and seemed a little young.

oh, YA ...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Trudi rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, apocalyptic-types, on-my-kobo, young-adult, science-fiction, 2012, arc, dystopia, short-stories

Short story collections and anthologies are always a mixed bag for me. Not only do I struggle with my own personal hang-ups when it comes to the short story format itself, you pretty much know going in to any anthology there will be hits and there will be misses. If you're lucky, a few will emerge as outstanding pieces of awesomeness, and I'm thankful to report I experienced that here.

Two things attracted me to this collection: 1) Ellen Datlow (editor extraordinaire) and 2) you had me at dystopi ...more

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May 01, 2020 Jim rated it liked it

Nineteen stories about dystopias or apocalypses for Young Adults, published in 2012. For the most part, OK, not so bad, most certainly creative about how the world is going to end or, anyway, how humanity is going to crash and burn. Of the 19, perhaps my favorite was by Caitlin Kiernan, "Fake Plastic Trees." It rings true as a possibilty for the future-- microscopic machines called nano-assemblers created to make things for people get out of hand and start turning everything into plastic. Someh ...more

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Oct 05, 2012 J.A. Dalley rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, dystopian, short-story

Detailed Review of After

The Segment
Really interesting world and characters. Reminded me of Hunger Games. 7
After the Cure
Interesting take on a zombie apocalypse. Great characters!
9
Valedictorian
Great setting. I really enjoyed it.
9
Visiting Nelson
I couldn't read more than two pages because the narrative is written from the perspective of an illiterate teenager, i.e. Sint Paul, useta, coz, etc.
0
All I Know of Freedom
This story was really weird. I didn't like it because it was a green global warming st ...more

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Jun 12, 2018 StarMan rated it liked it

Shelves: dystopia-post-apoc, science-fiction, short-stories, ebook

3+ stars. A little better than expected. Only 2 stories that were below average or irritating in some way. None were mind-blowing.

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Feb 08, 2017 Craig DiLouie rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror-and-apocalyptic-fiction

What happens after the end of the world? That’s the thematic question behind AFTER, an anthology of nineteen stories edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.

Contributors include Carrie Ryan, Richard Bowes, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Jeffrey Ford and more.

It’s an eclectic collection with a literary bent. In the stories, the characters often try to find meaning and control in an atmosphere of dramatic change or post-change.

My favorite stories were:

Carrie Ryan’s “After the Cure” tells the story of a you What happens after the end of the world? That’s the thematic question behind AFTER, an anthology of nineteen stories edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.

Contributors include Carrie Ryan, Richard Bowes, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Jeffrey Ford and more.

It’s an eclectic collection with a literary bent. In the stories, the characters often try to find meaning and control in an atmosphere of dramatic change or post-change.

My favorite stories were:

Carrie Ryan’s “After the Cure” tells the story of a young woman cured of a vampire affliction that is threatening to overrun the world. The problem is the society that cured her doesn’t trust her, while she remembers and often longs for the pure simplicity and sense of family among the undead hunters of the night.

N.K. Jemisin’s “Valedictorian” tells the story of a young woman at the top of her school and living in a society enclosed by a superior machine intelligence. The last humans barely survived the war and now hide behind a massive wall that everyone knows offers no real protection. Each year, the machines ask for the smartest among the humans to be handed over.

Carol Emshwiller’s “All I Know of Freedom” tells the story of a young woman kept as an indentured servant in the home of a rich family during a time of mass poverty and natural calamity. She stumbles across a religious community that is building a rocket ship to start a new life on another planet.

Steven Gould’s “Rust with Wings” tells the story of a young man fleeing his home with his family. Behind him, a growing infestation of strange insects that devour metal is growing.

Metthew Kressel’s “The Great Game at the End of the World” tells the story of a brother and sister playing a baseball game with a strange set of creatures on a torn section of earth thrown into space, the private collection of a vast intelligence.

The voices were refreshing to this jaded apocalyptic reader, though I wish Datlow had reached out to more authors who specialize in apocalyptic fiction. ...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Pat rated it really liked it

Shelves: medicine, young-adult, coming-of-age, war, postapocalyptic, nature, science-fiction, technology

This book has 3 big things going for it:
1. They're young adult postapocalyptic, which is rare.
2. All of the stories take place only *after* the disaster has occurred--it doesn't really matter how it happened (or even what happened).
3. There's a preponderance of female authors, for once.

