# Desert Creatures - Hardcover

by **Kay Chronister** (Author)

**"A vivid investigation of faith, perseverance, and human violence as they exist at the end of the world . . . Scintillating." --Brian Evenson, author of _Song for the Unraveling World_**

This "genre-shredding" (Tor.com) feminist dystopian eco-horror, perfect for fans of T_he Last of Us_, traces a girl's coming-of-age on a post-apocalyptic trek through the Southwest.

In a bleak, desiccated future, eleven-year-old Magdala and her father are forced to flee through the desolate landscape of the American Southwest, searching for shelter and peace. Pursued by horrors both unnatural and all-too-human, they join a pilgrimage to the holy city of Las Vegas, where it is said that vigilante saints reside, bright with neon power. Magdala, born with a clubfoot, is determined to be healed there. But one by one, the pilgrims and her father fall victim to an eerie, all-consuming sickness--leaving Magdala to fend for herself in the wilderness.

After surviving for years on her own, Magdala grows tired of waiting for her miracle. She turns her gaze to Las Vegas once more, taking an exiled Vegas priest hostage to guide her as she navigates the unsettling expanse of the desert and the hungry, dark ambitions of men. Even as she nears the holy land, Magdala must choose: survival or salvation?

In this moving debut novel, acclaimed short fiction writer Kay Chronister twines the strange, terrible beauty of the desert into a haunting exploration of faith and hope. Bold and disquieting, _Desert Creatures_ is a surreal examination of humanity and the myths we tell ourselves to survive.

### Author Biography

**Kay Chronister** is a finalist for the Shirley Jackson and World Fantasy Awards for her short fiction, which has appeared in _Strange Horizons, Clarkesworld_, _Beneath Ceaseless Skies_, _The Dark_, and elsewhere. Her first collection, _Thin Places_, was published by Undertow Publications in 2020. Originally from Washington State, she has spent time in Virginia, Cambodia, and Arizona. She now lives in the Philadelphia area with her dogs and her husband. _Desert Creatures_ is her first novel.

**Number of Pages:** 288

**Dimensions:** 1.1 x 8.6 x 5.5 IN

**Publication Date:** November 08, 2022

## Details

- **Price:** 26.95 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 26.95 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Desert Creatures - Hardcover

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