“After the Apocalypse” by Maureen McHugh will be appearing in Prime’s forthcoming Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror: 2012 edited by Paula Guran. Erin Stocks interviews McHugh on the story. 

It’s potentially easy to write off Jane’s behavior, especially around men, as a coping mechanism given the circumstances, but her decision at the end is a strong one. Why does she decide to abandon the one responsibility she still has?

I don’t know that I can explain Jane’s behavior. I would hope that reading the story, people find her behavior believable and human. It’s quite gratifying to me how many people have been horrified by the story because morally I find her action unforgivable. That said, I don’t find it unthinkable. I have a lot of sympathy for Jane and find a lot of myself in her. I expect people to cope, damn it, and I don’t forgive easily when I think they aren’t. At the same time, who hasn’t dreamed of escaping the burdens of responsibility? I’ve never actually done any of the things that Jane has. I never sold furniture, I was never a runaway on the street, I’ve never even had a daughter. I’ve behaved a lot better than Jane. But I suspect Jane would survive a disaster a lot better than I would. I’m pretty sure she’s a lot tougher than I am.

MORE: Read the whole story here!