What do you think?
Rate this book
Out of the Ruins
This anthology of post-apocalyptic fiction asks, what would you save from the fire? In the moments when it all comes crashing down, what will we value the most, and how will we save it? Featuring stories from China Mieville, Emily St John Mandel, Charlie Jane Anders, Ramsey Campbell and more.
307 pages, Paperback
First published September 7, 2021
196 people are currently reading
736 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
September 20, 2021
Although I am not obsessed with apocalyptic ideas, I find the notion of the end of the world as we know it both fascinating and terrifying. If I had a choice, I would prefer to avoid such events altogether, but I can't help but wonder what would it look like? What would trigger it? Would it wipe us all out, or would there be survivors? And if so, what would their lives look like?
In Out of The Ruins, Grassman delivers 20 stories (including 2 poems) that offer a fresh look at post-apocalyptic tropes and themes. Most of them are introspective and literary rather than fast-paced or survivalist. I prefer them this way.
There are no throwaway stories here. Some are outstanding, others less so, but they still deserve their place in the anthology. Among the standout stories here is Emily St. John Mandel s "Mr. Thursday." Her Station Eleven is, probably, my favorite book ever, and her writing style has that wonderfully melancholic atmosphere I can't resist. I understand why some readers won't like it (slow, episodic, with no clear ending), but I adored it. What is it about? Well, it shows how one small decision can affect more than one life.
Another story I loved was Tidhar's The Green Caravanserai that opens the anthology and delivers lots of thrills. Certainly, there are also weaker stories here, such as As Good as New by Charlie Jane Anders, which has a great premise (genie in a bottle after the apocalypse) but disappointing execution. I had high hopes for China Mieville's Watching God but I ended up feeling lukewarm about it. No idea why, to be honest; it's well written, inventive, dreamy.
Preston Grassmann did a great job here, making sure Out of the Ruins has a fantastic mix of styles and approaches to the post-apocalyptic themes. I highly recommend Out of the Ruins to readers looking for thoughtful and touching short stories.
In Out of The Ruins, Grassman delivers 20 stories (including 2 poems) that offer a fresh look at post-apocalyptic tropes and themes. Most of them are introspective and literary rather than fast-paced or survivalist. I prefer them this way.
There are no throwaway stories here. Some are outstanding, others less so, but they still deserve their place in the anthology. Among the standout stories here is Emily St. John Mandel s "Mr. Thursday." Her Station Eleven is, probably, my favorite book ever, and her writing style has that wonderfully melancholic atmosphere I can't resist. I understand why some readers won't like it (slow, episodic, with no clear ending), but I adored it. What is it about? Well, it shows how one small decision can affect more than one life.
Another story I loved was Tidhar's The Green Caravanserai that opens the anthology and delivers lots of thrills. Certainly, there are also weaker stories here, such as As Good as New by Charlie Jane Anders, which has a great premise (genie in a bottle after the apocalypse) but disappointing execution. I had high hopes for China Mieville's Watching God but I ended up feeling lukewarm about it. No idea why, to be honest; it's well written, inventive, dreamy.
Preston Grassmann did a great job here, making sure Out of the Ruins has a fantastic mix of styles and approaches to the post-apocalyptic themes. I highly recommend Out of the Ruins to readers looking for thoughtful and touching short stories.
September 3, 2022
I cherry picked a half dozen of these from the more well known authors. Shame on me, I know. They were for the most part forgettable, with two notable exceptions that both had very creative takes on how the world ends. The first, As Good as New by Charlie Jane Anders, is a kind of cozy and humorous take on end times, and Reminded by Ramsey Campbell is equal parts baffling and chilling.
September 19, 2021
Received as a review copy from NetGalley, this is an honest review. Such a gorgeous collection of stories that leave you seeing not only the possibilities but also the odd beauty of the ruins of a fallen empire or civilization. Out of the ashes something good can emerge. Highly recommended.
June 28, 2022
If you want to know what this book is about, here’s an intelligent review from The British Fantasy Society: https://www.britishfantasysociety.org...
September 18, 2021
"Out of the Ruins" is an anthology of post-apocalyptic fiction written by some of the very best authors around. Each story is brilliantly written, with great characters, and plots that instantly grabbed me. Though, with most, I wished for a much larger story (even full-length novels) I can't rate the book down for that because I thoroughly enjoyed them just the way they are, and wanting more is just me being greedy!
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
January 27, 2022
just what you’re looking for
Great variety.
There’s hope, realism, sci-do, fantasy, pain…
Everything you could hope for.
You will enjoy this book a great deal.
Great variety.
There’s hope, realism, sci-do, fantasy, pain…
Everything you could hope for.
You will enjoy this book a great deal.
March 22, 2022
this was really more of a 3.5— as with any collection of short stories, some were better than others but in this case the message of the collection stayed really strong throughout and was really beautiful: resiliency in the face of apocalypse, regeneration, recovery, the building of new worlds (aka my SHIT when it comes to sf). some standouts: "the endless fall" by jeffrey thomas (trope-y and surreal); inventory" by carmen maria machado (one of my fav short stories of all time, heartachingly beautiful and affective); "how the monsters found god" by john skipp and autumn christian (so so beautiful, cyborgs and monsters dream of beauty and find it through art). overall a great first read of 2022, makes me hopeful that this year can be one of building from ruin.
