Usually, for anthologies, I like to say something about each individual story, but in this case, I decided it would be best to keep my comments more general to avoid any spoilers.
"...humankind suffers the consequences of tampering with our environment." - Graham Masterton
Armageddon Oudda Here was one of the best intros that I've ever read in any book, and I strongly recommend that you read it before diving into the stories. However, it's not so much that humans behave irresponsibly in this anthology - they just get too clever for their own good. There is also an introduction by Joe McKinney, author of the
Dead City series, which gives readers the perfect mindset for the tragedies within. Not to mention, the editing was superior throughout the entire entire book.
For a horror anthology (and, make no mistake, these stories are terrifying...one even had me bawling like a little girl), this collection had an incredible sci-fi tone to the end-of-the-world theme. There are no happy endings, but some of the characters accept their fates more gracefully than others, while some fight until they take their last ragged breaths. Every story is unique, which I found amazing, but I'm not surprised - most of the authors are well-known for their remarkable story-telling...and if you aren't familiar with any of the names, this is a great way to sample the writers who have been making names for themselves in the past couple of years.
I've read hundreds of horror and sci-fi stories, and it is a constant challenge to find something that stands out year after year. 2012 has had some particular spectacular releases that continue to raise the bar for genre fiction, but I think
Read the End First is absolutely in the top three releases for the year. It's a pity that Ray Bradbury is no longer with us because I think he would have loved to read this collection. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Read The End First is the best anthology that I've ever read up to this point...so what are you waiting for?
