Short Stories of Apocalypse

by Alexis Wright (Foreword), Lydia Millet, Sjón

209 pages, Unknown Binding

About the author

Alexis Wright is from the Waanji people from the highlands of the southern Gulf of Carpentaria. Her acclaimed first novel Plains of Promise was published in 1997 by University of Queensland Press and was shortlisted in the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, The Age Book of the Year, and the NSW Premier's Awards. The novel has been translated into French.

Alexis has published award-winning short stories and her other books are the anthology Take Power (Jukurrpa Books, l998), celebrating 20 years of land rights in Central Australia; and Grog War (Magabala,1997), an examination of the alcohol restrictions in Tennant Creek.

Her latest novel, Carpentaria was published by Giramondo in 2006. An epic set in the Gulf country of north-western Queensland, from where her people come, the novel tells of life in the precariously settled coastal town of Desperance. In 2007 Carpentaria won the Miles Franklin Literary Award, the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal, Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, the Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction, Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, Best Fiction Book, and the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA), Australian Literary Fiction Book of the Year.

Biographical information from the Australia Council website.

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if you've ever listened to Leoš Janáček's "Intimate Letters" (aka String Quartet No. 2), but this collection is redolent of the same sort of mournful exhilarating awakeness. Alexis Wright does a beautiful job introducing the concept and the constituents, esp. considering both (and each) are sort of beyond evaluation. Short of exploring the collapse of representational thought altogether, I'm not sure how much better five authors could surround the very sad sublime thing we're aproaching.

[Paricha duangtaweesub · Rating 5 out of 5]

An imaginative set of short stories that alludes to the end of the world in some ways, and the expanse of human capabilities in others. For stories that exist to talk about the end of things, these were surprisingly warm and oddly relatable. I enjoyed the mystery and possibilities of a beyond-human way of existing in the stories of Ink and The Basilisk. The latter in particular is quite spiritual.

[Sarah W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I especially liked the first story. Overall, I think there could have been a bit more nuance or contrast included in the collection. Apocalypse is a topic I find full of life and possibility: the end of linear time and extractive philosophy. What new words could be created! I do appreciate the deep grief present and think there is certainly catharsis in the stories.

[Elio · Rating 2 out of 5]

First story is quite nice

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four short stories, each describing an apocalypse of sorts. Such an intriguing venture, and very well played. The authors include Lydia Millet, Sjon, Paul Kingsnorth and Ben Okri. The forward is by Alexis Wright. If you can get your hands on a copy, this is worth a read. Very quick going and while I don’t normally go for short stories, these were worth the time. The stories describe apocalypse through extinction, second sight, the temptation of technology and post-apocalypse notes of human history. To the best of my knowledge, only available through Emergence Magazine.

[Rory Weeks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars, decent collection of fiction from Emergence Magazine, although their yearly magazine publication is superior. The first of the four stories, "Thylacine", is exceptional.