November 25, 2021
I was very excited when I heard last year about the coming of this book. First of all: apocalypse, - yes. Second, China Miéville, for sure. And Emily St. John Mandel - hell yes!
The collection of 19 stories and 2 poems, most by authors with whom I was not familiar, was, excellent, amusing, confusing, and impenetrable in spots.
Favorites included Ms. Mandel's "Mr. Thursday;" "Inventory" by Carmen Maria Machado; "The Green Caravanserai" by Lavie Tidhar; and "The Rise and Fall of Whistle-Pig City" by Paul Di Fillippo.
I enjoyed several others and abandoned only one.
More than one story was written in 2nd person - something you don't see very often, in part because it is difficult to maintain the illusion and stay connected with the reader. Short stories and speculative, weird ones at that, provide a better than normal shot at pulling it off. Nick Mamatas does just that with "The Man You Flee at Parties."
All in all, some fun stories and new authors to track.
The collection of 19 stories and 2 poems, most by authors with whom I was not familiar, was, excellent, amusing, confusing, and impenetrable in spots.
Favorites included Ms. Mandel's "Mr. Thursday;" "Inventory" by Carmen Maria Machado; "The Green Caravanserai" by Lavie Tidhar; and "The Rise and Fall of Whistle-Pig City" by Paul Di Fillippo.
I enjoyed several others and abandoned only one.
More than one story was written in 2nd person - something you don't see very often, in part because it is difficult to maintain the illusion and stay connected with the reader. Short stories and speculative, weird ones at that, provide a better than normal shot at pulling it off. Nick Mamatas does just that with "The Man You Flee at Parties."
All in all, some fun stories and new authors to track.
August 31, 2022
It’s rare to encounter an anthology with such a broad range of work, that doesn’t pander to the standard tropes of market-driven apocalyptic narratives. Great work all around.
December 4, 2022
“Out of the Ruins” is a wonderful collection of post-apocalyptic short stories written by a great collection of authors, a good portion of which are my favorite writers. An amazing variety of views on what a post-apocalyptic world would look like. Hope & despair, darkness & light, good & evil….fantastic stories with great characters and worlds….my only complaint is that I wanted longer stories!! Excellent anthology and one of my top books of the year!
November 12, 2022
Out of the Ruins features a roughly even mix of original stories and strong reprints. All of the stories here exemplify a fresh take on apocalyptic fiction. “Malware Park” by Nikhil Singh, for example, is very impressive, and constructed in a way that rewards rereading.
September 22, 2022
As stated in the intro, this is an inclusive anthology, with a new take on apocalyptic fiction. As such, I was impressed with the range of stories here. The reprints were strong as well.
October 2, 2022
Most of the post-apocalyptic fiction I've read begins with the applicable event. Which is understandable. It's gripping, exciting, we get to imagine ourselves as a plausibly real-world hero with enough of the Right Stuff to make it through the spray of crap hitting the fan, and so on. Or it's set not terribly long afterward, with enough of the pre-SHtF world left to give us some of that apocalyptic aftertaste, as it were. But I can't say I've read a whole lot that takes place well after the event. This volume is full of stories that take place years, sometimes decades, or even longer, afterward, when the survivors have grown into their world and begotten the next generation or several.
February 24, 2023
I admit I picked this up simply for Emily St. John Mandel’s contribution (in which she’s still on top of her game in the poignant tale of Mr. Thursday). Some might argue it doesn’t quite fit with the theme, but I believe it does. After all, the theme revolves around what would someone save from the ruins.
Still, I do love post-apocalyptic works, so I started at the beginning and found myself enjoying it for the most part. I wasn’t familiar with the majority of writers included, but I wouldn’t mind checking into some of their other works. Some stories I skipped right over or stopped part-way through as their style or subject matter didn’t interest me. Like so many PA writers, several of these get bogged down in someone trying far too hard to be poetic and using filmy words, while others try too hard to build a completely unknown world or setting that just doesn’t flow well in a short story setting.
Charlie Jane Anders’ As Good As New was an interesting take on an atypical genie in a bottle tale, and she’s someone I will definitely look into more, China Mieville’s Watching God had me wanting more answers, but easily pulled me along in her dark undertow. Kaaron Warren’s Exurbia is not at all my kind of thing, all hidden in what I expect to be layers of symbolism, but I didn’t mind at all. In fact, it was my favorite out of the entire book. Anna Tambour’s The Age of Fish, Post-Flowers left me wishing she could flesh it out into novel length as the intriguing tale deposited me on its far shores far far too soon.
For a library read I was happy to have picked it up, and, as I see Amazon has it on sale for Kindle right now ($1.99) I am definitely adding it to my collection. In time I will try the other tales, the ones I found myself skipping over. Who knows, I just might find yet another author to love when I do.
