The Last Catastrophe

Stories

By: Allegra Hyde

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus, Kristen Sieh, Kirby Heyborne, Jamie K. Brown, Emily Ellet, Sophie Amoss, Sarah Naughton

A hopeful, speculative short story collection about how humanity grapples in a world transformed by climate change.

“Climate fiction does not owe readers hope, but through humor and humanity Hyde manages to present a harsh reality without descending into despair, offering a space for mourning and for reimagining life in a permanently changed world. Each of the 15 stories is swiftly paced and engaging, rich with detail, highlighting and celebrating nature as it borders on the unnatural.” —The New York Times Book Review

A vast caravan of RVs roams the United States. A girl grows a unicorn horn, complicating her small-town friendships and big city ambitions. A young lady on a spaceship bonds with her AI warden while trying to avoid an arranged marriage. In Allegra Hyde’s universe nothing is as it seems, yet the challenges encountered in these pages mirror those we face in our modern age. Spanning the length of our very solar system, the fifteen stories in this collection explore a myriad of potential futures through the concept of “global weirding,” planetary and social disruptions due to climate change. In unexpected and genre-defying ways, this revelatory collection reminds us that our world is precious, and that protecting it has the potential to bring us all together.

Amazing Collection of Stories

I first encountered Allegra Hyde in two best American story collections. I followed her to her own collection. I was not disappointed but thrilled. Stories like “Mobilization” and “Democracy in America” delighted me on my second and third listen. Allegra has a vast imagination employed in speculative scenarios that are plausible and entertaining. She is among our greatest contemporary storytellers. I highly recommend this book.