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Accessing the Future: A Disability-Themed Anthology of Speculative Fiction
The fifteen authors and nine artists in this volume bring us beautiful, speculative stories of disability and mental illness in the future. Teeming with space pirates, battle robots, interstellar travel and genetically engineered creatures, every story and image is a quality, crafted work of science fiction in its own right, as thrilling and fascinating as it is worthy and important. These are stories about people with disabilities in all of their complexity and diversity, that scream with passion and intensity. These are stories that refuse to go gently.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 8, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
September 18, 2015
This is a wonderfully poignant SF anthology; on the strength of the first half of this alone, I'd already felt strongly enough about this to recc it to many of my GoodReads friends.
The best, most-rewarding part of this reading experience is that all the stories in this anthology are excellent, well-crafted pieces of fiction in their own right, with fully developed and fleshed-out characters.
While the central theme IS centered around disabilites, thankfully they are generally treated as merely one component of a characters' full personality, and the stories are assuredly (and thankfully) NOT treatises full of moralizing on disability and diversity, but rather well-written SF stories in their own right
5 over-the-moon stars for this gem of an anthology; highly recommended.
The best, most-rewarding part of this reading experience is that all the stories in this anthology are excellent, well-crafted pieces of fiction in their own right, with fully developed and fleshed-out characters.
While the central theme IS centered around disabilites, thankfully they are generally treated as merely one component of a characters' full personality, and the stories are assuredly (and thankfully) NOT treatises full of moralizing on disability and diversity, but rather well-written SF stories in their own right
5 over-the-moon stars for this gem of an anthology; highly recommended.
May 25, 2021
An important anthology, but so many of the stories just didn't work for me for various reasons, or were just okay. There were only a handful that I enjoyed, or at least admired.
Just a heads up for how I personally interpret the star ratings:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = Excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐ = Good
⭐⭐⭐ = Average
⭐⭐ = Disliked
⭐ = Hated
#1: Pirate Songs, by Nicolette Barischoff.
A very poor start to this anthology (aside from the excellent preface and introduction). There was just nothing, aside from the disability rep, that made this story interesting or redeemable to me. And there were so many things I did not care for, such as Kell's entire existence. I also don't get how Margo could ...just, no. RATING: ⭐
#2: Pay Attention, by Sarah Pinsker.
Much better. An intriguing tech idea with plenty of social commentary. I liked the character and tone of the story. Really, a good story overall. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#3: Invisible People, by Margaret Killjoy.
An engaging story, with a complex protagonist. Some of what happened around the climax is a little fuzzy to me ( a lot of action at that part), and I wasn't even sure how they escaped exactly, but all in all, I enjoyed this story pretty well. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
#4: The Lessons of the Moon, by Joyce Chng
Very brief and poignant. There wasn't quite enough to it for my liking. I think it could have been extended a little more and would have been excellent. There seemed to be a lot of potential, but in the end it didn't really go anywhere. Beautiful, emotional writing, though. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
#5: Screens, by Samantha Rich.
This story delved into some interesting themes and had a fascinating tech idea, but the execution just didn't quite live up to eithers' potential. It just didn't feel like much changed and the story kind of tapered off blandly. A shame. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
#6: A Sense All Its Own, by Sara Patterson.
I didn't care for this story. Too much action and not enough...anything else, really, other than some boring conversations. There just didn't seem to be much a point to the story, and I felt like the relationships were too simplistic and the interactions were sometimes off??
Another thing I didn't care for was the world-building. Changing a credit card to a cred card does not help to immerse me into this new world/new version of our world. I really didn't get a good grasp of very much in this setting—even the things Bren was using to fight with! And even though she's partially blind, there are tons of other ways to establish setting without visual description, and I was hoping for more of that, which would give a reader more insight into how she experiences the world. Just, overall this story wasn't my cup of tea. RATING: ⭐⭐
#7: Better to Have Loved, by Kate O'Connor.
An alright story. I didn't really like the MC too much because of how she treated her dead wife's dog. I also felt like the story could have been better. The emotional impact just wasn't there—probably because I didn't like the character until around the end or so. All in all, it was just an okay read. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
#8: Morphic Resonance, by Toby MacNutt.