Still, I do love post-apocalyptic works, so I started at the beginning and found myself enjoying it for the most part. I wasn’t familiar with the majority of writers included, but I wouldn’t mind checking into some of their other works. Some stories I skipped right over or stopped part-way through as their style or subject matter didn’t interest me. Like so many PA writers, several of these get bogged down in someone trying far too hard to be poetic and using filmy words, while others try too hard to build a completely unknown world or setting that just doesn’t flow well in a short story setting.
Charlie Jane Anders’ As Good As New was an interesting take on an atypical genie in a bottle tale, and she’s someone I will definitely look into more, China Mieville’s Watching God had me wanting more answers, but easily pulled me along in her dark undertow. Kaaron Warren’s Exurbia is not at all my kind of thing, all hidden in what I expect to be layers of symbolism, but I didn’t mind at all. In fact, it was my favorite out of the entire book. Anna Tambour’s The Age of Fish, Post-Flowers left me wishing she could flesh it out into novel length as the intriguing tale deposited me on its far shores far far too soon.
For a library read I was happy to have picked it up, and, as I see Amazon has it on sale for Kindle right now ($1.99) I am definitely adding it to my collection. In time I will try the other tales, the ones I found myself skipping over. Who knows, I just might find yet another author to love when I do.
January 11, 2022
I’m sad to say 2022 has already brought to me a DNF. What a disappointing one! I love short story collections, and I love post apocalyptic stories, so I thought it would be my gem. After reading 4 stories, I just didn’t care enough to continue. I might try it again in the future though.
January 1, 2023
This is a new approach for a large-scale publisher, far from the standard fare of apocalyptic fiction. Refreshing!
January 1, 2023
This one defies the labels, and it’s a good thing -
great work by Mieville, Tidhar, and Tambour!
great work by Mieville, Tidhar, and Tambour!
March 18, 2022
I was disappointed. These short stories were well written by some of my favourite SciFi authors. They explored bizarre situations and concepts but I had to push myself to read them. Most of the stories were detached- distant from humanity, disengaged from empathy and sympathy. There were two stories I liked - one about a woman at the end of the world with a genie and three wishes- the other- Mr Thursday Emily St John Mandel
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2022
The Hour ♡
As Good As New
Reminded
The Rise and Fall of Whistle-Pig City
The Endless Fall
Dwindling
Maeda: The Body Optic
How the Monsters Found God ♡
November 23, 2022
As with all anthologies, some stories are better than others. This includes a short-story sequel to Delany’s “Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand,” which by itself is worth the price of the book. Overall, excellent work.
January 28, 2025
During weekend coffee, my husband and I read short story collections together. It’s a fun way to experience the same book while also reading our own separate books. We were pretty excited for this collection, both of us being fans of several stories in the post-apocalyptic genre since we grew up having read Stephen King’s the Stand.
We were disappointed. Most of the stories were mediocre at best. Several seemed to be more sci-fi than post-apocalyptic. Many were set in future worlds with language and terminology we had no way of ever understanding while reading in the short-form. That being said, there were some stand outs in the collection. If you were to select just those stories, picking up this book is worth it.
I was super excited to discover Charlie Jane Anders with As Good as New. This story had a whimsical take with all the hope humans have of righting a wrong. I will definitely read Anders again. Same for Carmen Maria Machado whose Iventory read like a beautiful litany of sadness for what is now lost. And as expected, Emily St. John Mandel told a lovely story of human connection with Mr. Thursday.
I’m enriched for the stories I did enjoy but saddened that overall this collection did not live up to its promise.
We were disappointed. Most of the stories were mediocre at best. Several seemed to be more sci-fi than post-apocalyptic. Many were set in future worlds with language and terminology we had no way of ever understanding while reading in the short-form. That being said, there were some stand outs in the collection. If you were to select just those stories, picking up this book is worth it.
I was super excited to discover Charlie Jane Anders with As Good as New. This story had a whimsical take with all the hope humans have of righting a wrong. I will definitely read Anders again. Same for Carmen Maria Machado whose Iventory read like a beautiful litany of sadness for what is now lost. And as expected, Emily St. John Mandel told a lovely story of human connection with Mr. Thursday.
I’m enriched for the stories I did enjoy but saddened that overall this collection did not live up to its promise.
October 29, 2022
need to stop reading these anthology books. some real stinkers in here
February 20, 2023
Antología “apocalíptica” de título y subtítulo engañosos. De veinte relatos (en realidad, dieciocho más dos poemas cortos), solo se salvan tres: “As Good As New", de Charlie Jane Ander, “The Endless Fall", de Jeffrey Thomas, e “Inventory", de Carmen Maria Machado. Este último me ha sorprendido y gustado especialmente.
¿El resto de relatos? Excesivamente crípticos, o demasiado raros, o directamente fumadas. Nunca me ha gustado esa ficción que crea mundos tan ajenos al nuestro que me cuesta horrores empatizar con los personajes o aceptar lo que sucede como lógico y razonable. Es un poco lo que me pasó con Romance del ecuador, de Brian Aldiss.
Sinceramente, y teniendo en cuenta lo mucho que me gusta el tema apocalíptico, si queréis leer una antología que sea realmente apocalíptica y sobre todo que se entienda, entonces recomiendo mil veces más la saga The Apocalypse Triptych : The End is Nigh, The End is Now y The End Has Come. El relato de Carmen Maria Machado sin duda iría fenomenal ahí.
