Scan barcode
A review by daveversace
Next by Robert Porteous, Simon Petrie
4.0
(Disclaimer: I have a story in this collection. I think it's pretty good, but that's as much of a review as you're getting out of me).
Every year the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild (CSfG) makes an open call for submissions for its annual themed anthology. The themed for this year's volume, co-edited by Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine veteran Simon Petrie and first-timer Robert Porteus, was "Next": "Sequence. Succession. Cause and Effect. Show us what happened next."
As you'd expect with a theme as intentionally broad as this one, the only real unifying feature of the thirty stories in this volume are that they all contain a speculative element. There are stories from hard science fiction futures, whimsical fairy tale fantasies, clockwork adventures; there are historical survival horror stories, body horror stories, lost monsters, lonely robots, Faustian bargain, haunts, zombies and possibly the odd time traveller.
Some of the stories that particularly stood out to me included the especially strong opener Claire McKenna's brutal (and funny) portrait of a tyrannical footballer "The Ninety Two", along with (in no particular order) "Almost Beautiful", Angela Rega's tale of glassmaking and infdelity in a fantastic Venice; Gillian Polack's "Someone's Daughter", about a fraught archaeological discovery; Martin Living's gloomy chaos theory yarn "Cause and Effect"; "Hell is Where the Heart Is", Janeen Webb's rather Dahl-esque organ transplant horror; and Rik Lagarto's childhood brush with the supernatural in "The Wild Hunt".
Next is a strong collection with so much of the speculative range covered that a reader is sure to find something to appeal. Contrary to what I see as a bit of a trend in Australian speculative fiction, Next tilts slightly towards the lighter side of things (though the grimdark and the serious are also both well represented). It has a fun streak of whimsy and the occasional outright comedic moment, but mostly in the service of clever, thoughtful storytelling.
Next is a great showcase for emerging Australian short fiction writers. I'm pretty sure I'd recommend it even if I were not one of those writers.
Every year the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild (CSfG) makes an open call for submissions for its annual themed anthology. The themed for this year's volume, co-edited by Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine veteran Simon Petrie and first-timer Robert Porteus, was "Next": "Sequence. Succession. Cause and Effect. Show us what happened next."
As you'd expect with a theme as intentionally broad as this one, the only real unifying feature of the thirty stories in this volume are that they all contain a speculative element. There are stories from hard science fiction futures, whimsical fairy tale fantasies, clockwork adventures; there are historical survival horror stories, body horror stories, lost monsters, lonely robots, Faustian bargain, haunts, zombies and possibly the odd time traveller.
Some of the stories that particularly stood out to me included the especially strong opener Claire McKenna's brutal (and funny) portrait of a tyrannical footballer "The Ninety Two", along with (in no particular order) "Almost Beautiful", Angela Rega's tale of glassmaking and infdelity in a fantastic Venice; Gillian Polack's "Someone's Daughter", about a fraught archaeological discovery; Martin Living's gloomy chaos theory yarn "Cause and Effect"; "Hell is Where the Heart Is", Janeen Webb's rather Dahl-esque organ transplant horror; and Rik Lagarto's childhood brush with the supernatural in "The Wild Hunt".
Next is a strong collection with so much of the speculative range covered that a reader is sure to find something to appeal. Contrary to what I see as a bit of a trend in Australian speculative fiction, Next tilts slightly towards the lighter side of things (though the grimdark and the serious are also both well represented). It has a fun streak of whimsy and the occasional outright comedic moment, but mostly in the service of clever, thoughtful storytelling.
Next is a great showcase for emerging Australian short fiction writers. I'm pretty sure I'd recommend it even if I were not one of those writers.