Clearly, the author loved the tech ideas in this story, because it, and having the characters discuss them for pages, was what made up the bulk of this story. And despite that, I had a hard time grasping how a lot of it worked. The author wrote in a way that assumed the reader was much more familiar with all the sci-fi ideas and we never got a proper introduction or explanation for how it worked, leaving this reader a little confused trying to figure out how all of it worked together.
Just as a story, I had some problems with it. The protagonist seemed very passive and unsure of what he wanted, and then the other main character, just going by a “gut-feeling”, acts as though he knows what kind of changes the protagonist wants done to his body?? It just did not make sense and made me uncomfortable, honestly. Plus, despite the other character (named Ammon) trying to assure the protagonist that he can choose things, it still seemed like he was pressuring him (even using different pronouns for the protagonist without asking if the protagonist was okay with it, or, ya know, just asking what his preferred pronouns are -_-). So, yeah. It left a bad taste in my mouth and I didn't really care for it. RATING: ⭐.5
#9: Losing Touch, by Louise Hughes.
Wow, okay, this was a good one! Very well-written, fascinating plot and setting, interesting characters. THIS is what we needed more of in this anthology. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#10: into the waters i rode down, by Jack Hollis Marr.
Um, what? What did I read here? This was very stream-of-conscious, which is something I'm not really a fan of, and overall it did not make a lot of sense (maybe it wasn't supposed to). It was nice seeing and older woman featured as the protagonist, and she had a lot of voice, for sure. One thing I'm rating it a little lower for was . A lot of interesting things went into this story, for sure, though I can't say it all worked well for me. RATING: ⭐⭐.5
#11: Playa Song, by Petra Kuppers.
I asked myself “huh?” several times while reading this one too, though it was more due to some of the odd writing and descriptions that left me shaking my head. The story was mostly straightforward, though the author kind of uses techniques and devices to try to make it more “epic” than it actually was, such as jumping back in time and through different character's POVs. All in all, this had some interesting things going on, but kind of left me feeling meh by the end. Didn't live up to the hype it was trying to build. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
#12: Puppetry, by A.C. Buchanan.
This one was alright. It had some good themes, was written in an engaging way, and the characters were fine. It didn't quite grab me as much as I was hoping for, but it was an important story with plenty of merit. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐.5
#13: Lyric, by A.F. Sanchez.
Very impressive. I love a story that can keep me engaged from several angles. And this one had great themes, characters, and world-building, and just the story itself was very moving and honestly gripping in a subdued, makes-you-think kind of way. And, of course, when something is written in second-person POV and it's done well, I always tend to really enjoy those stories. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5. Personal favorite of the anthology!
#14: Courting the Silent Sun, by Rachel K. Jones.
Not sure what I think of this one. I am wondering why the author named her planet Vega, inhabited by, you guessed it, Vegans. So that equally made me grin and read possibly too much into that choice as I made my way through the story. Didn't care for the main characters (a couple who are in a relationship together), as both seemed toxic AF. Just some things that happened in the story made me end up not liking either of them. That's kind of my feeling about the whole story: I finished it and ended up not caring about any of it. The writing was quite good, in an abstract-y way. Otherwise...? RATING: ⭐⭐.5
#15: In Open Air, by David Jon Fuller.
I found this one to be fairly boring until around the last third. It had a good ending. As an ending for the anthology, I would have maybe liked something a bit more, but all in all it wasn't a bad way to finish off. This one featured several types of rep, such as Indigenous characters and important characters (including the MC) who are 40+.RATING: ⭐⭐⭐ stars
--
There we have it. Though many of these were just "okay" for me, I am so glad that this anthology exists, and I'm glad that I read it. As one can see from my notes, there were several stories that I thought had potential, which makes me think that they could have benefited from another round of editing. I'll be seeking out more from the authors of the stories I liked, for sure. Lastly, the illustrations sprinkled throughout the anthology were a wonderful touch!
2.5 stars, rounded up, for the anthology as a whole.
Just a heads up for how I personally interpret the star ratings:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = Excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐ = Good
⭐⭐⭐ = Average
⭐⭐ = Disliked
⭐ = Hated
#1: Pirate Songs, by Nicolette Barischoff.