*** Y a continuación, mis anotaciones para cada relato, según los iba leyendo. Ojo, pueden tener spoilers:
“The Hour”, de Clive Barker: No me gusta la poesía en general, así que empezamos un poco mal. 2/5
“The Green Caravanserai", de Lavie Tidhar: La historia de este relato es más bien una excusa para presentar una idea, la de un terrorismo artístico tras nosecuántas guerras en un desierto que no se suele visitar en Occidente. El argumento no va a ninguna parte, pero el worldbuilding apunta maneras. Sería un muy buen comienzo para una novela. 3/5
“The Age of Fish, Post-flowers", de Anna Tambou: ¿Qué acabo de leer exactamente? No lo sé, pero hay demasiadas cursivas y no acabo de entender al narrador. Creo que la autora intenta abarcar demasiado, aunque la idea de fondo me gusta un poco. De todas maneras, es demasiado caótico todo, demasiado críptico. 1/5
“Exurbia", de Kaaron Warren: Otro relato que no acabo de entender. Me temo que el título de este libro engaña: sí, hay apocalipsis, pero en mundos de fantasía, distorsiones del nuestro. En este caso, ¿estamos en una especie de torre de Babel? Pregunto porque no me queda claro. Me cuesta muchísimo digerir este tipo de literatura. 1/5
“Watching God", de China Miéville: Este relato me ha gustado bastante. Me recuerda un poco a Brian Aldiss. Es lo primero que leo de China Miéville, y si sus otras obras son similares en cuanto a ritmo y desarrollo, entiendo que sea importante. De todos modos todo el tema de “la frase” y los barcos y las esperanzas y tantas cosas sin explicar no me convence. 3/5
“A Storm in Kingstown", de Nina Allan: Me ha costado mucho entrar en este relato. La idea, al final, no es demasiado novedosa (artefactos del “futuro” en un mundo del “pasado”) pero sí interesante por cómo juega precisamente con qué es el pasado y qué el futuro. Una pena que se me haya hecho cuesta arriba. 2/5
“As Good As New", de Charlie Jane Ander: Imagina leer un episodio de la Twilight Zone de Serling. Quizás porque trata un tema muy tocado ya (qué tres deseos pedirle a un genio), pero el relato tiene buen ritmo y el genio me cae bien. De lo mejor hasta ahora, y con diferencia. 4/5
“Reminded", de Ramsey Campbell: Parece que toda la población ha perdido la memoria y el gobierno tiene un plan para ayudar a sus ciudadanos a recuperarla. Val y Phil tienen ese día un examen de conducir. Interesante idea que se desinfla un poco hacia el final, porque no hay un desenlace como tal. El relato te deja con demasiadas incógnitas. 3/5
“The Splendor and Misery of Bodies, of Cities", de Samuel R. Delany: ¿Qué acabo de leer? No he entendido nada. He buscado un poco en Google y al parecer el autor tiene , un libro en ese mismo ¿universo?, Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand. La temática no me puede interesar menos. 1/5
“The Rise and Fall of Whistle-Pig City", de Paul Di Filippo: Cinco ¿posthumanos? habitan el planeta y, como dioses aburridos, deciden crear ciudades representando las antiguas ciudades terrestres. ¿Con qué las habitan? Con perritos de las praderas ultraevolucionados. Es un relato que se toma demasiado en serio y al mismo tiempo tiene un punto sarcástico. Ah, y también sexista. Pero al menos se entiende. 3/5
“Mr. Thursday", de Emily St. John Mandel: Supongo que esto es un spin-off de su novela Sea of Tranquility. Me gusta cómo escribe esta autora, pero no me gusta lo que cuenta, que es básicamente nada. Más viajes en el tiempo y colonias en la Luna. Cero interés. 3/5
“The Man You Flee at Parties", de Nick Mamatas: Otro tipo de relato que no me gusta. Algo sobre economía y setas y nanos. De nuevo, demasiado críptico para mí. 1/5
“Like the Petals of Broken Flowers", de Chris Kelso y Preston Grassman: Historia de tintes japoneses, con el Obon como momento clave para destruir a unos “dioses” que no se sabe de dónde han salido. Ni a Hideaki Anno se le hubiera ocurrido algo tan raro. 1/5
“The Endless Fall", de Jeffrey Thomas: Al fin otro relato interesante. Un hombre llega a un planeta en una cápsula. No recuerda nada de su pasado. Poco a poco descubre que hay otros como él, o mejor dicho, otros “él”. El final es abrupto y no despeja ninguna incógnita, y no tiene toda la fuerza que debería, pero al menos me ha enganchado, cosa que no puedo decir de los otros relatos. 4/5
“Dwindling", de Ron Drummond: Qué mal me ha caído el narrador. Una fantasía masculina que no sé dónde pretende ir. Muere varias veces pero lo importante es lo mucho que le pone una tal Sherry. Ah, y que sigue siendo un niño pequeño que llora. What? Al menos la narración es más coherente que la de otros relatos de este libro. 2/5
“Malware Park", de Nikhil Singh: Fumada. Frases cortas. Mucha intensidad. Demasiado críptico, otra vez. No he entendido nada. No me ha interesado nada. El estilo me saca de la lectura. El peor relato de todos, sin duda. 0/5
“Maeda: The Body Optic", de Rumi Kaneko: Lo que menos me esperaba es un relato totalmente basado en las películas de la saga Tetsuo (solo he visto las dos primeras). Es un relato redondo (¡al fin!), aunque suena un poco a fanfic. 3/5
