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The Lucky Ones
Alistair Mackay is back - and this time with a dazzling, poignant collection of stories that's brimming with heart.
At a family gathering in the suburbs of Cape Town, an unexpected encounter changes everything for Andile. Jeremy, reeling from the loss of his partner, fears he might be losing his grip on reality. We spend the night with Trevor, an Uber driver from Central Africa, as he drives drunk people home in Johannesburg, and meet unforgettable characters from New York to the Tsitsikamma rainforest, in stories that range from the past to the present, and our near future.
In The Lucky Ones, the acclaimed author of It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way and The Child offers us an intimate glimpse into a variety of lives and experiences. These stories champion love, kindness and connection against all odds, and will stay with the reader long after they've turned the final page.
"At once hopeful, melancholic, wry and insightful, Alistair Mackay's collection of short stories is beautifully crafted and stylistically innovative." - Nadia Davids
"Mackay brings to life the diverse anxieties and promises of South African life, love and identity." - Nick Mulgrew
At a family gathering in the suburbs of Cape Town, an unexpected encounter changes everything for Andile. Jeremy, reeling from the loss of his partner, fears he might be losing his grip on reality. We spend the night with Trevor, an Uber driver from Central Africa, as he drives drunk people home in Johannesburg, and meet unforgettable characters from New York to the Tsitsikamma rainforest, in stories that range from the past to the present, and our near future.
In The Lucky Ones, the acclaimed author of It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way and The Child offers us an intimate glimpse into a variety of lives and experiences. These stories champion love, kindness and connection against all odds, and will stay with the reader long after they've turned the final page.
"At once hopeful, melancholic, wry and insightful, Alistair Mackay's collection of short stories is beautifully crafted and stylistically innovative." - Nadia Davids
"Mackay brings to life the diverse anxieties and promises of South African life, love and identity." - Nick Mulgrew
- GenresShort Stories
192 pages, Paperback
Published April 15, 2025
4 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Alistair Mackay
5 books112 followersAlistair Mackay is the author of It Doesn't Have To Be This Way (2022), a story of queer love and friendship through climate breakdown, and The Child (2024), a novel about healing, resilience and love in a divided country.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 15, 2025
I’ll read everything he writes 👌🏼
May 1, 2025
It is incredible to think this is Alistair’s third book since 2022, when ‘It Doesn’t Have to be This Way’ was published, one of the finest speculative fiction novels from Africa, and certainly one of the best cli-fi dystopias in that cluttered sub-genre.
What made Alistair’s book stand out was how he centred queer, non-white experiences, still a rarity in the genre, let alone South African fiction. That such stories continue to be told by white writers is indicative not only of the racial and economic disparities of the publishing industry, but of the postcolonial fractures that run through our country like fault lines.
And then there is the nature writing. Alistair has a poetic sensibility in homing in on specific details that allow readers into the heart of the landscapes he loves so much. Kim Stanley Robinson, the great speculative fiction writer and social activist, whose ‘The Ministry for the Future’ (2020) made it onto Obama’s yearly reading list, has written a non-fiction book simply called ‘The High Sierra: A Love Story’. I wish Alistair would do the same for the Western Cape fynbos region, one of the natural wonders of the living world.
‘The Child’ (2024) was a pared back, intensely emotional story of a white gay couple negotiating race, class, and politics in the shadow of Day Zero in Cape Town, when South Africa became a ‘test case’ for climate change after one of its biggest cities literally ran dry.
It sounds like one of those dusty ‘struggle novels’ we were required to read at university, but Alistair has a surgical finesse in laying bare the intersectionality of his characters’ emotional lives. This comes through in his latest book, ‘The Lucky Ones’ (2025), a collection of short stories (some old, some new, as he says.)
The short format is widely used by African speculative fiction writers to break through and make their voice heard. Alistair mentions Brittle Paper as having published one of his early stories, which continues to do sterling work in promoting unknown writers on the continent.
