Nights from This Galaxy by Wil Weitzel

In these stories, a cast of headstrong characters traverses continents, from the Hawaiian surf, to a Guyanese jungle, to the Kalahari Desert. In "Leviathan," Cal and Harold catch sight of a tiger shark offshore and kayak out to get a closer look, only to barely survive. In "Three Parts Hunger," a damaged, starving lion wanders close to a couple camping in the Kalahari and sticks around. There are many wild animals in these stories—wolves, emaciated dogs, a bushmaster snake, a lynx, and many headstrong, daring travelers. Whether brimming with danger or, at times, comfort in the natural world, these stories hum with a deep grief for our planet. Weitzel is a brilliant and electrifying new writer.