Scan barcode
lizella's review against another edition
4.0
I kept my eye out for the release of the final book in this anthology series and was pleased when it popped up in my Kindle library. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two and was not disappointed in the final installment. As noted in the foreward, most of the stories included in the book are continuations of stories from the other two books with a few good stand-alone stories thrown in. There were a few stories that I was eagerly anticipating and was able to remember all the details and some that took a moment to reconnect as the world had moved on in unexpected ways.
I think the most interesting thing I realized is that I anticipated this to be my favorite book in the series, but I may have actually enjoyed the first or second installments more. I think it has something to do with anticipation and knowing that with the close of the book, this universe of stories is now complete. I applaud the stand-out vision and effort that went into creating this series and the quality of the storytelling.
I think the most interesting thing I realized is that I anticipated this to be my favorite book in the series, but I may have actually enjoyed the first or second installments more. I think it has something to do with anticipation and knowing that with the close of the book, this universe of stories is now complete. I applaud the stand-out vision and effort that went into creating this series and the quality of the storytelling.
barbtrek's review against another edition
4.0
As with most anthologies, I liked some of the stories and didn’t care for others. I especially enjoyed the final story. That surprised me because I didn’t think I liked the Nancy Kress stories in the first two books in this series.
tsharris's review against another edition
4.0
I think the overall quality of this collection was considerably better than the previous two. Writing was better, stories more creative and interesting...though that may be because there is more variety to how civilization can rebuild than in how it can be destroyed.
spinstah's review against another edition
5.0
This triptych was so great - really adds up to more than the sum of its parts, especially once you get into book 3. I continued to enjoy the stories that carried through the series - some of the authors were really clever about how they broke a bigger plot up into short stories. Definitely worth reading this series if you like apocalyptic fiction.
jhouses's review against another edition
2.0
Último libro del tríptico del apocalipsis es el que menos me ha gustado quizá porque la mayoría de las historias tienen un tufo Mad Max importante.
djryan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
hollyfromthebigsky's review against another edition
2.5
while the three book series was a fun concept, ultimately I found the first book of stories most enjoyable and found myself skimming through a bunch in this collection.
steph_davidson's review against another edition
4.0
This is actually a review of the whole series. I group together the stories by whether they're continued throughout two or more of the books.
Pieces in All Three Anthologies:
Robin Wasserman: The Balm and the Wound; Dear John; in the Valley of the Shadow of the Promised Land
- apocalyptic cult and a con artist taking care of the kids, in the first story.
- survivor writing Dear John letters from a safe place under a mountain in the second
- kid who was dumped in the first story w/ the protagonist, as the center of his own religious cult (and thinks the con artist was his father), in the third.
These weren’t my favorites, but they were interesting. I would have rather listened to them in series with each other, to get the through line; I didn’t get the connection between them until re-scanning the tables of contents to write these summaries.
Charlie Jane Anders: Break! Break! Break!; Rock Manning Can’t Hear You; The Last Movie Ever Made
- kids way way way out of control… hyper hyper, making movies.
Ken Liu: The Gods Will Not Be chained; The Gods Will Not Be Slain; The Gods Have Not Died in Vain
- this is the ghost in the machine series; girl’s father starts communicating with her from beyond the grave, through AI. Continues throughout. I really liked these. The gods are the AIs that want to be in control. It’s less about them taking control of everyday systems, and more political,in a way. The third book brings a new AI character to life in a very interesting way. One of my favorites of the series.
Jake Kerr: Wedding Day; Penance; The Gray Sunrise
- two women who are wanting to get married, but they’re waiting for the lottery that will take them off-world; then marriages are prohibited, and one can’t take the other.
- In Penance, the story is about the civil servant who has to break the news to lottery entrants. In the last, a different set of characters, with a guy who dreamed of having a boat when he grew up, and now does - but has to use it to get off land to avoid the asteroid. Along the way, his son grows up quite a bit, and has his own dreams of future.
It's a nice, heart-wrenching series. The stories all take place in the same universe, but aren't otherwise connected.
Tananarive Due: Removal Order; Herd Immunity; Carriers
- young woman taking care of her grandmother, finally has to leave because of outbreak. In the second, she’s on the road, as the virus spreads. In the third, we learn more about her own immunity, and about a time when she and other carriers were captured and experimented on. The narrator wasn’t so great in the third one, unfortunately.
Jamie Ford: This Unkempt World is Falling to Pieces; By the Hair of the Moon; The Uncertainty Machine
- this one was fun, and reminded me a bit of a Dr. Who — steampunk-ish, set in a party for the rich, to watch the end of the world by comet, but the staff are having their own fun. I’m not sure I listened to parts 2 and 3...
