Published by Hungry Shadow Press
Have you ever thought about the world ending? What would you do if life as you know it was about to end? I think it's crossed our minds at some point even if only brief. It's a horrifying thought if you were to really think about it and in this collection we meet a varied cast of characters as they are faced with this sudden realisation.
In such circumstances we expect confusion, fear, denial, a determination to survive in some instances, and even acceptance be it painful or peaceful. However, these stories reach beyond these emotions, exposing more complex and conflicted human conditions. Stories such as Bonnie's Absolution which focuses on a mother's internal struggle and Lost Time, in which a man regrets not putting his family first. We journey with desperate parents in tales like The Hunt, about a father and daughter hunting trip that results in the ultimate sacrifice, a mother's race to be with her child in the story, Tuesday and a father's fight to save his children from the inevitable in Estrangements.
In addition to those, there are also stories that weave together the fantastical and the bizarre like The Boy Who Prayed For The World To End, Alice, The Door In The Basement, Smash Hit and the unconventional and humorous take in Ten Totally Free Places To Watch The End Of The World.
I especially liked the stories that were told from an alternate perspective such as I Am The Vanity Mirror Shaped Like A Skull where the character mutates into something no longer human, and The Smell Of Summer, told through the eyes of a family pet.
The stories are imaginative, original and compelling even though heart-breaking and unsettling with some rather intense situations at times. It's the end of the world after all. Make use of the content warnings included if you need to. As the anthology title suggests, The First Five Minutes Of The Apocalypse are stories focused on people's initial discovery/reaction to the world ending and not so much about the how and why or the before and after. With this in mind, I feel that the selection of stories delivered a satisfying insight into these characters lives as they stand on the brink of annihilation.
There is immense talent and skill within these pages and I'm grateful to these authors for taking me on these wild and exhilarating adventures, thankfully in the safety and comfort of my home without the worry of impending doom!
Samantha L.
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