Tim Weed

The Afterlife Project is a work of speculative fiction that will appeal to readers of Emily St John Mandel, David Mitchell, Cormac McCarthy, and Richard Powers. Featuring a post-apocalyptic sea voyage on a vintage sailing yacht, lovers separated by 10,000 years of time, and pervasive dangers both physical and psychological, this immersive novel will transport you to a future that is by turns terrifying and hopeful. It was named a best book of 2025 by Library Journal and the Toronto Star. Order from your favorite independent bookstore or:

“Riveting and wrenching and suffused with beauty.”  — Peter Heller, bestselling author of The Dog Stars

“A fascinating tale that is difficult to put down; dire ecological challenges and imaginative future discovery combine in this very engrossing read.“— Library Journal, starred review, Best Books 2025

“Good writing and a timely message about nature and humanity’s resilience make this novel stand out in what has become a crowded field of end-of-the-world lit.” — Toronto Star, Favorite Books of 2025

“This genre-defying novel blends literary fiction, climate science, and speculative imagination in a haunting narrative that spans millennia.” —The Vermont Journal

“The Afterlife Project isn’t just a story about the end of the world as we know it – it’s an exploration of beauty, and love, and hope in the darkness. If you were a fan of Cloud Atlas, you won’t want to miss this one.” — Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Paradise.

“A dark yet hopeful story that is engrossing enough to be a beach read . . . Weed reminds us why cli-fi matters.” — Seven Days 

“Weed weaves a dystopian masterwork in ‘The Afterlife Project.'” — The Brattleboro Reformer

“A gripping novel of climate cataclysm with a cast of characters I cared about deeply.” — Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Flight Attendant

“This engaging dystopian tale deftly blends enthralling fiction with real-life fears.” — Kirkus Reviews

“This beautiful and heartbreaking book reminds us of what we have, and what we stand to lose. Unforgettable.” — Danielle Trussoni, NYT and internationally bestselling author of The Puzzle Master

“This is hands down one of the most thought-provoking books that I have ever read. Which is saying something, because thought-provoking books are kind of my thing . . . I have so much to say about this book, but I equally want to tell you no more. Because this is the sort of story that needs to be experienced to be appreciated.” —  It Starts at Midnight

“I can’t think of a single page that didn’t make me pause to admire a sentence, an image, or a particularly fascinating idea. I loved this book.” — Angie Kim, New York Times Bestselling Author of Happiness Falls

“The writing in Tim Weed’s new novel is as lush and beautiful as the far-future Earth itself . . . The Afterlife Project provides a thought-provoking look at how beautiful the world could be without anyone like us in it.” — Washington Independent Review of Books 

“The dangers [the characters] endure along the way are set against an unfolding and impossible love story across the vastness of geological time, as the scientists work to keep humans in existence. It may sound like an end-of-the-world tale, but it defines the strength and bravery of human beings and what they will do to preserve this precious thing we call life in the face of overwhelming odds.”— Middlebury Magazine (editors’ pick)

“I was utterly immersed in The Afterlife Project . . . Weed avoids nihilism, recognising the value of humanity but also its fragility. Highly, highly recommended, especially for MacInnes fans.” — Dr. Laura Tisdall, author of We Have Come to be Destroyed: Growing up in Cold War Britain

“The lush narration within The Afterlife Project conjures smells, sounds, textures, and visuals of a planet that should be, of soil that we should long to kneel upon, of animals that deserve to live unfettered by the whims of humans . . .  If you’re a city kid, I challenge you to read this book and not have a mustard seed of desire for nature sprout within your hurried heart.” — All Our Yesterdays: 365 Climate Histories

“Tim Weed has crafted something extraordinary with THE AFTERLIFE PROJECT—a novel that operates simultaneously as hard science fiction, intimate character study, and philosophical meditation on humanity’s place in the natural world . . . This is climate fiction at its most sophisticated, avoiding didactic preaching to deliver something far more powerful: a story that honors both our species’ capacity for destruction and its profound determination to endure..” — Crystal King, author of The Garden of Monsters

“Weed delivers a highly intriguing storyline pulled off through creative worldbuilding and plausible technology . . . a tale that feels wholly original and movingly conveys the full weight of the circumstances while providing a riveting read in the process.”  — The Booklife Prize (Publisher’s Weekly)

“Weed is a fabulous storyteller working at the top of his game. I predict this novel will become a classic.” —Joseph Monninger, author of The World as We Know It

“Daring, original novel…it uses science fiction to make a powerful statement about civilization and our desperate need to come to terms with the one and only planet we have.” — Postcards from a Dying World 

“A great novel leaves you with a greater understanding of your world and your place in it. Its emotional impact breaks down barriers of resistance and teaches you to feel deeply without dread about life, love, and death. It stays with you until the end of your days as a source of moral resolve. The Afterlife Project did all that for me. I am grateful to Tim Weed for the experience. What is the book about? It’s a scientific and secular take on the idea of end days. Read it. The tears you shed at the ending will make you a better and stronger person.” — Ernest Hebert, author of The Dogs of March

“The Afterlife Project speculates on our future as a planet and the question of the survival of humanity itself. The story is so engaging and imaginative you won’t be able to put it down.” —M.K. Tod, A Writer of History

“Please do yourself a favor and consider reading The Afterlife Project, which deserves every bit of praise it’s received and is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.” — Books, Bones & Buffy