I  received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Discover what happens when human civilization on Earth finally goes silent and leaves behind explorers and settlers spread throughout the galaxy in author James Bow’s anthology, Tales from the Silence.

The Synopsis

On August 4, 2151, the world will end.

It’s been a long time coming: climate disasters brewing conflict, conflict breeding chaos. But on that fateful day, someone will set off the nukes. On August 4, 2151, human civilization on Earth will fall silent.

There are survivors, of course—and not just on Earth. There are scientists on the Jovian moons. Miners in the asteroid belt. Thriving colonies on the surface of Mars and above the clouds of Venus. Far more precarious ones on Mercury. When the silence falls across human space, one thing is clear: Earth’s space-born children are on their own. No more supplies are coming. No more orders. No more meddling. No more help.

Set in the universe of James Bow’s new novel, The Sun Runners, Tales from the Silence is a gathering of award-winning science fiction, fantasy, and YA authors who explore the worlds the Earth left behind, as well as the Earth itself, as they struggle through Earth’s new dark age.

Join James Bow, Phoebe Barton, Kate Blair, Cameron Dixon, Mark Richard Francis, Jo Karaplis, Kari Maaren, Fiona Moore, Ira Nayman, Kate Orman, and Jeff Szpirglas as they tell the stories of what happens after the end of the world.

The Review

What a phenomenal and engaging collection of short stories. The authors of this story found the perfect way to make each story feel wholly individual and unique while also tying together the overall narrative set up by James Bow. The relatability of the characters brought that unique humanity to the otherwise cosmic and space-traveling adventure in which the story takes place.

What stood out amongst other sci-fi collections is how Earth was more of a catalyst for these stories rather than the protagonist or primary setting. Instead, readers are treated to a universe in which Earth has gone quiet, and most of humanity is now out amongst the stars, inhabiting other worlds and wondering how to survive without their home world. The emotional ebb and flow of the stories and the unique spin on survival, from the opening story of The Phases of Jupiter by James Bow to the actions of Venusians in Ira Nayman’s “Famous Last Words,” allowed readers to immerse themselves in this collection fully.

The Verdict

Harrowing, insightful, and entertaining author James Bow’s Tales from the Silence is a must-read sci-fi and dystopian short story collection. With elements of The Expanse peppered throughout, the book touches on the meaning of survival and the evolution of humanity beyond Earth and will stay with readers long after the book ends. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10