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A review by corrie
Heiresses of Russ 2012 by Steve Berman, Connie Wilkins
5.0
I love the Heiresses of Russ anthologies. This is the second one in the series (they started in 2011) and all novella-length stories included are the best of what speculative fiction has to offer that year.
There is pure science fiction with Feedback by Lindy Cameron - a hard-edged novella of far-future technology, crime, and law enforcement, God in the Sky by An Owomoyela - about an unexplained astronomical phenomenon and The Thick Night by Sunny Moraine - where African villagers in need of aid are sent automatons instead of Peace Corps workers to help them farm their land.
We have steampunk, like In Orbit by Katherine Fabian - that deals with the construction of orreries as balance wheels for the creation of golems, Amphitrite by S.L. Knapp - where a mermaid aids a female submarine pilot escape to safe waters and To Follow the Waves by Amal El-Mohtar where the protagonist imbues crystals with dreams-made-to-order by means of the traditional art of gem-cutting.
There’s urban fantasy with Tides of the Heart by David D. Levine - where a plumber who possesses superpowers when it comes to water in pipes rescues a figure from classical mythology, while Daniel by Emily Moreton is a traditional pirate tale with weather-magic thrown in.
The more magical (witchy) stories are Thirteen Incantations by Desirina Malkovitch - two teenaged girls sample magical memory spells formulated into exquisite (and exquisitely described) perfumes, Out of the Strong Came Forth Sweetness by Lisa Nohealani Morton - a far future science fiction, with spaceports and law-enforcement “Angels” wearing technological wings and laser eyes in a repressive dystopian culture; and witchcraft, with a protagonist who gains strength from the hair she cuts and styles so skillfully for her customers and Ours Is the Prettiest by Nalo Hopkinson about an otherworldly carnival.
La Caída by Anna Meadows is a vampire story about a fallen angel and a family of sisters in Mexico with their own tradition of using their inherited taste for blood to punish the evil rather than corrupt the good.
And some real supernatural horror with The Carrion Gods in Their Heaven by Laird Barron a brooding and foreboding werewolf story and D is for Delicious by Steve Berman where a retired schoolteacher discovers the benefits of being a witch.
There are 6 anthologies available on Scribd, don’t miss out.
f/f
Themes: superb storytelling
5 stars
There is pure science fiction with Feedback by Lindy Cameron - a hard-edged novella of far-future technology, crime, and law enforcement, God in the Sky by An Owomoyela - about an unexplained astronomical phenomenon and The Thick Night by Sunny Moraine - where African villagers in need of aid are sent automatons instead of Peace Corps workers to help them farm their land.
We have steampunk, like In Orbit by Katherine Fabian - that deals with the construction of orreries as balance wheels for the creation of golems, Amphitrite by S.L. Knapp - where a mermaid aids a female submarine pilot escape to safe waters and To Follow the Waves by Amal El-Mohtar where the protagonist imbues crystals with dreams-made-to-order by means of the traditional art of gem-cutting.
There’s urban fantasy with Tides of the Heart by David D. Levine - where a plumber who possesses superpowers when it comes to water in pipes rescues a figure from classical mythology, while Daniel by Emily Moreton is a traditional pirate tale with weather-magic thrown in.
The more magical (witchy) stories are Thirteen Incantations by Desirina Malkovitch - two teenaged girls sample magical memory spells formulated into exquisite (and exquisitely described) perfumes, Out of the Strong Came Forth Sweetness by Lisa Nohealani Morton - a far future science fiction, with spaceports and law-enforcement “Angels” wearing technological wings and laser eyes in a repressive dystopian culture; and witchcraft, with a protagonist who gains strength from the hair she cuts and styles so skillfully for her customers and Ours Is the Prettiest by Nalo Hopkinson about an otherworldly carnival.
La Caída by Anna Meadows is a vampire story about a fallen angel and a family of sisters in Mexico with their own tradition of using their inherited taste for blood to punish the evil rather than corrupt the good.
And some real supernatural horror with The Carrion Gods in Their Heaven by Laird Barron a brooding and foreboding werewolf story and D is for Delicious by Steve Berman where a retired schoolteacher discovers the benefits of being a witch.
There are 6 anthologies available on Scribd, don’t miss out.
f/f
Themes: superb storytelling
5 stars