Things We Didn't See Coming - Book Review

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Dystopian wastelands, post-apocalyptic evacuations, a family tersely preparing for the end of the world... Steven Amsterdam's book of thematically-linked short stories explores harshly possible futures for a population unprepared for its own end.

From horses, bad, weather, stolen cars, needy grandparents and trying to fit everything into the boot, Amsterdam's genius is in bringing familiar people and conversations into an unfamiliar future we'd rather not think about. There are people trying to hold on to objects or just each other, unwilling to give in to the demands of their new lives, those who have blankly accepted a cacophony of changes and have given in, letting themselves be pulled along by the current, and just a few who are born into a new world, resenting the old. Insidious dangers and plagues of biblical proportions penetrate his characters' lives, leaving us with the overwhelming impression that while the entire world may collapse or alter, humanity – with its appetite for control, capacity for suffering and ability to hold hope against all odds – never does.

Amsterdam lives and writes in Melbourne, where he is also a palliative care nurse. Find out more about him and his triple-tiered almond cake at stevenamsterdam.com

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