As with all short-story collections, some of these are better than others. Standouts for me were the ones by Genevieve Valentine, Sarah Rees Brennan (long-time fan, here) and Cecil Castellucci.

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Nov 01, 2016 Rachael Snow rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book will always be my favorite because it's about my favorite genre! it never bored me and i loved the different takes on what an apocalypse would be like. love love love <3 always on the look out for more books like this one. ...more

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Sep 07, 2014 Louisa rated it it was amazing

Oh, I enjoyed a lot of these stories, they were creepy, and good, and now I'm one step closer to rereading Across the Universe!

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May 25, 2013 coconutsnbutts (♫ נєѕѕι¢α ♪) rated it liked it

Shelves: dystopia, books-ive-reviewed

OKAY, because this is abuncha little stories bundled up in one, I'm just going to keep updating this review as I go along so I don't forget any important details.

The Segment, by Genevieve Valentine. 2 stars.

Ok so, for some reason it took me super long to get past this story. And that's pathetic 'cause its so short! But I found it completely boring and I didn't even understand what was going on til the end. Like, at all. I don't even know why. I know, so sad. But whatever.

After the cure, by Ca ...more

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Jun 18, 2013 Rachel rated it it was amazing

I give this book a 10/10, all of the stories went together nicely while being intelligent and able to hold their heads up high saying "We all make sense and make you want to read more! But that sucks to be you because there might not be more!"

Segment by Genevieve Valentine
This story was very interesting, it really made me think of the significance of actors in the present time, the characters were interesting and although one girl was very irritating her annoying-ness wasn't without reason. Grea ...more

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Aug 21, 2013 Margit rated it really liked it

Shelves: vampires, science-fiction, ya, romance, horror, dystopia, kick-ass-heroine, 1st-person-pov, 3rd-person-singular-pov, short-stories

It's challenging to build a believable, detailed world with developed, relatable characters in a short story. In order to make a story interesting, you have to add an intriguing plot with good pacing. Some authors are more successful than others at these tasks.

3.5* "The Segment" by Genevieve Valentine - The first page was confusing and hard to get into, but then the story picked up. Loved the ending, which really pulled everything together.

4* "After the Cure" by Carrie Ryan - The pacing was quic ...more

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Nov 05, 2017 Stephanie A. rated it it was ok

Shelves: sci-fi-and-dystopia

Not only is Susan Beth Pfeffer the only contributing author whose work I've liked out of out of the few I'm familiar with, I really did not pay enough attention to this title, and as a result I got mostly things I hate about the genre instead of post-apocalyptic survivalist stories. Less than half of these merit above 2 stars. But I'm also a stubborn fool, so I marched myself all the way through to the end, and I'm even going to do a short rundown of each story just to make sure I never get curi ...more

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Jul 14, 2013 Nancy rated it really liked it

Shelves: short-stories, levar-burton-reads, young-adult

This collection of nineteen short stories about life *after* a catastrophic event was strong. As with any compilation with various authors, some are stronger than others. What follows are a few of my favorites:

The Segment (aka Let Those Who Would) by Genevieve Valentine was very 1984 with how the news was being manipulated and shown to the public. In this world, the news agencies would rather create their own stories with actors instead of interviewing real participants so that way they can cont This collection of nineteen short stories about life *after* a catastrophic event was strong. As with any compilation with various authors, some are stronger than others. What follows are a few of my favorites:

The Segment (aka Let Those Who Would) by Genevieve Valentine was very 1984 with how the news was being manipulated and shown to the public. In this world, the news agencies would rather create their own stories with actors instead of interviewing real participants so that way they can control the narrative. Orphaned children are used as pawns in these stories, and one young woman helps another realize how much danger she will be in if she acts in the next segment. This story was featured in season six of LeVar Burton Reads and through his reading, the story gained deeper meaning.

Valedictorian by NK Jemisin is about a girl in a near-future dystopia who is true to herself and refuses to lie about her abilities or mask her intelligence even when she knows she will be "culled" at graduation, along with the ten least performing students. Her walled-off society is small and rigid and is not accepting of people who are different, so there is the possibility that the unknown outside world could actually be more welcoming. Reminded me of the 1986 Twilight Zone episode "Examination Day". This story was also featured in season six of LeVar Burton Reads.

Reunion by Susan Beth Pfeffer was by far the best story with a menacing Nazi/Communist vibe to it. A mother and daughter are searching for the beloved younger sister who had been kidnapped from them during the previous brutal regime. What they endured for years is horrific and there was a nasty little twist at the end.

