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Thyme Travellers: An Anthology of Palestinian Speculative Fiction

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Thyme Travellers collects fourteen of the Palestinian diaspora's best voices in speculative fiction. Speculative fiction as a genre invites a reconfiguring of reality, and here each story is a portal into realms of history, folklore and futures.

A man stands on the shore waiting to commune with those who live in the ocean. Pilgrims stretch into the distance, passing a stone cairn with a mysterious light streaming from it. Two Australian women fervently dig a tunnel to Jerusalem. Men from Gaza swim in the sea until they drown, still unconcerned. A father and son struggle to connect over the AI scripts prompting their conversation.

Building on the work of trailblazing anthologies such as Reworlding Ramallah and Palestine +100, this volume is the first of its kind in Canada. Editor Sonia Sulaiman brings together stories by speculative fiction veterans and emerging writers from Australia to Egypt, Lebanon to Canada.

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2024

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About the author

Sonia Sulaiman

15 books64 followers
Sonia Sulaiman is a Pushcart nominated, BNW and Lammy finalist author. She writes short speculative fiction inspired by Palestinian folklore. Her work has appeared in ArabLit Quarterly, Beladi, FANTASY, FIYAH Literary Magazine, Lackington's Magazine, and Speculatively Queer's Xencultivars anthology.

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Profile Image for Rosh.
2,400 reviews5,014 followers
September 12, 2024
In a Nutshell: An anthology of Palestinian speculative fiction. Focusses on the Palestinian identity as well as the speculative content without losing track of either. The OwnVoices writing and the undertone of wistfulness adds to the impact. Much recommended to SFF lovers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"All Palestinian fiction is speculative; we are always grappling with the past and living in expectation of the future..."

"The world as I know it will be a memory by the time you read these words."


This anthology of fourteen stories was conceptualized before the latest war began. So the above sentences in the editor’s note seem even more poignant. While we know war comes with uncertainty and mayhem, most of us haven’t experienced living under a daily threat of death and destruction. No wonder fantastical writing is the preferred mode of storytelling for Palestinian authors.

Though speculative, there's a strong flavour of Palestine, its people and its culture in these stories. The pulse of the story is not on the weird but on the real, with each tale focussing on the humans and their emotions, even though their world isn't the one we necessarily know.

As every contributing author is from Palestine, their writing depicts their innate awareness of the social structure and the political upheavals. Many of the tales contain an undertone of hiraeth, and of wishful thinking, seeking an end to the turmoil and wanting justice to come to Palestine.

The lengths of the stories differ, as do the ages of the central protagonists. Some of the stories are on the longer side, but they don’t feel dragged. However, a few of the stories were a bit too disjointed for my liking. They leaned far too much into the speculative side, which my pragmatic head struggles with. Those who are bigger fans of SFF might not face a similar issue. That said, every single one of the tales was imaginative and distinct, never creating a feeling of déjà vu.

I can’t help contrast this experience with another anthology I read in November last year. ‘Embroidered Worlds’ is also an OwnVoices speculative fiction collection, written by writers from yet another war-torn nation: Ukraine. However, most of the stories in the Ukrainian collection had no glimpse of Ukrainian culture or beliefs or the politics. Instead, the focus was solely on the speculative. On the contrary, this Palestinian collection makes sure that the stories don’t lose track of their cultural identity even while exploring the speculative. No points for guessing which approach I preferred.

There is a detailed glossary at the end this book, and to my surprise, discussion questions as well. I have never seen this in any anthology I've read to date.

The bio of each contributing author is present at the end. I wish these details had been placed immediately after their respective stories; this makes it so much easier to know more about writers whose work clicked well for us.

