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eelitorr's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
3.0
Some good, some ok, overall most stories had a good punch.
_ciaran's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
pilebythebed's review
4.0
Prolific author Courttia Newland’s Cosmogramma is a mixed bag of speculative fiction short stories. Like his contemporaries (China Mieville’s Three Moments of an Explosion or Ted Chiang’s Exhalation) Newland’s stories range across a host of science fiction and fantasy tropes and ideas. In fashioning these tales he delivers short, pointed dives into well known science fiction and fantasy sub-genres.
The first two stories in the collection demonstrate this range. Percipi is a robopocalypse story. Science-fiction immersed readers know from the outset that the global release of intelligent servant robots is going to end in tears. The interesting aspect to Newland’s approach is what precipitates the robot revolt and the reaction of the humans from whose point of view the story is told. This story then segues to Cirrostratus – a new weird tale of a travelling troupe of augmented circus performers. And so it goes on to interstellar colonies (Cosmogramma), strange apparitions (Dark Matters), dystopian post-Brexit governments (The Difference Between Me and You), some type of alien invasion (Seed), time travel (The Sankofa Principle) and decidedly weird designer drugs (You Meets You).
As with any collection of short stories by a single author, it is possible to identify emergent and common themes and ideas. Newland is clearly interested in the view of the outsider, of people outside the norm who are either downtrodden or find some kind of inner strength as a result. He uses his stories to explore the moral choices of his characters and those around them – in The Sanofka Principle the question is if you went back in time would you take the opportunity to stop or frustrate slavery no matter what the cost to your own future. The Difference Between Me and You considers the immigration haves and have nots and how people view those who are to be deported for the crime of not fitting in with the norm.
Cosmogramma is a thought provoking series of diverse speculative fiction short stories. Some stories feel like just the prelude for something bigger and potentially more interesting. But that will give readers something to think about, and if not then at least leave readers with an image or idea that changes their view of their world. Which is what short stories do best.
The first two stories in the collection demonstrate this range. Percipi is a robopocalypse story. Science-fiction immersed readers know from the outset that the global release of intelligent servant robots is going to end in tears. The interesting aspect to Newland’s approach is what precipitates the robot revolt and the reaction of the humans from whose point of view the story is told. This story then segues to Cirrostratus – a new weird tale of a travelling troupe of augmented circus performers. And so it goes on to interstellar colonies (Cosmogramma), strange apparitions (Dark Matters), dystopian post-Brexit governments (The Difference Between Me and You), some type of alien invasion (Seed), time travel (The Sankofa Principle) and decidedly weird designer drugs (You Meets You).
As with any collection of short stories by a single author, it is possible to identify emergent and common themes and ideas. Newland is clearly interested in the view of the outsider, of people outside the norm who are either downtrodden or find some kind of inner strength as a result. He uses his stories to explore the moral choices of his characters and those around them – in The Sanofka Principle the question is if you went back in time would you take the opportunity to stop or frustrate slavery no matter what the cost to your own future. The Difference Between Me and You considers the immigration haves and have nots and how people view those who are to be deported for the crime of not fitting in with the norm.
Cosmogramma is a thought provoking series of diverse speculative fiction short stories. Some stories feel like just the prelude for something bigger and potentially more interesting. But that will give readers something to think about, and if not then at least leave readers with an image or idea that changes their view of their world. Which is what short stories do best.
hannah_doc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
5.0
thecolourblue's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
Kind of a mixed bag. There were a couple of stories here I really enjoyed, and I like the sci-fi concepts Newland is exploring - identity, exploitation, technology and humanity in struggle or harmony with nature - but honestly most of the stories haven't really stayed with me since I read the book.
I enjoyed the opening story, Percipi (I just love some robot morality) and the mermaid love/breeding story Nommo was actually quietly compelling in its characters. Seed, drawing from a rich history of horror stories about replacement doppelgangers and invading plantlife, was one of the more developed longer stories.
Several of the stories - Control, The Difference Between You and Me - are direct explorations of modern-world racism and xenophobia transplanted into near-future dystopias. Another strong entry, The Sankofa Principle, raises the moral dilemma of a group of space travellers cast back in time who have the power to stop some of humanities past racial violence.
My personal favourite, for purely self-centred reasons (as someone who practices circus arts) is Cirrostratus. All the augmented sci-fi circus circus performers please.
I enjoyed the opening story, Percipi (I just love some robot morality) and the mermaid love/breeding story Nommo was actually quietly compelling in its characters. Seed, drawing from a rich history of horror stories about replacement doppelgangers and invading plantlife, was one of the more developed longer stories.
Several of the stories - Control, The Difference Between You and Me - are direct explorations of modern-world racism and xenophobia transplanted into near-future dystopias. Another strong entry, The Sankofa Principle, raises the moral dilemma of a group of space travellers cast back in time who have the power to stop some of humanities past racial violence.
My personal favourite, for purely self-centred reasons (as someone who practices circus arts) is Cirrostratus. All the augmented sci-fi circus circus performers please.
kittyka0s's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
om_nom_nomigon's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
samdalefox's review
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
2.75
I was so looking forward to this series; scifi short stories by a Black British author! Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the collection. That's not to say that they're bad, they're just not very good. I found most of the stories shallow, with the occasional good premis but ultimately not fleshed out or intiguing enough to hold my attention. A fair few actually repeated the same concepts, such as alien breeding programs in 'Buck' and 'Nommo'. And the others never struck the right balance between world building and plot, so much seemed like it was just being explained to me rather than being immersed in the story. Looking back at these I actually can't remember most of the stories, which indicates the average rating should really be lowered.
Two stories do stand out however, 'Control' is a chilling vignette of racist Britain, and 'Seed' was a fabulously surreal and mildly threatening story. I actually think 'Seed' had potential to have more done with it! I would recommend reading both.
Individual ratings:
Two stories do stand out however, 'Control' is a chilling vignette of racist Britain, and 'Seed' was a fabulously surreal and mildly threatening story. I actually think 'Seed' had potential to have more done with it! I would recommend reading both.
Individual ratings:
- Percipi - 2.5 ⭐
- Cirrostratus - 2.5 ⭐
- Scarecrow - 2 ⭐
- Cosmogramma - 2.5 ⭐
- Buck - 3 ⭐
- Control - 4.25 ⭐
- You meets you- 2.75 ⭐
- Seed - 4 ⭐
- Dark Matters - 3.5 ⭐
- Nocturne - 2 ⭐
- Nommo - 2.5 ⭐ repeat mating story like buck
- The Sankofa Principle 2.5 ⭐
- Link - 2 ⭐
- The difference between me and you - 3 ⭐
- Utoma - 3.25 ⭐
Content Warnings
Minor: Genocide, Violence, Kidnapping, Racism, War, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Murder, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Xenophobia