This review originally appeared at This review originally appeared on Goodreads on August 5, 2018.

Wastelands 2: More Stories of the Apocalypse

Edited by George R. R. Martin – Titan Books – February 24, 2015

Review by Robin Marx

Much of the book didn't feel as strong as the first Wastelands anthology. That was perhaps inevitable, given the fact that the first book had decades of post-apocalyptic stories to draw from, while the second volume was mostly dependent on those published since the release of the first volume. However, many of the strongest stories are in the second half of the book, with the end result that it matches (or perhaps even exceeds) its predecessor in overall quality.

Scattered thoughts about some of the more memorable stories in the book:

“Animal Husbandry” by Seanan McGuire This starts off as fairly standard post-apoc fare, but has a grim little twist that I appreciated.

“Jimmy’s Roadside Cafe” by Ramsey Shehadeh One of the quieter stories, this one deals with the emotional side of the apocalypse.

“The Postman” by David Brin I had low expectations of this story, given the bland movie adaptation with Kevin Costner, but it ended up being quite the page-turner. One of the more optimistic stories in this volume.

“Patient Zero” by Tananarive Due Very similar to The Girl With All the Gifts, but with a male protagonist and lacking zombies. Well-rendered.

“Tight Little Stiches in a Dead Man’s Back” by Joe R. Lansdale Gory and bizarre, like the best Lansdale. An interesting read, although it felt a bit overstuffed, like there were enough ideas for two different stories here. The reference to tattoos having “stitches” seemed a little odd to me, though.

“The Traditional” by Maria Dahvana Headley Written in the second person, this story is bloody and kind of splatterpunk, like old Poppy Z. Brite. A too-cool-for-school couple shelter together, giving each other outré anniversary gifts as the outside world falls to carnivorous worlds. I wasn't sure where this story was going, but the ending is surprisingly triumphant.

“Monstro” by Junot Diaz This story is about an Americanized Caribbean Islander visiting the Dominican Republic as an odd epidemic breaks out. The narrator's voice and frequent Spanglish was compelling, and the characters were all layered and interesting. The ending is a bit abrupt, but it definitely left me wanting more.

Overall, many the stories collected here had a very experimental feel. A number are written in the second person, one is written in a Wikipedia entry format, and another is written as a multiple choice test. Some of these experiments are more successful than others, but the diverse storytelling kept me interested and engaged throughout.

If you liked the first Wastelands book, this second volume is an easy recommendation. Even if you haven't read the first, this book is worth a look to fans of the post-apocalyptic subgenre.

★★★☆☆

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