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The World Wasn't Ready for You: Electrifying Horror Fantasy Stories Where Black Mirror Meets Get Out – Exploring Race and Social Issues
Explore new worlds in this riveting sci-fi novel
“The most profound terror is rooted in love—the terror of losing love, of love betrayed, of love in peril. Justin C. Key’s work is a cold knife through a hot heart, a surgical blade unleashing gouts of searing fear.”—Cory Doctorow, author of Red Team Blues, Little Brother, and Radicalized
“An electrifying collection of stories that would make Octavia E. Butler smile.”—Ebony
Black Mirror meets Get Out in this gripping story collection reminiscent of the work of Octavia E. Butler, which deftly blends science fiction, horror, and fantasy to examine issues of race, class, and prejudice—an electrifying, oftentimes heartbreaking debut from an extraordinary new voice.
Justin C. Key has long been obsessed with monsters. Reading R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps as a kid, he imagined himself battling monsters and mayhem to a triumphant end. But when watching Scream 2, in which the movie’s only Black couple is promptly killed off, he realized that the Black and Brown characters in his favorite genre were almost always the victim or villain—if they were portrayed at all.
In The World Wasn’t Ready for You, Key expands and subverts the horror genre to expertly explore issues of race, class, prejudice, love, exclusion, loneliness, and what it means to be a person in the world, while revealing the horrifying nature inherent in all of us. In the opening story, “The Perfection of Theresa Watkins,” a sci-fi love story turned nightmare, a husband uses new technology to download the consciousness of his recently deceased Black wife into the body of a white woman. In “Spider King,” an inmate agrees to participate in an experimental medical study offered to Black prisoners in exchange for early release, only to find his body reacting with disturbing symptoms. And in the title story, a father tries to protect his son, teaching him how to navigate a prejudiced world that does not understand him and sees him as a threat.
The World Wasn’t Ready for You is a gripping, provocative, and distinctly original collection that demonstrates Key’s remarkable literary gifts—a skill at crafting science fiction stories equaled by an ability to sculpt characters and narrative—as well as his utterly fresh take on how genre can be used to delight, awe, frighten, and ultimately challenge our perceptions. Wildly imaginative and powerfully resonant, it introduces an unforgettable new voice in fiction.
“The most profound terror is rooted in love—the terror of losing love, of love betrayed, of love in peril. Justin C. Key’s work is a cold knife through a hot heart, a surgical blade unleashing gouts of searing fear.”—Cory Doctorow, author of Red Team Blues, Little Brother, and Radicalized
“An electrifying collection of stories that would make Octavia E. Butler smile.”—Ebony
Black Mirror meets Get Out in this gripping story collection reminiscent of the work of Octavia E. Butler, which deftly blends science fiction, horror, and fantasy to examine issues of race, class, and prejudice—an electrifying, oftentimes heartbreaking debut from an extraordinary new voice.
Justin C. Key has long been obsessed with monsters. Reading R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps as a kid, he imagined himself battling monsters and mayhem to a triumphant end. But when watching Scream 2, in which the movie’s only Black couple is promptly killed off, he realized that the Black and Brown characters in his favorite genre were almost always the victim or villain—if they were portrayed at all.
In The World Wasn’t Ready for You, Key expands and subverts the horror genre to expertly explore issues of race, class, prejudice, love, exclusion, loneliness, and what it means to be a person in the world, while revealing the horrifying nature inherent in all of us. In the opening story, “The Perfection of Theresa Watkins,” a sci-fi love story turned nightmare, a husband uses new technology to download the consciousness of his recently deceased Black wife into the body of a white woman. In “Spider King,” an inmate agrees to participate in an experimental medical study offered to Black prisoners in exchange for early release, only to find his body reacting with disturbing symptoms. And in the title story, a father tries to protect his son, teaching him how to navigate a prejudiced world that does not understand him and sees him as a threat.