“Inventory", de Carmen Maria Machado: La joya de la corona, sin ninguna duda. Sexo y muerte. Ritmo perfecto en un relato en el que todo tiene sentido, aunque no lo parezca. Bien podría ser el mundo de Earth Abides, salvando las distancias. “I realize the world will continue to turn, even with no people on it. Maybe it will go a little faster”. Tendré que leer más de esta autora. 5/5
“How the Monsters Found God", de John Skipp y Autumn Christian: Monstruos, sí: superhumanos modificados para ser máquinas de matar, hasta que un día encuentran a una chica que canta y otro día aun bebé y en uno de sus streams en Twitch (es broma. Bueno, medio broma) hacen que todo lo gris se vuelva rosa. Todo muy cursi. Pero al menos se entiende. 2/5
“The Box Man’s Dream", de D.R.G. Sugawara: La antología se cierra con otro poema, esta vez con más significado que el primero. 4/5
¿El resto de relatos? Excesivamente crípticos, o demasiado raros, o directamente fumadas. Nunca me ha gustado esa ficción que crea mundos tan ajenos al nuestro que me cuesta horrores empatizar con los personajes o aceptar lo que sucede como lógico y razonable. Es un poco lo que me pasó con Romance del ecuador, de Brian Aldiss.
Sinceramente, y teniendo en cuenta lo mucho que me gusta el tema apocalíptico, si queréis leer una antología que sea realmente apocalíptica y sobre todo que se entienda, entonces recomiendo mil veces más la saga The Apocalypse Triptych : The End is Nigh, The End is Now y The End Has Come. El relato de Carmen Maria Machado sin duda iría fenomenal ahí.
*** Y a continuación, mis anotaciones para cada relato, según los iba leyendo. Ojo, pueden tener spoilers:
“The Hour”, de Clive Barker: No me gusta la poesía en general, así que empezamos un poco mal. 2/5
“The Green Caravanserai", de Lavie Tidhar: La historia de este relato es más bien una excusa para presentar una idea, la de un terrorismo artístico tras nosecuántas guerras en un desierto que no se suele visitar en Occidente. El argumento no va a ninguna parte, pero el worldbuilding apunta maneras. Sería un muy buen comienzo para una novela. 3/5
“The Age of Fish, Post-flowers", de Anna Tambou: ¿Qué acabo de leer exactamente? No lo sé, pero hay demasiadas cursivas y no acabo de entender al narrador. Creo que la autora intenta abarcar demasiado, aunque la idea de fondo me gusta un poco. De todas maneras, es demasiado caótico todo, demasiado críptico. 1/5
“Exurbia", de Kaaron Warren: Otro relato que no acabo de entender. Me temo que el título de este libro engaña: sí, hay apocalipsis, pero en mundos de fantasía, distorsiones del nuestro. En este caso, ¿estamos en una especie de torre de Babel? Pregunto porque no me queda claro. Me cuesta muchísimo digerir este tipo de literatura. 1/5
“Watching God", de China Miéville: Este relato me ha gustado bastante. Me recuerda un poco a Brian Aldiss. Es lo primero que leo de China Miéville, y si sus otras obras son similares en cuanto a ritmo y desarrollo, entiendo que sea importante. De todos modos todo el tema de “la frase” y los barcos y las esperanzas y tantas cosas sin explicar no me convence. 3/5
“A Storm in Kingstown", de Nina Allan: Me ha costado mucho entrar en este relato. La idea, al final, no es demasiado novedosa (artefactos del “futuro” en un mundo del “pasado”) pero sí interesante por cómo juega precisamente con qué es el pasado y qué el futuro. Una pena que se me haya hecho cuesta arriba. 2/5
“As Good As New", de Charlie Jane Ander: Imagina leer un episodio de la Twilight Zone de Serling. Quizás porque trata un tema muy tocado ya (qué tres deseos pedirle a un genio), pero el relato tiene buen ritmo y el genio me cae bien. De lo mejor hasta ahora, y con diferencia. 4/5
“Reminded", de Ramsey Campbell: Parece que toda la población ha perdido la memoria y el gobierno tiene un plan para ayudar a sus ciudadanos a recuperarla. Val y Phil tienen ese día un examen de conducir. Interesante idea que se desinfla un poco hacia el final, porque no hay un desenlace como tal. El relato te deja con demasiadas incógnitas. 3/5
“The Splendor and Misery of Bodies, of Cities", de Samuel R. Delany: ¿Qué acabo de leer? No he entendido nada. He buscado un poco en Google y al parecer el autor tiene , un libro en ese mismo ¿universo?, Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand. La temática no me puede interesar menos. 1/5
“The Rise and Fall of Whistle-Pig City", de Paul Di Filippo: Cinco ¿posthumanos? habitan el planeta y, como dioses aburridos, deciden crear ciudades representando las antiguas ciudades terrestres. ¿Con qué las habitan? Con perritos de las praderas ultraevolucionados. Es un relato que se toma demasiado en serio y al mismo tiempo tiene un punto sarcástico. Ah, y también sexista. Pero al menos se entiende. 3/5
“Mr. Thursday", de Emily St. John Mandel: Supongo que esto es un spin-off de su novela Sea of Tranquility. Me gusta cómo escribe esta autora, pero no me gusta lo que cuenta, que es básicamente nada. Más viajes en el tiempo y colonias en la Luna. Cero interés. 3/5
