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amydotreads's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
thuhufa's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
tklassy's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Rating a short story anthology is always a tricky job. I find it even more difficult to rate anthologies of short stories compared to short story collections by a singular author; I feel there is just so many aspects to consider and people to hold in your rating then it almost any other circumstance.
Overall, my experience with this book was one of joyous curiosity. I loved how broad the definition of speculative fiction was throughout this collection. I think Mykaela Saunders did a fantastic job in including a vast array of interpretations of speculative fiction, from ghost stories to post apocalyptic considerations, from a ephemeral prose that lacked a story to more traditionally structured short fiction pieces. I was ready to jump in at each new story, and become a mess in whatever new world was about to be revealed.
Out of the whole collection there was only two short stories that I skimmed over, one of them was an excerpt from a larger novel that I didn’t feel invested in. The other just failed to capture my interest and since it was on the lengthier side of a short story I felt like it dragged. . (These two stories were titled Old Uncle sir by Jack Latimore and The Kadaitcha Sung by Samuel William Watson) Most, however, I was enthralled with.
Some highlights:
In his Father’s Footsteps - by Kalem Murray
Clatter tongue - by Karen Wyld
Five Minutes - by John Morrissey
Your Own Aboriginie - Adam Thompson*
From when - by Merryana Salem
The centre - by Alison Whittaker
Myth this! - By Lisa Fuller
Water - Ellen Van Neeven
The purple Plains - by Archie Weller
*To be transparent, I originally read this one in Adam Thompson’s own short story collection, ‘Born into This,’ which I highly recommend.
Overall, my experience with this book was one of joyous curiosity. I loved how broad the definition of speculative fiction was throughout this collection. I think Mykaela Saunders did a fantastic job in including a vast array of interpretations of speculative fiction, from ghost stories to post apocalyptic considerations, from a ephemeral prose that lacked a story to more traditionally structured short fiction pieces. I was ready to jump in at each new story, and become a mess in whatever new world was about to be revealed.
Out of the whole collection there was only two short stories that I skimmed over, one of them was an excerpt from a larger novel that I didn’t feel invested in. The other just failed to capture my interest and since it was on the lengthier side of a short story I felt like it dragged. . (These two stories were titled Old Uncle sir by Jack Latimore and The Kadaitcha Sung by Samuel William Watson) Most, however, I was enthralled with.
Some highlights:
In his Father’s Footsteps - by Kalem Murray
Clatter tongue - by Karen Wyld
Five Minutes - by John Morrissey
Your Own Aboriginie - Adam Thompson*
From when - by Merryana Salem
The centre - by Alison Whittaker
Myth this! - By Lisa Fuller
Water - Ellen Van Neeven
The purple Plains - by Archie Weller
*To be transparent, I originally read this one in Adam Thompson’s own short story collection, ‘Born into This,’ which I highly recommend.
popcornqueen's review
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
deevianna's review
4.0
Such an easy and interesting read! I haven't read much spec fic, but I'll definitely look out for it in the future. I thought it was very well put together, and the stories flowed quite well from one to the next. I loved reading from so many different perspectives and timelines!
henrymarlene's review
4.0
“I was made to adapt.” (Water).
On this day each year in Australia, some people celebrate a ‘nation day’. I choose to highlight the culture that has owned this land for thousands of years though literature. This is a short story anthology edited by Mykaela Saunders of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander speculative fiction.
There is so much diversity that already exists in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fiction that I was blown away by this collection. These short stories were nothing but dazzling moments of what ifs and maybes, laced with a rich history of first nations culture and awakenings. This is a cross-cultural deep dive in to narratives that seem familiar, and yet are oh so further from what you can imagine.
“She whispers a prayer o the ancestors, hoping they’ll watch over the misguided people who failed to listen.” (Myth This!)
There is so much historical, ancestral and cultural depth in each of these stories, balances with a future that in some cases seems unreal, and in others, quite plausible or like I have been there before, in some way. We experience the pull and depletion of time, the impact of love, the strength of family and kinship. There is also a certain amount of discomfort in some of the stories, and that is exactly what we should fees, because even in the future, there is grieving for world that still needs hope to survive and reconcile with. In parts it is return to a future that the indigenous ancestors were teaching about thousands and thousands of years ago.
“The settlers have been disintegrated – only Aboriginal people remain, and for the next few minutes they will be in sole and undivided possession of this vast continent.” (Five Minutes).
On this day each year in Australia, some people celebrate a ‘nation day’. I choose to highlight the culture that has owned this land for thousands of years though literature. This is a short story anthology edited by Mykaela Saunders of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander speculative fiction.
There is so much diversity that already exists in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fiction that I was blown away by this collection. These short stories were nothing but dazzling moments of what ifs and maybes, laced with a rich history of first nations culture and awakenings. This is a cross-cultural deep dive in to narratives that seem familiar, and yet are oh so further from what you can imagine.
“She whispers a prayer o the ancestors, hoping they’ll watch over the misguided people who failed to listen.” (Myth This!)
There is so much historical, ancestral and cultural depth in each of these stories, balances with a future that in some cases seems unreal, and in others, quite plausible or like I have been there before, in some way. We experience the pull and depletion of time, the impact of love, the strength of family and kinship. There is also a certain amount of discomfort in some of the stories, and that is exactly what we should fees, because even in the future, there is grieving for world that still needs hope to survive and reconcile with. In parts it is return to a future that the indigenous ancestors were teaching about thousands and thousands of years ago.
“The settlers have been disintegrated – only Aboriginal people remain, and for the next few minutes they will be in sole and undivided possession of this vast continent.” (Five Minutes).
awkwardtreed's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0