After: Nineteen Stories of Apocalypse and Dystopia

Dystopian and apocalyptic tales are as popular as ever, and teens will enjoy this thoughtfully compiled collection that includes contributions from beloved writers Richard Bowes, Sarah Rees Brennan, Cecil Castellucci, Carolyn Dunn, Carol Emshwiller, Jeffrey Ford, Steven Gould, Nalo Hopkinson, N. K. Jemisin, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Matthew Kressel, Katherine Langrish, Gregory Maguire, Garth Nix, Susan Beth Pfeffer, Beth Revis, Carrie Ryan, Genevieve Valentine, and Jane Yolen. Several stories feature the theme of human destruction of the environment, which is sure to interest young adults concerned about global climate change. Though the imagined worlds are bleak, the authors’ belief in human goodness shines through. In Emshwiller’s “All I Know of Freedom,” for example, a horribly mistreated runaway slave girl rescues a dirty, hungry puppy because she “know[s] what it feels like to be wet and homeless.” Fans of The Hunger Games will be absorbed by Brennan’s “Faint Heart,” which tells of “the most beautiful woman in the world,” who is used as a prize to get men to participate in the deadly Trials for her affection.