A very poor start to this anthology (aside from the excellent preface and introduction). There was just nothing, aside from the disability rep, that made this story interesting or redeemable to me. And there were so many things I did not care for, such as Kell's entire existence. I also don't get how Margo could ...just, no. RATING: ⭐
#2: Pay Attention, by Sarah Pinsker.
Much better. An intriguing tech idea with plenty of social commentary. I liked the character and tone of the story. Really, a good story overall. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#3: Invisible People, by Margaret Killjoy.
An engaging story, with a complex protagonist. Some of what happened around the climax is a little fuzzy to me ( a lot of action at that part), and I wasn't even sure how they escaped exactly, but all in all, I enjoyed this story pretty well. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
#4: The Lessons of the Moon, by Joyce Chng
Very brief and poignant. There wasn't quite enough to it for my liking. I think it could have been extended a little more and would have been excellent. There seemed to be a lot of potential, but in the end it didn't really go anywhere. Beautiful, emotional writing, though. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
#5: Screens, by Samantha Rich.
This story delved into some interesting themes and had a fascinating tech idea, but the execution just didn't quite live up to eithers' potential. It just didn't feel like much changed and the story kind of tapered off blandly. A shame. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
#6: A Sense All Its Own, by Sara Patterson.
I didn't care for this story. Too much action and not enough...anything else, really, other than some boring conversations. There just didn't seem to be much a point to the story, and I felt like the relationships were too simplistic and the interactions were sometimes off??
Another thing I didn't care for was the world-building. Changing a credit card to a cred card does not help to immerse me into this new world/new version of our world. I really didn't get a good grasp of very much in this setting—even the things Bren was using to fight with! And even though she's partially blind, there are tons of other ways to establish setting without visual description, and I was hoping for more of that, which would give a reader more insight into how she experiences the world. Just, overall this story wasn't my cup of tea. RATING: ⭐⭐
#7: Better to Have Loved, by Kate O'Connor.
An alright story. I didn't really like the MC too much because of how she treated her dead wife's dog. I also felt like the story could have been better. The emotional impact just wasn't there—probably because I didn't like the character until around the end or so. All in all, it was just an okay read. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
#8: Morphic Resonance, by Toby MacNutt.
Clearly, the author loved the tech ideas in this story, because it, and having the characters discuss them for pages, was what made up the bulk of this story. And despite that, I had a hard time grasping how a lot of it worked. The author wrote in a way that assumed the reader was much more familiar with all the sci-fi ideas and we never got a proper introduction or explanation for how it worked, leaving this reader a little confused trying to figure out how all of it worked together.
Just as a story, I had some problems with it. The protagonist seemed very passive and unsure of what he wanted, and then the other main character, just going by a “gut-feeling”, acts as though he knows what kind of changes the protagonist wants done to his body?? It just did not make sense and made me uncomfortable, honestly. Plus, despite the other character (named Ammon) trying to assure the protagonist that he can choose things, it still seemed like he was pressuring him (even using different pronouns for the protagonist without asking if the protagonist was okay with it, or, ya know, just asking what his preferred pronouns are -_-). So, yeah. It left a bad taste in my mouth and I didn't really care for it. RATING: ⭐.5
#9: Losing Touch, by Louise Hughes.
Wow, okay, this was a good one! Very well-written, fascinating plot and setting, interesting characters. THIS is what we needed more of in this anthology. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#10: into the waters i rode down, by Jack Hollis Marr.
Um, what? What did I read here? This was very stream-of-conscious, which is something I'm not really a fan of, and overall it did not make a lot of sense (maybe it wasn't supposed to). It was nice seeing and older woman featured as the protagonist, and she had a lot of voice, for sure. One thing I'm rating it a little lower for was . A lot of interesting things went into this story, for sure, though I can't say it all worked well for me. RATING: ⭐⭐.5
#11: Playa Song, by Petra Kuppers.
I asked myself “huh?” several times while reading this one too, though it was more due to some of the odd writing and descriptions that left me shaking my head. The story was mostly straightforward, though the author kind of uses techniques and devices to try to make it more “epic” than it actually was, such as jumping back in time and through different character's POVs. All in all, this had some interesting things going on, but kind of left me feeling meh by the end. Didn't live up to the hype it was trying to build. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
#12: Puppetry, by A.C. Buchanan.
