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erinlcrane's review against another edition
3.0
I got to about 75% before calling it quits on this one. I so appreciate the goal here which is why I give it 3 stars, but my experience was more like 2 stars.
Much of this collection focused on teens which made it feel YA whether or not it was intended that way, and I do not enjoy YA. Wish I had realized that before I started. I found most of the stories mediocre or worse, but I’m a tough sell on short stories to start with.
I want to highlight a couple I enjoyed a lot:
To Take into the Air My Quiet Breath by Stephanie Gunn
Selected Afterimages of the Fading by John Chu
Selected Afterimages especially did a fantastic job of dropping me into something surreal and making it work, doing something interesting with it.
Another collection focused on characters with disabilities that I did enjoy a lot and would recommend is Accessing the Future (all sci-fi).
Much of this collection focused on teens which made it feel YA whether or not it was intended that way, and I do not enjoy YA. Wish I had realized that before I started. I found most of the stories mediocre or worse, but I’m a tough sell on short stories to start with.
I want to highlight a couple I enjoyed a lot:
To Take into the Air My Quiet Breath by Stephanie Gunn
Selected Afterimages of the Fading by John Chu
Selected Afterimages especially did a fantastic job of dropping me into something surreal and making it work, doing something interesting with it.
Another collection focused on characters with disabilities that I did enjoy a lot and would recommend is Accessing the Future (all sci-fi).
atuin's review against another edition
I wish there was a way to say a book is "paused" rather than DNF'd. I like this so far, but I just can't keep going with apocalypse stories right now.
tzipporah_mckissock's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my favorite short story collections. It contains such unique stories and other stories that are deeply emotionally resonant.
thereadingsheep's review against another edition
4.0
Anthologies are always hard to rate! Rounding up a little to give this 4 stars.
jem_of_the_brew's review against another edition
5.0
This review can also be read on my blog: http://oddfeather.co/2018/02/23/review-defying-doomsday-anthology/
Defying Doomsday is a riveting collection of short stories of individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses surviving the apocalypse, the premise for the collection being that it’s not always the ‘fittest’ that survive – it’s about being determined, persistent and inventive.
The apocalypses vary, as do the abilities of the individuals: a fourteen year blind girl survives for months in a lab by the ocean after a plague wipes out everyone she knows; a Deaf boy and his deadly companion raid abandoned houses for precious batteries and medication, until a new member divides their team; three sisters, two with cystic fibrosis, live in hope on their family farm after a plague has burnt through the country; a woman without footsteps can sneak into a deadly nest and gather precious materials to keep her family alive; a man tries to keep his perceptions and proportions in check as he falls in love in a fading world; and a woman floating in space is the only person who can communicate with the aliens attacking earth. The first few pages of each story are a barrage of information and it often takes a re-read or two to understand exactly what’s happening and to whom, but it’s always worth persevering.
This collection of phenomenal stories should be on absolutely everyone’s reading list: I can’t recommend it highly enough!
Defying Doomsday is a riveting collection of short stories of individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses surviving the apocalypse, the premise for the collection being that it’s not always the ‘fittest’ that survive – it’s about being determined, persistent and inventive.
The apocalypses vary, as do the abilities of the individuals: a fourteen year blind girl survives for months in a lab by the ocean after a plague wipes out everyone she knows; a Deaf boy and his deadly companion raid abandoned houses for precious batteries and medication, until a new member divides their team; three sisters, two with cystic fibrosis, live in hope on their family farm after a plague has burnt through the country; a woman without footsteps can sneak into a deadly nest and gather precious materials to keep her family alive; a man tries to keep his perceptions and proportions in check as he falls in love in a fading world; and a woman floating in space is the only person who can communicate with the aliens attacking earth. The first few pages of each story are a barrage of information and it often takes a re-read or two to understand exactly what’s happening and to whom, but it’s always worth persevering.
This collection of phenomenal stories should be on absolutely everyone’s reading list: I can’t recommend it highly enough!
moh's review against another edition
5.0
A little while after the U.S. election, I realized I desperately needed this Australian anthology of short stories about disabled and chronically ill people surviving the apocalypse. It may be the best decision I've made in several years. I don't have the words to adequately express how much I adore this book, but I highlighted page after page. I've also already bought a copy for a friend. :) Corrine Duyvis, Seanan McGuire, and Tansy Rayner Roberts are a few of the contributors.
numerous_bees's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kllyholt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
rollforlibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Solid collection of stories featuring protagonists with disabilities and chronic illnesses, the stories by Seanan McGuire and Janet Edwards were my standouts, but the overall standard was really high. There were a couple that weren't my particular cup of tea, but I'm sure they have no shortage of fans.