Reviews

So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction and Fantasy by Nalo Hopkinson, Uppinder Mehan

pangnaolin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

I don't tend to be a huge science fiction of fantasy fan, but I got this as a gift and took a chance with it-- especially excited for the postcolonial lens-- and I'm so glad I did. I'm not used to collections being so beautifully varied; some were more biting and quick and others slower and more thoughtful, some more traditional to their genres and some incredibly experimental.

I definitely had favorites, but I'm so glad that I got to experiment so many different kinds of writing and such diverse and interesting stories and characters. I think the story that affected [read: infuriated] me most was Lingua Franca, but to be honest, I tried to choose a favorite and couldn't-- with every piece having such different strengths and energies.

In general, I don't love short story collections with entirely separate/distinct stories, and sci-fi/fantasy aren't really my jam, but I still adored this and would really recommend it to anyone interested in finding their way into those genres-- especially if you're bored of the limits of old white men's imagination.

ebonyutley's review against another edition

3.0

So Long Been Dreaming was my first foray into postcolonial science fiction and fantasy. I confess. I learned more about myself than about the worlds depicted in the short stories. While reading, I was constantly asking myself: What about this story resonates with you? What does not resonate with you? Why? Can you buy into the fantasy or are you frustrated without an anchor? How much of your (dis)like for a story has to do with the writing and how much has to do with the context? Where are your biases? How would you have told the stories differently? Which stories do you want to continue? Which ones could you not wait to end? I’d be hard pressed to present plot summaries for all 19 stories, but I can say that the book made me feel—frustration, devastation, love, hope. I suppose those are the emotions of postcoloniality. And in that case the book did exactly what it was supposed to do.

fantastiskfiktion's review against another edition

4.0

http://fantastiskfiktion.wordpress.com/2014/08/23/so-long-been-dreaming/

notesonbookmarks's review against another edition

4.0

Super interesting look at colonization through short stories. The Tubman quote seals it.

theliteratecondition's review against another edition

5.0

Great collection!

essinink's review against another edition

4.0

Anthologies are hard to review because you have such a mix of voices to work with. Reading them, I end up slowing down, working with each story on it's own. You can't rush the reading. (Which is difficult for me).

Nalo Hopkinson and Uppinder Mehan have compiled a beautiful collection, here. These are stories and voices I have not heard; peoples and memories that are not often told, and it's wonderful.

There was only one work in this collection that fell utterly flat for me (Rachel by Larissa Lai). As much as I support transformative works, this particular short story was far enough removed from the themes of the novel from which it was derived that I couldn't get into it. I appreciate what the author was trying to convey, but I don't think she succeeded here.

That aside, this was a very enjoyable (read? study? experience?). Someday I'll figure out a better way to review anthologies.

liorallen's review

adventurous medium-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

lavenderbtcpodcast's review against another edition

4.0

I stumbled upon this collection of sci-fi stories written by various black and people of color writers. I originally was looking for books written by black female sci-fi authors like Octavia Spencer and so many other greats. Unfortunately a lot of their works are not in the library system individually but within collections. I wasn't sure i would like that format. Very few of the stories i skipped or skimmed which is a first. I was shocked when many of the stories ended in cliffhangers. I wanted more. It was so beautiful reading about these worlds where they not only look like me or other non white people but have their cultures interwoven into the plot, theme, main idea of the story in a respectful incredible way. If we lived in a better world these stories would make incredible movies and tv shows. Unfortunately it will never get that opportunity not without a lot of whitewashing and demeaning changes. I not only felt like i learned more about my people but other cultures as well. I high recommend this book.

violetlily13's review against another edition

5.0

What I loved about this collection was that it opened up innumerable possibilities for reimagining speculative fiction. These. stories presented fascinating new worlds, characters, and plotlines to explore - and each, in its own way, expands the limits of speculative fiction beyond the constraints of Western styles, tropes, and ideas. They're the kind of stories that make you stop to consider them a while before moving to the next. It was just the reading experience I was looking for.

vae's review against another edition

4.0

A lot of thinking, a lot of excellent writing, a lot of ideas.