This one was alright. It had some good themes, was written in an engaging way, and the characters were fine. It didn't quite grab me as much as I was hoping for, but it was an important story with plenty of merit. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐.5
#13: Lyric, by A.F. Sanchez.
Very impressive. I love a story that can keep me engaged from several angles. And this one had great themes, characters, and world-building, and just the story itself was very moving and honestly gripping in a subdued, makes-you-think kind of way. And, of course, when something is written in second-person POV and it's done well, I always tend to really enjoy those stories. RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5. Personal favorite of the anthology!
#14: Courting the Silent Sun, by Rachel K. Jones.
Not sure what I think of this one. I am wondering why the author named her planet Vega, inhabited by, you guessed it, Vegans. So that equally made me grin and read possibly too much into that choice as I made my way through the story. Didn't care for the main characters (a couple who are in a relationship together), as both seemed toxic AF. Just some things that happened in the story made me end up not liking either of them. That's kind of my feeling about the whole story: I finished it and ended up not caring about any of it. The writing was quite good, in an abstract-y way. Otherwise...? RATING: ⭐⭐.5
#15: In Open Air, by David Jon Fuller.
I found this one to be fairly boring until around the last third. It had a good ending. As an ending for the anthology, I would have maybe liked something a bit more, but all in all it wasn't a bad way to finish off. This one featured several types of rep, such as Indigenous characters and important characters (including the MC) who are 40+.RATING: ⭐⭐⭐ stars
--
There we have it. Though many of these were just "okay" for me, I am so glad that this anthology exists, and I'm glad that I read it. As one can see from my notes, there were several stories that I thought had potential, which makes me think that they could have benefited from another round of editing. I'll be seeking out more from the authors of the stories I liked, for sure. Lastly, the illustrations sprinkled throughout the anthology were a wonderful touch!
2.5 stars, rounded up, for the anthology as a whole.
February 18, 2016
THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. SO GOOD!! Every single story and image (including detailed image descriptions for all visual images!) in this book is incredibly well-crafted and sent chills up my spine. I tried to read it really slowly so it wouldn't end so quickly, but it was just so good that I couldn't slow down! My heart nearly broke when I reached the end and there was no more book left. Hoping beyond hope for a volume two!!!
June 13, 2016
So so good. A brilliant anthology. The writing is top notch and themes are so on point. This book takes on disability by centering characters with disabilities as creators of their own narratives and subverts harmful sci-fi tropes such as "technology as cure." The stories avoid treating their characters as "inspirational" and instead create real, flawed people. The stories are subtle and complex in their handling of disability and the collection editors contextualize the stories within our ableist culture through their foreword and afterword.
January 9, 2017
I thought this was really wonderful – though, like most short story anthologies, it varies in quality, it has a good proportion of 5 star stories – for these authors to create such wonderful characters, such original worlds, each in less than 20 pages, is really something.
Beyond that, this book is just important – Accessing the future aims to present disability in a realistic way, where the disabled characters aren’t just sidekicks or villains and where they’re just real people. I need to read more books like this.
Beyond that, this book is just important – Accessing the future aims to present disability in a realistic way, where the disabled characters aren’t just sidekicks or villains and where they’re just real people. I need to read more books like this.
February 20, 2018
Review originally written for my blog
So this was the third book I read for Sci-Fi month over on Twitter but I've decided to review it first just because it's so fantastic. I bought this a while ago on Amazon when I had some money left on a gift card then forgot about it for a while until this month. I've been trying to focus on reducing my physical TBR pile for Sci-Fi month (especially as then I can take a photo at the end of them all in a nice stack) but I just had to make an exception for this as it sounded fantastic.
Before we even get to the stories, there is a fantastic introduction which discusses the fact that not only does this attempt to represent a diverse range of disabilities, but it wants to ensure the people portrayed are equally as diverse, acknowledging that a lot of disability awareness focuses on straight white people. I was very impressed with that and glad to know they were making a conscious effort to be as inclusive as possible.