After the Cure by Carrie Ryan took the zombie story trope and subverted it. Vail is a teenager that was previously a zombie/vampire-like creature but was given a cure to rehabilitate her. Society has a hard time accepting those rehabilitated people back into their communities, and the people themselves still feel some degree of hunger and a need to be back with their undead packs. Despite the melancholic nature of this story, there was a nugget of hope built into the end.

The Marker by Cecil Castellucci had a medieval era feel to it, but clues pointed to the society recovering from a modern-day chaotic event that killed a huge segment of society. They coped by following strict rules that had served a purpose at one time but were no longer working. It too ends hopefully, but my heart ached for one mother for whom the old rules doomed her to a life of grief.

Faint Heart by Sarah Rees Brennan was a fantasy infused story about princes battling for a princess's hand in marriage but read like the beginning of a book, not a short story. Instead of being intriguing, it left me feeling frustrated.

All in all, I would recommend this story collection to fans of the dystopian genre, for the stories of life after an apocalypse are sure to be thought-provoking to many. (Actual review 4.5/5) ...more

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Feb 26, 2019 Res added it

Shelves: didnt-finish

Unsurprisingly, this is super depressing. Maybe I could have handled it in 2012 when it was new. Right now I don't think it's good for me.

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Nov 14, 2013 Terri M. rated it really liked it

Shelves: reading-lvl-young-adult, science-fiction, dystopian-or-apocalyptic, books-i-own, z-shelf-love-challenge, z-shelf-love-read-2015, anthologies-short-stories

After reading the Ashfall by Mike Mullin, the Divergent series by Veronica Roth and The Hunger Games series by Susanne Collins, I have been drawn to stories about the apocalypse and dystopian societies. They seem to be a reflection of our current society and since I gravitate towards young adult fiction, I’ve been keeping an eye out for this collection ever since I passed up the opportunity to purchase it directly from Ellen when she was a guest at ICON a few years ago. And I was excited to fina After reading the Ashfall by Mike Mullin, the Divergent series by Veronica Roth and The Hunger Games series by Susanne Collins, I have been drawn to stories about the apocalypse and dystopian societies. They seem to be a reflection of our current society and since I gravitate towards young adult fiction, I’ve been keeping an eye out for this collection ever since I passed up the opportunity to purchase it directly from Ellen when she was a guest at ICON a few years ago. And I was excited to finally get my hands on a copy of After after months of searching the local bookstores.

If you are a fan of apocalypse and dystopia stories, you will definitely want to get your hands on this anthology. These stories were eerie snapshots of a world that might be. With the exception of two stories, I wanted most of these shorts to be full length novels. The two exceptions? I’ve read Across the Universe by Beth Revis and Shade’s Children by Garth Nix so I’ve been immersed in those worlds via full length novels. Reading about “Shade” again, I realized I need to re-read that book this year.

My Favorite Story: Blood Drive By Jeffery Ford

With all the recent stories about gun massacres and the arguments for and against gun control, this story made me realize that guns in the hands of everyone might not be a good idea. In this story, teenagers are given guns their senior year in high school. It’s a right of passage like getting car when you are sixteen or going out for drinks on your 21st. The horrifying results of this right of passage at one school and comments about the government will give you pause.

My Least Favorite Story: Gray By Jane Yolen

I am just not a fan of poetry. It’s as simple as that.

Final Thoughts

Paging back through this book, I would love to share my thoughts on each an every story, but this review would go on for days! Let’s just say that if you are fan of destroyed worlds, this anthology is one you should consider picking up. Filled with stories about creepy worlds with kids doing what they can to survive, this anthology will not disappoint.

This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews ...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Crys rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, ya, teen, dystopia, read-in-2012

The end of the world in a nice anthology of short stories, and a poem. This book has it all for even the most avid dystopian junkie.

This is almost a survival guide for readers because there is a plethora of topics covered. It's like a buffet for the most avid doomer. Vampires take over the world? Check. Bugs coming for us? Check. Aliens? Oh my! And let me not forget the Cult. This is not even a small test of what the authors have given us.

The one thing I love about this anthology is that I did ...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it really liked it

I love dystopian stories. There are so many possibilities that any story facing some uncertain future always manages to capture me.

Now, I know most don't like short stories, but I do. Let me tell you why? Short stories are quick to the book and for me, leave me wondering what more could happen if the author expand the story? I love that short stories gives the reader a quick glance of what life is like and then close with questions.

