I’m sure you have heard me talking about the new anthology I’m in from TANSTAAFL Press, Enter the Apocalypse. It’s chock full of apocalyptical tales from funny to downright terrifying. It’s a scary thing, meditating on the end — or at least, the possible end — of humanity. To be quite frank, I find it much more comforting than reading the news these days.
So with that in mind, let me introduce one of the scribes who is in the anthology with me, Madison Keller. She is talented, is a wonderful writer, and anyone who has a Chihuahua is okay with me.
MADISON KELLER is the author of the Flower’s Fang series of young adult fantasy novels, the new adult Dragon Tax novella series, as well as numerous short stories. Madison originally hails from the great state of Utah, but for the last eight years she has made the Pacific Northwest her home. When not writing Madison enjoys bicycle riding, knitting, and playing Dungeons and Dragons with her pals. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and an adorable Chihuahua.
Two lines from her story:
“The biggest member of the fluffle lifted a paw. It held a long stick, taller than the big rabbit’s tall ears, with a sharpened piece of rock tied to the end, looking for all the world like a cartoon caveman spear.”
April 20, 2017 from 6-10 pm pst
Her blog:
My favorite book on the apocalypse is a self published novel, The Oblivion Society by Marcus Alexander Hart. The Oblivion Society follows the adventures of an inept group of survivors of an accidental apocalyptic event that wipes out civilization, as they struggle to stay alive in a new world full of deadly atomic mutants armed with nothing but half-remembered apocalypse pop culture as their guide.
The reason that this is my favorite apocalypse book is because of the outlandish humor of the book. Most apocalyptic fiction is far too dark and gritty for my tastes. The Oblivion Society was the first book I ever read that made me realize that the apocalypse could be humorous and upbeat while still covering the serious realities a group of survivors would actually be dealing with, like scavenging for food, a means to travel, and even interpersonal conflict between the various survivors.
As I look back on this novel, I’m struck with the unexpected way the beginning of this book parallels our current political situation. The apocalypse event of The Oblivion Society is only possible because of the gross incompetence of the President of the United States of America.
The Oblivion Society contains a lot of pop-culture references from the 80s and 90s, especially heavy on video game and cinema trivia. While containing lots of laugh out loud moments, there are still serious and emotional in the book. Not everyone survives to the end, but you are rooting for them every step of the way.
My story, The Fluffpocalypse, follows in the footsteps of The Oblivion Society, mixing terror, danger, destruction, and humor all together in a unique blend that goes to show that Apocalypse fiction doesn’t have to be dark.