The World Wasn’t Ready for You is a gripping, provocative, and distinctly original collection that demonstrates Key’s remarkable literary gifts—a skill at crafting science fiction stories equaled by an ability to sculpt characters and narrative—as well as his utterly fresh take on how genre can be used to delight, awe, frighten, and ultimately challenge our perceptions. Wildly imaginative and powerfully resonant, it introduces an unforgettable new voice in fiction.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2023
87 people are currently reading
7337 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
January 30, 2024
After reading Justin’s short story in another anthology produced by Peele, I had to read whatever else he had written. I’m at a loss for words how potent his stories are, I can only speak to the horrors from a non-biopic perspective not from a position of trauma( ancestral or present ) not systematic injustice such is the American experience for bipoc.
Justin writing has really blown me away. I believe he will be transforming the sci-fi/ horror/speculative fiction genre
More importantly his stories are reflective of the essence of Black Horror- what it’s like being a POC in America. The horror a poc experiences everyday being in a non-white body.
His stories are largely metaphors and thematic of this genre. Will come back for a more thorough review .Processing the greatness. I’m going to go
P.S
If you are interested in anything resembling a more polished, profound and more realistic black mirror you will enjoy his stories.
With that said, these stories are both heavy and fascinating. I recommend this to all of my book friends!!!!!!
I can’t wait to see y’all’s reviews.
I listened as an audiobook. The narrators were wonderful.
Justin writing has really blown me away. I believe he will be transforming the sci-fi/ horror/speculative fiction genre
More importantly his stories are reflective of the essence of Black Horror- what it’s like being a POC in America. The horror a poc experiences everyday being in a non-white body.
His stories are largely metaphors and thematic of this genre. Will come back for a more thorough review .Processing the greatness. I’m going to go
P.S
If you are interested in anything resembling a more polished, profound and more realistic black mirror you will enjoy his stories.
With that said, these stories are both heavy and fascinating. I recommend this to all of my book friends!!!!!!
I can’t wait to see y’all’s reviews.
I listened as an audiobook. The narrators were wonderful.
May 24, 2024
After listening to the story The World Wasn't Ready For You from this short story collection through the LeVar Burton Reads podcast, I wanted to read the entire collection, and I'm so glad I did. The quote "Black Mirror meets Get Out" is an excellent description of the following eight stories.
The Perfection of Theresa Watkins 4/5
A Black husband uses new untested technology to move his dead wife's consciousness into a white woman's body with devastating results. A sad story that raised moral and consent issues.
Afiya's Song 4.5/5
In an alternate timeline, set in the mid-1800s, a slave with magical healing powers helps turn the tide of slavery earlier than expected. Afiya channels her singing power to help her loved ones, but at a great cost to herself. She endures horrific abuse from the white plantation family, but despite her injuries, perseveres.
Wellness Check 4/5
In a world eerily similar to our own, a man living during a pandemic with even more stringent rules than ours, tries to navigate finding love in a closed-off society.
Spider King 5/5
A jailed man desperate to reunite with his wife and young daughter consents to an experiment that grants him early parole. He is shocked when spiders begin to emerge from his body but then amazed when he learns he can mind control them. But what is the end game of the shadowy organization that did this to him and what will be the long-term consequences? Spiders and body horror at its finest!
One Hand in the Coffin 3/5
A young brother and sister cope in unhealthy ways after the older brother dies. Their overwhelmed single mother gives them a look-alike puppet of their brother that hinders their grief rather than helps.
Customer Service 3.5/5
A lightweight story told in emails about how a man's robot double is taking over his life, and how customer service fails him.
Now You See Me 4.5/5
Three white women, allies in the BLM movement, go see an art exhibit together and then have their lives change in surreal and horrible ways afterward. They are disregarded and shunned, learning firsthand how some Black people are treated, but then the story goes beyond, giving it a Twilight Zone-inspired vibe.
The World Wasn't Ready for You 5/5
A widowed father recounts the difficulty in raising his half-alien son to adulthood amongst the racism of the world they live in. The telepathy that his wife passed onto their son, connects the father and son and allows him to be with his son as he dies from police brutality and not being able to breathe. This story was obviously inspired by the George Floyd tragedy and is heartbreaking for it is every parent’s nightmare to lose a child.
Thanks to LeVar Burton for introducing me to this author and his short stories!
The Perfection of Theresa Watkins 4/5
A Black husband uses new untested technology to move his dead wife's consciousness into a white woman's body with devastating results. A sad story that raised moral and consent issues.
Afiya's Song 4.5/5
In an alternate timeline, set in the mid-1800s, a slave with magical healing powers helps turn the tide of slavery earlier than expected. Afiya channels her singing power to help her loved ones, but at a great cost to herself. She endures horrific abuse from the white plantation family, but despite her injuries, perseveres.
Wellness Check 4/5
In a world eerily similar to our own, a man living during a pandemic with even more stringent rules than ours, tries to navigate finding love in a closed-off society.
Spider King 5/5
A jailed man desperate to reunite with his wife and young daughter consents to an experiment that grants him early parole. He is shocked when spiders begin to emerge from his body but then amazed when he learns he can mind control them. But what is the end game of the shadowy organization that did this to him and what will be the long-term consequences? Spiders and body horror at its finest!
One Hand in the Coffin 3/5
A young brother and sister cope in unhealthy ways after the older brother dies. Their overwhelmed single mother gives them a look-alike puppet of their brother that hinders their grief rather than helps.
Customer Service 3.5/5
A lightweight story told in emails about how a man's robot double is taking over his life, and how customer service fails him.
Now You See Me 4.5/5
Three white women, allies in the BLM movement, go see an art exhibit together and then have their lives change in surreal and horrible ways afterward. They are disregarded and shunned, learning firsthand how some Black people are treated, but then the story goes beyond, giving it a Twilight Zone-inspired vibe.
The World Wasn't Ready for You 5/5
A widowed father recounts the difficulty in raising his half-alien son to adulthood amongst the racism of the world they live in. The telepathy that his wife passed onto their son, connects the father and son and allows him to be with his son as he dies from police brutality and not being able to breathe. This story was obviously inspired by the George Floyd tragedy and is heartbreaking for it is every parent’s nightmare to lose a child.
Thanks to LeVar Burton for introducing me to this author and his short stories!
September 19, 2023
Thank you to harperbooks for the gifted ARC
In this debut short stories collection blending GET OUT and BLACK MIRROR, Key explores race and class in settings spanning the industrial prison complex to hospitals. WASN'T READY focuses on the lives of Black Americans in the near future, combining science fiction, horror, and fantasy.
In The Perfection of Theresa Watkins, a Black widower uses a new technology to download his Black wife's consciousness into a white woman's body. Key explores the ethics of cheating death and getting consent in an extreme power imbalance.
Spider King examines the unexpected consequences when an inmate agrees to an experimental study for early release. There's quite a lot of body horror. For those sensitive to spiders, you might want to skip this one because it gets pretty graphic 😝
Customer Service is written entirely as email exchanges between a dissatisfied customer after purchasing a new tech company's product and their customer service team. Things quickly get out of hand when the company refuses to honor the customer's return & refund request.
Now You See Me is my favorite in the collection. Starring three white women in an "Allies 4 Life" group chat who visit a BLM exhibition and notice the changes around them afterward. Key brilliantly channels his experience as a physician to convey poignant messages about Black women's harrowing medical journeys—both as doctors and patients.
The titular story imagines a family with an Earth dad & half-ET son navigating a tightrope living on Earth. Like BIPOC (but especially Black) parents raising their children, this story asks the readers to consider a parent's responsibility when raising a kid in a hostile world. Do you mold your children to fit the world so they can live another day? Do you fight & hope the society becomes more just?
Congrats to Key on this phenomenal collection! I had so much fun reading WASN'T READY and will be thinking about these stories for a long time.
In this debut short stories collection blending GET OUT and BLACK MIRROR, Key explores race and class in settings spanning the industrial prison complex to hospitals. WASN'T READY focuses on the lives of Black Americans in the near future, combining science fiction, horror, and fantasy.
In The Perfection of Theresa Watkins, a Black widower uses a new technology to download his Black wife's consciousness into a white woman's body. Key explores the ethics of cheating death and getting consent in an extreme power imbalance.