As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the fourteen stories, seven stories reached or crossed the four-star mark. The rest were more varied in performance, getting anywhere between 2-3.5 stars. These were my top favourites.
🍉 Down Under - Jumaana Abdu: A strong speculative story that offers an ending but doesn't offer closure. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🍉 The Third Or Fourth Casualty - Ziyad Saadi: Wish the ending had worked better for me but this was still a powerful story. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🍉 The Generation Chip - Nadia Afifi: Such a beautiful story of a life not lived to the fullest! Excellent blend of fantasy and reality. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🍉 Soul Searching - Rana Othman: This took an expected pattern of storytelling and made it magically speculative. The child narrator’s perspective made it even better. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

🍉 Cyrano de AI - Karl El-Koura: An interesting look at a world where human interactions are entirely enhanced through AI add-ons. This might just be the future, and if it is, I don't think I'm looking forward to it. Loved the ending! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

🍉 The Frontrunner - J.D. Harlock: Started off as a typical story about a psychic warning about potential catastrophe. Ended in a totally unexpected way. Enjoyed the turn-around. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🍉 The Centre of the Universe - Nadia Shammas: Probably one of the most bizarre stories I have read in my life! I just didn’t see where it was going. I wish there had been more detailing at the end. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐


On the whole, I enjoyed my first flavour of Palestinian fiction and would love to read more from the region. Here’s wishing for a quick resolution to the conflict.

Definitely recommended to short fiction lovers looking for a dash of Palestinian flavour and a splash of speculative storytelling through OwnVoices perspectives.

3.5 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each tale, rounding up for the theme and the OwnVoices factor.


My thanks to Roseway Publishing for providing the DRC of “Thyme Travellers” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
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Profile Image for Zana.
888 reviews324 followers
October 20, 2024
Buddy read with Mel!

Post-read:

I'm very happy to say that I quite liked this anthology! The first couple of stories weren't my fave, so I was kinda worried that this might not be my thing (the previous Palestinian spec fic anthology I read, Palestine +100, was just okay).

But I'm glad that my reading experience turned out differently. I think after the first few stories, I got the gist of what the authors were going for (ambiguity, heavy on the metaphors, and leaning towards the fantastical on varying degrees), so it was much easier to understand the more I read.

Some of my favorites from this collection are:
The Generation Chip by Nadia Afifi
Soul Searching by Rana Othman
Cyrano de AI by Karl El-Koura
Gaza Luna by Samah Serour Fadil
The Centre of the Universe by Nadia Shammas


Pre-read:

I fear I might be slightly harsher when it comes to rating speculative short stories than my buddy reader. I'm more of a fan of straightforward, hero's journey type of stories, and so far, these stories are the total opposite. So, maybe take my reviews with a grain of salt.


Thank you to Roseway Publishing and NetGalley for this arc.



Down Under by Jumaana Abdu
3.5/5 stars


Nouran steps into a tunnel that supposedly leads to Palestine.

First story in this anthology! But I'm not too sure how I feel about it. I know Mel really liked it.

It's a very metaphorical story, with two different young women trying to find their way to Palestine. One is an emigrant while the other is a diaspora kid.

Mel said she liked the discussions on the differences and similarities on how they view and experience their Palestinian-ness. I liked that their search for Palestine through tunnels (and getting lost) is a metaphor for Palestine's existence in the future.



The Third or Fourth Casualty by Ziyad Saadi
3/5 stars


A group of children swim in the ocean by Gaza's shores.

This is another metaphorical story on children not being able to return to Gaza after dying while swimming. (Although the writer mentions several times that their deaths aren't relevant, which is an obvious red herring.)

Since it's a huge metaphor, I'm not sure if I understood it correctly. Maybe someone else might read it differently.



The Generation Chip by Nadia Afifi
5/5 stars


Kamel reunites with his family and becomes the sole custodian of his grandmother's "generation chip."

Excellent short story! So far, this one is my absolute favorite! Futuristic sci-fi dramas about family secrets are definitely my jam.