The range of disabilities represented is very interesting ranging from physical to mental, including even discussing how many disabilities are due to culture and so one story is focused on imagining what a future would be like where grief is considered a disability. I won't say too much about the stories themselves but there is a fantastic range and I really enjoyed them all. It's hard to pick a favourite since all the characters are brilliant and well portrayed.
Along with short stories, there are also several pieces of artwork. Each piece of artwork is followed by a description of the image for those who are unable to see it, which I was particularly pleased to see in a collection focused on disabilities. Unfortunately, there is not an audiobook version yet but I hope there will be one eventually to make it even more accessible. Even though my sight is fine, there were details mentioned in the descriptions that I hadn't noticed which helped enrich my enjoyment of the art. My favourite piece of artwork though is definitely the cover, which was one of the reasons I bought the book in the first place.
I highly, highly recommend this collection. It's incredibly diverse and full of great sci-fi. I've already got several friends to buy it just because I've been gushing about it so much and if it was possible to gift Kindle books in the UK, I'd definitely have bought it for several more.
So this was the third book I read for Sci-Fi month over on Twitter but I've decided to review it first just because it's so fantastic. I bought this a while ago on Amazon when I had some money left on a gift card then forgot about it for a while until this month. I've been trying to focus on reducing my physical TBR pile for Sci-Fi month (especially as then I can take a photo at the end of them all in a nice stack) but I just had to make an exception for this as it sounded fantastic.
Before we even get to the stories, there is a fantastic introduction which discusses the fact that not only does this attempt to represent a diverse range of disabilities, but it wants to ensure the people portrayed are equally as diverse, acknowledging that a lot of disability awareness focuses on straight white people. I was very impressed with that and glad to know they were making a conscious effort to be as inclusive as possible.
The range of disabilities represented is very interesting ranging from physical to mental, including even discussing how many disabilities are due to culture and so one story is focused on imagining what a future would be like where grief is considered a disability. I won't say too much about the stories themselves but there is a fantastic range and I really enjoyed them all. It's hard to pick a favourite since all the characters are brilliant and well portrayed.
Along with short stories, there are also several pieces of artwork. Each piece of artwork is followed by a description of the image for those who are unable to see it, which I was particularly pleased to see in a collection focused on disabilities. Unfortunately, there is not an audiobook version yet but I hope there will be one eventually to make it even more accessible. Even though my sight is fine, there were details mentioned in the descriptions that I hadn't noticed which helped enrich my enjoyment of the art. My favourite piece of artwork though is definitely the cover, which was one of the reasons I bought the book in the first place.
I highly, highly recommend this collection. It's incredibly diverse and full of great sci-fi. I've already got several friends to buy it just because I've been gushing about it so much and if it was possible to gift Kindle books in the UK, I'd definitely have bought it for several more.
December 17, 2017
Absolutely wonderful anthology of disability-themed speculative fiction stories. It highlighted many areas of ignorance for me - like the fact that the large majority of speculative fiction that I've read imagines a future where disabled people are totally erased, their conditions "cured" or "corrected." I can't imagine how excluding that must feel for disabled people reading those stories, and I'm incredibly grateful to this book for imagining what some alternative futures might look like.
The book touches on some political debates, some of which are going on today in one form or another - one reminded me of a (real-life) ongoing German court case where a doctor is taking the parents of a deaf child to court to force them to give the child a cochlear implant. How does the use of that technology affect the child and their family, and who gets to decide? I imagine we'll see more and more of these debates in the future, and this collection of stories provides some useful and interesting background for people who aren't yet familiar with the arguments on either side of those debates (such as myself!)
All in all, seriously can't recommend this enough.
The book touches on some political debates, some of which are going on today in one form or another - one reminded me of a (real-life) ongoing German court case where a doctor is taking the parents of a deaf child to court to force them to give the child a cochlear implant. How does the use of that technology affect the child and their family, and who gets to decide? I imagine we'll see more and more of these debates in the future, and this collection of stories provides some useful and interesting background for people who aren't yet familiar with the arguments on either side of those debates (such as myself!)
All in all, seriously can't recommend this enough.
November 2, 2016
This was interesting, entertaining, but most of all, thought-provoking. Each entry centers around a character (or characters) with a disability. I rather enjoyed seeing how they all played out, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wishes to break the mold of the picture-perfect protagonist in a world of imperfection.
July 25, 2015
Yes, yes, yes yes yes! Read this brilliant collection now, it might just be the best thing you'll read this year.
May 3, 2016
3.5 but i'll talk on channel about it!
June 13, 2018
Accessing the Future: A Disability-Themed Anthology of Speculative Fiction is one of those anthologies that is thematically important, but uneven in execution. I usually read a couple of anthologies or short story collections per year, so I’m used to their mixed-bag nature.
There are 15 stories in this volume, addressing a range of visible and invisible disabilities. There are protagonists that most readers aren’t used to seeing. (e.g. a young woman with spina bifida in “Pirate Songs”, a blind pilot “A Sense all its Own”, and an aging HOH executive officer on a generation ship in “In Open Air”)
There’s also a lot of focus on assistive technology: who owns it, who uses it, and how that which is developed and tested for the disabled may later be marketed to able-bodied consumers as enhancement. (Sarah Pinsker’s “Pay Attention” is one of my favorite stories in this volume.) Rachel K. Jones’ “Courting the Silent Sun” also makes a case for agency in the use of assistive technology, rather than universal enforcement of a ‘cure’ that not everyone may want.
Finally, some of these stories address privacy concerns relating to technological assistance. (“Screens” by Samantha Rich, “Invisible People” by Margaret Killjoy, and “Morphic Resonance” by Toby MacNutt).
However uneven it is as a collection, I’m glad that I read it. Disability in fiction is often ‘inconvenient’-- it tends to be brushed aside, ignored, or compensated for in such a way that it no longer makes a difference in the way that the story is told. But in sweeping visible and invisible disabilities under the rug, creators and consumers reinforce societal taboos rather than facing up to differential experience of the world.
Full Table of Contents:
Props to The Future Fire for compiling these stories. They gave me a lot to think about, and that’s worth a fair bit.
A Note About the Art:
There are eight illustrations in this volume, each with a carefully-written image description on the reverse. With a couple of exceptions, I preferred the concept of each piece over the execution, but it was still a nice inclusion.
There are 15 stories in this volume, addressing a range of visible and invisible disabilities. There are protagonists that most readers aren’t used to seeing. (e.g. a young woman with spina bifida in “Pirate Songs”, a blind pilot “A Sense all its Own”, and an aging HOH executive officer on a generation ship in “In Open Air”)
There’s also a lot of focus on assistive technology: who owns it, who uses it, and how that which is developed and tested for the disabled may later be marketed to able-bodied consumers as enhancement. (Sarah Pinsker’s “Pay Attention” is one of my favorite stories in this volume.) Rachel K. Jones’ “Courting the Silent Sun” also makes a case for agency in the use of assistive technology, rather than universal enforcement of a ‘cure’ that not everyone may want.
Finally, some of these stories address privacy concerns relating to technological assistance. (“Screens” by Samantha Rich, “Invisible People” by Margaret Killjoy, and “Morphic Resonance” by Toby MacNutt).
However uneven it is as a collection, I’m glad that I read it. Disability in fiction is often ‘inconvenient’-- it tends to be brushed aside, ignored, or compensated for in such a way that it no longer makes a difference in the way that the story is told. But in sweeping visible and invisible disabilities under the rug, creators and consumers reinforce societal taboos rather than facing up to differential experience of the world.
Full Table of Contents:
Nicolette Barischoff “Pirate Songs”
Sarah Pinsker “Pay Attention”
Margaret Killjoy “Invisible People”
Joyce Chng “The Lessons of the Moon”
Samantha Rich “Screens”
Sara Patterson “A Sense All its Own”
Kate O'Connor “Better to Have Loved”
Toby MacNutt “Morphic Resonance”
Louise Hughes “Losing Touch”
Jack Hollis Marr “into the waters i rode down”
Petra Kuppers “Playa Song”
A.C. Buchanan “Puppetry”
A.F. Sanchez “Lyric”
Rachael K. Jones “Courting the Silent Sun”
David Jón Fuller “In Open Air”
Props to The Future Fire for compiling these stories. They gave me a lot to think about, and that’s worth a fair bit.
A Note About the Art:
There are eight illustrations in this volume, each with a carefully-written image description on the reverse. With a couple of exceptions, I preferred the concept of each piece over the execution, but it was still a nice inclusion.
April 16, 2018
There were beautiful illustrations in between the stories, accompanied by image descriptions which was really great!
Pirate Songs by Nicolette Barischoff - 4*
Pay Attention by Sarah Pister - 2*
Invisible People by Margaret Killjoy - 3*
The Lessons of the Moon by Joyce Chng - 3*
Screens by Samantha Rich - 4.5*
A Sense All its Own by Sara Patterson - 3*
Better to Have Loved by Kate O'Connor - 3.5*
Morphic Resonance by Toby MacNutt - 2.5*
Losing Touch by Louise Hughes - 4*
into the waters i rode down by Jack Hollis Marr - 3.5*
Puppetry by A.C. Buchanan - 3*
Lyric by A.F. Sanchez - 4*
Courting the Silent Sun by Rachel K. Jones - 4.5*
Playa Song by Petra Kuppers - 2.5*
In Open Air by David Jon Fuller - 2.5*
Pirate Songs by Nicolette Barischoff - 4*
Pay Attention by Sarah Pister - 2*
Invisible People by Margaret Killjoy - 3*
The Lessons of the Moon by Joyce Chng - 3*
Screens by Samantha Rich - 4.5*
A Sense All its Own by Sara Patterson - 3*
Better to Have Loved by Kate O'Connor - 3.5*
Morphic Resonance by Toby MacNutt - 2.5*
Losing Touch by Louise Hughes - 4*
into the waters i rode down by Jack Hollis Marr - 3.5*
Puppetry by A.C. Buchanan - 3*
Lyric by A.F. Sanchez - 4*
Courting the Silent Sun by Rachel K. Jones - 4.5*
Playa Song by Petra Kuppers - 2.5*
In Open Air by David Jon Fuller - 2.5*
February 16, 2022
This read made me realize how ideal SF is for exploring disability as a theme. The stories sometimes centered disability and sometimes didn't, but always included people with disability(ies). I enjoyed the exploration of what we might think of disability in the future, what accommodations might exist, and what complications those accommodations might bring.
The introduction notes that this collection is partly a response to the fact that SF often implies, or states clearly, that disabilities have all been eradicated. It hadn't occurred to me in the past how that might be exclusionary and hurtful. Potentially not even realisitic (the idea that we could have cured everything). Far more interesting (and realistic?) is the idea that accommodations will be more and more sophisticated, and that we will still be having the same conversations about them that we do today.
The stories that I enjoyed the most were Lyric, Puppetry, Better to Have Loved, Losing Touch, In Open Air, and Pay Attention.
The introduction notes that this collection is partly a response to the fact that SF often implies, or states clearly, that disabilities have all been eradicated. It hadn't occurred to me in the past how that might be exclusionary and hurtful. Potentially not even realisitic (the idea that we could have cured everything). Far more interesting (and realistic?) is the idea that accommodations will be more and more sophisticated, and that we will still be having the same conversations about them that we do today.
The stories that I enjoyed the most were Lyric, Puppetry, Better to Have Loved, Losing Touch, In Open Air, and Pay Attention.
June 15, 2018
As with any anthology, some stories in here spoke to me more than others. But it was a refreshing read — diverse in every way, from the authors to their characters to the writing styles. As opposed to almost every other media portrayal, the characters with dis/abilities in these stories are the heroes. And fittingly, the stories grapple with ideas about the role of technology in the lives of people with dis/abilities and even with the question of what makes something a “disability.” I truly enjoyed many of the pieces in here, and all of them made me think a little differently about the way I perceive and interact with the world.
March 29, 2021
This is the best short story collection I’ve read in a long time. So many good stories. Every short story collection is likely going to have a few you like less than the others, but there were none that I hated here and I really liked an overwhelming majority.
I especially loved “Pirate Song”, “A Sense All Its Own”, “Circling the Silent Sun”, and “In Open Air”. I also liked “Screens” and “Lyric”.
There were a few that just didn’t take the time to explain the tech enough (or some other situation), but still overall good storytelling.
