Moths

February 17, 2023
In the near future, a pandemic spread by moths hits the world, targeting all people with Y chromosomes. About half of those infected die soon after, and the rest become increasingly aggressive and violent. When the dust of the apocalypse settles, most of the Y chromosome population are dead and the few who remain, including trans women, are housed in facilities for their own protection and the protection of others. In an England nearly half a century from now, women are in charge of every aspect of society. They marry each other and raise female children together, giving male children to the state. Many think of "the men" as naive creatures ruled by emotion, and those in power use them as tools to make money for the so-called Men's Welfare Authority. Mary was alive when the moths first swarmed, and remembers her husband and son with hidden longing. She works as a carer in an institution for uninfected men, who are subject to strict regulations and not allowed outside for fear that they will encounter a thread of moth silk and be lost. When Mary encounters Olivia, another carer who lived through the infestation, they exchange stories about the devastating events of forty-four years ago, and Mary believes she's found a kindred spirit. But Olivia is involved in something that could radically shift the power balance of the new world, and there are people who will kill to prevent that from happening. Though Moths doesn't tread new ground, it will appeal to readers of post-apocalyptic stories like The Handmaid's Tale.

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