I'm not sure if there was any specific word count, but if there was, the author really used it to their advantage. There's a beginning, middle, and end, and there's even a hero's journey of sorts. The characters are fleshed out enough that the reader is immersed in the story.

I'd read more from Nadia Afifi!



Soul Searching by Rana Othman
5/5 stars


Young Hiba gets an opportunity to atone for her mean girl bullying

I'm not usually a fan of grown-up stories with little kid characters, but I was very surprised by this one! It's the typical "mean girl learns that bullying is wrong" type of trope-filled story, but I think the Palestinian setting and characters gave it both a realistic and fantastic depth. It reads like a modern-day fable with a Palestinian twist, and I loved it.



The Heart Knows the Truth by Layla Azmi Ghoushey
2/5 stars


Arwa goes on a journey through time and space.

I'll admit, I don't really understand this one. It's very fantasy-based and I'm definitely not knowledgeable enough to understand any of the cultural references. My imagination did love Palestine as a planet, the time traveling, and the people that the MC met, so it wasn't a total bust for me.



Cyrano de AI by Karl El-Koura
4.5/5 stars


Nait and his father reflect on life with and without augmentations.

Just when I thought that this anthology wasn't going to hold my interest, here comes another interesting short story! But then again, I do love stories about augmented humans and I'm very intrigued when it comes to learning about how AI (whether it's "true" AI or just generative AI) will help or hinder us.

This was also a story about a father and his adult son disconnecting from the digital world for a bit and reconnecting in real life, not to mention the son learning from his failures with using AI as a crutch. I do love feel good parent-child stories.



The Frontrunner by JD Harlock
1/5 stars


Bilal Mohsen is in a literal life and death situation on a plane.

I'll be honest. I wasn't a fan of this at all. There wasn't really a conclusive ending, nor was the ending the type of ending that made me think deeply. It just felt like your typical thriller on an airplane where the antagonist(?) asks the MC if he wants to take the red pill or the blue pill.



A Table Set for Two by Emad El-Din Aysha
3/5 stars


An Arab scientist and a Spanish scientist build a time machine.

As a lover of time travel stories, I should like, if not outright love, this. But it was just okay. It was more about the two scientists' relationship in the first half, and the second half suddenly went into overdrive with compare and contrast, alternate reality/future time travel stuff. It felt really disjointed and would've been better if it was longer.



In the Future, We Can Go Back Home by Sara Solara
4.5/5 stars


The MC, a child of Palestinian refugees, visits Palestine for the first time.

I questioned whether I would belong, and still that fear eats at me. It is my first time here in Palestine. I cannot speak the language of my ancestors. There is so much I do not yet know, as much as I have tried to learn, because I was barely raised in my own culture, because it was taken from me in the violence of colonialism that pressured my family to erase themselves. There is also the fact I am in love with a woman, and I cannot help but wonder: Will the land love me back in all my queerness? It all hangs heavy over my shoulders.


I'm always a sucker for stories about people from any diaspora going back to their homeland and learning about their family's past. Amidst what's happening, this was a really well-written and feel-good story that hit all the right notes.



The Forty by Sonia Sulaiman
4/5 stars


A small group of pilgrims bear Witness to the past, their ancestors, and the Occupation.

I quite liked this simple futuristic short. You can feel yourself as part of the pilgrimage and everyone is remembering Palestine and the occupation from long ago, in their own way. The cairns being built and placed feel like a religious rite that places nature above all else. And mixing it with memory feels very philosophical.



Remembrance in Cerulean by Elise Stephens
4/5 stars


Paul Thresher, a mechanical engineer taking after his father, forges a bond with Vezda, an alien being who forces him to reconcile with his past.

I love tentacled aquatic aliens as much as the next sci-fi enthusiast, but mix it with a MC who has to reckon with his family issues? Count me in.

At first, I didn't understand the point of the aliens, but I think they're a tool for the MC to understand himself and also might be a metaphor for... colonization? And maybe humanity's trigger-happy reaction to anything that we quickly deem as threats to our survival? I'm not sure.


