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A review by mary_soon_lee
The 2021 Rhysling Anthology by Alessandro Manzetti
This poetry anthology contains all the poems nominated for the 2021 Rhysling Award for the best speculative poetry. As usual, the poems are divided into two categories: short (under 50 lines) and long (50+ lines). Also as usual, the collection is an excellent snapshot for anyone interested in current speculative poetry. The anthology encompasses a great variety in tone, form, subject matter, ranging from science fiction, to fantasy, to horror; from poems that are moving to those that are amusing; from dragons, to monsters, to cats, to robots, to aliens of various stripes.
Very many of the 165 poems appealed to me. On first reading, I marked 19 of the short poems and 24 of the long poems to revisit before casting my votes for the award. The long poems seemed particularly strong this year. Among those poems that didn't appeal to me in their entirety, many were imaginative, or skillful, or contained sections that I loved.
Just as I did last year, I considered stopping here, without specifying the poems I liked best. But in the end, I decided to name names. Please insert all the usual caveats. There were many other poems I liked, if not quite as much. And in another mood, I might have picked a different set. And everyone comes to a poem with a different background and is struck by it differently. Onward.
Here are the short poems I liked best on first reading, in the order they occur in the book:
Sealskin Reclaimed, by Alison Bainbridge
He Sold What He Had Left, by Diane Callahan
The Memory of Summer, by Jennifer Crow
Last Contact, by Jean-Paul L. Garnier
Andromeda’s Lament, by Gretchen Tessmer
And my favorite of the long poems:
Time Traveller's Memory, by Davian Aw
Eleven Exhibits in a better Natural History Museum, London, by Jenny Blackford
The Priestess's Daughter, by Jenny Blackford
My Cat, He, by Beth Cato
After the Decipherment, by FJ Doucet
Penelope, the truth, by Clarabelle Fields
The Secret Ingredient is Always the Same, by Sarah Grey
Igbo Landing, by Akula Lezli Hope
Robo sapiens Thinks He Thinks, by Geoffrey A. Landis
Budapest, by S. Qiouyi Lu
A Song from Bedlam, by Nike Sulway
[I note that the anthology contains six of my poems, which, as per my policy, I didn't consider voting for, but I am very grateful for the nominations.]
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. In the case of poetry books, for various reasons, I often omit an overall star rating.
Very many of the 165 poems appealed to me. On first reading, I marked 19 of the short poems and 24 of the long poems to revisit before casting my votes for the award. The long poems seemed particularly strong this year. Among those poems that didn't appeal to me in their entirety, many were imaginative, or skillful, or contained sections that I loved.
Just as I did last year, I considered stopping here, without specifying the poems I liked best. But in the end, I decided to name names. Please insert all the usual caveats. There were many other poems I liked, if not quite as much. And in another mood, I might have picked a different set. And everyone comes to a poem with a different background and is struck by it differently. Onward.
Here are the short poems I liked best on first reading, in the order they occur in the book:
Sealskin Reclaimed, by Alison Bainbridge
He Sold What He Had Left, by Diane Callahan
The Memory of Summer, by Jennifer Crow
Last Contact, by Jean-Paul L. Garnier
Andromeda’s Lament, by Gretchen Tessmer
And my favorite of the long poems:
Time Traveller's Memory, by Davian Aw
Eleven Exhibits in a better Natural History Museum, London, by Jenny Blackford
The Priestess's Daughter, by Jenny Blackford
My Cat, He, by Beth Cato
After the Decipherment, by FJ Doucet
Penelope, the truth, by Clarabelle Fields
The Secret Ingredient is Always the Same, by Sarah Grey
Igbo Landing, by Akula Lezli Hope
Robo sapiens Thinks He Thinks, by Geoffrey A. Landis
Budapest, by S. Qiouyi Lu
A Song from Bedlam, by Nike Sulway
[I note that the anthology contains six of my poems, which, as per my policy, I didn't consider voting for, but I am very grateful for the nominations.]
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. In the case of poetry books, for various reasons, I often omit an overall star rating.