From Twelfth Planet Press:

Disabled characters are rarely seen in apocalypse stories, but Defying Doomsday is an anthology set to explore the tales of those usually left for dead.

While other apocalypse stories focus on the survival of the fittest, Defying Doomsday is an anthology placing disabled characters at the forefront of the narrative. Set for release in mid 2016, the anthology will be edited by two Australian women and will include stories from science fiction authors around the world.

Disability and chronic illnesses are not uncommon in society, yet the role they play in popular culture is limited and often depressing. Characters in apocalypse fiction often die early or are presented as burdens to the other characters. Defying Doomsday will be a collection of stories proving that disabled characters have more interesting stories to tell, even as the rest of the world is ending.

The anthology was conceived by Tsana Dolichva after she read a novel set in the Ravensbrück Nazi concentration camp. The story included a group of women who were used for medical experiments and mostly ended up disabled because of it. However, remarkably, most of those women survived the war thanks to the help of other inmates. The stark contrast with the usual “survival of the fittest” narratives got her thinking, and Defying Doomsday was born.

Defying Doomsday will be edited by Tsana Dolichva and Holly Kench, and published by Twelfth Planet Press.

Defying Doomsday will be an anthology showing that disabled characters have far more interesting stories to tell in post-apocalyptic/dystopian fiction. The anthology will be varied, with characters experiencing all kinds of disability from physical impairments, chronic illnesses, mental illnesses and/or neurodiverse characters. There will also be a variety of stories, including those that are fun, sad, adventurous and horrific.

The stories in Defying Doomsday will look at periods of upheaval from new and interesting perspectives. The anthology will share narratives about characters with disability, characters with chronic illnesses and other impairments, surviving the apocalypse and contending with the collapse of life as they know it.

Defying Doomsday will be seeking crowdfunding via a Pozible campaign, with the assistance of a Crowbar grant from Arts Tasmania (of $2000 for a successfully funded campaign). The campaign will run from April 1 2015 to May 1 2015, with a funding goal of US$13,000 to cover production costs, reward items, and the funds to pay authors the professional market rate. More information will be available here: http://pozi.be/defyingdoomsday

What are you waiting for?? Go support it! The only way you can get a hardback version is by backing it this month!