Gaza Luna by Samah Serour Fadil
5/5 stars


Handala is smuggled into the US and achieves his dreams, but not in the way that he had planned.

The older I get, the more I really don't mind fantasy-based endings on stories that otherwise read as realistic fiction. Sure, you really, really have to suspend your disbelief here, but I loved how the ending was the type of far-reaching dream that a smart refugee kid, who worked hard his entire life, could someday achieve.

Of course, I also loved how it's a reminder that your birthplace, your childhood, your parents, etc. can heavily factor into your future.



Orlando's Wolf by Rasha Abdulhadi
3/5 stars


Yusuf stages a revolt against the European invaders.

I might be too dumb for this since I wasn't an English lit major, so I understood nothing. I did like the historical (Crusades era?) vibes though.



The Centre of the Universe by Nadia Shammas
4.5/5 stars


When Abigail interacts with a specific person, it is the only time that they can physically move or act.

I didn't think I'd like this story (it felt pointless at first), but fighting against your programming is always one of my favorite themes in SFF. The ending is *chef's kiss*
Profile Image for Danika at The Lesbrary.
712 reviews1,665 followers
September 2, 2024
I highly recommend this collection both as a timely read that offers a different way into Palestinian literature as well as a memorable speculative short story collection in its own right.

Full review on the September 3rd All the Books episode.
Profile Image for Bogi Takács.
Author 64 books657 followers
Read
February 4, 2025
I read this book right when it came out, but I didn't manage to update on Goodreads - I'm still catching up on longer reviews after my laptop died.

As I've been running around and yelling about it since then: This was an excellent anthology and one of my favorite books of 2024.

Here is my daily recommendations thread about one of the stories (AI-related and extremely timely!) -
https://bsky.app/profile/bogiperson.b...

Hoping to have more, but I wanted to link this in the meanwhile :)
_____
Source of the book: Print ARC from publisher (thank you!!!)
Profile Image for Cait.
1,319 reviews76 followers
October 15, 2024
received an ARC from the publisher that I read a while back and am only just now getting around to reviewing because my time management has gotten significantly worse this year. yikes. truly feel like my brain is breaking down, although whether that's due to my adhd getting worse for whatever reason, the psyche-crushing weight of watching a thousand global horrors unfold at once (including the ongoing and relentless continuation of some of those horrors explored in some of these stories), long covid, or some other undiagnosed issue is anyone's guess.

at any rate, this review, though late, reflects my honest thoughts!

"wrath is my birthright."


this is a really solid anthology that seeks in its own small ways to document the "thousand uprisings which it is the aim of every good biographer of empire to ignore." many but not all of the entries in the collection are explicitly about palestine; the stories are all palestinian speculative fiction by virtue of having been written by palestinian (including diasporan palestinian) writers. some of the stories, therefore, are very direct in their connection to palestine, whereas others are subtler.

my favorite stories of the bunch were "the generation chip," "cyrano de AI," and "gaza luna." definitely worth a read, and I also feel moved to add the following: when I am forced to hear, on a daily basis, people who live in my own country threatening violence (real or imagined) against queer people in an attempt to prevent them from demonstrating support for palestine, I feel so grateful to be able to read stories (fictional in this case, and nonfictional in others) about queer palestinians.

what will you do when palestine is free?


the book ends with a number of concise calls to action in the authors' bios, and I appreciated the tying of these small works of fiction to the large, real, strange, horrible, beautiful world. this collection also drew my attention to the existence of strange horizons' "palestine special issue" from 2021, and for that I am grateful.
Profile Image for Laura.
592 reviews43 followers
July 21, 2024
I am pleased to recommend Thyme Travellers, an excellent collection edited by Sonia Sulaiman. This collection of short speculative fiction by Palestinian diasporic authors accomplishes so, so much in a relatively short page count. There are a wide array of speculative motifs here – AI, alien species, space travel, and time travel to name a few – and there is a range in terms of story length, mood/tone, and themes. I appreciate the inclusion queer representation in several stories.

Inevitably with a collection one will find certain stories stand out, but it is very difficult to choose a few favourites given how consistently strong this one is. Several stories have really stuck with me after having finished them; I suspect this is a book I’ll revisit to re-read some stories again.

I had only read a few of these authors before: Emad El-din Aysha (whose work also appeared in Palestine +100), Nadia Afifi (whose novel The Sentient I enjoyed), and Sonia Sulaiman (whose short fiction I’ve read, and whom I’m happy to call a friend). I am looking forward to reading more from the authors featured here & absolutely recommend this collection wholeheartedly.

Content warnings: violence, war, murder, death, death of a parent, suicide, police brutality, classism, racism, colonization, bullying

Thank you to Roseway Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Profile Image for Zsa Zsa.
775 reviews96 followers
June 3, 2025
♥️💜💙🇵🇸💙💜♥️
Profile Image for Nichole.
138 reviews13 followers
April 15, 2025
A wonderfully creative collection of speculative fiction by Palestinian diaspora writers. I loved all of these stories and how different they were. Not all of them touch on Palestine directly, which is something I guess I had expected, but in the end led the creativity in the range of stories.

I found this was both easy to pick up and put down, because of the length of stories, but also I didn't want to put the book down because I was easily drawn into each new story.

I would love to read more collections like this.
Profile Image for Jung.
463 reviews119 followers
November 2, 2024
[4 stars] A collection of 14 mostly science fiction and fantasy short stories written by diasporic Palestinians. I really enjoyed this one! Editor Sonia Suleiman opens the preface with the contemplation that “all Palestinian fiction is speculative; we are always grappling with the past and living in expectation of the future, while our fictions tell of alternate histories - being by definition, histories told by the colonized” and that curatorial note really came through.

Themes and motifs include time travel, space, aliens, and tech, leaning more toward the realistic in setting and featuring lots of feminist and queer themes. My favorites were Down Under, a story of two women digging their way through the earth from Australia to Jerusalem; The Generation Chip, where three siblings inherit the memories, dreams, and alternate futures of their deceased grandmother; In the Future We Can Go Back Home, which follows a writer and journalist’s first return to her grandmother’s house in a free Palestine; and Gaza Luna, about a young man’s return to Gaza after a childhood and adolescence filled with dreams of flying to the moon.

Recommended to fans of Own Voices short stories and flash fiction, those who enjoyed Octavia’s Brood and want something else in the same vein, readers in search of speculative elements set in (mostly) realistic worlds, and anyone who dreams of a free Palestine within our lifetimes.

Publication Info: Roseway Publishing, September 2024
Goodreads Challenge 2024: 36/48
Popsugar Reading Challenge: set in the future
CN / TW: descriptions and mentions of bullying, death, colonization, war, grief, and genocide
Profile Image for Azrah.
359 reviews5 followers
September 6, 2024
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

CW: violence, gun violence, police brutality, colonialism, war, genocide, blood, death of a loved one, grief, bullying, injury, suicide (off page)
--

This is a wonderful anthology of short speculative fiction stories written by Palestinian authors from the diaspora, that range in length as well as subgenre.

While some draw attention directly from Palestinian history and culture as well as present times others are more subtle in their messaging but each and every piece though vastly different, share themes of belonging, connection, resilience and remembrance.

From considering alternative history, to the exploration of different types of technology, to characters being touched by magic the level of imagination across this collection is fascinating. There were definitely some stories that I connected to less than others but this mostly came down to the fact that they were too short and I was left wishing the authors of those ones had expanded on them a little more.

My personal favourite was Nadia Afifi’s ‘The Generation Chip’ but two other standouts which I am not going to forget any time soon were Ziyad Saadi’s ‘The Third or Fourth Casualty’ and Nadia Shammas’ ‘The Centre of the Universe’.

