Human 76 : Fragments of a Fractured World

by Michael Wombat, Lisa Shambrook, Alex Brightsmith

“Quiet, you fool! You’re safe now!” Rough hands gripped Ghabrie. A kestrel swooped but Ghabrie could not hear its call. She could hear only Nahria’s shriek. Ghabrie strained to glimpse her little sister through the mass of rebellion warriors and Prometheans. The two sides were withdrawing, both claiming their spoils and retreating. Ghabrie thrashed: kicking, biting, struggling against strong arms that restrained her. “Nahria, I’ll come for you!” The butt of a rifle thumped the side of her head as her words still echoed across the barren landscape. Ghabrie slipped into an oblivion brought by the hands of her liberators.

Fourteen authors take you on an unprecedented post-apocalyptic journey.

ll proceeds from the book will be donated to the charity Water Is Life, who provide clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene education programs to schools and villages in desperate need worldwide. The charity fits well the main theme of the anthology: helping those displaced or struggling to survive in a harsh world. WiL is a global charity, reflecting the fact that our authors are scattered all around this small blue planet

368 pages, Paperback

Published June 17, 2016

About the author

A Yorkshireman living in the rural green hills of Lancashire, Michael Wombat is a man of huge beard. He has a penchant for good single-malts, inept football teams, big daft dogs and the diary of Mr. Samuel Pepys. Abducted by pirates at the age of twelve he quickly rose to captain the feared privateer ‘The Mrs. Nesbitt’ and terrorised the Skull Coast throughout his early twenties. Narrowly escaping the Revenue men by dressing as a burlesque dancer, he went on to work successively and successfully as a burlesque dancer, a forester, a busker, and a magic carpet salesman. The fact that he was once one of that forgotten company, the bus conductors, will immediately tell you that he is as old as the hills in which he lives. Nowadays he spends his time writing and pretending to take good photographs. You can have a good laugh at his pathetic blog or his photographs, but most of all please go and mock him mercilessly on Twitter or Facebook. Michael Wombat has published over one book. Other authors are available.

Click here for the "Ask Michael Wombat" discussion group.

Reviews

[Michael Wombat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caveat: I'm reviewing as the editor. The tales herein, written individually by authors from around the world, link remarkably to paint a thrilling picture of a young girl's journey through a land bristling with danger. Each author brings their own style, while contributing to the overall arc of Ghabrie's quest. All of the authors represented here are richly talented, and I am proud to have been their pilot.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way the stories interconnect in this anthology! Lots of wonderful characters and adventures!! :)

[Rebecca Bryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a truly remarkable achievement. The tale centres around Gabrie and her search for her young sister after they were separated in a post-apocalyptic world. It's a collection of short stories by different authors, their remit being that their characters had to meet Gabrie. How this was put together to form a cohesive full-length story is beyond amazing. You don't feel as if the flow of the story or the quality or style of the writing falters as it changes from author to author. The whole is brought together at the end and embraces the characters Gabrie has met throughout the tale - characters I came to care about through their own stories. I have to say that the end knocked the wind out of me. I couldn't have written this review immediately: I had to process the ending, think about the intent behind it, and draw on Gabrie's own powers, her sense of survival, and her 'immortality'. I enjoyed this tale immensely. I rather hope there might be a sequel.

[M.K. Boers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time of reading this anthology, the first being as an editor. This time as a reader, I loved seeing how each story flowed after each other, and the order they had been put in that aided to the unveiling of the story. Each tale stands on its own, as well as being a part of the whole, and each with its own style adding something different, seeing the background tale from a fresh perspective. There was so much to enjoy, even on a second reading.

If you like post-apocalyptic tales, reading the story of Ghabrie and the different people and worlds she encounters is a must. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting idea because it is one story that has been written by different authors for each chapter. The main character is a girl who happens to have enhancements that give her certain abilities. She is searching for her sister who was not rescued at the same time that she was in the whole story is based around that search. She meets many other interesting people throughout her journey but even though the chapters were written by different people the character remains true and recognisable throughout.
It is all set in a post-apocalyptic world and makes for a very interesting read as you discover different abilities and mutations that exist in this world. The post-apocalyptic world is referred to as post last, although what that blast was is never explained. Mind you, I am that these people do like to imagine things for myself so it was a very good read from my point of view.
I did not find any part of this a stumbling block in the way of flow which would have been expected with different authors taking on the same idea. I mean, if I was doing this I would have my own opinion on the main character and the people surrounding her or that I would want her to meet. This did not seem to happen within the book and I applaud the authors for the obvious amount of work they must have put into this.
The book itself is very enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone who would like to read anything post-apocalyptic (or even something that has some aspect of fantasy)
I give this book 4/5 stars because I did really enjoy it and there was obviously a lot of work that had been pushed into it. The only reason I did not give this five out of five stars is because it is not something I would normally have picked up to read. However, it is certainly highly recommended.

[Miranda Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time of reading this anthology, the first being as an editor. This time as a reader, I loved seeing how each story flowed after each other, and the order they had been put in that aided to the unveiling of the story. Each tale stands on its own, as well as being a part of the whole, and each with its own style adding something different, seeing the background tale from a fresh perspective. There was so much to enjoy, even on a second reading.

If you like post-apocalyptic tales, reading the story of Ghabrie and the different people and worlds she encounters is a must. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Dr. Pete Meyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The interplay between the 14 authors in Human 76 could have easily made for the "fractured world" the title promises, but instead we're treated to an amazing collaboration where each new perspective and new character makes the entire world richer and adds new flavor and mystery to the legend of Ghabrie. The editors did an excellent job of weaving together a mix of storytelling styles into something that really felt cohesive but maintained the uniqueness of many voices. I'd love to read more in this world.