As I read through these stories several stood out to me. Now onl ...more

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Aug 11, 2014 WatermeLoonie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2014

Most of these short stories were absolutely mindblowingly awesome, thrilling, unexpecting and just generally fun. That's the way short stories are right? And this was even better AS... IT HAD APOCALYPSE. I MEAN IT'S KINDA LIKE AN OKAY THING LIKE BREAD PLUS ANOTHER OKAY THING LIKE CHEEZE AND YOU'VE GOT A CHEEZE TOASTIE. Marvelous!

THe male character ones weren't that great though... it wasn't as moving or awesome or anything.... I mean the first one? One of the best, if not THE best. Genius, quite ...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Pamela marked it as to-read

Shelves: anthology

Only want to read Beth Revis's story but I guess I'll have to read everything in the end anyway...

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Sep 09, 2012 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Fans of Dystopian or Apocalyptic stories

Shelves: first-reads-books-i-won

This review can also be found here

**I won this book in a GoodReads First Reads giveaway**

This review will be a little different since there are nineteen short stories in this book and I don't want a ridiculously long review so I shall just touch on them briefly.

The Segment by Genevieve Valentine

I really liked this story. It was about children and teenagers who are taken in and used to film "news" stories for the rich people in their destroyed society to see. They used this to get them to do ...more

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Nov 26, 2017 Jennifer Reves rated it really liked it

"After" is an amazing dystopian anthology collection of 19 stories about how the world might end. When it comes to the end of the world, most people think it will be a plague, war, or aliens. But these authors had a very different take on how it all will end and I have to say, I did not expect the authors to have so many different creative endings. There was even a story about how time split that has still got me thinking. I think this would be an interesting topic to have 7-12 graders write abo ...more

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Jul 04, 2018 Elisa rated it really liked it

Excellent group of short stories. Some better than others, but on the whole, I quite enjoyed. And I did like that the final couple ended with a little hope for something better. Live!
But they are after a world ruining event, so most are pretty dark, lots of death, a few twists and surprises. They explore many angles and if you like apocalyptic fiction - wondering how mankind might cope or try to destroy itself, these are for you.

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Nov 08, 2013 Carmen rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya, fiction, science-fiction, short-stories, he-says, traditionally-published, she-says