Packed with heartfelt emotion and thought-provoking sentiments, Thyme Travellers will without a doubt have something for everyone.
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars
Profile Image for Mackenzie (mackenziespocket).
635 reviews85 followers
January 6, 2025
i generally have trouble with anthologies, for two reasons:
1. i think i just prefer longer form writing to short stories
2. as is the nature of anthologies, the stories are quite mixed so my feelings about them are mixed.

HOWEVER!! this anthology really worked for me. i think i really enjoyed every single story!! some more than others, naturally, but i feel like all were quite good. and really important to read. i loved to see the speculative elements manifest in such different ways from each of the writers, and learning more about the Palestinian and Palestinian diaspora experiences

REP: Palestinian main characters, queer main characters, queer side characters [Palestinian authors; some queer authors]

QUOTES:
"How could so much love and anger stay trapped underneath huge cities without causing the lights to burst and the ground to quake?

"I'll sew the stars," she said, "if I must."

"We are not our catastrophe. Never were. "
Profile Image for Rachel Ashera Rosen.
Author 5 books56 followers
August 20, 2025
This is the most important, and unfortunately timely, short story anthology you'll read this year. A collection of speculative fiction from the Palestinian diaspora, it is at once a howl of pain and a light in the darkness. These stories are about the imagination under the shadow of genocide.

Particular standouts for me were The Third or Fourth Casualty by Ziyad Saadi, which made brilliant use of horror and metaphor, The Generation Chip by Nadia Afifi, which took a fairly standard sci-fi metaphor and transformed it into a gorgeous story of exile and queer longing, Gaza Luna by Samah Serour Fadil, which is about a DIY Palestinian space program, and the absolutely brutal The Centre of the Universe by Nadia Shammas. All of the stories were very strong, though.

Thank you to the editor and publisher for sending me an ARC!
Profile Image for J.
633 reviews10 followers
December 18, 2024
Each author brought something to this anthology that will give the reader much to think about, and I really loved the concept of this book. With that said, like any anthology, some stories were stronger than others; I think the ones that felt "weaker" were more because they were too short. I think the two absolute must-reads from this anthology are Nadia Afifi's "The Generation Chip" and Samah Serour Fadil's "Gaza Luna." Those two really stuck out to me.
Profile Image for dobbs the dog.
1,054 reviews33 followers
August 1, 2024
Received from Edelweiss and the publisher, thanks!

This was such a treat to read! Going into it I wasn't really sure what to expect, as I'm not sure that I've read a lot of speculative fiction, but it was great! There was such a great variety of authors and stories, and types of stories! Some had very blatant things to say about how Palestinians are treated, both within Palestine and throughout the world, while others were a bit more covert.

So many of the stories made me quite emotional, especially reading them now, with the genocide in Gaza reaching the ten month mark.

I highly recommend this short little collection of stories.
Profile Image for Travel By Bookmarks.
43 reviews1 follower
December 15, 2024
This book features fourteen of the Palestinian diaspora’s best voices in speculative fiction. From two girls trying to make their way to Jerusalem to men in Gaza swimming in the sea chasing freedom, this book covers many imaginative and heartfelt stories. Speculative fiction is a genre that invites a reconstruction of reality, and, in this book, each story is a portal into folklore and hopefulness for a better future.

Each person’s profile was unique in its own way and showcased different aspects of Palestinian culture. This book was well-written and put together well. I really liked the way it subtly touched on different aspects of Palestine’s history. The book also included many positive themes like resilience, trust, and optimism. I would warn that it also included some heavier themes as well. All the short stories were written by Palestinian authors which is great, but some of the stories did leave me a little confused content-wise since I expected all the stories to center Palestine heavily.

