Given the tight restriction on the subject matter and that all the stories were written for the anthology, there is some variety of tone and view, but not enough unless read over 3 or 4 months. ( )

DNF

The stories for the most part couldn't keep my attention. Maybe I'm just not in a sci-fi phase right now. I'll try again later.

3.5 stars
A solid anthology, in which, although most of the stories were worth the time I spent reading them, very few were memorable. I had to alternate this book with a few others because I found some stories slightly repetitive and a bunch of them too moralizing for my taste. But as I said before, most of the stories were good enough, and my standouts were those by Kim Stanley Robinson and Sam J. Miller and, most of all, James Morrow’s ‘‘Only Ten More Shopping Days Left Till Ragnarok’’, maybe partly due to the fact that it’s sarcastic and funny, unlike most of the rest of the stories which are quite sad and depressing. ( )

A selection of post-apocalyptic short stories set mostly on an Earth inundated with water. Some are very clever and a couple are quite funny, although a few end at rather odd points so the stories feel unfinished. All-in-all, though, a worthwhile read for the post-apocalyptic/dystopia crowd. ( )

...All in all Drowned Worlds contained many more forgettable stories than memorable ones. As such I was mildly disappointed with it. There are too many stories that only superficially deal with the chosen theme. It turns the anthology into a parade of half-hearted images of what sea level rise might look like, overlaid with decent but not special plots. One can't help but wonder if the anthology wouldn't have benefited from a slightly wider theme, if only to make it a bit more varied. But even with a narrow theme I can't help but feel there ought to be a better selection out there.

Full Random Comments review ( )