Comments on After World by Debbie Urbanski
After World feels like an Old Testament wrath of God story but in a post-Voltaire "if god did not exist humanity would have to invent him" sort of way and with a dash of Children of Men (the superior movie), except for the lack of hope. Humanity seems to have elevated an AI entity or entities to a god or omnipotent position and at points in the book there are references to that which was, is and will be. Comments like that feel like they are lifted straight out of Revelation. The AI god has observed humanity and found that its continued destruction of Creation to be worthy of punishment. Instead of a flood wiping out all humanity save the chosen few, a plague (named S.) is released that sterilizes every person of reproductive potential. The goal is to allow the planet and ecosystem to heal itself. The messages issued from the authorities - whether these are simply the Al Gods, a human government or some combination - ar...