In one of the stories in the book, the protagonist’s grandmother was called Teta Hind. This made me stop reading for a moment and wonder if it was intentional given how recently this book was published. The name Hind reminded me of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old girl who rocked the whole world when she was horrifically shot at 355 times by the Israeli IOF after being trapped in a car with her family, killing them all. The solemn nature of this book made for a sad read but it’s definitely widened my appreciation for speculative fiction.

This read is perfect for those who want to learn about aspects of Palestine through fiction. I loved some stories a lot more than others, mostly because I’m more of a fan of realistic fiction rather than fantasy, but given I chose to read the book knowing this, it won’t affect my rating too much. Also, I imagine that the glossary at the end will help those unfamiliar with the Arabic language to understand some of the words used. I recommend this sombre yet enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Steph | bookedinsaigon.
1,642 reviews432 followers
September 13, 2024
Thank you to Roseway Publishing, Columbia University Press, and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Okay, who wouldn’t love the title + the fact that it is speculative fiction written by authors of the Palestinian diaspora?! You can bet that when I found this gem on NetGalley, I clicked the “Request” button so quickly my hands time(thyme?)-travelled, aha.

Sorry for the terrible joke.

As with any anthology, there are stronger and weaker stories, but THYME TRAVELLERS is a welcome addition to the deeply talented pool of Palestinian and Palestinian diaspora writers to keep Palestine on all our minds.

In the preface, editor Sonia Sulaiman makes the interesting note that the call for submissions was made before October 2023. This is worthwhile to know because not all of the stories explicitly touch upon Palestinian culture or issues.

And that’s okay, I think. Because while every Palestinian is marked by the horror of the Nakba, by apartheid, and by genocide, that is not all that they are. The diversity of diaspora Palestinian voices that appear in this anthology reflect that. (And this is also heartbreaking to think about: that there are many more Palestinians outside of Palestine than there are who live there.) I loved that Sulaiman allowed these authors to just run with their ideas and be who they are.

Some of my favorite stories do address issues of Palestinian oppression or freedom head-on. For instance, my absolute favorite is the first one, “Down Under,” in which Jumaana Abdu gives us a taut, thriller-esque story in which diasporic Palestinians resort to digging a tunnel through the Earth’s core to reach Palestine.

In others, violence against Palestinians is like an initially shallow cut at the side of your eye that grows into an oozing, all-consuming sore. “The Third or Fourth Casualty” by Ziyad Saadi is one such deceptively mundane, increasingly horrifying tale of a group of boys who swim out to sea for a regular day of “fun”.

And some are just writers with Palestinian heritage allowing themselves to write anything they want. For instance, I quite enjoyed Karl el-Koura’s “Cyrano de AI” take on a world in which people wear implants that tell them the best things to say to be the funniest, most charming, and most empathetic person in the room, but I wouldn’t go into the story expecting “Palestinian-ness”.

Definitely get your hands on this quirky and moving little collection if you like short stories featuring diverse voices, speculative fiction, and a free Palestine.
Profile Image for Sanaa Hyder.
Author 3 books20 followers
August 24, 2024
My favourites from this speculative fiction anthology were:

Down Under by Jumaana Abdu: this was captivating and bizarre and I loved it. Dig your way to Palestine? Yes.

The Third or Fourth Casualty by Ziyad Saadi: a heart breaking story of boys swimming in the sea; an important truth, a much needed reminder of what is potentially already happening in real life as I type this.

Soul Searching by Rana Othman: a sweet magical story involving children, riddles, a cat, and Tata Jameela!

The Heart Knows the Truth by Layla Azmi Ghoushey: dreamy and whimsical and lovely.

Remembrance in Cerulean by Elise Stephens: I loved what the author created — these memory-absorbing-infusing species of “aliens”.

Got an ARC of this book from Netgalley.
Profile Image for Clover.
245 reviews14 followers
January 2, 2025
3.5/5
Interesting and short.

