A Land of Ash by David DalglishMy rating: 8 of 10 stars
Wanting to know how good was David Daglish and seeing this anthology for free in his website I start reading it. A quick reading.
This is a anthology of several interconnected stories about the apocalyptic scenario of Yellowstone eruption. Long has been debated about what would happenend to North America and the World if that supervolcano erupted. The estimatives would be that North America would vanish beneath a mantle of ash and the rest of the world would suffer a nuclear winter.
Would it be a end-of-life scenario? I don't think so.
1815 eruption of Mount Tambora led to know "Year Without a Summer" but in no way a end-of-the-world scenarion. Maybe an USA end scenario. The USA would cease to exist as we know.
Now the stories:
-One Last Dinner Party by David Dalglish was the first story of this anthology and what a beginning. One of the questions of apocalpytic fiction is, when it comes how will you going to face it? It's inevitable, so face it proud or try in vain to hide? Daglish is a good writer.
-Alone on the Mountain by David McAfee - Second story set in the same world as the first. Here we are presented with a survivalist and the first look upon the End of the World as Yellowstone explodes. It is said that if he did probably it would mean a Nuclear Winter worldwide.
-Beach Puppies by Daniel Arenson. In this tale is another tale like the first. How will we face the inevitable? Here we learn about "lottery" tickets some people were awarded to escape the deathly cloud of ash."
-Shelter by David Dalglish. In this tale we follow a child and a father trying to survive the initial impact of the cloud of ash. The first thing that will kill you after the initial blast is ash. It will kill from the inside out. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (the largest word in english dictionary) will occur.
-Beach Puppies By Daniel Arenson. In this tale is another tale like the first. How will we face the inevitable? Here we learn about "lottery" tickets some people were awarded to escape the deathly cloud of ash.
-Toward the storm by David Dalgish is a tale of survive after the storm by Gertrude and Alice, the cat until they met Samuel a wanderer. What do you believe after a cataclysmic event? God? Or is everything a ilusion.
-Last words, uninteresting story. Weak and doesn't fit in this anthology. A few keywords like ASH but that doesn't mean that belongs here. Be careful what you wish for...
-Refugees - is there any hope remaining? The story was an interesting view of the aftermath of the Event and what must a human do to be alive.
-A Harmless American - for decades mexicans violate the border of the USA but now it's the other way around. What would you do if you saw another human being suffering?
-Secret Mission - forgetful story.
-The One that Matters - After the cataclystic event what does it matter? Help is on the way and the only thing that matters are children. Here we see the wide scope of humankind. Some will try to do the right thing while others will be ruled by animalistic side. This is the best part of all apocalpytic fiction.
- Let It continue - A light in the dark. This story is in the same tone of the "The One That Matters" but in a different way. Quite good story. Is life prioritary in this darkness and death?
Overall, good interconnected stories with a post-apocalpytic event. David Daglish is quite good writer and even if he was leaving is confort area and wrote as he wrote then he is an excelent writer.
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