Spider King examines the unexpected consequences when an inmate agrees to an experimental study for early release. There's quite a lot of body horror. For those sensitive to spiders, you might want to skip this one because it gets pretty graphic 😝
Customer Service is written entirely as email exchanges between a dissatisfied customer after purchasing a new tech company's product and their customer service team. Things quickly get out of hand when the company refuses to honor the customer's return & refund request.
Now You See Me is my favorite in the collection. Starring three white women in an "Allies 4 Life" group chat who visit a BLM exhibition and notice the changes around them afterward. Key brilliantly channels his experience as a physician to convey poignant messages about Black women's harrowing medical journeys—both as doctors and patients.
The titular story imagines a family with an Earth dad & half-ET son navigating a tightrope living on Earth. Like BIPOC (but especially Black) parents raising their children, this story asks the readers to consider a parent's responsibility when raising a kid in a hostile world. Do you mold your children to fit the world so they can live another day? Do you fight & hope the society becomes more just?
Congrats to Key on this phenomenal collection! I had so much fun reading WASN'T READY and will be thinking about these stories for a long time.
August 28, 2023
THIS ONE WAS MAGNIFICENTLY DONE! OMG. I am so thankful to Harper Books and Justin C. Key for sending me a physical ARC before this gem hits shelves on September 19, 2023. I am ALLLLLL about short stories, especially when they give me the heebie-jeebies, which is EXACTLY what this book did. I'M CONVINCED Justin C. Key is a wizard, invoking actual bouts of horror through various angles and perspectives, highlighting black horror sequences in the bigger picture.
There are tales of futuristic medical companies resurrecting the dead but with a deadly and corrupted cost. You'll see a glimpse into the dating world for the highly quarantined, which I'm sure wasn't too far off for most of you, with a dictating governmental twist. And there's even body horror like never thought up before... All in less than 300 pages.
This is the perfect pre-Halloween read and I highly suggest you get your pre-orders in ASAP.
There are tales of futuristic medical companies resurrecting the dead but with a deadly and corrupted cost. You'll see a glimpse into the dating world for the highly quarantined, which I'm sure wasn't too far off for most of you, with a dictating governmental twist. And there's even body horror like never thought up before... All in less than 300 pages.
This is the perfect pre-Halloween read and I highly suggest you get your pre-orders in ASAP.
August 20, 2023
Justin C. Key set out on a mission to re-work the horror genre. His admiration and well-versed understanding of it is evenly woven throughout this anthology.
His author’s note mentions that he doesn’t want to simply “make horror Black”, but bring Black experiences to build new horror. Spider King and The Perfection of Theresa Watkins are the best examples of this. Within that, he also brought mental health, neurodiversity, and immigration into the conversation.
There were times where he flipped the script and gave you something unexpected. However, he balances the horror and sci-fi very well! As someone who doesn’t read science fiction often, I enjoyed every story.
His author’s note mentions that he doesn’t want to simply “make horror Black”, but bring Black experiences to build new horror. Spider King and The Perfection of Theresa Watkins are the best examples of this. Within that, he also brought mental health, neurodiversity, and immigration into the conversation.
There were times where he flipped the script and gave you something unexpected. However, he balances the horror and sci-fi very well! As someone who doesn’t read science fiction often, I enjoyed every story.
October 31, 2024
Now, I might not be the biggest short story collection girlie, but when you pitch it as "Black Mirror meets Get Out", I am in. Whether you want horror, sci-fi, fantasy, historical fiction, or some altogether more unique genreblend, Justin C. Key has got you covered in his razor-sharp and unapologetically Black collection, The World Wasn't Ready for You.
As expected with a collection, there were some stories that worked better for my personal tastes than others, but I think there is no denying that this is objectively one of the strongest short story collections I have personally read. As a young white woman, I feel like it is not my place to judge the way that Key explores the beauty and the horror of the Black experience through a speculative lens here, but I feel like I can say that the powerful examination of themes of race, prejudice, xenophobia, and class really left a mark on me and challenged me in the most appropriately uncomfortable ways.
If I had to give a top 3, I would say that Afiya's Song, The World Wasn't Ready For You, and Now You See Me stood out the most to me. The range of storytelling skills that Key shows across these stories is truly so impressive, and I am very eager to check out more of his works after getting a taste of his exceptional talent here.