“The Man You Flee at Parties", de Nick Mamatas: Otro tipo de relato que no me gusta. Algo sobre economía y setas y nanos. De nuevo, demasiado críptico para mí. 1/5
“Like the Petals of Broken Flowers", de Chris Kelso y Preston Grassman: Historia de tintes japoneses, con el Obon como momento clave para destruir a unos “dioses” que no se sabe de dónde han salido. Ni a Hideaki Anno se le hubiera ocurrido algo tan raro. 1/5
“The Endless Fall", de Jeffrey Thomas: Al fin otro relato interesante. Un hombre llega a un planeta en una cápsula. No recuerda nada de su pasado. Poco a poco descubre que hay otros como él, o mejor dicho, otros “él”. El final es abrupto y no despeja ninguna incógnita, y no tiene toda la fuerza que debería, pero al menos me ha enganchado, cosa que no puedo decir de los otros relatos. 4/5
“Dwindling", de Ron Drummond: Qué mal me ha caído el narrador. Una fantasía masculina que no sé dónde pretende ir. Muere varias veces pero lo importante es lo mucho que le pone una tal Sherry. Ah, y que sigue siendo un niño pequeño que llora. What? Al menos la narración es más coherente que la de otros relatos de este libro. 2/5
“Malware Park", de Nikhil Singh: Fumada. Frases cortas. Mucha intensidad. Demasiado críptico, otra vez. No he entendido nada. No me ha interesado nada. El estilo me saca de la lectura. El peor relato de todos, sin duda. 0/5
“Maeda: The Body Optic", de Rumi Kaneko: Lo que menos me esperaba es un relato totalmente basado en las películas de la saga Tetsuo (solo he visto las dos primeras). Es un relato redondo (¡al fin!), aunque suena un poco a fanfic. 3/5
“Inventory", de Carmen Maria Machado: La joya de la corona, sin ninguna duda. Sexo y muerte. Ritmo perfecto en un relato en el que todo tiene sentido, aunque no lo parezca. Bien podría ser el mundo de Earth Abides, salvando las distancias. “I realize the world will continue to turn, even with no people on it. Maybe it will go a little faster”. Tendré que leer más de esta autora. 5/5
“How the Monsters Found God", de John Skipp y Autumn Christian: Monstruos, sí: superhumanos modificados para ser máquinas de matar, hasta que un día encuentran a una chica que canta y otro día aun bebé y en uno de sus streams en Twitch (es broma. Bueno, medio broma) hacen que todo lo gris se vuelva rosa. Todo muy cursi. Pero al menos se entiende. 2/5
“The Box Man’s Dream", de D.R.G. Sugawara: La antología se cierra con otro poema, esta vez con más significado que el primero. 4/5
July 14, 2023
The Short Answer
A fascinatingly varied collection of post apocalyptic stories. There is enough variety in here that there is definitely something for every sci fi fan, though this also means there are going to be some stories that are definitely not your cup of tea as well.
Definitely work checking out if you are looking to read some styles you wouldn't normally be exposed to.
The Long Answer
I grabbed this after reading Station Eleven because I saw Emily St. John Mandel had a story in here. Clive Barker and China Miéville didn't hurt the appeal either.
I was immediately impressed by the variety of writing styles used in the book. They all clearly came from diverse and talented voices with different stories they wanted to tell. I never knew what type of story was going to come up next. Would it be straight forward? Would it be almost hallucinatory? Would there be a clear resolution? I never knew, and that was very refreshing given that a lot of these collections can get quite boring.
The downside to this is there are going to be stories that don't work as well for the reader. There were definitely a few I found a bit predictable, or like they never found their purpose, but I could see other people loving them and disliking the stories that grabbed me. So for that reason I won't get into my particular favorites and let people find them for themselves.
Definitely recommended for the variety. But expect a bit of a mixed bag if you go down this road.
A fascinatingly varied collection of post apocalyptic stories. There is enough variety in here that there is definitely something for every sci fi fan, though this also means there are going to be some stories that are definitely not your cup of tea as well.
Definitely work checking out if you are looking to read some styles you wouldn't normally be exposed to.
The Long Answer
I grabbed this after reading Station Eleven because I saw Emily St. John Mandel had a story in here. Clive Barker and China Miéville didn't hurt the appeal either.
I was immediately impressed by the variety of writing styles used in the book. They all clearly came from diverse and talented voices with different stories they wanted to tell. I never knew what type of story was going to come up next. Would it be straight forward? Would it be almost hallucinatory? Would there be a clear resolution? I never knew, and that was very refreshing given that a lot of these collections can get quite boring.
