We have no idea. The one thing we know for sure? There will still be Happily Ever Afters.
Like many other beautiful stories, this one started with empanadas.
It was early spring 2024. The days began to lengthen, flowers were in bloom, and we (Ali and Adriana, aka AH²) met with a handful of author friends at a delicious lunch spot in NYC. Adriana had recently completed a Kickstarter project that had produced some truly stunning editions of her Toy Runners series. Ali felt nostalgic and was missing some of the most collaborative aspects of being in fandom. We were both buzzing with new story ideas, and wanted to write something set in a post-apocalyptic world. A few (many) margaritas in, the convergence of all our interests, dreams, and desires became apparent.
In the following weeks, we made a few (many) phone calls and wrote a few (many) emails, with the aim of getting some of our favorite writers, artists, designers, editors, and all sorts of bookish creatives to collaborate with us. Thankfully, many decided to take a chance on us and jump on board, and in the summer of 2024, After the End was officially born.
(Moral of the story: we should all eat more empanadas and drink more tequila.)
Paperbacks
Dust Jackets
Paperbacks
All physical copies are printed in tête-bêche format (printed upside down relative to one another; or, as we like to think of them, flippy books!). This means that you will receive 4 volumes, with 2 stories in each volume. You can read the first story, flip the book around, and move right to the second one.
Hardcovers
Dust Jackets
Paperbacks
Each naked hardcover volume is elegantly stamped with foil on both sides; the design of the stamping changes based on the theme of the story and the designed sprayed edges are different for each volume. Both foil and edges were designed by the talented Blanca Montiel.
They also have beautiful full-color custom endpapers created by the fantastic Maxime Desmettre. The art depicts the dystopian landscapes you'll read about in the stories, with a total of eight unique, vivid designs.
Dust Jackets
Dust Jackets
Dust Jackets
Collaborating with Dri Gomez on these covers was an absolute dream come true! We were able to combine the classic romance clinch with a more vintage pulp style, and we are so happy with the results. They are at once romantic and bold, with vibrant colors and sexy, dynamic poses, unique but also cohesive.