• All the Animals on Earth

All the Animals on Earth

by Mark Sampson

September 1, 2020 | ISBN 978-1-989496-10-7 | 248 Pages

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In a world subtly like and unlike our own, buttoned-down HR manager Hector Thompson is sure of two things: he hates both change and science fiction. But then lurid green streamers drift from the sky in an escaped experiment and birds and animals fall to the ground as their bodies stretch and change and grow. It’s an apocalypse. Or is it? Now Hector works in a company with detail-oriented pigeons for project managers while shifts of dependable dogs work round the clock in orange safety vests building housing for earth’s newest inhabitants. In a dizzying mix of imagination and wry… Read more

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Events with Mark Sampson

    • All the Animals on Earth (Skylar Kay, Freefall, Fall 2021)
      "Overall, All the Animals on Earth is a fun read that honestly reveals a lot to the reader about the unrefined aspect of humans. It is worth reading if you are looking for a good laugh, or even some fairly serious soft sci-fi."
    • Welcome to the Non-AI Heat Index of Great Summer Reads for '25 Part 1 (Lisa de Nikolits, Wolsak & Wynn blog, 05/06/2025)
      "Quite simply one of my favourite books ever. A hilarious, profound and highly original tale that harkens back to the dynamics of George Orwell's Animal Farm but spins a perfectly timed tale of love, art, politics and, as an added bonus, offers an extremely funny exploration of the role of corporate HR."
    • All the Animals on Earth (Skylar Kay, Freefall, Fall 2021)
      "Overall, All the Animals on Earth is a fun read that honestly reveals a lot to the reader about the unrefined aspect of humans. It is worth reading if you are looking for a good laugh, or even some fairly serious soft sci-fi."
    • This is Not the Apocalypse You Are Looking For, but You Might Like the Novel: A Review of “All the Animals on Earth” by Mark Sampson (Brenton Dickieson, A Pilgrim in Narnia, 29/10/2020)
      "All the Animals on Earth is surprisingly relevant as we find ourselves in social moments we haven’t wished for, and find that there’s nowhere to escape to."
    • Reflecting On The Fears In Our New Reality | Review of Mark Sampson’s Novel “All The Animals On Earth” (Steve Buechler, Library of Pacific Tranquility, 10/08/2020)
      "This book is a perfect mixture of humor and stark emotion to make it an enlightening read which reflects our times right now. Reading it – and turning off the TV and the Internet – feels like it gives a bit of perspective to our situation right now. We are not alone with our fears and dreads and if Hector Thompson can deal with his changes in his rushed reality, perhaps we can too."
    • Booze and Books for the Holiday Season (Mark Sampson, Wolsak & Wynn blog, 16/12/2024)
      Mark rounds up some pairings of booze and books.
    • Off/Kilter: Weird Lit Road Trip (Tan Light, All Lit Up, 19/07/2022)
      Mark's novel is part of this roundup of quirky, literary itineraries to inspire you to get out and about this summer.
    • The best independent reads to pick up this fall (Jade Colbert, Globe and Mail, 20/10/2020)
      Mark Sampson's new novel makes the Globe and Mail's list of the best independent reads to pick up this fall.
    • Most Anticipated: 2020 Fall Fiction Preview (49th Shelf, 09/07/2020)
      Mark's novel makes the 49th Shelf's Most Anticipated Fiction for Fall 2020
    • Most Anticipated: 2019 Fall Fiction Preview (49th Shelf, 01/07/2019)
      Mark's book makes the list of most anticipated fall titles.
    • Spring Books Preview (Globe and Mail, 18/04/2020)
      "Struggling with the new social norms in the real world? Get lost in a different kind of social confusion instead."
    • A World Turned Upside Down (Trevor J. Adams, Halifax Magazine, 24/03/2020)
      "While Sampson's writing often comes with sharp, wry humour, this kind of satire, with all its ensuing absurdity, is something new for him."
    • Most Anticipated: Spring 2020 Fiction Preview (49th Shelf, 06/01/2020)
      Mark's novel is chosen as one of 49th Shelf's Most Anticipated spring books!

  • Mark Sampson is the author of five previous books: the novels The Slip (Dundurn Press, 2017), Sad Peninsula (Dundurn Press, 2014) and Off Book (Norwood Publishing, 2007); the short story collection The Secrets Men Keep (Now or Never Publishing, 2015); and the poetry collection Weathervane (Palimpsest Press, 2016). Mark has published many short stories and poems in literary journals across Canada, including in The New Quarterly, The Antigonish Review, PRISM international, The Nashwaak Review, The Puritan, This magazine and FreeFall. He is a frequent book reviewer for Quill & Quire, Canadian Notes & Queries (CNQ) and other publications. Born and raised on Prince Edward Island, he currently lives and writes in Toronto.