The downside to this is there are going to be stories that don't work as well for the reader. There were definitely a few I found a bit predictable, or like they never found their purpose, but I could see other people loving them and disliking the stories that grabbed me. So for that reason I won't get into my particular favorites and let people find them for themselves.
Definitely recommended for the variety. But expect a bit of a mixed bag if you go down this road.
May 30, 2023
An interesting collection with a few standout stories but also a lot of duds. A few standout stories for me were:
1. "Mr. Thursday" by Emily St. John Mandel
A slow, subtle read that has me excited to push her novels higher up on my TBR.
2. "Reminded" by Ramsey Campbell
Quiet, simple horror. The inability to hold onto memory is an experience that is stifling to a degree I can hardly comprehend.
3."The Splendor and Misery of Bodies, of Cities" by Samuel R. Delaney
The ideas do a lot of heavy lifting, here. The first half is immaculate, but the last half devolves into an info dump for technical terms we have no attachment to whatsoever, and we lose the character exploration that was so interesting in the first half. But despite my issues with the execution, I still found myself thinking about this story more than most others in the collection.
4. "Inventory" by Carmen Maria Machado
I'd already read this story and knew it was great, but I also think it's a great inclusion into a collection like this. The more people introduced to Machado the better.
1. "Mr. Thursday" by Emily St. John Mandel
A slow, subtle read that has me excited to push her novels higher up on my TBR.
2. "Reminded" by Ramsey Campbell
Quiet, simple horror. The inability to hold onto memory is an experience that is stifling to a degree I can hardly comprehend.
3."The Splendor and Misery of Bodies, of Cities" by Samuel R. Delaney
The ideas do a lot of heavy lifting, here. The first half is immaculate, but the last half devolves into an info dump for technical terms we have no attachment to whatsoever, and we lose the character exploration that was so interesting in the first half. But despite my issues with the execution, I still found myself thinking about this story more than most others in the collection.
4. "Inventory" by Carmen Maria Machado
I'd already read this story and knew it was great, but I also think it's a great inclusion into a collection like this. The more people introduced to Machado the better.
August 16, 2024
A sorely disappointing read. Weak stories that reflect near total lack of a central conflict or friction. Some stories are moderately interesting but only so far as how the characters respond to the ruined world they populate, even though the ruined worlds they inhabit are not given any backstory. And the worlds described are very thin on setting, description, or details of the world lost, or the one operating in.
All writers in this anthology seem enamored by their own prose. Seeing writing as a process which they must interpret as the story itself. I put this work down for nearly a year. I hoped that my disillusionment would have been alleviated after getting away from the stories but no. The stories are still dull, uninteresting.
Readers read for interesting storytelling. Not for writers in love with themselves over the act of writing.
All writers in this anthology seem enamored by their own prose. Seeing writing as a process which they must interpret as the story itself. I put this work down for nearly a year. I hoped that my disillusionment would have been alleviated after getting away from the stories but no. The stories are still dull, uninteresting.
Readers read for interesting storytelling. Not for writers in love with themselves over the act of writing.
October 2, 2023
I loved the storys
There were so many good stories, not once did I try to rush thur a story because they were that good and there were a few that made you think wow that good
There were so many good stories, not once did I try to rush thur a story because they were that good and there were a few that made you think wow that good
November 16, 2023
A fun read! Hope many can take the plunge to reflect on the many great stories therein...
December 20, 2021
I’m not very proficient with short stories. It’s not that I dislike them, just that when they’re good, I typically want them to be longer. Other times, I never quite get my footing, or don’t get emotionally attached, like I’ve just read a news article.
This isn’t always the case. NPR Weekend Edition used to have a segment called 3 Minute Fiction that I absolutely loved and wish they’d bring back. And there’s a number of short stories that are tucked in the shelves of favourites in my heart. I’m only noting as a disclaimer that I’m still a relative novice with the format, and I feel like that was probably a factor here.
I didn’t feel this was a beginner friendly collection.
I was looking forward to it. A few of my favourite authors are here, and the concept of coming ‘out of the ruins’, of stories about what survived after devastation, felt right for this time. Not that I was expecting them to be happy. But just putting windows where there was once a dark and solid wall is a testament to hope. To possibility.
Still, most of these stories were the “never quite got my footing“ variety. The majority of stories were highly conceptual, focused more on creating a new and strange world rather than offering an emotional connection. As a group, they also seemed to stay away from story arcs or resolution. It felt like I was constantly being thrown new worlds, new concepts and challenges, new rules about how this world worked, and as soon as I’d start to get bearings, the story’s over and we’re in the next new world. Like watching landscapes flash by from a train. Even when there’s something interesting to look at, you don’t feel like you’ve actually been there.
It didn’t help that many authors were also choosing to be “experimental” (not the right word)... intentionally refraining from explaining strange aspects of their world to make the reader sit with that uncertainty and confusion a while. I can appreciate the approach if taken one by one, but it was a lot to read all together in a collection with no normal stories in between. For me, anyway.