STORY 1: The Segment by Genevieve Valentine. News is fake. And the people on the news who are playing the parts of orphans, disaster survivors, child soldiers etc. are slaves sold to the media corporations, after being caught living on the street (being a slave to the Agency is considered better – the street life is horrible). One girl (age 19) tries to warn another girl (16) away from what she thinks is 'her big break'. Why? Of course, for some horrible, depressing reason.
STORY 2: After the Cur STORY 1: The Segment by Genevieve Valentine. News is fake. And the people on the news who are playing the parts of orphans, disaster survivors, child soldiers etc. are slaves sold to the media corporations, after being caught living on the street (being a slave to the Agency is considered better – the street life is horrible). One girl (age 19) tries to warn another girl (16) away from what she thinks is 'her big break'. Why? Of course, for some horrible, depressing reason.
STORY 2: After the Cure by Carrie Ryan. This is a very good story. A diet pill starts a pandemic of turning people into some sort of vampire/zombie things. Scientists discover a cure. They cure the “monsters” because they need people...the population is very low. But the “Pure” - people who were never bitten, hate and shun the “Rehabilitated”. Also, although they don't tell anyone, the “Rehabilitated” still thirst for blood and hunger for meat. They want to be Monsters again! But they can't...the Cure is permanent. VERY GOOD.
STORY 3: Valedictorian by N.K. Jemisin. A very good story about humans and android/AI. They have a war. The AI wins. Are they the enemy, or are the humans who chose and fought for staying AI-free prejudiced and stupid? VERY GOOD
STORY 4: Visiting Nelson by Katherine Langrish. It's the future in London. There's a drug called “nirv” that gives you an amazing high but eventually turns you into a very hairy, mindless beast. Charlie deals nerve, living under the protection of Morris, a drug lord. Charlie, in turn, protects Billy – a mentally handicapped boy.
STORY 5: All I Know of Freedom by Carol Emshwiller. This could be the future...or the present. A girl (about 13 or 14) is a slave. She was sold into domestic slavery by her mother. The family keeps her illiterate and uneducated. Now that she is older the father is starting to abuse her sexually. So she escapes. She finds a dog, which she loves. Then she meets an extreme religious cult that teaches her how to read but wants her to be a breeder so that they can start a new civilization on another planet. Will she escape them? Read and find out!
STORY 6: The Other Elder by Beth Revis. Interstellar starship biodome. Everyone is the same. No one is allowed to feel. The Elders rule. Think THE GIVER by Lois Lowry.
STORY 7: The Great Game at the End of the World by Matthew Kressel. God decides to destroy the Earth with horrific results.
STORY 8: Reunion by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Human beings are horrible people who want to dominate other humans and make them suffer.
STORY 9: Blood Drive by Jeffrey Ford. In the future, both teachers and students carry guns to school. Homosexuality is illegal, church attendance is mandatory, and child labor is legal.
STORY 10: Reality Girl by Richard Bowes. In a ruined New York, a girl discovers she can enter other people's minds.
STORY 11: How Th'Irth Wint Rong By Hapless Joey@homeskool.guv by Gregory Maguire. This story is hard to read because the words are all spelled as if a five-year-old is writing them.
STORY 12: Rust with Wings by Steven Gould. New bugs evolve that eat anything metal. They are also attracted by electromagnetic fields.
STORY 13: Faint Heart by Sarah Rees Brennan. Young men are dangerous. They need to be killed off! So the government manufactures a war that takes place every 25 years. Only one man can win, and if he does, he gets to marry the most beautiful woman in the world.
STORY 14: The Easthound. Growing up means turning into a hairy beast that eats people.
STORY 15: Gray by Jane Yolen. This is a poem.
STORY 16: Before by Carolyn Dunn. A plague is on humanity. Only one native girl is resistant, so they keep her locked up and take blood from her 6 times a day.
STORY 17: Fake Plastic Trees by Caitlin Kiernan. In an attempt to replicate food using nanobots, the nanobots end up consuming the world and turning everything into plastic replicas.
STORY 18: You Won't Feel a Thing by Garth Nix. This story is confusing. All adults are killed. Children are being turned into Monster/Animals by some...aliens? I don't know. It's unclear. Some children/half-monsters escape.
STORY 19: The Marker by Cecil Castellucci. This is a very good story that leaves you hope for the future.
CONCLUSION: This is a very depressing book. Although I guess you should expect that when you pick up an anthology about Apocalypse and Dystopia. Don't read this book if you are easily depressed. It's generally message is that human beings are hateful things that enjoy the suffering of others. ...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Chapter by Chapter rated it liked it

If there’s one form of literature that truly frightens me, it’s anthologies. Why? Because I personally find that when it comes to anthologies, I get really wrapped up in the plots only to find myself being cut off. The end. Done. Never mind how attached I got to the characters in the short story or how I expected a big plot, they just end and leave everything to the imagination. That’s why I love novels, because they usually tie everything up nicely. Like a ribbon on a Christmas present; Wrapped If there’s one form of literature that truly frightens me, it’s anthologies. Why? Because I personally find that when it comes to anthologies, I get really wrapped up in the plots only to find myself being cut off. The end. Done. Never mind how attached I got to the characters in the short story or how I expected a big plot, they just end and leave everything to the imagination. That’s why I love novels, because they usually tie everything up nicely. Like a ribbon on a Christmas present; Wrapped up nicely (Howdy, holiday reference).

The thing about After that sounded so interesting was the fact that it’s a series of short stories about life after the apocalypse. And yes, I did see what they did there. Anyhow, I was interested to begin reading After especially since the list of authors that they have seemed pretty impressive (I personally was excited to see what author Beth Revis had written). After not only shows all the possible outcomes of the apocalypse (should our world legitimately end, be destroyed by war or get ravaged by supernatural beasts) and for the most part, I enjoyed every moment of it.

From the starting story, The Segment, by author Genevieve Valentine to The Marker by author Cecil Castellucci, After was an anthology that has given me enough dystopia to never need to read another dystopian novel ever again. I mean really, almost every single possible topic and plot point was reached in the anthology. The only thing that I don’t think I got to read about was zombies, but even then, it’s not a major disappointment (however I was secretly hoping that Carrie Ryan would give me a final taste of her zombie universe).

My absolute favorite short story in After was Beth Revis’ The Other Elder. It takes place in the Across the Universe series and highlights the life of, you guessed it, the other Elder. It shows the dark secrets of the life of an Elder as well as the life before Amy woke up. I loved the Other Elder. I absolutely loved everything about it. The writing style, the main character’s brief point of view and I loved how it gave me off such a somber tone. I find that I can’t really say much what with it only being about ten pages long and risk giving away a lot of spoilers, but fans of Revis’ previous works will surely be pleased with the short story.

However, there was one story that I literally could not for the life of me, understand. I’m a bit of a spelling/grammar freak and the story How Th’irth Wint Rong By Hapless Joey @ Homeskool.GUV by author Gregory Maguire totally had my every pet peeve going crazy. It was like I was Bruce Banner and had to fight my inner Hulk from raging out at the plethora of spelling mistakes. So. Many. Mistakes! The opening sentence had them, every paragraph had them and I understand the need for realism… but still… Hulk smash.

After reading over fifteen stories of what happens after the world ends, I’ve gotta admit that about half way through I was getting a bit bored. Some of the stories began to get dull and the amount of dystopia stories going one after the other does get a bit bored. If there is one story that I want made into a full length novel… like now… it would be Faint Heart by Sarah Rees Brennan. It was fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.

I would recommend After to fans of dystopia, readers who don’t mind being given the same genre but with different plots and to those of us who want to know what happens after the world ends. ...more

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Jan 31, 2015 Jewell Moreno rated it really liked it

An anthology for teens. Here's a quick breakdown.

The Segment by Genevieve Valentine - The future of the news, and how they get their "story".

After The Cure by Carrie Ryan - This one was my favorite out of the whole book. Great story about what happens once you've been cured of a horrible disease.

Valedictorian by N.K.Jemison - What happens to the smartest and not so smart kids after A.I. has taken over.
Scary possibility.

Visiting Nelson by Katherine Langrish - The sad result of drugs, and an ap ...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Candace rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, short-stories, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, library

Datlow and Windling's YA anthologies are always worth reading. The first one I read was The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm in 2004. That book was worth reading for its introduction and its list of Further Reading alone. It introduced me to The King of Elfland's Daughter and Stardust . For months, I was obsessed with faeries, reading novel after novel from the list. I also read their anthology The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest which has all the same great information, Further ...more

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Mar 29, 2015 Kristi rated it really liked it

Shelves: trc2015

This book has been read and reviewed for Reading Thru the Library.

Yay, our first four star review!

So I started out this review with 5 categories: great, good, meh, bad, awful; the more stories that I finished though, the more I felt that none of them were going to be bad or awful. Even though there are quite a few in my 'meh' category, they weren't really bad. Just kinda boring, or too overwhelmed for a short story. The great ones were really, really awesome, though. Definitely worth a read.

Gre ...more

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Nov 01, 2016 Blane S rated it it was amazing

After is 19 separate short stories from other popular authors who contributed stories. Some of them were post-apocalyptic, and showed the life of specific people about their situation and clues of how it all fell around them. Others were about dystopias, with dictators,unfair rules, or overthrown governments. All stories were exciting that caught my attention at the first few sentences. There are many things I like about these stories, like how each one was written. Each story had its own style ...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Lori rated it it was amazing

Shelves: first-reads

I love this collection of short stories. Then again, I love dystopia/post-apocalyptic fiction, so I was probably bound to love it. The Segment was a perfect intro book for this collection. Blood Drive was eerie to read given the current events/discussion related to guns & schools. After the Cure was excellent (as Carrie Ryan always is). The Other Elder made me wish I could read a whole book series set on that ship.

Only two of the stories have been less than 5 stars in my opinion, and some of tha ...more

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About Ellen Datlow

Ellen Datlow

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Ellen Datlow has been an award-winning editor of short science fiction, fantasy, and horror for over twentyfive years.

She is editor of the Best Horror of the Year and has edited or co-edited a large number of award-winning original anthologies. Her most recent are Supernatural Noir, Naked City, Blood and Other Cravings, The Beastly Bride, Teeth, Trolls Eye View, and After (the last three with Ter ...more

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“We started as accidents,” he continues, behind her. “Leftovers. Microbes in a digital sea. We fed on interrupted processes, interrupted conversations, grew, evolved. The first humans we merged with were children using a public library network too ancient and unprotected to keep us out. Nobody cared if poor children got locked away in institutions, or left out on the streets to shiver and starve, when they started acting strange. No one cared what it meant when they became something new—or at least, not at first. We became them. They became us. Then we, together, began to grow.” — 2 likes

“I was taught that the villagers and the slum dwellers were like animals,” she said. “It was the responsibility of people of the educated classes to see to it rules were followed and order maintained. Animals can’t think for themselves. Animals have no feelings.” — 1 likes

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