The Comedic Perils of Survival in Edward Ashton's After The Fall

Author: Edward Ashton

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Rating: 4.5★

When I picked up After the Fall by Edward Ashton, I expected a dark, bleak dystopian sci-fi story—and while the book absolutely contains those elements, what surprised me most was how funny, thoughtful, and oddly warm it ended up being. Set on a future Earth long after an alien invasion, the novel imagines a world where humans have been conquered by the Grays and selectively bred to serve as pets and laborers. The remaining free humans are dismissed as dangerous “ferals,” blamed for nearly destroying the planet before the aliens arrived. It’s an unsettling premise, but the way Ashton approaches it made the book far more engaging than I initially expected.

A Fresh Take on Dystopia Through John’s Eyes

The story is told entirely through the eyes of John, a human bondsman born in a creche a hundred years after the invasion. John has never known a free humanity. Everything he believes about the world—including the idea that the Grays saved Earth—comes from what he’s been taught. As a bondsman, his goal is simple: be useful, be obedient, and above all, stay alive. What really worked for me was John’s voice. Instead of being angry or openly rebellious, he’s innocent, naïve, and sometimes quietly jaded. That perspective gives the story a surprisingly light, almost casual tone, even when the underlying reality is deeply disturbing.

I really appreciated how Ashton avoided turning this into a relentlessly grim survival story. John’s internal monologue often made me laugh, even when I realized I probably shouldn’t be laughing at what was happening. His acceptance of the system he lives in isn’t portrayed as stupidity—it’s survival. He’s doing the best he can with the world he was born into, and that made him feel very human to me. That contrast between the dark setting and John’s matter-of-fact outlook is where the book really shines.

World-Building That Unfolds Like a Puzzle

The world-building also stood out. Instead of dumping information all at once, the story slowly reveals the larger picture through John’s memories and reactions to present events. I liked piecing things together alongside him, and it made the setting feel lived-in rather than artificially constructed. That said, I did find myself wanting to know more—especially about the Grays themselves and what originally brought them to Earth. The mystery works, but my curiosity definitely lingered.

Balancing Dark Themes with Humor

The ending was one of my favorite parts of the book. Rather than a clean or heroic resolution, it leans fully into a comedy of errors as John tries to clean up the fallout from his and Martok’s mistakes. It felt chaotic, funny, and completely in line with the tone the book had built from the beginning.

Looking Forward to the Audio Version

Overall, After the Fall was a 4.5-star read for me. I really enjoyed it, not just for its premise, but for its voice and balance of humor and darkness. It’s the kind of book that sticks with you, and I already want to experience it again—this time by listening to the audiobook to hear John’s perspective come through in a new way.

If you enjoy not so serious sci-fi novels about alien invasions with a touch of buddy comedy and satire, you should definitely pick this book up. It'll be worth it.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.