Aftermath: Tales of Survival in Aotearoa New Zealand is SpecFicNZ’s new anthology, available here.
The anthology explores Aotearoa in a post-apocalyptic world. Disasters have occurred around the country and the world. New Zealand, in our isolation down under, may have escaped most of what happened around the world, but it was pretty bad out there. As Kiwis are apt to do, though, we’re “getting over it”. You know, she’ll be right …
This is not just an anthology of disaster stories. The pages are filled with hope in the form of short stories, poems, flash fiction and artwork about what comes afterwards. The contributions are exclusively from SpecFicNZ members and reflect the diversity and breadth of this country we love to call home … even if the edges are a bit torn and tattered.
We’re interviewing all the contributors to the anthology so you can get to know the brave souls who’ve battled zombies, aliens, earthquakes, volcanoes and more to bring you the stories you’ll find between its covers.
Today, we’re chatting with Bing Turkby
Aftermath includes a variety of disasters set all around Aotearoa New Zealand. What disaster / location combination did you write about and why?
I wrote about a timequake that altered world history, because I was interested in messing around with the idea that it might be catastrophic for one group of people but perhaps not for others.
How do you think the Kiwi approach to life after disaster is unique?
I actually feel like humans respond to disasters in similar ways all around the world, with all the associated heartbreak, stress, and trauma, as well as the goodwill of people who lend a hand and help others recover.
What are your most valuable post-apocalyptic skills?
If people are willing to barter for sarcasm, I’m set. (Oh, I’m sure people would be willing to barter for sarcasm, Bing…)
They say the pen is mightier than the sword. Being a writer, you must have lots of pens. What creative use would you put them to in a post-apocalyptic New Zealand?
I actually have so many pens I could build a rudimentary shelter out of them. I would call it “The Pen”. Also, when I was a kid I saw an episode of CHiPs where they performed an emergency tracheostomy with a pen, and I still haven’t been able to expunge that from my memory, so maybe it’ll come in handy.
Tell us a little about your other writing?
95% chance of guitars, 55% chance of cats.
What are you working on now?
A book featuring guitars and cats, funnily enough. I’m drafting the sequel to my Guitar Store Mystery ‘Dead Man’s Axe’. The sequel will be called ‘String Theory’, and it will see the return of guitar store owner Dana Osborne and her crime-solving cat Paws McCartney. I also plan to do at least one more book in my Musomancer series about music-wizards wielding electric guitars in Palmerston North.
Where can readers find out more about you and your writing?
https://turkby.co.nz has all the good stuff. 