It is therefore extremely frustrating for me that short stories get such short shrift from readers. Surely it should be the exact opposite. People are constantly decrying a lack of time, multi-tasking families and partners and gig jobs, while constantly alarming news filters in from the implosion of globalisation. Surely short stories are ideal literary palette cleansers in this regard. Poetry faces a similar discrimination and lack of understanding as to its power, purity, and truth.
I told the young woman at the bookshop where I got Alistair’s latest book it was such a pleasure to find a well-stocked local section. Do you read local fiction? I asked her. Oh no, she does not want to be reminded of our local problems, she told me brightly (she reads romantasy.)
I smiled equally brightly and left. We increasingly have well-educated (and employed, if they are lucky) young people, post-democracy, who proudly declare they do not vote, have no interest in politics, and are totally disconnected from the world at large, focused instead on their peer groups and family and social circles. Which, of course, is simply another type of coping mechanism.
Alistair takes a lot of these issues and turns them on their head, as in the chilling ‘Young People Problems’, where carbon credit calculations and emissions controls become a new form of green apartheid. The opening ‘Fever Tree’ is also about the dismissiveness of the youth, which can (and often does) harden into a kind of arrogance about ignorance:
Jeremy hated the way Kyle used ‘octogenarian’ to denote anything boring and old-fashioned. The first time he’d said it had been to refer to Jeremy’s monogamous relationship with David, but he used it for all kinds of behaviour he disliked. Sleeping the recommended eight hours. Reading books. Caring about the people around you. As if old people weren’t more impressive than all of them put together. Any actual octogenarians had survived things Jeremy couldn’t bear…
The passage of time is relentless, as we are reminded in the hilarious opening line of ‘The Lucky Ones’: “The first thing Andile did when he discovered the grey pube was pour himself a whiskey.” So, this collection is a slice of everyday life; like the rings in a tree’s cross-section, its parts are separate but conjoined. That’s an apt metaphor, especially as ‘Fever Tree’ laments the natural heritage that is shrinking daily:
Trees are no match for us. Even the ancient, sturdy ones, even the ones we haven’t trapped in tiny bonsai dishes, they can’t survive us. They can’t survive our clearings and our emissions. We’ll burn the planet to the ground for bigger houses, faster cars, faster AI, ideologies that don’t work.
It’s also about community, and the sociopolitical gulf that continues to divide South Africans. In ‘You Can’t Stay Here’, about an enforced eviction in a Cape Town informal settlement, Malusi wonders: “Is it their capacity for reason that has failed, or their hearts?”
South Africans are masters at cognitive dissonance, and many of these stories lean into that duality. It is also a psychic fracturing and scarring that we have just come to accept as normal. The vulnerability of Alistair’s characters, and the tenderness with which he tells their disparate stories, is something we seldom allow each other in real life.
In ‘Why Don’t South Africans Read Fiction?’, a character remarks: “We have bigger problems than novels…” In ‘Three Readings’, we are told: “It takes bravery to commit a story to writing.” This is a remarkably cohesive collection that gives a rare insight into contemporary South Africa and its dysmorphia. From ‘The Lucky Ones’:
All for the tourists, Andile knew, to make the atmosphere festive and loud, to match the Africa they expected: carefree and happy, a land of grinning musicians and sunshine and a wholesome, hearty attitude that triumphs over all adversity.
Is it a cliché to say that despite the disparity, there is still hope? Alistair is realistic about the existential and psychological challenges faced by his characters, some who are not very likeable, narcissistic, and make terrible choices. Many stories focus on queer experiences, but this is by no means a ‘gay collection’. There is an unexpected bolt of white-hot sex in one, simmering violence and beauty and calm in others.
It is a bunch of vignettes culled from everyday South African experience. Everyone who reads this will find something of themselves or their friends or even family in these pages. You may not like what you see, but fiction is the magic mirror that tells us: Look and see. And change. There is still time.
Of Alistair’s three books to date, this is perhaps my favourite. The range of subject matter, his powers of observation, analysis, and ability to convey nuance and empathy, are all on magnificent display here. Many of these stories surprised me with the turns they took, which shows a wordsmith in total control of his craft. And remarkably attuned to our current zeitgeist.
What made Alistair’s book stand out was how he centred queer, non-white experiences, still a rarity in the genre, let alone South African fiction. That such stories continue to be told by white writers is indicative not only of the racial and economic disparities of the publishing industry, but of the postcolonial fractures that run through our country like fault lines.
And then there is the nature writing. Alistair has a poetic sensibility in homing in on specific details that allow readers into the heart of the landscapes he loves so much. Kim Stanley Robinson, the great speculative fiction writer and social activist, whose ‘The Ministry for the Future’ (2020) made it onto Obama’s yearly reading list, has written a non-fiction book simply called ‘The High Sierra: A Love Story’. I wish Alistair would do the same for the Western Cape fynbos region, one of the natural wonders of the living world.
‘The Child’ (2024) was a pared back, intensely emotional story of a white gay couple negotiating race, class, and politics in the shadow of Day Zero in Cape Town, when South Africa became a ‘test case’ for climate change after one of its biggest cities literally ran dry.
It sounds like one of those dusty ‘struggle novels’ we were required to read at university, but Alistair has a surgical finesse in laying bare the intersectionality of his characters’ emotional lives. This comes through in his latest book, ‘The Lucky Ones’ (2025), a collection of short stories (some old, some new, as he says.)
The short format is widely used by African speculative fiction writers to break through and make their voice heard. Alistair mentions Brittle Paper as having published one of his early stories, which continues to do sterling work in promoting unknown writers on the continent.
It is therefore extremely frustrating for me that short stories get such short shrift from readers. Surely it should be the exact opposite. People are constantly decrying a lack of time, multi-tasking families and partners and gig jobs, while constantly alarming news filters in from the implosion of globalisation. Surely short stories are ideal literary palette cleansers in this regard. Poetry faces a similar discrimination and lack of understanding as to its power, purity, and truth.
I told the young woman at the bookshop where I got Alistair’s latest book it was such a pleasure to find a well-stocked local section. Do you read local fiction? I asked her. Oh no, she does not want to be reminded of our local problems, she told me brightly (she reads romantasy.)
I smiled equally brightly and left. We increasingly have well-educated (and employed, if they are lucky) young people, post-democracy, who proudly declare they do not vote, have no interest in politics, and are totally disconnected from the world at large, focused instead on their peer groups and family and social circles. Which, of course, is simply another type of coping mechanism.
Alistair takes a lot of these issues and turns them on their head, as in the chilling ‘Young People Problems’, where carbon credit calculations and emissions controls become a new form of green apartheid. The opening ‘Fever Tree’ is also about the dismissiveness of the youth, which can (and often does) harden into a kind of arrogance about ignorance:
Jeremy hated the way Kyle used ‘octogenarian’ to denote anything boring and old-fashioned. The first time he’d said it had been to refer to Jeremy’s monogamous relationship with David, but he used it for all kinds of behaviour he disliked. Sleeping the recommended eight hours. Reading books. Caring about the people around you. As if old people weren’t more impressive than all of them put together. Any actual octogenarians had survived things Jeremy couldn’t bear…
The passage of time is relentless, as we are reminded in the hilarious opening line of ‘The Lucky Ones’: “The first thing Andile did when he discovered the grey pube was pour himself a whiskey.” So, this collection is a slice of everyday life; like the rings in a tree’s cross-section, its parts are separate but conjoined. That’s an apt metaphor, especially as ‘Fever Tree’ laments the natural heritage that is shrinking daily:
Trees are no match for us. Even the ancient, sturdy ones, even the ones we haven’t trapped in tiny bonsai dishes, they can’t survive us. They can’t survive our clearings and our emissions. We’ll burn the planet to the ground for bigger houses, faster cars, faster AI, ideologies that don’t work.
It’s also about community, and the sociopolitical gulf that continues to divide South Africans. In ‘You Can’t Stay Here’, about an enforced eviction in a Cape Town informal settlement, Malusi wonders: “Is it their capacity for reason that has failed, or their hearts?”
South Africans are masters at cognitive dissonance, and many of these stories lean into that duality. It is also a psychic fracturing and scarring that we have just come to accept as normal. The vulnerability of Alistair’s characters, and the tenderness with which he tells their disparate stories, is something we seldom allow each other in real life.
In ‘Why Don’t South Africans Read Fiction?’, a character remarks: “We have bigger problems than novels…” In ‘Three Readings’, we are told: “It takes bravery to commit a story to writing.” This is a remarkably cohesive collection that gives a rare insight into contemporary South Africa and its dysmorphia. From ‘The Lucky Ones’:
All for the tourists, Andile knew, to make the atmosphere festive and loud, to match the Africa they expected: carefree and happy, a land of grinning musicians and sunshine and a wholesome, hearty attitude that triumphs over all adversity.
Is it a cliché to say that despite the disparity, there is still hope? Alistair is realistic about the existential and psychological challenges faced by his characters, some who are not very likeable, narcissistic, and make terrible choices. Many stories focus on queer experiences, but this is by no means a ‘gay collection’. There is an unexpected bolt of white-hot sex in one, simmering violence and beauty and calm in others.
It is a bunch of vignettes culled from everyday South African experience. Everyone who reads this will find something of themselves or their friends or even family in these pages. You may not like what you see, but fiction is the magic mirror that tells us: Look and see. And change. There is still time.
Of Alistair’s three books to date, this is perhaps my favourite. The range of subject matter, his powers of observation, analysis, and ability to convey nuance and empathy, are all on magnificent display here. Many of these stories surprised me with the turns they took, which shows a wordsmith in total control of his craft. And remarkably attuned to our current zeitgeist.
August 1, 2025
A while back, the author asked on social media how people would describe The Lucky Ones, because he couldn't sum it up himself when anyone asked what his book is about. I wish I'd taken notes. I'm stuck with the same dilemma. Is it too pretentious to say it's about society? Being human? Making connections? The aching loss we feel without them? I loved this collection which includes new stories and ones previously published.
Although the majority of The Lucky Ones is about contemporary South African life, from a queer perspective, my favourite story was 'Young People Problems'. This piece of speculative fiction, set in a near future drought-ravaged dystopia is utterly unique. We see a world where older generations are asked to answer for the environmental destruction the youth have been left to endure.
Others that stood out to me include: 'Fever Tree', a deeply moving story of loss. 'Always Moving' which forefronts the impact of xenophobic violence. And 'You Can't Stay Here' about the illegal destruction of informal housing.
If you've been hesitant about short stories because you're worried they'll leave you hanging, The Lucky Ones is a great place to give them a try. Not only are they incredibly well written, but each stands alone as a complete narrative. Moving between them isn't as easy as turning the page on a new chapter. I took my time to really digest each story and feel them.
I was lucky enough to win this through an Instagram giveaway!
Although the majority of The Lucky Ones is about contemporary South African life, from a queer perspective, my favourite story was 'Young People Problems'. This piece of speculative fiction, set in a near future drought-ravaged dystopia is utterly unique. We see a world where older generations are asked to answer for the environmental destruction the youth have been left to endure.
Others that stood out to me include: 'Fever Tree', a deeply moving story of loss. 'Always Moving' which forefronts the impact of xenophobic violence. And 'You Can't Stay Here' about the illegal destruction of informal housing.
If you've been hesitant about short stories because you're worried they'll leave you hanging, The Lucky Ones is a great place to give them a try. Not only are they incredibly well written, but each stands alone as a complete narrative. Moving between them isn't as easy as turning the page on a new chapter. I took my time to really digest each story and feel them.
I was lucky enough to win this through an Instagram giveaway!
July 9, 2025
Each tale in this collection is a masterpiece, unique and thought-provoking. These snapshots of the human condition capture a range of emotions - angst, denial, anger, hurt, and trauma - yet sparkles of hope shine through. What's more, some stories, for me at least, left room for interpretation, allowing me to complete the narrative in my own way, which is incredibly liberating.
The characters are complex, and their raw emotions and disbeliefs are real. I know it’s a book I’ll come back to every now and again to revisit a story. Thank you for restoring my faith in short stories, Alistair!
