If the melt-down, flood, plague, the third World War, new Ice Age, Rapture, alien invasion, clamp-down, meteor, or something else entirely hit today, what would tomorrow look like? Some of the biggest names in YA and adult literature answer that very question in this short story anthology, each story exploring the lives of teen protagonists raised in catastrophe's wake—whether set in the days after the change, or decades far in the future. New York Times bestselling authors Gregory Maguire, Garth Nix, Susan Beth Pfeffer, Carrie Ryan, Beth Revis, and Jane Yolen are among the many popular and award-winning storytellers lending their talents to this original and spellbinding anthology. Gr 9 Up-Eighteen stories and one poem by both popular and lesser-known authors. There are stories ranging from the nightmarish-Steven Gould's "Rust With Wings" about metal-eating bugs that will devour anything, including a pacemaker-to the comical-Matthew Kressel's "The Great Game at the End of the World," about a game of baseball played as Earth is being destroyed by strange alien creatures. Jeffrey Ford's "Blood Drive" strikes an ominous, "too close to home" note given recent events in the news: it is a frank depiction of a world in which everyone over 18, including teachers and students, is armed with guns. Though the subject matter is bleak, many stories end on a note of hope or provide moments of reflection. While not every entry is strong, there is much here to savor, and fans of dystopias won't be disappointed.-Necia Blundy, formerly at Marlborough Public Library, MAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. This engrossing collection of short stories tackles a single question: What happens to humanity following a disaster that causes calamitous, fundamental, and long-lasting change? Nineteen authors answer in stories that tackle political upheaval (Reunion, by Susan Beth Pfeffer); ecological disaster (Visiting Nelson, by Katherine Langrish); doomsday cults (All I Know of Freedom, by Carol Emshwiller); and inexplicable phenomena (The Easthound, by Nalo Hopkinson). The editors have forgone purist definitions of dystopia—by also including stories of an apocalyptic nature—in an attempt to recognize the range of dystoptian fiction being written today. A brief history of the development of dys-lit concludes the collection. Fans of the genre will naturally gravitate toward After and find much to enjoy. Others may simply be attracted to the names Jane Yolen, Garth Nix, Gregory Maguire, Beth Revis, Cecil Castellucci, and Carrie Ryan; even if they come for their favorites, they’ll want to stick around for the rest. Grades 9-12. --Kara Dean Ellen Datlow has been an editor of Science Fiction, Dark Fantasy, and Horror for over thirty years, winning several Hugo and Locus Awards, nine World Fantasy Awards, the International Horror Guild Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and many other honors for her work. She has edited numerous anthologies for adults, young adults, and middle grade readers, some of them in partnership with Terri Windling. Ellen lives in New York City. Terri Windling is a writer, editor, and artist specializing in fantasy literature and mythic arts. She has published over forty books, including many anthologies for readers young and old, and has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Bram Stoker Award, and many others. Terri lives with her husband and daughter in a small village in southwest England.