Scan barcode
A review by anna_hepworth
Collisions: Fictions Of The Future by Leah Jing McIntosh, Hassan Abul, Adalya Nash Hussein, Cher Tan
4.0
I read this slowly, mostly because there were some stories I just didn't get. I don't think that this is a failing of the anthology, I think it is a limitation in the writing conventions that I'm familiar with, leaving me with no way in to those stories. As such, I won't be talking about those stories.
All of the editors get to have a say in the introductions. The main introduction, by McIntosh, is beautifully done. It gives a strong sense of the reasons for the anthology, as well as anchoring it in place and time with respect to the Australian literary scene. The others are both concise and interesting.
The anthology is grouped into three sections: Bodies, Momentum, and Contact. I didn't read it with these in mind, and have not really engaged with the groupings, so have ignored that in the notes below. Sadly, I appear to have lost the notes on the later two sections, so my comments on the earlier stories are more comprehensive.
The opening story, See You Tomorrow (Claire Cao) is an atmospheric story about the passing of time that weaves together the lives of two friends over the course of a lunch date. So many details that I loved, including the evocation of the changes in the local landscape, the possibilities of romance for older women, and the way I could nearly smell the food.
Bad Weather (Bryant Apolonio) also weaves together two stories, but uses a literary conceit-- presenting much of the stories concurrently down separate columns-- to highlight this. This was initially confusing but ultimately really powerful. Prose poetry is not something I really get, so I struggled.
МРz (Eda GМ_naydin*) is a tiny, slice-of-life but very bogan queer romance.
Auburn Heights (Naima Ibrahim) is a painful story of colonisation, although because it is set at the suburb level it has been given the euphemism "gentrification".
The Voyeur (Elizabeth Flux) is very creepy - our protagonist can visit the past of their ancestors, and loses themself in the process.
Suburban Graveyard (Victor Chrisnaa Sentinanthan) is another disturbing and creepy story, this time about the consequences of converting ones backyard to a graveyard.
Terranora (Mykaela Saunders) is an Indigenous viewpoint post-apocalyptic Australia. There are so many ideas packed in to this story, about family and community and country, survival, recovery, the inter-connectedness that is needed for survival.
The Revolution Will Be Pirated (Bobuq Sayed) focuses on an antifacist group attempting to avoid the police and white supremacists in order to disrupt a fascist march though an immigrant neighbourhood.
The final piece is Wish You Were (Claire Coleman), which is a chilling story of an unexpected life after death.
* Apologies to the author for the incorrect spelling, I can't work out how to get the correct characters out of my computer.
All of the editors get to have a say in the introductions. The main introduction, by McIntosh, is beautifully done. It gives a strong sense of the reasons for the anthology, as well as anchoring it in place and time with respect to the Australian literary scene. The others are both concise and interesting.
The anthology is grouped into three sections: Bodies, Momentum, and Contact. I didn't read it with these in mind, and have not really engaged with the groupings, so have ignored that in the notes below. Sadly, I appear to have lost the notes on the later two sections, so my comments on the earlier stories are more comprehensive.
The opening story, See You Tomorrow (Claire Cao) is an atmospheric story about the passing of time that weaves together the lives of two friends over the course of a lunch date. So many details that I loved, including the evocation of the changes in the local landscape, the possibilities of romance for older women, and the way I could nearly smell the food.
Bad Weather (Bryant Apolonio) also weaves together two stories, but uses a literary conceit-- presenting much of the stories concurrently down separate columns-- to highlight this. This was initially confusing but ultimately really powerful. Prose poetry is not something I really get, so I struggled.
МРz (Eda GМ_naydin*) is a tiny, slice-of-life but very bogan queer romance.
Auburn Heights (Naima Ibrahim) is a painful story of colonisation, although because it is set at the suburb level it has been given the euphemism "gentrification".
The Voyeur (Elizabeth Flux) is very creepy - our protagonist can visit the past of their ancestors, and loses themself in the process.
Suburban Graveyard (Victor Chrisnaa Sentinanthan) is another disturbing and creepy story, this time about the consequences of converting ones backyard to a graveyard.
Terranora (Mykaela Saunders) is an Indigenous viewpoint post-apocalyptic Australia. There are so many ideas packed in to this story, about family and community and country, survival, recovery, the inter-connectedness that is needed for survival.
The Revolution Will Be Pirated (Bobuq Sayed) focuses on an antifacist group attempting to avoid the police and white supremacists in order to disrupt a fascist march though an immigrant neighbourhood.
The final piece is Wish You Were (Claire Coleman), which is a chilling story of an unexpected life after death.
* Apologies to the author for the incorrect spelling, I can't work out how to get the correct characters out of my computer.