June 10, 2025
Alistair Mackay has delivered a truly beautiful collection of short stories. They range in topic and tone, but the themes run central – just how much longer can the planet continue this way? (beautifully asked in Overstory-fashion in The Chair and again in Young People Problems). Can we ever truly connect and understand one another? (Little Grey Blazers, Fever Tree, The Lucky Ones). Love and complication abound in all these stories. Alistair has the unique ability to put his finger directly on the truth, in the exact spot it hurts. You might think this would be uncomfortable, but the result is one of release.
Ps: My 16-year-old self felt mildly judged by mention of “male surfer types in Durban wearing hideous beaded choker things” but also, no real argument.
April 26, 2025
Once in a while, a book comes along that feels as if it perfectly captures the human condition. It lays itself bare for the reader and says, ‘Here, look at yourself. See what you are made of.’
Such is the case for The Lucky Ones, a collection of short stories by the exceptionally talented Alistair Mackay. It explores themes of queerness and identity. The climate crisis and where we’re headed if we don’t listen and act. His characters are real and raw. They have an emotional vulnerability that is sometimes difficult to read, but so compelling that you just can’t turn your eyes away from the page.
If you want to see into your own heart and the heart of those around you, read this book.
Such is the case for The Lucky Ones, a collection of short stories by the exceptionally talented Alistair Mackay. It explores themes of queerness and identity. The climate crisis and where we’re headed if we don’t listen and act. His characters are real and raw. They have an emotional vulnerability that is sometimes difficult to read, but so compelling that you just can’t turn your eyes away from the page.
If you want to see into your own heart and the heart of those around you, read this book.
July 28, 2025
Oh, to see inside the mind of Alistair Mackay...imagine! This was brilliant and refreshing. I loved it! Favourite stories were The King of the Jungle, Three Readings and The Chair... can't write a longer review, I have to run to the nearest book shop to buy The Child!!
January 3, 2026
An astonishing and beautiful collection of stories - some speculative fiction, some historical fiction, some contemporary - but all rendered tenderly, humanely and with masterful skill. Mackay is one of South Africa’s foremost writers and these stories prove it.
I loved all of the stories, but my favourites were “Fever Tree” (a heart-rendering story of loss and anxiety), “Young People Problems” (a speculative fiction climate revenge story that will leave your blood frozen in your veins), “Boy Meets Boy” (a story that takes queer life and flips the traditional boy-meets-girl fairy tales upside down), and “The Chair” (a story of South Africa, our political and personal struggles, all told with a focus on a single inanimate chair). But there’s so much in this collection for everyone to enjoy and appreciate.
I loved all of the stories, but my favourites were “Fever Tree” (a heart-rendering story of loss and anxiety), “Young People Problems” (a speculative fiction climate revenge story that will leave your blood frozen in your veins), “Boy Meets Boy” (a story that takes queer life and flips the traditional boy-meets-girl fairy tales upside down), and “The Chair” (a story of South Africa, our political and personal struggles, all told with a focus on a single inanimate chair). But there’s so much in this collection for everyone to enjoy and appreciate.
April 28, 2025
In one sense, these stories are perfect for a pre-bedtime read - because they're short and punchy and endlessly entertaining. At the same time, they leave you with so much to think about that maybe it's better to read them in the morning when you have time to ponder them and let them influence your day.
Which is all to say that this is one of my favourite short story collections ever. As a kid, I never imagined I'd get to read about so many queer characters in one place, and to see them exist in the world in an authentic way.
10/10 would recommend.
Which is all to say that this is one of my favourite short story collections ever. As a kid, I never imagined I'd get to read about so many queer characters in one place, and to see them exist in the world in an authentic way.
10/10 would recommend.
June 8, 2025
Wow. Most stunning, engaging, moving collection of short stories I have read so far. As broad and confusing and demanding and painful and beautiful as (trying to live in) South Africa. And with right sprinkle of queer love on top.