If you are looking for a diverse and unflinchingly raw short story collection that is disturbingly gutwrenching yet surprisingly heartwarming in places, I would highly recommend giving The World Wasn't Ready For You a shot. This one will haunt me for a while, and I am not even mad about it.
As expected with a collection, there were some stories that worked better for my personal tastes than others, but I think there is no denying that this is objectively one of the strongest short story collections I have personally read. As a young white woman, I feel like it is not my place to judge the way that Key explores the beauty and the horror of the Black experience through a speculative lens here, but I feel like I can say that the powerful examination of themes of race, prejudice, xenophobia, and class really left a mark on me and challenged me in the most appropriately uncomfortable ways.
If I had to give a top 3, I would say that Afiya's Song, The World Wasn't Ready For You, and Now You See Me stood out the most to me. The range of storytelling skills that Key shows across these stories is truly so impressive, and I am very eager to check out more of his works after getting a taste of his exceptional talent here.
If you are looking for a diverse and unflinchingly raw short story collection that is disturbingly gutwrenching yet surprisingly heartwarming in places, I would highly recommend giving The World Wasn't Ready For You a shot. This one will haunt me for a while, and I am not even mad about it.
November 8, 2023
Spooky speculative fiction short stories with Black and Brown characters as the protagonists. I especially enjoyed the story "Customer Service," about the use of a body double to manage a busy life and how that goes off the rails - as told through emails between the user and customer service. Another favorite is the third story, "Wellness Check," about a young seal/aquarium caretaker falling in love during a future pandemic- and how advanced technological and societal methods for managing the virus impact the budding relationship- for better or worse. "One Hand in the Casket" is a creepy one- about a boy given a puppet in the likeness of his dead brother, which is supposed to help him cope with the loss but has the opposite effect. The speculative fiction genre gives Key (who is a psychiatrist as well as a writer) a vehicle to approach issues of race without getting into contemporary politics, as he writes about in the Author's Note. The stories tackle themes of the individual vs. society and how different individuals have vastly divergent experiences within the same society. Key is certainly a new writer to watch! Enjoy!
December 5, 2024
A solid collection of short stories skirting the line between horror and sci-fi. Most of these ranged between a 3/5 and 5/5 for me which is pretty promising for a collection. "Now you see me" was a standout for a mix of surrealism and horror -- three women with their lives spiraling out after a strange visit to an art gallery. I also enjoyed "Spider King" for its unique body horror and creep factor -- an inmate participating in an experimental study that leads to spiders spawning inside his body. Lastly, "Customer Service" for being comically relatable yet horrifying -- a man trying to get hold of customer service to return a doppelgänger robot that is slowly taking over his life. Can recommend!
March 2, 2024
I got this in audiobook, and the performance was really good. The short stories are amazing, I loved it.
December 2, 2023
In the blurb, this short story collection is described as a mix of Black Mirror and Get Out — that’s actually super accurate! Key uses interesting, creative, and well-written sci-fi, speculative fiction, and horror to tell uniquely human stories, with the natural (and often necessary) integration of sociopolitical themes.
Unfortunately, like Black Mirror episodes, these stories tended to be hit-or-miss. The worst story in this collection was the first (The Perfection of Theresa Watkins), which presents the overdone/already hashed out concept of reviving a dead loved one — admittedly, this has the unique addition of the revived body being someone else’s, raising questions of how intrinsic race is to identity — and is written in a way that feels cliché. The best story is the last (The World Wasn’t Ready For You), which is so achingly beautiful that it left me speechless (and makes up for some of the other lackluster stories), and made me wish for a full novel version! Some of my dislike for a few of these may be a me problem: this is my first time reading horror fiction, so the stories that are easily classified as horror felt so surreal as to be unbelievable.