This had common themes throughout of grief, remembrance, and unity. It includes violence, gun violence, colonialism, war, suicide, and strong language.

I enjoyed most of these stories, Remembrance in Cerulean by Elise Stephens being my favourite. It's a short book with a variety of genres and voices. It's worth the read as you'll find something you enjoy. Digging to Palestine. Flying to the moon. Memory chips. Being seen, being alive, and being the center of the universe. All captivating and intriguing.

Check your local library! Read diverse books from all sides, all walks of life, and everything in between. Stories are for all of us.
Profile Image for blok sera szwajcarskiego.
1,074 reviews334 followers
January 15, 2025
3,75 ⭐️

Received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for honest opinion, thanks!

Anthologies are always a tough nut to crack – so many voices, so many differences. "Thyme Travellers" is a cross-section of various genres and ideas. It draws from historical context, as well as contemporary times, it's full of fantasies and possibilities. It's human and extraordinary, it's hopeful and heartbreaking, it's beautiful and painful. Some stories I liked more than the other, but overall I wouldn't rate it low – it's short but complex representation of Palestinian writing, both from across the world and from the very heart of the land.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.
Profile Image for Holly.
539 reviews11 followers
November 18, 2025
I never buy books off of Amazon, but I made an exception of Thyme Travelers, because I couldn't find it anywhere else 😅 I still have a few boxes on my Bingo board to cross off, and Thyme Travelers, and anthology of Palestinian speculative fiction, will mark off Short Story collection

Thyme Travelers is a fantastic anthology. The stories in this book convey a variety of different worlds, and experiences. The stories press into the readers, and make you acknowledge their themes. Loss, displacement, grief, but also hope and love.

I am glad I read this book, and you should too!
Profile Image for Maria.
100 reviews
August 20, 2024
I think that trying to make short and direct reviews for anthologies is a somewhat difficult task, however I will say, that Thyme Travelers as a collection of narratives from Palestinian authors is a very poignant and unique compilation. Every story delves into the feeling of diaspora, the alienation from home and the fear of staying, and they all encapsulate those feelings in deep ways.
Profile Image for Chris.
Author 17 books87 followers
November 25, 2024
Lots of themes of place, time (nostalgia, history, and hope for a better future), and politics, the speculative nature of these stories finds hope in what must feel like an incredibly bleak reality for the Palestinian diaspora. But they do not shy away from that reality. The voices here are defiant and strong and proud. My favourites were "Down Under," "The Generation Chip," (I love the concept of the road not taken inherited on a computer chip), "In the Future, We Can Go Back Home," "Remembrance in Cerulean," and "Gaza Luna."
Profile Image for Andrew Sare.
258 reviews
June 6, 2025
Speculative fiction can give interesting insights into the hopes, desires and fears of others. To see a Palestinian treatment taken on by a Nova Scotian publisher was something I couldn't resist. One of my favorite plot premises in the collections was that the Ottoman Empire had a secret space program based in Gaza that somehow survived in a skeleton form until present day.
Profile Image for Ahmad Kurnia.
46 reviews
May 18, 2025
"Seseorang hanya dapat dilahirkan di satu tempat. Namun, ia dapat meninggal beberapa kali di tempat lain: di pengasingan dan penjara, dan di tanah air yang diubah oleh pendudukan dan penindasan menjadi mimpi buruk" - Sonia Sulaiman.
Profile Image for Vincent.
168 reviews2 followers
January 10, 2025
Pretty good albeit a bit inconsistent from story to story.
Profile Image for Athena A..
169 reviews1 follower
April 23, 2025
may all these incredible authors live long enough to return safely to their ancestral homelands…. and may ramy youssef & mo amer pickup some of these concepts for new tv series hehe :)
212 reviews2 followers
September 25, 2025
A powerful collection of speculative fiction short stories that speaks to the oppression, resistance, and surprisingly thriving Palestinian community / diaspora.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews

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