Impspired Title

NEW ASGARTH

by MARY FARRELL

The twenty interwoven stories of New Asgarth are set in a post-apocalyptic landscape where the remains of humanity dwell in domed cities, where society struggles to adjust. And yet even in those darkest times, Mary Farrell shows us that hope, love, and a sense of community can blossom. With a profound insight into what makes us human, she re-frames post-apocalyptic conventions by focusing less on inherent dangers and violence and more on the fragile sparks of human connection which have the capacity to change our lives. Her engaging and accessible style, unique and powerful insight into the human condition, and the overarching theme of community inspire us to try and find common ground in our own progressively divided society. We should heed Farrell’s advice. Before we become New Asgarthians. - Dr Sveto Manev, speculative fiction writer, freelance editor, and co- founder of Ulster University's annual journal of creative writing, The Paperclip. When the world we know becomes uninhabitable, we must build another. When survival of the species becomes paramount, how do we hold onto what makes us human? Our passion, purpose and power must be borne out by the triumph of our attributes over our flaws, our compassion over our bitterness, our empathy over our judgement. These stories, poetic in their pacing and echoes, full of depth and contrast and meaning, show us the truth of this. - Cathy Carson, writer, poet and storyteller, shortlisted in 2022 for the Saboteur Award for Best Spoken Performer. In her latest book Mary Farrell’s fresh, new voice arrives as a soothing anodyne to the despair and malaise of a century of science fiction. It’s not about the horrors, but the humanity. At times you will find yourself tearing up with compassion for the pains, fears, and gentle acts in which we hopefully see shadows of ourselves. At other times you will laugh at the author’s wry sense of humour which threads its way through this post-apocalyptic world. - Mark Pearce, Author of Tobias and the Isle of Justice, Specimens Under Glass, and Asylum, 2023, with plays produced on the New York stage, published in numerous literary collections, is a Pushcart Prize Nominee.