It’s strange. I like some of these stories in retrospect, now that I have time to reflect back on their worlds and imagery, but I didn’t enjoy reading most of them at the time. Maybe next time, I’ll pace out short story collections more.
This isn’t always the case. NPR Weekend Edition used to have a segment called 3 Minute Fiction that I absolutely loved and wish they’d bring back. And there’s a number of short stories that are tucked in the shelves of favourites in my heart. I’m only noting as a disclaimer that I’m still a relative novice with the format, and I feel like that was probably a factor here.
I didn’t feel this was a beginner friendly collection.
I was looking forward to it. A few of my favourite authors are here, and the concept of coming ‘out of the ruins’, of stories about what survived after devastation, felt right for this time. Not that I was expecting them to be happy. But just putting windows where there was once a dark and solid wall is a testament to hope. To possibility.
Still, most of these stories were the “never quite got my footing“ variety. The majority of stories were highly conceptual, focused more on creating a new and strange world rather than offering an emotional connection. As a group, they also seemed to stay away from story arcs or resolution. It felt like I was constantly being thrown new worlds, new concepts and challenges, new rules about how this world worked, and as soon as I’d start to get bearings, the story’s over and we’re in the next new world. Like watching landscapes flash by from a train. Even when there’s something interesting to look at, you don’t feel like you’ve actually been there.
It didn’t help that many authors were also choosing to be “experimental” (not the right word)... intentionally refraining from explaining strange aspects of their world to make the reader sit with that uncertainty and confusion a while. I can appreciate the approach if taken one by one, but it was a lot to read all together in a collection with no normal stories in between. For me, anyway.
It’s strange. I like some of these stories in retrospect, now that I have time to reflect back on their worlds and imagery, but I didn’t enjoy reading most of them at the time. Maybe next time, I’ll pace out short story collections more.
September 24, 2024
Short story collections are hard to rate as typically some stories work for me and some don't. Out of the Ruins was no exception, although of the 20 stories and two poems I'd say I only really liked a few of the stories. The rest were just OK, so I'll rate this 2.5 stars.
I've read other apocalyptic / dystopian short story collections which I liked much more and would recommend: The Apocalypse Triptych (three volumes of interrelated stories) and Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse. Both were edited by John Joseph Adams.
The stories that stood out to me in this volume were:
"Mr. Thursday" by Emily St. John Mandel. I've given five stars to the three books of hers I've read - The Glass Hotel, Sea of Tranquility, Station Eleven - so I was really looking forward to her contribution to this book. It featured a mysterious character and had a weird time travel vibe to it which was right up my alley.
"The Endless Fall" by Jeffrey Thomas. An astronaut suffering from memory loss has landed on an unfamiliar planet apparently in some sort of escape pod, and he has to decide what to do to survive.
"Watching God" by China Mieville. I've not read any of Mieville's novels as I think they are more fantasy but I probably should give him a go. His story in this collection is about a city full of poor residents living on an isthmus who watch large ships mysteriously sail in to their bay and anchor for a while and then leave. There is no communications between the city folk and the ships so the citizens just watch them and wonder who and what is on board.
"How the Monsters Found God" by John Skipp and Autumn Christian. This final story of the collection is set in a far-future post-apocalyptic world in the arid southern US plains and tells about a group of physically and technology enhanced people roaming the area just trying to survive. The world is violent and deadly and resources scarce and along the way they find something that forces them to make a serious decision.
I rather enjoyed the two poems that opened and closed the book, and the editor included an About the Authors section in which he devoted a paragraph to each of the 23 authors which was also interesting as most of the authors I had never heard of. It was worth the read for the standout stories, anyway.
I've read other apocalyptic / dystopian short story collections which I liked much more and would recommend: The Apocalypse Triptych (three volumes of interrelated stories) and Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse. Both were edited by John Joseph Adams.
The stories that stood out to me in this volume were:
"Mr. Thursday" by Emily St. John Mandel. I've given five stars to the three books of hers I've read - The Glass Hotel, Sea of Tranquility, Station Eleven - so I was really looking forward to her contribution to this book. It featured a mysterious character and had a weird time travel vibe to it which was right up my alley.
"The Endless Fall" by Jeffrey Thomas. An astronaut suffering from memory loss has landed on an unfamiliar planet apparently in some sort of escape pod, and he has to decide what to do to survive.
"Watching God" by China Mieville. I've not read any of Mieville's novels as I think they are more fantasy but I probably should give him a go. His story in this collection is about a city full of poor residents living on an isthmus who watch large ships mysteriously sail in to their bay and anchor for a while and then leave. There is no communications between the city folk and the ships so the citizens just watch them and wonder who and what is on board.
"How the Monsters Found God" by John Skipp and Autumn Christian. This final story of the collection is set in a far-future post-apocalyptic world in the arid southern US plains and tells about a group of physically and technology enhanced people roaming the area just trying to survive. The world is violent and deadly and resources scarce and along the way they find something that forces them to make a serious decision.
I rather enjoyed the two poems that opened and closed the book, and the editor included an About the Authors section in which he devoted a paragraph to each of the 23 authors which was also interesting as most of the authors I had never heard of. It was worth the read for the standout stories, anyway.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews