Aftermath Contributor Miriam Hurst

Aftermath Contributor Miriam Hurst

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 Miriam Hurst

Aftermath includes a variety of disasters set all around Aotearoa New Zealand. What disaster / location combination did you write about and why?

I picked Auckland, where I’ve lived on and off for nearly 20 years, and went for four different disasters – as I have a secret fondness for structure they can be described, in order, as water, fire, earth and air.

How do you think the Kiwi approach to life after disaster is unique?

What the last few years have shown is that despite our differences the vast majority of us still consider ourselves to be part of a community and not just individuals. I don’t think this is unique, but it’s not universal either.

What are your most valuable post-apocalyptic skills?

Obviously this depends on the apocalypse. Ideally I will hope for one in which savage hordes of books roam the landscape snapping up the unwary but can be tamed and controlled by agile speed-readers.

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 am actually very good at losing pens. Possibly I can use this to find the secret portal they escape through and lead everyone to a better (and pen-equipped) alternate universe.

Tell us a little about your other writing?

I have published a few short stories under this name and some other sf/f pieces under a couple of pen names.

What are you working on now?

The inevitable novel project(s).

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