Young peoples problems - glimpse into scary future
The lucky ones - gave me deep appreciation for today
Auroras choice - will use this in class
The witch - hänsel and gretel retold in best way possible
You can’t stay here - Leaves one angry and hopeless
The chair - just stunning
Young peoples problems - glimpse into scary future
The lucky ones - gave me deep appreciation for today
Auroras choice - will use this in class
The witch - hänsel and gretel retold in best way possible
You can’t stay here - Leaves one angry and hopeless
The chair - just stunning
August 4, 2025
A beautiful collection of short stories. Being able to write short but impactful stories is an incredible skill.
June 22, 2025
I love Alistair Mackay’s writing. ‘It Doesn’t Have to be This Way’ is brilliant.
‘The Child’ - wow! I’ve never identified more with any book!
And now ‘The Lucky Ones’ - another winner! I just wish these short stories were longer, they’re all so beautiful…
‘The Child’ - wow! I’ve never identified more with any book!
And now ‘The Lucky Ones’ - another winner! I just wish these short stories were longer, they’re all so beautiful…
June 10, 2025
A book that makes you think – and self-reflect. “The Lucky Ones” by Alistair Mackay is one of those books — a collection of stories that challenges assumptions, explores vulnerability, and grapples with the complexities of modern life.
Mackay’s writing is both lyrical and unflinching, capturing moments of intimacy, reckoning, and raw emotion. His characters are deeply human — flawed, searching, sometimes lost, sometimes fiercely resilient. In a world that often feels disconnected, these stories centre on identity, queerness, loss, and survival, asking hard questions while leaving space for hope and tenderness.
Themes
This collection is not just about individual experiences—it’s about how those experiences intersect with broader societal struggles. Mackay explores:
Queerness & Belonging – The stories challenge notions of identity, offering perspectives that are authentic and deeply personal.
Climate Crisis & Environmental Reckoning – Through vivid and unsettling imagery, Mackay addresses the urgency of environmental change, questioning what our future may hold.
Postcolonial Disparities & Social Divides – The book examines power, privilege, and inequality, capturing the fractures and contradictions of contemporary society.
Loss, Memory & Connection – Moments of sorrow and reflection are balanced with unexpected warmth and human resilience.
Hope & Survival – Despite its challenging themes, the book champions kindness and connection, proving that even in darkness, people find ways to endure.
What Worked in the Book?
Sharp, Poetic Prose – Mackay’s writing is immersive, pulling readers into each moment with striking detail and emotional depth.
Complex, Unforgettable Characters – The people in these stories are real, vulnerable, and often deeply flawed, making them impossible to ignore.
Emotional Weight & Urgency – The book doesn’t shy away from hard truths, but it also offers space for reflection and hope.
A Beautifully Cohesive Collection – Each story is distinct, but together they create a layered and meaningful exploration of contemporary life.
Nuanced Social Commentary – Mackay challenges readers to confront uncomfortable realities, while still making space for compassion and understanding.
]Who Might Enjoy This Book?
If you love literary fiction that makes you think, The Lucky Ones is a must-read.
Fans of short stories will appreciate Mackay’s ability to pack depth and complexity into concise, powerful narratives.
Readers drawn to South African literature and postcolonial themes will find a rich, immersive exploration of identity and society.
Anyone interested in climate fiction with a human focus will be deeply affected by the book’s perspective on environmental change.
Those who enjoy introspective, beautifully written fiction — this collection is raw, poignant, and deeply moving.
Conclusion
“The Lucky Ones” is an insightful and urgent collection. The author’s ability to convey nuance, critique societal issues, and capture the emotional landscape of his characters makes this book exceptional.
It’s not always easy reading, but fiction should make us reflect — and this book does exactly that.
Thank you to Exclusive Books for the opportunity to read this book. It also featured in the 2025 #HomeBru selection.
Mackay’s writing is both lyrical and unflinching, capturing moments of intimacy, reckoning, and raw emotion. His characters are deeply human — flawed, searching, sometimes lost, sometimes fiercely resilient. In a world that often feels disconnected, these stories centre on identity, queerness, loss, and survival, asking hard questions while leaving space for hope and tenderness.
