Where to Start Reading Abby Geni
Abby Geni’s writing occupies a distinct space in contemporary literary fiction, blending the lyrical observation of nature writing with the tense, atmospheric dread of psychological thrillers. Because all of her works are completely standalone, there is no strict narrative continuity to follow. However, depending on your reading preferences, there are two ideal paths to enter her worlds:
- For Novel Lovers (Recommended Starting Point): Begin with The Lightkeepers (2016). This award-winning novel is set in the desolate, windswept Farallon Islands. It serves as the perfect introduction to Geni's ability to treat the natural world as an active, often unforgiving character while wrapping the narrative in a slow-burn murder mystery.
- For Short Fiction Enthusiasts: Begin with her debut collection, The Last Animal (2013). This collection of nine stories establishes her recurring themes—grief, isolation, and the complex boundaries between human beings and animals—with stories featuring everything from an octopus handler to museum curators.
Publication Order of Abby Geni's Books
For readers who prefer to watch an author's style evolve over time, reading in publication order is a rewarding approach. Geni alternates between full-length novels and collections of short stories:
- The Last Animal (2013) – Short Story Collection
- The Lightkeepers (2016) – Standalone Novel
- The Wildlands (2018) – Standalone Novel
- The Body Farm: Stories (2024) – Short Story Collection
- Children of the Wolf (Forthcoming, September 2026) – Standalone Novel
Deep Dive: The Standalone Novels
The Lightkeepers (2016)
Set on the Farallon Islands—a harsh, restricted wildlife refuge off the coast of San Francisco—the novel follows Miranda, a nature photographer embarking on a one-year residency. Miranda lives alongside a tiny group of eccentric biologists who study the local fauna through changing seasons marked by sharks, birds, whales, and seals. The quiet routine of the research station is shattered when Miranda is assaulted, and shortly thereafter, her attacker is found dead under suspicious circumstances. Isolated by dangerous waters and storms, the small community falls into deep suspicion. The novel is highly praised for its depiction of raw nature and its examination of trauma, healing, and grief.
The Wildlands (2018)
This novel moves from the ocean to the American plains, opening with a devastating Category 5 tornado that destroys a family farm in Mercy, Oklahoma. The disaster leaves the four McCloud siblings—Darlene, Tucker, Jane, and Cora—orphans. While the eldest, Darlene, struggles to keep the family afloat in a temporary trailer, the volatile brother, Tucker, disappears. Three years later, Tucker resurfaces as a radicalized eco-terrorist, having bombed a cosmetics testing facility. He recruits his youngest sister, nine-year-old Cora, on a violent cross-country mission to wage war against animal exploiters. The narrative shifts perspectives between Cora's experiences on the run and Darlene's desperate search to bring her siblings home, raising complex questions about family loyalty, trauma, and environmental extremism.
Children of the Wolf (Forthcoming, September 2026)
Scheduled for release in late 2026, Geni's third novel centers on Liv, a quiet woman running a beekeeping business with her brother in a small town. When a series of mysterious disappearances plagues their community, Liv is forced to confront dark memories of her childhood, where she and her brother were raised in isolation by a father obsessed with violent Viking heritage and survivalist ideals.
Deep Dive: The Short Story Collections
The Last Animal (2013)
Geni’s debut collection explores the thin line separating humans from the animal kingdom. Across these stories, characters deal with profound loss and search for connection through interactions with nature. Notable stories include an aquarium worker managing a giant Pacific octopus while grieving a personal tragedy, and a teen girl coping with her family's collapse by cataloging local wildlife.
The Body Farm: Stories (2024)
Her second collection, The Body Farm, focuses on the human body itself as a landscape of decay, resilience, and transformation. The eleven stories explore themes ranging from illness and memory loss to childbirth and the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The title story features an entomologist working at a forensic anthropology facility (a body farm), using insect behavior on human remains to solve crimes, while reflecting on her own physical vulnerability and personal relationships.
What to Know Before You Start
Abby Geni's works are heavily grounded in biological science, ecology, and geography. She frequently draws on her academic background—having graduated from Oberlin College and completed the Iowa Writers' Workshop—to craft prose that is both scientifically precise and highly poetic. Readers should be prepared for intense thematic material; her stories frequently depict physical trauma, ecological disaster, animal cruelty, and deep psychological isolation. However, rather than being gratuitous, these elements are used to explore the fragile place humanity occupies within the broader natural world.