Sometimes writers get so involved in the plot they can't see the wood for the trees. Hang on a sec'--th A place to connect writers with Beta readers. The men in the facility - the ‘future men’ - are all written sympathetically. Is there a sequel to Moths? I want to learn more about the moment the world changed, and what happens after Moths. Mary, the books protagonist, is in her 70s. She's one of a decreasing number of people who remember the world is it used to be, before a plague that no one could have predicted changed everything. Couldn't stop listening to the audiobook - literally tuning in for 2 minutes every time I made a cup of tea during the work day! Compelling.

On the 9th of July 2019. I know so precisely because that is when I read an article on the BBC titled Toxic processionary caterpillar plague spreads across Europe. I was planning to write an apocalypse book that flipped the gender power dynamic – I just needed a narrative vehicle. A moth plague presented itself as the perfect villain. Did you do much research before you started writing? It is wonderfully written- pulling on all of the feelings that erupt as you live through a pandemic, without feeling forced, cheesy or overegged. As a mother to a son, this book has seared itself into my heart.Sometimes writers get so involved in the plot they can't see the wood for the trees. Hang on a sec'--that's a cliche and it's better to remove it. The book is gripping and hugely thought provoking. The characters are very well written and I can say that, not only did I thoroughly enjoyed this read, I also repratedly sacrificed sleep to find out what would happen next. Toxic threads originating from moths infect only those who are biologically male. Once contaminated, the men die or turn violent, leaving the women to form a matriarchal society. There are so many great themes explored in this book, including of course who gets to control things in this new world, and why. And then, upon finishing, I was delighted to find that there is a sequel! I definitely need more of this world, and I hope that there can be some semblance of peace found in this dark world.

However, this book focuses more on what has happened many years later. A society run by women, and the few remaining men segregated for their own safety. Or so the Men’s Welfare Agency says, but is there more to the story? The reader will find out. On the topic of trans people, there do not seem to be trans men in the story at all, though there is one odd reference to a woman who has had a mastectomy/top surgery scars because (paraphrased) “some women just feel their breasts get in the way.” Queer women are quite prevalent though, and many wives are mentioned throughout the story. The secondary main character Olivia is a lesbian, but she is murdered and framed for killing and “grooming” a “helpless” infantilized man. She was a POV character but after she is killed the rest of the story is just continued from Mary’s perspective only which seemed like a very odd choice from a writing standpoint. Welcome to Paranormal Romance! This group is for the discussion and recommendation of paranormal romances and paranormal erotic romance, along with ur Welcome to Paranormal Romance! This group is for the discussion and recommendation of paranormal romances and paranormal erotic romance, along with urban fantasy, science fiction, futuristic, and fantasy romance. If you love vampires, werewolves, and hot faery men, this is the group for you. Join up and discuss your favorite books! Women run all the facilities and government, there are also women running all the facilities and centres, women caring for the men in those centres. Yet the world keeps turning, there are men being born though very few. Women are encouraged to “visit” with the men in the facilities and are rewarded if a child is borne from such a visit. I liked that the main protagonist was a much older woman who had lived through the outbreak. Mary brought a breath of fresh air to the proceedings that sometimes you lose with younger ones. As a survivor, she and her friend Olivia had a certain rapport which helped bring some humour to the narrative.After graduating, I began teaching English and philosophy - nothing makes you more conscious of the nuts and bolts of language than having to stand up and explain it all to a group of unimpressed teenagers. The concept of the book is fantastic, especially with the current (and historic) issues surrounding gender based violence which often pose the question, 'what would a world without our male counterparts look like?'. Oh, Mary, don’t be ridiculous. Their brains aren’t wired for complex ideas....they’re just men – emotional and fragile." Still not sure? Why not read our interview with Garth Nix here to find out more about the one of the masters of fantasy world building.

No, I launched into the writing and researched as I went. Everything from the percentage of women engineers working as energy plant operatives (14.1% according to a recent report by Engineering UK) to the shelf life of refined gasoline (less than 2 years). Forty years ago, the world changed. Toxic threads left behind by mutated moths infected men and boys around the globe. Some were killed quietly in their sleep, others became crazed killers, wildly dangerous and beyond help. All seemed hopeless.Top Five Fictional Games by The Knave of Secrets author Alex Livingston Five Things that inspired Ion Curtain By Anya Ow The five best (worst) werewolves in movies by TJ Klune No Universal Translator: Five Times A Difference of Language Shaped the Plot in SFF