Wastelands 2: More Stories of the Apocalypse
edited by John Joseph Adams
For decades, the apocalypse and its aftermath have yielded some of the most exciting short stories of all time. From David Brin’s seminal “The Postman” to Hugh Howey’s “Deep Blood Kettle” and Tananarive Due’s prescient “Patient Zero,” the end of the world continues to thrill. This companion volume to the critically-acclaimed Wastelands offers thirty of the finest examples of post-apocalyptic short fiction, including works by George R.R. Martin, Junot Díaz, Seanan McGuire, Paolo Bacigalupi, and more. Award-winning editor John Joseph Adams has once again assembled a who’s who of short fiction, and the result is nothing short of mind-blowing.
Praise for Wastelands 2: More Stories of the Apocalypse
John Joseph Adams once again compiles the best of the best of the writing industry […] Wastelands 2 shows the strength of a masterfully complied anthology, drawing upon the minds of its many gifted authors to explore the many ways the world may end, and rise again from the ashes of over a dozen different catastrophes. […] I highly recommend this anthology. The depth and breadth of the potential achieved in this collection provides for great entertainment. The shortest of the stories allow for a busy schedule, yet encourages the reader to savor each perspective on the days after Judgment Day. Wastelands 2 is riveting, and perfect for “on-the-go” fans of thought-provoking, masterfully crafted post-apocalyptic tales.
—Comics Online
This is a magnificent collection, with so many great stories in a wide variety of styles so that you barely realize that it’s a themed anthology. There is none of the limitation or repetition that you sometimes get from a group of stories based around a specific theme. I definitely recommend it.
—SF Crowsnest
Great writing follows great writing; when one story ends, the next one immediately sinks its teeth into you. Highly recommended!
—Trash Mutant
Editor John Joseph Adams has done an exceptional job of finding even more cream of the crop from this specific sub genre of fiction. […] This equal level of quality across the board is certainly this compilations greatest strength and what truly makes it worth the read. Whether seeing the outbreak of a deadly virus through the eyes of a trapped child, watching humankind literally transform to survive a series of apocalypses, or following a man open up a business among the world’s rubble, each story provides a fresh perspective among the book’s five hundred plus pages. No matter what your favorite flavor of end of the world yarn may be, this tome comes highly recommended.
—ScienceFiction.com
As a whole this collection is excellent and I would recommend it to any fan of the genre or short fiction in general.
—Nerdology 101
As good an anthology as the original Wastelands […] which makes it one of the best post-apocalyptic anthologies you will find this side of the big crunch.
—SF Book Reviews
As with all of John Joseph Adams’ work, I highly recommended it.
—Fantasy Book Review
Thought-provoking, often grim but at the same time often optimistic.
—Horror Hothouse Review