All We Ever Wanted: Stories of a Better World

In a comics landscape saturated with dystopian nightmares and post-apocalyptic dread, All We Ever Wanted: Stories of a Better World dares to imagine something different: a future worth living in. This 176-page anthology collects 24 sci-fi short stories that flip the script on doom-and-gloom storytelling, presenting luminous visions of humanity’s potential—stories of time-travel, virtual reality, community-building, and radical inclusion that restore the belief that a better world is actually possible.

Published by A Wave Blue World and edited by Matt Miner, Eric Palicki, and Tyler Chin-Tanner, the anthology brings together comics veterans and rising stars alike. Contributors include Josh Gorfain, Josh Jensen, and letterer Taylor Esposito alongside dozens of talented creators. Cover artist Ariela Kristantina (InseXts, Mata Hari) delivered two stunning covers—a vintage watercolor version for Kickstarter backers and a cosmic digital version by Michael Wiggam for the direct market release. The result is a collection that The New York Times highlighted as one of seven essential comics for the season, and the Ringo Awards nominated for Best Anthology in 2019.

Among the standout stories: Howard Mackie and Ryan Lee’s “Bombs Away,” Lucia Fasano and Tess Fowler’s “The Inventor’s Daughter,” Rich Douek and David Stoll’s “Gaea,” and Kay Honda and Liana Kangas’s “Choice.” The anthology was so well-received that A Wave Blue World released a sequel, Maybe Someday, in November 2020. Perfect for fans of Is This Anywhere?, Drawn & Quarterly Showcase, and hopeful sci-fi anthologies that believe in people.