Book Review: After the Apocalypse

I love post-apocalyptic science fiction. I recently read the Renewal e-book series by J.F. Perkins. I really liked it and was hungry for more. (The interesting thing about "Renewal" was that it was serialized - meaning that you can buy chapters or sections of the book for $0.99 on Amazon. There were 10 sections to buy.

I was on a roll and ran across a recommendation for After the Apocalypse. It is a short story collection. I don't think the people recommending it actually read the book. The author, Maureen McHugh, loosely defines "apocalypse" but it is ok. There is a zombiepocalypse story. Overall, the themes dealt with individual apocalypses. I suppose that could be one way of looking at it. Another way might be to view some of the stories as snapshots directly preceding an apocalyptic event. (The apocalypse won't come with a huge bang, it will be a slow descent.)

The apoc is in the background. These are stories about individuals and how they are surviving. You will not like some of these people. And I appreciate that not everyone main character is a hero. McHugh explores the survival instinct (fight or flight) of her characters.

Some of these stories would make excellent Twilight Zone episodes.

I don't know if I can recommend this collection for everyone. In flipping through the Amazon reviews, you can see where people just don't get it. I think I get it. I can recognize what the author is trying to do. She succeeds. But if you are looking for a typical, end of the world, survival story, you will not enjoy this work. If you are looking for character studies, then you should definitely check this out.