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ZamaShort
Summer
In the far future on the outer reaches of the great space diaspora Hannali toils daily under alien skies on their farm. On a break into town she spots Summer, a childhood friend, on a scaffold waiting to be hanged... What ensues is a touching tale of choices made, different paths taken, bonds formed and broken, what makes us who we are, and how we travel through life.
"Nerine Dorman delivers a swift, scathing commentary on the restrictions of societal expectation, the allure of stepping away from it, and the inexorable consequences of doing so. The world is rich; it feels layered and well-conceptualised - a tough job for a short story. I'd love to explore this world more in other works. This passage in particular moved "Whose dreams are ensconced within the earthen walls of our farmhouse - the same house where Mika's parents cradled him in their arms, and their parents before them... A long, unbroken line of tradition clinging to mirage." — Marius Du Plessis.
Nerine Dorman is a South African author and editor of science fiction and fantasy currently living in Cape Town, with short fiction published in numerous anthologies. Her novel Sing down the Stars won Gold for the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2019 and The Percy Fitzpatrick Award for Children's and Youth Literature in 2021. Her YA fantasy novella Dragon Forged was a finalist in the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2017. Her short story ‘On the Other Side of the Sea’ (Omenana, 2017) was shortlisted for a 2018 Nommo award. Her novella The Firebird won a Nommo for “Best Novella” in 2019. In addition, she is a founding member of the SFF authors’ co-operative Skolion, and the curator of the South African Horrorfest Bloody Parchment event and short story competition.
The ZamaShort imprint series is solely focused on the amazing powerhouse that is the short story. We give each short story its own publication so that it may be read and enjoyed fully as a stand-alone publication. As per the StoryTime Publishing mandate initialised in 2007, ZamaShort continues to champion and add to the ever-growing canon of African literature excellence and diversity.
"Nerine Dorman delivers a swift, scathing commentary on the restrictions of societal expectation, the allure of stepping away from it, and the inexorable consequences of doing so. The world is rich; it feels layered and well-conceptualised - a tough job for a short story. I'd love to explore this world more in other works. This passage in particular moved "Whose dreams are ensconced within the earthen walls of our farmhouse - the same house where Mika's parents cradled him in their arms, and their parents before them... A long, unbroken line of tradition clinging to mirage." — Marius Du Plessis.
Nerine Dorman is a South African author and editor of science fiction and fantasy currently living in Cape Town, with short fiction published in numerous anthologies. Her novel Sing down the Stars won Gold for the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2019 and The Percy Fitzpatrick Award for Children's and Youth Literature in 2021. Her YA fantasy novella Dragon Forged was a finalist in the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2017. Her short story ‘On the Other Side of the Sea’ (Omenana, 2017) was shortlisted for a 2018 Nommo award. Her novella The Firebird won a Nommo for “Best Novella” in 2019. In addition, she is a founding member of the SFF authors’ co-operative Skolion, and the curator of the South African Horrorfest Bloody Parchment event and short story competition.
The ZamaShort imprint series is solely focused on the amazing powerhouse that is the short story. We give each short story its own publication so that it may be read and enjoyed fully as a stand-alone publication. As per the StoryTime Publishing mandate initialised in 2007, ZamaShort continues to champion and add to the ever-growing canon of African literature excellence and diversity.
25 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2025
3 people want to read
About the author
Nerine Dorman
70 books238 followersNerine Dorman is a South African author and editor of science fiction and fantasy currently living in Cape Town, with short fiction published in numerous anthologies. She is a contributor to the Locus Award-winning Afro-Centered Futurism in Our Speculative Fiction edited by Eugen Bacon (Bloomsbury, 2024). Her novel Sing down the Stars won Gold for the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2019 and The Percy Fitzpatrick Award for Children's and Youth Literature in 2021. Her YA fantasy novella, Dragon Forged, was a finalist in the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2017, and she is the curator of the South African Horrorfest Bloody Parchment event and short story competition. Her short story “On the Other Side of the Sea” (Omenana, 2017) was shortlisted for a 2018 Nommo award. Her novella The Firebird won a Nommo for “Best Novella” in 2019. In addition, she is a founding member of the SFF authors’ co-operative Skolion.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 1, 2025
Nerine Dorman delivers a swift, scathing commentary on the restrictions of societal expectation, the allure of stepping away from it, and the inexorable consequences of doing so.
The world is rich; it feels layered and well-conceptualised - a tough job for a short story. I'd love to explore this world more in other works.
This passage in particular moved me: "Whose dreams are ensconced within the earthen walls of our farmhouse - the same house where Mika's parents cradled him in their arms, and their parents before them ... A long, unbroken line of tradition clinging to mirage."
The world is rich; it feels layered and well-conceptualised - a tough job for a short story. I'd love to explore this world more in other works.
This passage in particular moved me: "Whose dreams are ensconced within the earthen walls of our farmhouse - the same house where Mika's parents cradled him in their arms, and their parents before them ... A long, unbroken line of tradition clinging to mirage."
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June 2, 2025Can't rate 'cos I wrote this – but I'm damned proud of this story. It digs deeply into experiences I've carried with me from childhood that reflect the world in which I grew up. (Obviously here on earth and not some fictional planet, OF)
December 18, 2025
A great read. Highly recommended
This short story spoke to me, I am a bit embarrassed at how emotional it made me. Beautiful unpretentious lines pack a lot of meaning and dissect differences in class, race, and personalities as two friends, one risk-averse, the other quixotic, meet and part ways to different outcomes. Awesome read!
This short story spoke to me, I am a bit embarrassed at how emotional it made me. Beautiful unpretentious lines pack a lot of meaning and dissect differences in class, race, and personalities as two friends, one risk-averse, the other quixotic, meet and part ways to different outcomes. Awesome read!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews