A new, speculative anthology, HOPE: The Thing with Feathers will be released this weekend! I’m honored that my short story, “What We Had Left” is included among this poignant collection of hopeful stories. You can review or buy the anthology here.
There have been five mass extinctions in the history of life on earth. As Audrey and Tara grapple with the sixth, they find hope and strength in human connection.
“What We Had Left” takes place in one of our possible futures, when climate change has already led to the extinctions of most bugs and birds. More human meddling destroys the oceans, which have started releasing enough carbon dioxide to smother all life nearby. As Audrey escapes her apartment building, she finds Tara who’s been left behind. Together, they head inland, as far and as fast as they can. Audrey and Tara must rely on each other for survival–and hope–during the end of the world.
Ahead of the release date, writer Maggie Slater interviewed every author included in the anthology, asking interesting questions about writing, speculative fiction, and more.
Maggie Slater: What’s your favorite non-writing hobby?
Gabrielle: I’ll dabble in just about anything creative. I’ve done a lot of fine art like oil painting, pencil drawing, and digital art, and fiber arts like crocheting, knitting, sewing, and (briefly) bobbin lacemaking. My favorite craft recently has been making pop up books for my young nieces (apparently this is called “paper engineering”). It is so fun to figure out little mechanisms that will work for the story I’m trying to tell. I thought I was going to make just one book as a special gift, but I’ve finished three already, and have way too many ideas for more.
Read the rest of the interview at Maggie Slater’s website, as well as interviews with the rest of the authors of the HOPE anthology.
Maggie Slater says, “‘What We Had Left’ is a beautiful story about finding connection when all else in the natural world fails.”
Maggie’s story also appears in the HOPE anthology. “The Trash King” is at once charming, surreal, and bittersweet. The story starts when Steph meets a man with a seagull head who is dumpster diving for food. Set against a backdrop of college life in Hawai’i, Maggie expertly weaves themes like toxic friendship and self-esteem into a story where the man with the seagull head is the least concerning part of Steph’s life. “The Trash King” will suck you in from the first line.
Check out Maggie’s story in HOPE: The Thing With Feathers.