Yesterday I should have been doing chores around my house, but instead I spent several hours reading because I had to know where this story was going. That alone should tell you how much I enjoyed Stories from the End of the World.

This is one of the most interesting and creative books I've read this year. It has been compared to Cloud Atlas, and I can understand why because of the structure, but the comparison only goes so far. While Cloud Atlas spans vastly different time periods, this novel focuses on an eleven-year period that begins only a few years in our future. The result feels much more immediate and unsettling because it is easy to imagine many of these events unfolding within our own lifetimes.

I've also seen comparisons to Kim Stanley Robinson because of the inclusion of hard science. For me, however, the science in this novel is woven into the story far more seamlessly. Robinson's work can sometimes become so focused on scientific detail that the narrative slows down. Here, the science enhances the story and makes the world feel more believable without ever becoming overwhelming. In that respect, it reminded me more of Neal Stephenson. The ideas are ambitious, but the book remains a genuine page-turner. As a science lover, I was not disappointed! Several different scientific disciplines are represented including physics, chemistry, biology, and computer science. Some parts involving coding I didn't understand because I'm not a computer scientist, however, this did not detract at all from the overall story.

The writing style also brought to mind Emily St. John Mandel. This is not a novel that follows a single set of characters from beginning to end. Instead, it is a collection of interconnected stories happening during the same time period where some characters appear in each other's stories. As you progress through the book, gradually the full picture is revealed.

One thing I really appreciated was how much this book gave me to think about. I found myself reflecting on the questions it raises about technology, science, society, and the future. In fact, I wish I had read it with a group because there is so much here that would make for fascinating discussion.

This was a memorable and thought-provoking read that managed to balance big ideas with compelling storytelling. I highly recommend it!

I got this ARC from NetGalley and I just want to say WOW! This is my first scientific novel and I enjoyed every single page. Without giving any spoilers, the way the author is using comparisons between what we believe with events that formed our history, and then creating a futuristic storyline was amazing. One of my favorite parts was when the author mentioned works like Siddhartha, and places like the Library of Alexandria; and how, as humans, we’re literally never satisfied.

I will absolutely recommend this to my friends.

Very Cloud Atlas-esque and a smart take on the perils of AI and global powers having access to apocalypse causing tools. The idea of an alien entity helping mankind along up until the very end was well done and the inner story of a husband-AI-wife murder mystery was fantastic.

I absolutely loved this book. Couldn't put it down.

This was not an easy-breezy read, but it was the kind of book that kept me engaged, my curiosity constantly piqued. The writing has such elegance to it. Even when I had to slow down, I wanted to keep going, because the language, the ideas, and the atmosphere were so compelling.

Each character brought out a different facet of the human condition, and each perspective added something new to the bigger picture. I loved watching the different threads and characters come together.

It is exciting, thoughtful, unsettling, and beautifully written. I genuinely cannot stop thinking about it.

I would definitely recommend this to readers interested in AI, possible futures, technology, power, and humanity. Just know going in that it is not necessarily a light or effortless read. It asks for your attention, but it rewards that attention so well.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this book! :)

Thank you very much to the author and the publisher, and to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stories from the End of the World is an episodic novella featuring eight distinct characters in the days and years leading up to the end of the world in 2042. As each character’s perspective unfolds, the reader uncovers more of the events that culminate in the world’s curtain call—with more than a few twists along the way.

This is a phenomenal novella. Each character’s voice is powerfully distinct, their uniqueness so tangible that I imagine the stories would be quite easily readable without any speaker tags. All the characters are beautifully nuanced, embodying the full range of humanity’s kaleidoscope of selfhood. The story itself bears a subtle mystery, unraveling to reveal a resolution the reader is subconsciously aware of, yet reluctant to acknowledge until it’s brought to the forefront as the existential reality it is.

My favourite voices were those of Genesis, Lali, and Joyce, but all of them were excellent. Even the characters whom I found reprehensible were ultimately human in their selfishness. There is a form of hubris and moral questionability that I believe only mankind is capable of, and regardless of whether it’s pretty, it remains a fundamental part of our reality.

Author Janine Shiota weaves a powerful tale, striking a poignant message into the reader’s heart that blossoms into hope like a rose from a thorn. The future does not come suddenly; it is the culmination of every nanosecond of action and inaction, of risk and regret, and of kindness and cruelty. I was also humbled and delighted by the author’s dedication to accuracy and realism, indicating the extensive research that went into the writing process.

In the end, life is defined by its capacity for love. We are loving creatures, whether we love each other, our world, humanity itself, or even ourselves. We take it for granted, overlook it, languish in its insufficiency, and all the while remain ignorant of its latent power. When the world comes to its end, when there is no money to hoard and no power to gain, all that will remain of us is that which we loved. Perhaps it is that selfsame love that will also pull us back from the brink.

Overall, this novella is excellent for fans of the messages underlying films like Interstellar and Arrival. Readers who enjoyed Story of Your Life will also find a welcome taste of sci-fi and existentialism here. That said, I believe this novella would be an enriching, valuable experience for anyone at all.

As a series of interconnected stories, each part is written with a distinctive voice and character. Naturally, there will be stories that people will enjoy more than others.

For me, my least enjoyable was Lali's story, which is the first major one. So I didn't have great hopes for the rest of the book, but they far exceeded my expectations. The overall narrative is compelling and very cleverly written. By the last 20% the stories takes a bit of a turn and the narrative propels, bring all of the stories closer and linking them well.

I enjoyed the narrative note at the end as well - explaining the reality behind the novel (as well as bits that were specifically created for the story). The authors take on speculative fiction was refreshing and i think really bought the whole book into perspective.

Highly recommended.

Was a great book! I really enjoyed it. I thought the idea behind the way it was written was different. But I would definitely reread this book again and again. Now I'd love to read more books from this author

This book has a lot of similarities with David Mitchell's work, particularly Cloud Atlas and the Bone Clocks, both of which I love. It is similarly time travelling with multiple narrators and a strong theme of avoiding climate change, with the addition of the more current theme of AI taking over. A mysterious guardian has been observing and steering human history, and we hear multiple stories set after a great Q event, where all computer encryption is broken and societies collapse. I enjoyed the variety of stories that result, from mid American farming cults to Eastern European smugglers working at the border into the Indian/Russian/Chinese empire that becomes the new, rich hemisphere. The author had obviously done her research in lots of different areas and each part of the story was engaging.