Priscilla and Elise sit down with Emma Lord to discuss her debut novel, Anomaly. The novel follows teenager Piper Manning, who wakes up after an apocalyptic pandemic alone – and with an uncontrollable power. We talk about the depiction of grief and PTSD, Piper’s isolating experience in the aftermath of a pandemic, Anomaly‘s cast of lovable characters, and monsters that get inside your head.
Content notes for the episode: Grief; death of family members; post-partum depression; anxiety and insomnia; COVID-19 lockdowns; re-living traumatic memories; bullying
Show Notes
About Anomaly

Piper Manning survived the apocalypse. Barely.
She recovered from the virus that killed millions, but it left behind a new, uncontrollable power that’s forced her to isolate herself from others — for their sake.
Then an injured boy shows up at her mountain hideaway. And what hurt Seth is out to get her, too.
Now she’s on the run, risking everything for a shot at an actual future. But to get there, she’ll have to trust a stranger, control her abilities … and face her ghosts.
Because the end of the world was just the beginning.
Thank you to Affirm Press for linking us together.
About the Author

Emma Lord is a freelance copywriter and author living in Sydney’s inner west. She loves all things sci-fi, fantasy and horror, but has a particular soft spot for reading and writing YA. Anomaly is her debut novel and was published after an early draft was selected for the Varuna and Affirm Press Mentorship Award in 2020.
You can find Emma on Instagram on on her website.
Emma’s recommendations include:
- Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
- When We Are Invisible by Claire Zorn
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