Unfortunately, like Black Mirror episodes, these stories tended to be hit-or-miss. The worst story in this collection was the first (The Perfection of Theresa Watkins), which presents the overdone/already hashed out concept of reviving a dead loved one — admittedly, this has the unique addition of the revived body being someone else’s, raising questions of how intrinsic race is to identity — and is written in a way that feels cliché. The best story is the last (The World Wasn’t Ready For You), which is so achingly beautiful that it left me speechless (and makes up for some of the other lackluster stories), and made me wish for a full novel version! Some of my dislike for a few of these may be a me problem: this is my first time reading horror fiction, so the stories that are easily classified as horror felt so surreal as to be unbelievable.
June 18, 2024
The short stories in “The World Wasn’t Ready For You” are often quite long, running 40+ pages. Yet they never *felt* long, and that’s maybe my major takeaway after reading Key’s collection. The speculative ideas are compelling, the plots move along at a nice clip, and the characters are interesting and empathetic and relatable. There’s an added kick in terms of the genre that Key writes in - a mix of sci-fi and horror with themes related to his experience as a Black American - that makes the stories eye opening in more way than one.
Some of the stories don’t have quite as much bite as the others. There are one or two that feel a bit too pointed or overt; others whose ideas don’t really support the momentum of the plot. But most stories left me feeling either reflective or as if I had been punched in the gut, and that’s exactly what I wanted out of “The World Wasn’t Ready For You”.
Some of the stories don’t have quite as much bite as the others. There are one or two that feel a bit too pointed or overt; others whose ideas don’t really support the momentum of the plot. But most stories left me feeling either reflective or as if I had been punched in the gut, and that’s exactly what I wanted out of “The World Wasn’t Ready For You”.
October 21, 2024
Took me awhile to decide how I felt about this one. I was initially excited and pulled in by the idea of “Lovecraft Country meets Black Mirror” because I love both those things but I found myself mostly disturbed reading this (when I’m constantly counting how many pages I have left, I know it’s a bad sign). That said, it could be my lack of experience with this genre, and I must admit I think I’d rather enjoy watching some of these chapters playing out on episodes of Black Mirror than reading them. So 3.5 rounded down to 3!
November 13, 2024
Justin Key has a very solid collection of eight short stories in The World Wasn't Ready for You. I liked how unafraid he was to incorporate his experiences of Blackness into these stories, especially in the most hard hitting story, "Now You See Me." But even if you removed his musings on race in America these eight stories are still tense and impactful, especially the those that lean into horror (like "Spider King," another standout for me).
The Perfection of Theresa Watkins 2.5
Afiya's Song 3
Wellness Check 3
Spider King 4
One Hand in the Coffin 3.5
Customer Service 3.5
Now You See Me 4.5
The World Wasn't Ready for You 4
The Perfection of Theresa Watkins 2.5
Afiya's Song 3
Wellness Check 3
Spider King 4
One Hand in the Coffin 3.5
Customer Service 3.5
Now You See Me 4.5
The World Wasn't Ready for You 4
June 25, 2024
I liked it for what it did, shining a light on the experience of being Black in America and the nuanced way the writing did that at times, and the integration of race and politics in a sci-fi work is something I don’t think a lot of writing has done. That being said I felt some of the stories were trying to convey so much commentary on sociopolitical topics that the plot of it was hard to follow or nonsensical in a way I didn’t enjoy. If I could give it 3.5 stars I would.
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May 6, 2025a lot of great stories here. im not into horror.. but i kinda am, hehe 🤪 and this was definitely pushing psychological horror; mixed with realism, and my suspended belief i ended up really enjoying the vision and vividness in writing.
“now you see me” had me out for the count. i think i read it twice. “the world wasnt ready for you” was my favorite emotionally, i grew really attached to the characters. & even with my very real phobia of spiders.. “spider king” went crazy. very unapologetically speaking to and saying much about the black american experience through the chaos.
“now you see me” had me out for the count. i think i read it twice. “the world wasnt ready for you” was my favorite emotionally, i grew really attached to the characters. & even with my very real phobia of spiders.. “spider king” went crazy. very unapologetically speaking to and saying much about the black american experience through the chaos.
August 9, 2024
A solid set of science fiction/horror stories with something of a Twilight Zone feel to them. I’m no horror fan, but it wasn’t too graphic so I didn’t mind.
I appreciated the author’s note at the end as it helped me to better understand what I had just read and where he was coming from; a very different place from the one I grew up in.