Themes
This collection is not just about individual experiences—it’s about how those experiences intersect with broader societal struggles. Mackay explores:
Queerness & Belonging – The stories challenge notions of identity, offering perspectives that are authentic and deeply personal.
Climate Crisis & Environmental Reckoning – Through vivid and unsettling imagery, Mackay addresses the urgency of environmental change, questioning what our future may hold.
Postcolonial Disparities & Social Divides – The book examines power, privilege, and inequality, capturing the fractures and contradictions of contemporary society.
Loss, Memory & Connection – Moments of sorrow and reflection are balanced with unexpected warmth and human resilience.
Hope & Survival – Despite its challenging themes, the book champions kindness and connection, proving that even in darkness, people find ways to endure.
What Worked in the Book?
Sharp, Poetic Prose – Mackay’s writing is immersive, pulling readers into each moment with striking detail and emotional depth.
Complex, Unforgettable Characters – The people in these stories are real, vulnerable, and often deeply flawed, making them impossible to ignore.
Emotional Weight & Urgency – The book doesn’t shy away from hard truths, but it also offers space for reflection and hope.
A Beautifully Cohesive Collection – Each story is distinct, but together they create a layered and meaningful exploration of contemporary life.
Nuanced Social Commentary – Mackay challenges readers to confront uncomfortable realities, while still making space for compassion and understanding.
]Who Might Enjoy This Book?
If you love literary fiction that makes you think, The Lucky Ones is a must-read.
Fans of short stories will appreciate Mackay’s ability to pack depth and complexity into concise, powerful narratives.
Readers drawn to South African literature and postcolonial themes will find a rich, immersive exploration of identity and society.
Anyone interested in climate fiction with a human focus will be deeply affected by the book’s perspective on environmental change.
Those who enjoy introspective, beautifully written fiction — this collection is raw, poignant, and deeply moving.
Conclusion
“The Lucky Ones” is an insightful and urgent collection. The author’s ability to convey nuance, critique societal issues, and capture the emotional landscape of his characters makes this book exceptional.
It’s not always easy reading, but fiction should make us reflect — and this book does exactly that.
Thank you to Exclusive Books for the opportunity to read this book. It also featured in the 2025 #HomeBru selection.
September 4, 2025
Mackay is an accomplished novelist and he can be very proud of this collection - it is dazzling and eclectic and full of disparate and unique voices. I found it equal parts moving, engrossing, funny and wise, with each story lingering in the imagination long after. He has this unique ability to draw you in with a sentence or two, hold your attention throughout, then end on a note that will leave you reeling, satiated or eager to read on to the next. Short stories, by their very nature, have to accomplish so much, and there is not a weak link in this entire collection - if anything I would love to have spent longer in the company of some of these characters, Andile in the title story, Hanret in ‘The Witch’. My favourite (and it is so hard to chose a favourite) was Kingdom of Prophets, a vivid and emotional journey into the heart of Table Mountain during the pandemic. I can only wholeheartedly recommend this collection, certain that you’ll find much to love. From the taut beauty of the sentences, to the interior worlds of these multifaceted characters, pain distilled into humour and absurdity, writing that is sensual and truthful and embodies the experience of the world.
‘The rocks are slippery with life,’ Mackay writes. ‘The river rushes. The canopy is thick and deep and nameless and perfect.’
Much like this collection I might add.
‘The rocks are slippery with life,’ Mackay writes. ‘The river rushes. The canopy is thick and deep and nameless and perfect.’
Much like this collection I might add.
January 2, 2026
A beautiful collection of short stories that capture the nuance and richness of South Africans, in ways that bring the complexity and pain of the past to the fore in a gentle and compassionate way.
I devoured this book! And while the stories were all so satisfying- there are some characters and story lines I’d love to read more of!
There’s a depth to Mackay’s writing that has invited a sense of empathy and curiosity in me that I haven’t got from a book in a while!
I devoured this book! And while the stories were all so satisfying- there are some characters and story lines I’d love to read more of!
There’s a depth to Mackay’s writing that has invited a sense of empathy and curiosity in me that I haven’t got from a book in a while!
September 18, 2025
Excellent collection.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews