We Won't Be Here Tomorrow

July 11, 2022
For this impressive collection, Killjoy (the Danielle Clan series) brings together 21 speculative shorts tinged with just the right amount of horror to keep readers gloriously uncomfortable. The title story follows Mary Walker, who, at 30, is the lone survivor of a teenage death cult, but her days are numbered; the ghouls she made a deal with as a teen want her dead before she sheds her youth. The elderly narrator of “Mary Morrow” tells of her bloody childhood following the directions of the mysterious, undead title character, who appeared to her in dreams. “Beyond Sapphire Glass” takes a more sci-fi turn that will win over any Black Mirror fan, with a narrator whose lover promises eternal life as a digital consciousness. Told as a camper’s five-star online review of their transcendental experience in a national park, “A Reasonable Place If You’re Careful” brings dark humor and a bizarre twist. Throughout, Killjoy showcases her gift for blending cerebral speculation with visceral thrills. There’s plenty to chew on here.