Key is a fine writer and if you love this kind of fiction as I do, you’ll enjoy this.
I appreciated the author’s note at the end as it helped me to better understand what I had just read and where he was coming from; a very different place from the one I grew up in.
Key is a fine writer and if you love this kind of fiction as I do, you’ll enjoy this.
August 28, 2024
One million stars, if not more.
Brilliant, genius — one of the best speculative short story collections I’ve ever read, maybe the best.
Not only is this a very important collection, but it’s apparent that Justin C Key is a very important writer.
Story after story, I was completely blown away — audibly and physically reacting.
Brilliant, genius — one of the best speculative short story collections I’ve ever read, maybe the best.
Not only is this a very important collection, but it’s apparent that Justin C Key is a very important writer.
Story after story, I was completely blown away — audibly and physically reacting.
August 12, 2023
Wow! I can't recall a work of short stories (in the speculative fiction vein or any other) that have touched me in this way. Compelling, gripping, masterful were a few words that sprung to mind as I reflected on this book...
Telling stories with a focus on the Black experience, the author wove tales of racial disparity and discord through the use of metaphors and allegories in the context of futurism and dystopian technologies. "Spider King," in particular, stuck with me. It was the story of a prison inmate being given the option to receive his freedom in exchange for taking part in a sinister experiment. And "Customer Service" was a unique story told entirely through emails. All about a service called Two Places At Once, in which a person could have a clone do your daily tasks, the person seeking to cancel this service met an untimely end based on corporate red tape and miscommunication.
With eight stories in all, this book was so richly detailed and interestingly complex, it felt like every story was a novel. My favorite books are ones that stick with me...and this one, I am certain, will stay with me forever. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good book!
Telling stories with a focus on the Black experience, the author wove tales of racial disparity and discord through the use of metaphors and allegories in the context of futurism and dystopian technologies. "Spider King," in particular, stuck with me. It was the story of a prison inmate being given the option to receive his freedom in exchange for taking part in a sinister experiment. And "Customer Service" was a unique story told entirely through emails. All about a service called Two Places At Once, in which a person could have a clone do your daily tasks, the person seeking to cancel this service met an untimely end based on corporate red tape and miscommunication.
With eight stories in all, this book was so richly detailed and interestingly complex, it felt like every story was a novel. My favorite books are ones that stick with me...and this one, I am certain, will stay with me forever. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good book!
August 19, 2023
my top stories from this collection were:
- the perfection of theresa watkins
- customer service
- one hand in the coffin
this was read on the train and i had to keep myself from viscerally reacting especially while reading these stories
- the perfection of theresa watkins
- customer service
- one hand in the coffin
this was read on the train and i had to keep myself from viscerally reacting especially while reading these stories
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October 19, 2024Much more consistently good than a lot of story collections I've read. A lot of Black Mirrorish "what if technology but too much/what if X was fucked up" conceits, but executed really well. "One Hand In the Coffin" was especially creepy, plus very good depictions of autistic sensory stuff, imo.
April 20, 2025
Great collection of short stories, starts off strong with The Perfection of Theresa Watkins. My favorite was Now You See Me. Customer Service was a great quick read in a different format to break up a couple heavier stories.
January 10, 2024
I loved this. A creative and dark collection that uses well written speculative fiction in the best ways. This book made me think, and that's a wonderful thing.
February 20, 2024
This was a solid collection of societal black short stories. My favorites were: Spider King and One Hand in the Coffin. It has a mix of sci-fi and horror.
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June 23, 2024DNF- Read the first story and felt uncomfortable.
December 23, 2025
3.5 rounded up
October 8, 2024
This is a collection of short horror stories. It delivered.
April 15, 2024
Love me some short stories sci fi thriller vibes obsessed obsessed obsessed
September 3, 2023
This is not a genre I usually prefer but I really liked it. There were so many stories that captivated me and I was hoping it would continue. I recommend this book even if it's not your usual genre. Each story definitely made me think. Spider Man made me a little uncomfortable because it featured spiders but that's just me.
September 13, 2024
As is the case with all short story collections, there are hits and misses or there are some that resonate more than others so reviewing as a whole is a little more difficult.