Ben H. Winters: Bring Her To Me; Bring Them Down; Heaven Come Down
- super creepy. Everyone hears in ALL CAPS THE WORD OF GOD, and in the first story they’ve all been told to buy meat, slice it super thin, and poison it. Except there’s one girl who doesn’t hear the voice. And a boy who likes her. I wasn’t thrilled with the narration in this story, either. Lots of misses for me on narration in the third book.
Hugh Howey: In the Air; In the Mountain; In the Woods
- set in the same universe of his Silo series! The first story is about a family who does not take shelter in the silos or a mountain retreat where the man’s lover is waiting. The second story is set in the mountain, and we learn what the families who have come have been told and what their options are for survival. In the third, we conclude with a connection to the Silo series that’s actually pretty necessary to understanding the impact.
Annie Bellet: Goodnight Moon; Goodnight Stars; Goodnight Earth
- astronaut, her daughter on earth
Will McIntosh: Dancing with Death in the Land of Nod; Dancing with Batgirl in the Land of Nod; Dancing with a Stranger in the Land of Nod
- a little like locked-in, but as an outbreak; continues in the second and third
Megan Arkenberg: Houses Without Air; Twilight of the Music Machines; Like All Beautiful Places
- arty san francisco reaction to impending end of the world
Scott Sigler: The Fifth Day of Deer Camp; The Sixth Day of Deer Camp; The Seventh Day of Deer Camp
- in a way, my favorite of all. Set in the UP w/ a bunch of Wisconsin and Northern Michiganders who actually spend more time playing cards and drinking beer than hunting deer. But then the invasion comes… In the second book, they find the alien spaceship, and have to deal w/ survival as well as what to do with the ship and its remaining living inhabitants. In the third, an unlikely hero, in an impossible situation.
Nancy Kress: Pretty Soon the Four Horsemen…; Angels of the Apocalypse; Blessings
- really interesting, w/ the mom of a young girl questioning whether there’s a growing passivity among kids born at the same time. The second book picks up about 10 years later, and deals with the effects of the lack of aggression and the global political economy. in the third, its revealed that this was supposed to have been a gift to humanity, or at least was presented as such. And some people are still quite violent.
Seanan McGuire: Spores; Fruiting Bodies; Resistance
- the most heart-wrenching of the group, for sure. Woman’s lab creates an out of control mold, and her wife is among the first victims. She escapes w/ her daughter to try to save her. In the second, they’re on the run and trying to stay sterile, In the third, there’s a possibility of redemption.
Jonathan Maberry: She’s Got a Ticket to Ride; Sunset Hollow; Jingo and the Hammerman
- starts with a detective hunting down a girl whose parents think she’s gone to a cult (and probably has, but she believes it). In the second, it’s a different set of characters. In the third, different characters again.
Sarah Langan: Love Perverts; Black Monday; Prototype
- in the first, a young boy is trying to find his parents and baby sister, and the ticket for an underground bunker. In the second, it’s set in the compound and decisions to let people in. Not sure I listened to the third.
Two out of Three
Desirina Boskovich: Heaven is a Place on Planet X (1); To Wrestle not Against Flesh and Blood (2)
Elizabeth Bear: Agent Isolated (2); Agent Neutralized (3)
Singlets:
Tobias Buckell: System Reset (1)
Jack McDevitt: Enjoy the Moment (1)
Paolo Bacigalupi: Shooting the Apocalypse (1)
Daniel H. Wilson: Avtomat (2)
Carrie Vaughn: Bannerless (3)
Chris Avellone: Acts of Creation (3)
Leife Shallcross: Wandering Star (3)
Mira Grant: The Happiest Place (3)
Pieces in All Three Anthologies:
Robin Wasserman: The Balm and the Wound; Dear John; in the Valley of the Shadow of the Promised Land
- apocalyptic cult and a con artist taking care of the kids, in the first story.
- survivor writing Dear John letters from a safe place under a mountain in the second
- kid who was dumped in the first story w/ the protagonist, as the center of his own religious cult (and thinks the con artist was his father), in the third.
These weren’t my favorites, but they were interesting. I would have rather listened to them in series with each other, to get the through line; I didn’t get the connection between them until re-scanning the tables of contents to write these summaries.
Charlie Jane Anders: Break! Break! Break!; Rock Manning Can’t Hear You; The Last Movie Ever Made
- kids way way way out of control… hyper hyper, making movies.
Ken Liu: The Gods Will Not Be chained; The Gods Will Not Be Slain; The Gods Have Not Died in Vain
- this is the ghost in the machine series; girl’s father starts communicating with her from beyond the grave, through AI. Continues throughout. I really liked these. The gods are the AIs that want to be in control. It’s less about them taking control of everyday systems, and more political,in a way. The third book brings a new AI character to life in a very interesting way. One of my favorites of the series.
Jake Kerr: Wedding Day; Penance; The Gray Sunrise
- two women who are wanting to get married, but they’re waiting for the lottery that will take them off-world; then marriages are prohibited, and one can’t take the other.
