Everything That Isn’t Winter by Margaret Killjoy

Everything That Isn’t Winter by Margaret Killjoy
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (29 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Does a renewed world still have a place for those who only know how to destroy? While defending a tea-growing commune in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, one person seeks an answer.

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The world building was wonderful. I was delightfully shocked by how many details about the post-apocalyptic society Aiden and her people lived in were included in less than thirty pages of storytelling. It felt like I’d read an entire novel’s worth of descriptions and development instead of what is typically found in a short story. Based on Ms. Killjoy’s ability to create such a detailed world so quickly, I’m going to be keeping a close eye out for more stories from her.

Since the final scene could have been interpreted in two wildly different ways, it would have been helpful to have a few more hints about which one of those possibilities was actually the correct one. I was equally intrigued by both of the ways that scene could be understood. Had it been clearer to me which one I should be assuming was the correct one, I would have given this tale a much higher rating.

Aiden’s personality was well developed and fascinating. Just as I would have expected from someone who grew up experiencing uncertainty and violence, there were little hints in their behaviour and mannerisms that they’d experienced a lot of pain in their past. I was impressed by how much I figured out about their current emotional state even though something as simple as their gender was never revealed and this character only rarely mentioned their childhood at all. This isn’t something that’s easy to pull off, but the author made it look effortless.

I’d recommend Everything That Isn’t Winter to anyone who enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction.