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Reviews tagging 'Racism'
A People's Future of the United States: Speculative Fiction from 25 Extraordinary Writers by John Joseph Adams, Victor LaValle
2 reviews
zombiezami's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Murder, Sexism, Ableism, Misogyny, Racism, Stalking, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault
Minor: Mass/school shootings
bookwyrmknits's review against another edition
3.0
This is a VERY mixed anthology. I liked some of the stories very much; others not at all. Some of the stories are hopeful. Some of the stories are bleak. Some of the stories are SF set in the very near future, some are set in the far future, and some seem to be set in a completely different world altogether. CW in very many of these stories for racism and homophobia. I did not call that out individually because it's so prevalent throughout, though it is handled in very different ways in the various stories. I am glad I read this, but man did I get bogged down in the middle by the depressive nature of some of the stories.
(SIDE NOTE: I did not end the anthology with the final story. I read that final story out of order because I wanted to save McGuire’s story for last. THIS WAS THE BEST IDEA I HAD WHEN IT CAME TO THIS ANTHOLOGY. McGuire's story is a much more hopeful and uplifting way to end the anthology than the actual final story would have been. I feel that bookending the collection with Anders at the start and McGuire at the end is the way it should have been arranged.)
Quick notes on each of the stories:
"The Bookstore at the End of America" by Charlie Jane Anders ~ I can't say I'm surprised to see "America vs. California" in this anthology opener. I really like the idea of a bookstore being the place where two separate and radically different groups could come together, though the situation that the bookstore is set into didn't seem to be the focus.The focus seemed to be the bridging of the two different mentalities, and it was a great, hopeful way to start the book.
"Our Aim Is Not to Die" by A. Merc Rustad ~ Very powerful story about what life might be like if it became illegal to be anything other than "The Ideal Citizen." Ideal meaning neurotypical straight white male. (Though some women were allowed, as long as they acted like proper women, including wanting marriage and children.) And everyone was terminally online, to the point where you would be fined for not posting on social media. I liked this one enough to go buy the author's short story collection immediately upon finishing it.
"The Wall" by Lizz Huerta ~ While this idea was interesting, it didn't seem to fit the anthology (so far) to me. To start with, there was talk of healing magic when neither of the other stories so far has had fantasy elements. Then also, I think it was set in Mexico... even though the US was used as a plot point it didn't seem (to me) to be about the US (per the title of the anthology). I liked the premise of what to do with soldiers who have had their free will taken away (sometimes voluntarily) but ultimately this story didn't hold my interest.
"Read After Burning" by Maria Dahvana Headley ~ A neat story, but one that touches on war and verges on body horror. (I think it isn't more of either only because the MC is a child when the main action takes place and the focus is elsewhere.) This falls nicely into the category of stories about how powerful words can be. I don't want to be this kind of Librarian, though.
"Chapter 5: Disruption and Continuity [excerpted]" by Malka Older ~ Neat concept, but Older captured the feel of an academic paper so well that I lost interest.
"It Was Saturday Night, I Guess That Makes It All Right" by Sam J. Miller ~ This felt bleak, and very focused on sex. I wanted to enjoy it more than I did.
"Attachment Disorder" by Tananarive Due ~ This one's a dystopian. I'm not sure I actually understood what was happening, though I did like the characters.
"By His Bootstraps" by Ashok K. Banker ~ This one was amusing, but it also felt a little mean, and I think I would have liked it better without that aspect. I agree with the sentiment, though. I also appreciated that this was one of the few so far that has felt hopeful and not like a dystopian.
"Riverbed" by Omar El Akkad ~ I was just depressed by this one.
"What Maya Found There" by Daniel José Older ~ This one, where a scientist takes big risks to avoid her research falling into the wrong hands (read: government control) feels both like one of the most realistic and the least realistic. (Most: government likes to control science if it can. Least: the bio-mods this is about seem far-fetched, thankfully.) I enjoyed it, though it felt like only a piece of a much larger story.
"The Referendum" by Lesley Nneka Arimah ~ I'm not a fan of this one. While I'm not saying it couldn't happen (I don't want it to be possible, but the world is weird) this version of the present (though it was "near future" when it was written) where the civil rights act has been overturned and Black people can't own guns is just too bleak for me to like it. Even the writing style felt bleak. Quite likely that was intentional, but I didn't like it.
"Calendar Girls" by Justina Ireland ~ I enjoyed this story of rebellion in a future version of our world where contraception has been made illegal. (Side note: it's also very bleak in subject matter, but the way it's written didn't feel as bleak as the prior story to me.) Going into more detail would give spoilers, and I think it's best to approach this story without knowing much about it.
"The Synapse Will Free Us from Ourselves" by Violet Allen ~ This is another story that it's best to read without knowing anything about it. I will say that I really enjoyed the reveals that come along the way, and I greatly enjoyed reading this one. Highly recommended!
"O.1" by Gabby Rivera ~ Much more hopeful than I had anticipated given how it started. It was a little odd to swap POVs this many times (4 I think?) during a short story but it worked in the end. ~ CW: pregnancy, mention of suicide and plague
"The Blindfold" by Tobias S. Buckell ~ Given the issues with racism in America right now, and the discrepancy between how white and Black people are treated by police officers and the courts, this story hits way too close to home for comfort. However, it was really well written and I enjoyed it even though the subject matter was uncomfortable in how plausible it is. Nicely done.
"No Algorithms in the World" by Hugh Howey ~ I really liked this one. I think it's probably the most plausible future so far of all the stories I've read here. It also doesn't feel like the focus on the "future" part of this anthology, even though it also is... this is a father-son connection that could happen at any time and place, with a variety of different things at the center of the generation gap. One of my favorites so far.
"Esperanto" by Jamie Ford ~ Neat study in contrast between a digital reality world where everyone is the same, and the real world with all its differences. This could have been written using “I don’t see color (aka race)” as a prompt, but it also touches on our reliance on tech.
"ROME" by G. Willow Wilson ~ The climate change aspect of this story is sadly too possible. I hope that the rest of it isn’t likely, but pessimism says it is. Well-written, but depressing story.
"Give Me Cornbread or Give Me Death" by N. K. Jemisin ~ Fun and good story, but it feels like neither science fiction or the US. It feels like fantasy set on an unspecific dystopian world that is similar to Earth but not. I liked it, but I’m not sure it fits the anthology’s theme. It feels like it would fit a dragon anthology better… but it’s one of the few hopeful stories in this collection, and I’m here for that.
"Good News Bad News" by Charles Yu ~ I think this might be my favorite story in the collection. It’s both hopeful and realistic and yet blatantly a science fiction future. Being written as a series of newspaper articles (newspapers still existing being perhaps the least plausible part of the story) it manages to show some depressing bits without feeling depressing… but the main part of the story is fleshed out enough with dialogue that it still feels hopeful.
"What You Sow" by Kai Cheng Thom ~ I didn’t like this one. It is a bit of body horror, a bit monster story, a bit gross, and with nearly entirely all toxic relationships… and it doesn’t fit the tone or theme of the anthology to me. Not my kind of story.
"A History of Barbed Wire" by Daniel H. Wilson ~ I suppose this story is as bleak as a lot of them, but it’s told in a way that feels different. This one is set on a future Cherokee reservation in an America that no longer takes care of any of its non-wealthy citizens. Instead of trying to sneak into the US from Mexico, people are trying to sneak into the rez from the US. I enjoyed this one.
"The Sun in Exile" by Catherynne M. Valente ~ This was amusing, but yet not all at once. There didn’t seem to be much resolution to the plot, if there was a plot at all. I think Valente’s work just isn’t for me; I’m generally indifferent to it at best. (As I am with this story.)
"Harmony" by Seanan McGuire ~ I am very glad that I read this one out of order and read it last. It was the perfect counterpart to the first story in the anthology, the perfect way to end the collection. The basic premise going into the story is that the world has legislated tolerance... but that doesn't mean that humans have changed at all or that it's easy for "others" to fit in. From that it sounds depressing, but this story is absolutely the opposite of depressing. It is one of the most uplifting stories in the anthology, and I enjoyed every moment I spent reading it.
"Now Wait for This Week" by Alice Sola Kim ~ Time loop stories are one of my weaknesses… I don’t always like them, but I always want to. I didn’t like this one, and I also feel it was a bad choice to end the collection with. While (I think) the time loop is resolved at the end, the story leaves the reader with no sense of resolution—which is a hard enough sell for a solo short story, but even more of a letdown when it’s the final impression for the whole anthology.
(SIDE NOTE: I did not end the anthology with the final story. I read that final story out of order because I wanted to save McGuire’s story for last. THIS WAS THE BEST IDEA I HAD WHEN IT CAME TO THIS ANTHOLOGY. McGuire's story is a much more hopeful and uplifting way to end the anthology than the actual final story would have been. I feel that bookending the collection with Anders at the start and McGuire at the end is the way it should have been arranged.)
Quick notes on each of the stories:
"The Bookstore at the End of America" by Charlie Jane Anders ~ I can't say I'm surprised to see "America vs. California" in this anthology opener. I really like the idea of a bookstore being the place where two separate and radically different groups could come together, though the situation that the bookstore is set into didn't seem to be the focus.The focus seemed to be the bridging of the two different mentalities, and it was a great, hopeful way to start the book.
"Our Aim Is Not to Die" by A. Merc Rustad ~ Very powerful story about what life might be like if it became illegal to be anything other than "The Ideal Citizen." Ideal meaning neurotypical straight white male. (Though some women were allowed, as long as they acted like proper women, including wanting marriage and children.) And everyone was terminally online, to the point where you would be fined for not posting on social media. I liked this one enough to go buy the author's short story collection immediately upon finishing it.
"The Wall" by Lizz Huerta ~ While this idea was interesting, it didn't seem to fit the anthology (so far) to me. To start with, there was talk of healing magic when neither of the other stories so far has had fantasy elements. Then also, I think it was set in Mexico... even though the US was used as a plot point it didn't seem (to me) to be about the US (per the title of the anthology). I liked the premise of what to do with soldiers who have had their free will taken away (sometimes voluntarily) but ultimately this story didn't hold my interest.
"Read After Burning" by Maria Dahvana Headley ~ A neat story, but one that touches on war and verges on body horror. (I think it isn't more of either only because the MC is a child when the main action takes place and the focus is elsewhere.) This falls nicely into the category of stories about how powerful words can be. I don't want to be this kind of Librarian, though.
"Chapter 5: Disruption and Continuity [excerpted]" by Malka Older ~ Neat concept, but Older captured the feel of an academic paper so well that I lost interest.
"It Was Saturday Night, I Guess That Makes It All Right" by Sam J. Miller ~ This felt bleak, and very focused on sex. I wanted to enjoy it more than I did.
"Attachment Disorder" by Tananarive Due ~ This one's a dystopian. I'm not sure I actually understood what was happening, though I did like the characters.
"By His Bootstraps" by Ashok K. Banker ~ This one was amusing, but it also felt a little mean, and I think I would have liked it better without that aspect. I agree with the sentiment, though. I also appreciated that this was one of the few so far that has felt hopeful and not like a dystopian.
"Riverbed" by Omar El Akkad ~ I was just depressed by this one.
"What Maya Found There" by Daniel José Older ~ This one, where a scientist takes big risks to avoid her research falling into the wrong hands (read: government control) feels both like one of the most realistic and the least realistic. (Most: government likes to control science if it can. Least: the bio-mods this is about seem far-fetched, thankfully.) I enjoyed it, though it felt like only a piece of a much larger story.
"The Referendum" by Lesley Nneka Arimah ~ I'm not a fan of this one. While I'm not saying it couldn't happen (I don't want it to be possible, but the world is weird) this version of the present (though it was "near future" when it was written) where the civil rights act has been overturned and Black people can't own guns is just too bleak for me to like it. Even the writing style felt bleak. Quite likely that was intentional, but I didn't like it.
"Calendar Girls" by Justina Ireland ~ I enjoyed this story of rebellion in a future version of our world where contraception has been made illegal. (Side note: it's also very bleak in subject matter, but the way it's written didn't feel as bleak as the prior story to me.) Going into more detail would give spoilers, and I think it's best to approach this story without knowing much about it.
"The Synapse Will Free Us from Ourselves" by Violet Allen ~ This is another story that it's best to read without knowing anything about it. I will say that I really enjoyed the reveals that come along the way, and I greatly enjoyed reading this one. Highly recommended!
"O.1" by Gabby Rivera ~ Much more hopeful than I had anticipated given how it started. It was a little odd to swap POVs this many times (4 I think?) during a short story but it worked in the end. ~ CW: pregnancy, mention of suicide and plague
"The Blindfold" by Tobias S. Buckell ~ Given the issues with racism in America right now, and the discrepancy between how white and Black people are treated by police officers and the courts, this story hits way too close to home for comfort. However, it was really well written and I enjoyed it even though the subject matter was uncomfortable in how plausible it is. Nicely done.
"No Algorithms in the World" by Hugh Howey ~ I really liked this one. I think it's probably the most plausible future so far of all the stories I've read here. It also doesn't feel like the focus on the "future" part of this anthology, even though it also is... this is a father-son connection that could happen at any time and place, with a variety of different things at the center of the generation gap. One of my favorites so far.
"Esperanto" by Jamie Ford ~ Neat study in contrast between a digital reality world where everyone is the same, and the real world with all its differences. This could have been written using “I don’t see color (aka race)” as a prompt, but it also touches on our reliance on tech.
"ROME" by G. Willow Wilson ~ The climate change aspect of this story is sadly too possible. I hope that the rest of it isn’t likely, but pessimism says it is. Well-written, but depressing story.
"Give Me Cornbread or Give Me Death" by N. K. Jemisin ~ Fun and good story, but it feels like neither science fiction or the US. It feels like fantasy set on an unspecific dystopian world that is similar to Earth but not. I liked it, but I’m not sure it fits the anthology’s theme. It feels like it would fit a dragon anthology better… but it’s one of the few hopeful stories in this collection, and I’m here for that.
"Good News Bad News" by Charles Yu ~ I think this might be my favorite story in the collection. It’s both hopeful and realistic and yet blatantly a science fiction future. Being written as a series of newspaper articles (newspapers still existing being perhaps the least plausible part of the story) it manages to show some depressing bits without feeling depressing… but the main part of the story is fleshed out enough with dialogue that it still feels hopeful.
"What You Sow" by Kai Cheng Thom ~ I didn’t like this one. It is a bit of body horror, a bit monster story, a bit gross, and with nearly entirely all toxic relationships… and it doesn’t fit the tone or theme of the anthology to me. Not my kind of story.
"A History of Barbed Wire" by Daniel H. Wilson ~ I suppose this story is as bleak as a lot of them, but it’s told in a way that feels different. This one is set on a future Cherokee reservation in an America that no longer takes care of any of its non-wealthy citizens. Instead of trying to sneak into the US from Mexico, people are trying to sneak into the rez from the US. I enjoyed this one.
"The Sun in Exile" by Catherynne M. Valente ~ This was amusing, but yet not all at once. There didn’t seem to be much resolution to the plot, if there was a plot at all. I think Valente’s work just isn’t for me; I’m generally indifferent to it at best. (As I am with this story.)
"Harmony" by Seanan McGuire ~ I am very glad that I read this one out of order and read it last. It was the perfect counterpart to the first story in the anthology, the perfect way to end the collection. The basic premise going into the story is that the world has legislated tolerance... but that doesn't mean that humans have changed at all or that it's easy for "others" to fit in. From that it sounds depressing, but this story is absolutely the opposite of depressing. It is one of the most uplifting stories in the anthology, and I enjoyed every moment I spent reading it.
"Now Wait for This Week" by Alice Sola Kim ~ Time loop stories are one of my weaknesses… I don’t always like them, but I always want to. I didn’t like this one, and I also feel it was a bad choice to end the collection with. While (I think) the time loop is resolved at the end, the story leaves the reader with no sense of resolution—which is a hard enough sell for a solo short story, but even more of a letdown when it’s the final impression for the whole anthology.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism
Minor: Body horror and Pregnancy
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