The Quake: Stories | After

: The final and most hopeful story, featuring a writer who decides to protect the woman he loves and her daughter from the "earthquake man" of their nightmares. Key Themes and Insights

: A young woman and an older man bond over beach bonfires. They discuss their shared sense of emptiness and a mutual, metaphorical desire to "die from the cold". After the quake: stories

: A surreal tale where a giant, six-foot frog enlists a mild-mannered loan collector to help fight a massive underground worm and prevent an earthquake from destroying Tokyo. : The final and most hopeful story, featuring

: A bitter doctor on vacation is told by a local seer that she has a "stone" inside her body—a metaphor for her deep-seated resentment—that she must remove before she dies. After the quake: stories