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A review by jem_of_the_brew
Defying Doomsday by Holly Kench, Tsana Dolichva
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!