What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us

What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us is Laura van den Berg's debut collection of stories featuring women confronting loss and longing across various landscapes. The characters include a researcher studying primates in Madagascar, a Bigfoot researcher in the Pacific Northwest, and a young woman searching for the Loch Ness monster. Each story places its protagonists in remote or challenging environments where they pursue rare, mythical, or endangered creatures. The narratives follow these women as they navigate both their scientific or exploratory missions and their complex personal relationships with family members, lovers, and their own past experiences. The collection examines humans' persistent need to seek out the mysterious and unknown, while simultaneously confronting their own internal wilderness. Through these parallel quests - for cryptozoological creatures and for personal understanding - van den Berg creates an exploration of how people cope with absence and uncertainty.

Readers highlight van den Berg's ability to blend magical realism with everyday life through characters dealing with loss and isolation. The stories feature scientists, cryptozoologists, and researchers in remote locations searching for rare creatures or phenomena. Readers appreciated: - Atmospheric descriptions of Madagascar, Michigan, and other settings - Complex mother-daughter relationships throughout stories - Characters' mix of scientific and emotional pursuits Common criticisms: - Similar themes and character types across stories - Some stories feel unresolved - Pacing drags in longer pieces Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (48 ratings) Review quotes: "The stories have a dreamlike quality but remain grounded in authentic human emotion" - Goodreads reviewer "Characters feel trapped between rational and irrational worlds" - Amazon reviewer "Beautiful writing but the stories start to feel repetitive" - LibraryThing review

Magic For Beginners by Kelly Link Stories blend reality with elements of myth and folklore while exploring themes of loss and disconnection in contemporary settings.

The House of Paper by Carlos María Domínguez A meditation on grief follows characters through surreal circumstances that blur the boundaries between reality and imagination.

St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell Characters navigate landscapes of magical realism while grappling with family relationships and personal transformation.

Things That Fall from the Sky by Kevin Brockmeier Tales of ordinary lives intersect with unexpected supernatural elements to examine human connection and isolation.

The Isle of Youth by Laura van den Berg Women confront identity and displacement through stories set in locations from Antarctica to the Florida Keys.

🌊 "What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us" was Laura van den Berg's debut story collection, published in 2009 by Dzanc Books. 🦍 Several stories in the collection feature cryptozoological elements, including searches for Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, blending scientific pursuit with mythological wonder. 🎭 The author wrote much of the collection while working as a Christmas elf at a mall Santa photography station, proving that inspiration can strike in unexpected places. 🌍 The stories are set in diverse locations across the globe, from Madagascar to the American Midwest, exploring themes of loss and discovery against various cultural backdrops. 📚 The book was named a Barnes & Noble "Discover Great New Writers" selection and was shortlisted for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award.