But author Key does a great job in telling stories from a perspective that the world of sci-fi and horror severely lacks even now. And in a way that only voices like his can tell.
That being said, I don’t want to spoil anything or give too much away because again, these are short stories so I tried to give a two sentence briefing review for each one.
✒The Perfection of Theresa Watkins
Really interesting dive into the concept of bringing back a loved one’s consciousness but in a different body. Felt this one was a nice fit as an opener for the rest of the stories.
✒Afiya’s Song
Heartbreaking one revolving on a story of slavery and the power of finding ways to cope. The structure of this one as a play on oral history and the “magical negro” trope was solid.
✒Wellness Check
Pandemic-centered story of finding a connection with someone and the barriers in having to adapt through technology. A few of the stories have a futuristic element to them but this one was the least sci-fi of them in terms of it feeling more realistic, which lends to its own type of daunting sci-fi concept.
✒Spider King
I have arachnophobia so I hated everything about this story 😭. Outside of that, the concept was definitely in that realm of unsettling in terms of the lengths of unethical experimentation. And I think it’d make anyone’s skin crawl regardless of how they feel about spiders.
✒One Hand in the Coffin
A really good creepy one involving a young child’s grief and a disturbing puppet. This one definitely pushed into horror moreso than the other stories.
✒Customer Service
One of my top favorites and I feel like the title suffices in explaining it. Story is told through exchanging emails and the way it builds is both humorous but also chilling.
✒Now You See Me
Another one of my faves. Goes into real concepts of discrimination and prejudices especially faced by WOC and is uniquely told through an, ‘in another’s shoes’ way.
✒The World Wasn’t Ready For You
Very clever story about an “Earth-father” dealing with trying to give his “half-alien” son as much of a happy life as he can on a planet that discriminates against those not from Earth. Also thought this one was a great ender story.
But author Key does a great job in telling stories from a perspective that the world of sci-fi and horror severely lacks even now. And in a way that only voices like his can tell.
That being said, I don’t want to spoil anything or give too much away because again, these are short stories so I tried to give a two sentence briefing review for each one.
✒The Perfection of Theresa Watkins
Really interesting dive into the concept of bringing back a loved one’s consciousness but in a different body. Felt this one was a nice fit as an opener for the rest of the stories.
✒Afiya’s Song
Heartbreaking one revolving on a story of slavery and the power of finding ways to cope. The structure of this one as a play on oral history and the “magical negro” trope was solid.
✒Wellness Check
Pandemic-centered story of finding a connection with someone and the barriers in having to adapt through technology. A few of the stories have a futuristic element to them but this one was the least sci-fi of them in terms of it feeling more realistic, which lends to its own type of daunting sci-fi concept.
✒Spider King
I have arachnophobia so I hated everything about this story 😭. Outside of that, the concept was definitely in that realm of unsettling in terms of the lengths of unethical experimentation. And I think it’d make anyone’s skin crawl regardless of how they feel about spiders.
✒One Hand in the Coffin
A really good creepy one involving a young child’s grief and a disturbing puppet. This one definitely pushed into horror moreso than the other stories.
✒Customer Service
One of my top favorites and I feel like the title suffices in explaining it. Story is told through exchanging emails and the way it builds is both humorous but also chilling.
✒Now You See Me
Another one of my faves. Goes into real concepts of discrimination and prejudices especially faced by WOC and is uniquely told through an, ‘in another’s shoes’ way.
✒The World Wasn’t Ready For You
Very clever story about an “Earth-father” dealing with trying to give his “half-alien” son as much of a happy life as he can on a planet that discriminates against those not from Earth. Also thought this one was a great ender story.
December 20, 2023
Wow. The World Wasn't Ready for You was so much more than I expected. Each short story was amazing on its own and kept me wanting more. I would have happily continued reading a full book based on each short story's premise. Each story made me think, but kept me engaged, and a bit creeped out, if we're being honest. Wonderfully written, and easy to get through in a couple of hours. I am so thankful to have received an ARC of this book, as it is not something I would have typically picked out for myself, but I will be thinking about it for a long time.
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