AFTER HUMANITY by Stacey L. Polishook

Humans are at the top of the food chain and always have been. But what if they weren't? What if another took our place and decided to raise and exploit us as we have every other animal on earth? Welcome to a world after humanity...

"After Humanity" is not your classical horror story. In fact, many of the scenes are peacefully bucolic, telling the story of a young girl's - Rachel - life on a farm.

But this farm is different, and so is Rachel. For she is part of the, humanely treated, livestock of Magnus, the Sibla farmer. She almost didn't make it there. Born in a dissident village to the some of the last free humans, her settlement gets discovered, her parents killed before her eyes. Rachel is taken to the slaughterhouse, witnesses the gruesome deaths of two young boys she shared a cage with - and escapes the cleaver only because Magnus takes pity on her.

A lot of stories would now see Rachel worm her way into the evil farmer's heart and show him the errors of his ways. Not so this one. First of all, Magnus is not evil. He just is who he is. So is Alice, the human overseer of the "veal" slaves on his farm. If anybody has found a way into his heart it is her.

Why? How? I would say, read and find out. I would be spoiling the experience if I told you.

In any case, those two try their best to give the human lifestock a humane treatment. Sounds odd? It doesn't if one replaces humans with sheep or cattle  (which are also to be found on the farm - and on the menu).

Rachel finds a new home, slowly learns to trust the people around her, she even helps slaughtering the lambs for the meals.

Humanely, of course.

There's a deep undercurrent of disquiet running through this rural paradise. When Fall comes, the first of her companions go to the slaughter. Peacefully, of course. But she worries, of course she does. What will be her fate? 

Things take a turn for the worse, when Magnus falls seriously ill and another Sibla takes over. But with the help of Alice, Rachel manages to survive.

The end, when it comes, grows organically from the rest of the story. And again, you'll have to read as I can't tell you.

"After Humanity" raises many questions, without ever pointing a finger. The story twists our perceptions, it makes the reader think. In a very good way.

"After Humanity" proudly bears the Watty badge, and it does so for a reason.

Find out for yourself ...