What do you think?
Rate this book
Catastrophia [tc]
Introduction : the nature of Catastrophia / Allen Ashley --
Fade / David Gullen --
A hard place / Carole Johnstone --
Up / Andrew Hook --
Stephen's boat / Billie Bundschuh --
Noose / Adam Roberts --
Check / Robert Guffey --
Something for nothing / Joe Essid --
The phoney war / Nina Allan --
Happy ending / Simon Clark --
Nanoamerica / David John Baker --
Pixels on a screen / Patrick Shuler --
Scalped / Jet McDonald --
Gravity wave / Douglas Thompson --
In the face of disaster / Ian Sales --
Trouble with telebrations / Tim Nickels --
The long road to the sea / James L. Sutter --
Crashes / Stuart Young --
Hapless humanity / Brian W. Aldiss.
Fade / David Gullen --
A hard place / Carole Johnstone --
Up / Andrew Hook --
Stephen's boat / Billie Bundschuh --
Noose / Adam Roberts --
Check / Robert Guffey --
Something for nothing / Joe Essid --
The phoney war / Nina Allan --
Happy ending / Simon Clark --
Nanoamerica / David John Baker --
Pixels on a screen / Patrick Shuler --
Scalped / Jet McDonald --
Gravity wave / Douglas Thompson --
In the face of disaster / Ian Sales --
Trouble with telebrations / Tim Nickels --
The long road to the sea / James L. Sutter --
Crashes / Stuart Young --
Hapless humanity / Brian W. Aldiss.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
273 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
35 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 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 9, 2011
This is a collection of modern catastrophe stories. I have to mention that I have a piece in this book, but nevertheless will review it unbiased!
Here are 18 stories all dealing with the theme of catastrophe in its various guises. Naturally, with a themed anthology, there is sometimes the preoccupation of wondering what each author has done with the theme rather than focussing on the actual storyy/writing, and this is certainly true here. Yet none of the stories disappointed. Here are a handful of favourites:
Gravity Wave - Douglas Thompson. The story deals with the after effects of such a happening. The descriptions of the individual and varied disasters are inventive and the writing quite brilliant.
Trouble With Telebrations - J.B.Harris (aka Tim Nickels). A quiet, anti-television story, set in the 50s replete with commumate period details and delightful prose.
Noose - Adam Roberts - an electromagnetic noose circles the earth and draws inwards.
The Phoney War - Nina Allen - another quiet piece, where the quality of the prose is in the micro rather than the macro. Difficult to understand exactly what is happening, but none the less intriguing for that.
Crashes - Stuart Young - a brain in a glass jar has engineered the end of the world to save humanity. Fun-filled and intelligent.
Stephen's Boat - Bille Bundschuh - possibly my favourite story here. Very understated, a personal tragedy with an unknown cause. Very affecting.
Other authors include Brian Aldiss, David John Baker, Simon Clark, Joe Essid, Robery Guffey, David Gullen, Andrew Hook, Carole Johnstone, Jet McDonald, Ian Sales, Patrick Shuler, and James L Sutter.
Here are 18 stories all dealing with the theme of catastrophe in its various guises. Naturally, with a themed anthology, there is sometimes the preoccupation of wondering what each author has done with the theme rather than focussing on the actual storyy/writing, and this is certainly true here. Yet none of the stories disappointed. Here are a handful of favourites:
Gravity Wave - Douglas Thompson. The story deals with the after effects of such a happening. The descriptions of the individual and varied disasters are inventive and the writing quite brilliant.
Trouble With Telebrations - J.B.Harris (aka Tim Nickels). A quiet, anti-television story, set in the 50s replete with commumate period details and delightful prose.
Noose - Adam Roberts - an electromagnetic noose circles the earth and draws inwards.
The Phoney War - Nina Allen - another quiet piece, where the quality of the prose is in the micro rather than the macro. Difficult to understand exactly what is happening, but none the less intriguing for that.
Crashes - Stuart Young - a brain in a glass jar has engineered the end of the world to save humanity. Fun-filled and intelligent.
Stephen's Boat - Bille Bundschuh - possibly my favourite story here. Very understated, a personal tragedy with an unknown cause. Very affecting.
Other authors include Brian Aldiss, David John Baker, Simon Clark, Joe Essid, Robery Guffey, David Gullen, Andrew Hook, Carole Johnstone, Jet McDonald, Ian Sales, Patrick Shuler, and James L Sutter.
April 22, 2011
A collection of varied and imaginative apocalyptic tales. Exceptional stories, with the stands outs being The Phoney War by Nina Allan, Happy Ending by Simon Clark, Up by Andrew Hook, Scalped by Jet McDonald and In the Face of Disaster by Ian Sales.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
January 4, 2013
A book of 18 short stories about various catastrophies that could happen. I would call all of them soft catastrophies. Stories develop quickly and end just as fast.
Light read. Some stories prompt thought, others not so much.
Light read. Some stories prompt thought, others not so much.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews