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A review by jaclyn_sixminutesforme
Collisions: Fictions Of The Future by Leah Jing McIntosh, Hassan Abul, Adalya Nash Hussein, Cher Tan
4.0
This exciting short story collection caught my attention via Liminal magazine and their Liminal Fiction Prize—this book comprising works longlisted for the 2019 prize. The works move across genres seamlessly and play with form in experimental ways, and centrally focus on this thematic notion of the future. I’ve been interested in the ways literature interrogates this theme, and think Australian writers are producing really dynamic and thoughtful fiction in this space particularly (I’d also highly recommend you check out the speculative fiction anthology [b:After Australia|53318847|After Australia|Michael Mohammed Ahmad|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1591403844l/53318847._SY75_.jpg|81675196] for further reading). The introduction caught my attention immediately—Leah Jing McIntosh comments on the overwhelming presence of white authors on the major literary prizes celebrated in Australia (the Stella Prize and the Miles Franklin) and that the Liminal Fiction Prize itself came about after an examination of these statistics and an aim to “shift the Australian imaginary.” This is an anthology brimming with intention and self-awareness, one in conversation with the Australian literary landscape in what it includes as much as in what it excludes.
Structurally the collection follows collisions in a literal sense with sections titled Bodies, Momentum, and Contact situating the stories, and reckoning with the past to actively engage in what the future may hold. Some of my personal favorite stories were those that leaned into more experimental forms, one of the stand outs being the story that won the Liminal Fiction Prize, Bad Weather by Bryant Apolonio. This story appears on the page as narratives in two columns —the parallel time and juxtaposed imagery, as well as points of collision between the two threads, worked symbiotically as a complete read. I also really enjoyed The Voyeur by Elizabeth Flux, a haunting narrative in which we follow a “Visit Day.” The narrative being takes us through memories and the protocols that govern this very process, and how “rapidly intoxicated” the possibilities afforded by the process make this being feel. The exploration of both watching and being watched was fascinating, and Flux had me totally entranced!
This was a really engaging and vibrant anthology of works, and I look forward to many more editions from the Liminal team! Available in November 2020, and a sample is available to read alongside pre-order information here https://www.panterapress.com.au/product/collisions-copy/. Many thanks to Pantera Press for a review copy.
Structurally the collection follows collisions in a literal sense with sections titled Bodies, Momentum, and Contact situating the stories, and reckoning with the past to actively engage in what the future may hold. Some of my personal favorite stories were those that leaned into more experimental forms, one of the stand outs being the story that won the Liminal Fiction Prize, Bad Weather by Bryant Apolonio. This story appears on the page as narratives in two columns —the parallel time and juxtaposed imagery, as well as points of collision between the two threads, worked symbiotically as a complete read. I also really enjoyed The Voyeur by Elizabeth Flux, a haunting narrative in which we follow a “Visit Day.” The narrative being takes us through memories and the protocols that govern this very process, and how “rapidly intoxicated” the possibilities afforded by the process make this being feel. The exploration of both watching and being watched was fascinating, and Flux had me totally entranced!
This was a really engaging and vibrant anthology of works, and I look forward to many more editions from the Liminal team! Available in November 2020, and a sample is available to read alongside pre-order information here https://www.panterapress.com.au/product/collisions-copy/. Many thanks to Pantera Press for a review copy.