Episode #4. The machines want more than our world. They want us. In the ruins of our world, a new order arose, an order controlled by the very machines humankind created. The end for us came not from a massive global war but from something unthinkable, incomprehensible. The machines simply replaced us and we let them, and so, in the end, humanity went out not with a bang, but with a whimper. No shots fired. No bombs dropped. No cities destroyed. We ended and the machines began—or at least that is what the few human survivors of the machine apocalypse believe.

Select Praise for This Mortal Coil. After the Machines:

"A gripping tale. Perfectly paced and brilliantly plotted." –Cathy Thompson, author.

"Stanek's written many good, even great, books. This one's exceptional. Read it!" –Shannon Hale, author.

"Builds and builds to a crescendo. Part Stephen King, part Suzanne Collins, part Max Brooks, 100% phenomenal!" –David Eastman, author.

"Wonderful action writing. Fast, fun, and smart." –Margaret Brown, author.

"I can see why Rothfuss doesn't want people to read Stanek. Stanek's a much more capable writer." –Emily Asimov, author.

"Anyone who enjoyed The Hunger Games, World War Z, or The Maze Runner is going to enjoy this book." –Lisa Gardner, author.

"What an amazing book! Unique and innovative, captivating to the end." –Mary Osborne, author.

"This one's memorable and fascinating heroine is someone you're going to love as much as Katniss Everdeen." –Sandra Brown, author.