How to survive the end of the world : a graphic exploration of how to (maybe) avoid extinction / Katy Doughty.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

"A spectacular achievement."--Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid

In a full-color debut, a graphic novelist takes an engrossing, gleefully existential deep dive into the many ways that humanity could--and almost did--meet its end.

Since 99.9 percent of all species that have lived are extinct, it's bound to be our turn eventually, right? So what's most likely to kill us? A well-timed asteroid? Some new robot overlords? With wit and dry humor, debut graphic novelist Katy Doughty blends science and history to explore our chances of surviving disasters such as plagues, global warming, and alien invasion. Drawing on interviews with experts in fields like infectious diseases, AI, and interplanetary exploration, she combines cutting-edge research with compelling visuals: mugshots of the deadliest microbes, graphs of the winners and losers of mass extinction events, and a whole lot of dinosaur drawings. For apocalypse aficionados, the morbidly curious, and the just plain curious, this is your antidote to existential dread--a timely, imaginative, and ultimately hopeful take on humankind's ability to survive the odds.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up--The young adult years can be full of angst for several reasons, including worries over the fate of the world. This graphic novel addresses causes that could lead to the extinction of humanity and explores how high the threat level actually is for each. Areas of concern are discussed in a matter-of-fact tone, but also with a dash of hope. Chapters look at plagues and pandemics, deadly blasts, climate meltdown, killer machines, falling skies, and cosmic collapse. Illustrations show scenes of the Black Death, researchers creating COVID-19 vaccines, and settlers on Mars. "Ask an Expert" sections bring in infectious disease physicians, climate activists, AI researchers, and others from topic-specific fields and backgrounds to provide a more detailed look at things like threats from artificial intelligence or what cultural norms we should take with us when humanity moves out into space. Back matter includes suggestions for further reading, source notes, and a selected bibliography. VERDICT An exploration that takes concerns seriously while leavening the presentation with humor and possibility; recommended for collections to support readers researching threats or dealing with individual anxiety about the future.--Suzanne Costner

Kirkus Book Review

A graphic compendium of apocalyptic scenarios past, present, and future. "Humans," Doughty writes in her debut, "have been the cause of many species' extinction. One of these days, it's bound to be our turn." The only question is how this might come about. She begins with historical analyses of the Black Death, the European colonization of the Americas, and other events that underscore how devastating and fiendishly adaptable deadly microbes can be. She reels off a range of possibilities for our future, punctuated by attention-grabbing anecdotes and exchanges of insights with a diverse array of experts. After touching on apocalypses described in sacred writings, Doughty dives into past and possible future "captivating doomsday scenarios": supervolcano eruptions, falling asteroids, climate change, and AI "killer machines." All of these pale in comparison to the inevitability that our sun will one day expand to consume Earth and other inner planets. A brown-skinned, black-haired tour guide clambers through and between the variously sized panels that depict disasters from the deep past to the distant future. The author has distilled an impressive amount of research into a lucid, matter-of-fact narrative--and, counterintuitive though it may seem, there's a pervasive optimism running through the doom and gloom, a conviction that no matter what goes down, humanity is special enough that something of us will survive. The attractive illustrations in highly saturated colors illuminate the content through both imaginative whimsy and helpful diagrams. Brilliant; at once terrifying and fascinating. (recommended reading, source notes, bibliography)(Graphic nonfiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.