The Horror Hoser Presents: Different Kinds of Love for Different Kinds of Apocalypses in Love after the End
Different Kinds of Love for Different Kinds of Apocalypses in Love after the End
Love After the End is a 2020 speculative fiction anthology, edited by Joshua Whitehead. The collection contains stories of possible end times, both optimistic and not, by two-spirit and queer Indigenous authors. The tales range from far distant futures where Earth only exists in collective consciousness, to Earths still standing, but devoid of current structures of “stable” power. The stories are a great mix of speculative genres, including sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.
The editor of this collection, Joshua Whitehead, is Two-Spirit, Oji-nêhiyaw member of Peguis First Nation, from Treaty 1 territory. In his own right, Whitehead is quickly becoming an acclaimed author, winning the 2021 Canada Reads (an important competition here) with his 2018 novel Jonny Appleseed. If you’re wondering what two-spirit means (because I have no authority to speak on the topic), here is an article I’d suggest: CLICK HERE TO READ.
The most affecting story I read from this collection was “How to Survive the Apocalypse for Native Girls” by Kai Minosh Pyle. This is one of the more grounded imaginings of a post-apocalyptic world in the collection. Written as a how-to manual, Nigig tells the reader how to survive this new world by telling stories of their own life. This story was so dense with elements to examine, while also being incredibly accessible to read. The story covers different types of love a person can experience; romantic, plutonic, familial, to a place. Pyle also shows how unique different First Nations communities are from one another, and the experiences of growing up “different” in different communities. The horror in this story comes from the claustrophobia, and lack of options some of the characters have, while simply trying to live their lives.
If you haven’t read many Two-Spirit or Queer Indigenous authors, I think this collection is a great place to start!
Purchase Link – Via Arsenal Pulp || Via Amazon
Rating: 4 out of 5 autonomous floating cities.
Review by Ian A. Bain
@bainwrites on Twitter
I purchased this book