- In Penance, the story is about the civil servant who has to break the news to lottery entrants. In the last, a different set of characters, with a guy who dreamed of having a boat when he grew up, and now does - but has to use it to get off land to avoid the asteroid. Along the way, his son grows up quite a bit, and has his own dreams of future.
It's a nice, heart-wrenching series. The stories all take place in the same universe, but aren't otherwise connected.
Tananarive Due: Removal Order; Herd Immunity; Carriers
- young woman taking care of her grandmother, finally has to leave because of outbreak. In the second, she’s on the road, as the virus spreads. In the third, we learn more about her own immunity, and about a time when she and other carriers were captured and experimented on. The narrator wasn’t so great in the third one, unfortunately.
Jamie Ford: This Unkempt World is Falling to Pieces; By the Hair of the Moon; The Uncertainty Machine
- this one was fun, and reminded me a bit of a Dr. Who — steampunk-ish, set in a party for the rich, to watch the end of the world by comet, but the staff are having their own fun. I’m not sure I listened to parts 2 and 3...
Ben H. Winters: Bring Her To Me; Bring Them Down; Heaven Come Down
- super creepy. Everyone hears in ALL CAPS THE WORD OF GOD, and in the first story they’ve all been told to buy meat, slice it super thin, and poison it. Except there’s one girl who doesn’t hear the voice. And a boy who likes her.
Spoiler
So they escape that fate. In the second story, she and the boy seem to be the only ones alive, and they’re dealing with bodies. And the boy is getting commands still to bring her to him (where?) In the third, she finally hears him, and he makes her godlike - able to destroy and create in an instant. And she learns about the origin of the world - of a group of gods abandoned on this world.Hugh Howey: In the Air; In the Mountain; In the Woods
- set in the same universe of his Silo series! The first story is about a family who does not take shelter in the silos or a mountain retreat where the man’s lover is waiting. The second story is set in the mountain, and we learn what the families who have come have been told and what their options are for survival. In the third, we conclude with a connection to the Silo series that’s actually pretty necessary to understanding the impact.
Annie Bellet: Goodnight Moon; Goodnight Stars; Goodnight Earth
- astronaut, her daughter on earth
Will McIntosh: Dancing with Death in the Land of Nod; Dancing with Batgirl in the Land of Nod; Dancing with a Stranger in the Land of Nod
- a little like locked-in, but as an outbreak; continues in the second and third
Megan Arkenberg: Houses Without Air; Twilight of the Music Machines; Like All Beautiful Places
- arty san francisco reaction to impending end of the world
Scott Sigler: The Fifth Day of Deer Camp; The Sixth Day of Deer Camp; The Seventh Day of Deer Camp
- in a way, my favorite of all. Set in the UP w/ a bunch of Wisconsin and Northern Michiganders who actually spend more time playing cards and drinking beer than hunting deer. But then the invasion comes… In the second book, they find the alien spaceship, and have to deal w/ survival as well as what to do with the ship and its remaining living inhabitants. In the third, an unlikely hero, in an impossible situation.
Nancy Kress: Pretty Soon the Four Horsemen…; Angels of the Apocalypse; Blessings
- really interesting, w/ the mom of a young girl questioning whether there’s a growing passivity among kids born at the same time. The second book picks up about 10 years later, and deals with the effects of the lack of aggression and the global political economy. in the third, its revealed that this was supposed to have been a gift to humanity, or at least was presented as such. And some people are still quite violent.
Seanan McGuire: Spores; Fruiting Bodies; Resistance
- the most heart-wrenching of the group, for sure. Woman’s lab creates an out of control mold, and her wife is among the first victims. She escapes w/ her daughter to try to save her. In the second, they’re on the run and trying to stay sterile,
Spoiler
but the daughter succombs despite best efforts.Jonathan Maberry: She’s Got a Ticket to Ride; Sunset Hollow; Jingo and the Hammerman
- starts with a detective hunting down a girl whose parents think she’s gone to a cult (and probably has, but she believes it). In the second, it’s a different set of characters. In the third, different characters again.
Sarah Langan: Love Perverts; Black Monday; Prototype
- in the first, a young boy is trying to find his parents and baby sister, and the ticket for an underground bunker. In the second, it’s set in the compound and decisions to let people in. Not sure I listened to the third.
Two out of Three
Desirina Boskovich: Heaven is a Place on Planet X (1); To Wrestle not Against Flesh and Blood (2)
Elizabeth Bear: Agent Isolated (2); Agent Neutralized (3)
Singlets:
Tobias Buckell: System Reset (1)
Jack McDevitt: Enjoy the Moment (1)
Paolo Bacigalupi: Shooting the Apocalypse (1)
Daniel H. Wilson: Avtomat (2)
Carrie Vaughn: Bannerless (3)
Chris Avellone: Acts of Creation (3)
Leife Shallcross: Wandering Star (3)
Mira Grant: The Happiest Place (3)