I especially loved “Pirate Song”, “A Sense All Its Own”, “Circling the Silent Sun”, and “In Open Air”. I also liked “Screens” and “Lyric”.
There were a few that just didn’t take the time to explain the tech enough (or some other situation), but still overall good storytelling.
March 4, 2018
Very disappointed. None of those stories explore in any meaningful way the topic, and not because of their length. There is just no depth or creativity to the examination of the way our world is built to be ableist (and racist and sexist and queerphobic), nor to the fictional integration of disability in any future society. And despite what the foreword and introduction say, the intersectionality is perfunctory at best.
May 15, 2021
My review is more of a minority report here, as I surmised while skimming the many reviewers who loved this collection of speculative fiction shorts featuring characters with disabilities. And although I loved the idea of this collection, the execution of a majority of the stories seemed to fall flat for me. There were a few standout pieces that I absolutely adored, but they seemed hit or miss.
May 18, 2022
As with most anthologies, it was a mixed experience. Some of the writing was so creative, and inclusive, and brilliant. There was one story with a poetic, immersive style that totally captivated me. Others were far weaker on plot/characters and tropey-ness. Overall, I loved the idea and ambition but wished for slightly better curation & editing of some of the stories. Also - some needed a bit more length.
May 7, 2021
2⭐, Okay.
Accessing the Future is an important anthology, but a number of the stories weren't my cup of tea, and I enjoyed the foreword, introduction and afterword the most.
Stories that ticked the enjoy interest box for me were 'Pay Attention' by Sarah Pinsker, 'Better to Have Loved' by Kate O'Connor, 'Losing Touch' by Louise Hughes, 'Puppetry' by A.C. Buchanan.
Accessing the Future is an important anthology, but a number of the stories weren't my cup of tea, and I enjoyed the foreword, introduction and afterword the most.
Stories that ticked the enjoy interest box for me were 'Pay Attention' by Sarah Pinsker, 'Better to Have Loved' by Kate O'Connor, 'Losing Touch' by Louise Hughes, 'Puppetry' by A.C. Buchanan.
April 8, 2020
This was an interesting idea for an anthology! Short stories that are all (a) science fiction and (b) focus on disability? It is good that this exists.
Shout-out to several stories I especially appreciated:
🚀 "A Sense All its Own" by Sara Patterson, about a pilot of animalistic robots trying to bypass rules about vision restrictions and adaptive tech. Super fun story to read!
🚀 "Puppetry" by A.C. Buchanan, about a soldier with an ulterior purpose; really turns the technology-as-cure trope on its head.
🚀 "Lyric" by A.F. Sanchez, a unique, really well-done story about a semi-non-verbal autistic character, written in second person, where you, the reader, are the character.
🚀 "Courting the Silent Sun" by Rachel K. Jones, a powerful story about the deaf community and its place in the future, with a love story that really hit me in the feels.
Recommended!
Shout-out to several stories I especially appreciated:
🚀 "A Sense All its Own" by Sara Patterson, about a pilot of animalistic robots trying to bypass rules about vision restrictions and adaptive tech. Super fun story to read!
🚀 "Puppetry" by A.C. Buchanan, about a soldier with an ulterior purpose; really turns the technology-as-cure trope on its head.
🚀 "Lyric" by A.F. Sanchez, a unique, really well-done story about a semi-non-verbal autistic character, written in second person, where you, the reader, are the character.
🚀 "Courting the Silent Sun" by Rachel K. Jones, a powerful story about the deaf community and its place in the future, with a love story that really hit me in the feels.
Recommended!
October 24, 2021
I've liked it very much. It is so important that disabled people have representation and that is what we found here. This anthology is so good because they are not saying oh, poor person, s disabled... no. And that is what I always search for as a blind girl.
April 23, 2019
Overall this was pretty good. There were quite a few I really enjoyed, but there were some that I found lacking and one that I ended up skipping half of because I literally didn't understand what was going on - which it seems from reading reviews has happened to others.
But definitely a really interesting approach to discussing disability, would like to see more of this disability/SF combination.
But definitely a really interesting approach to discussing disability, would like to see more of this disability/SF combination.
April 8, 2018
This anthology has some good stories but I really love is the representation aspect. There are a variety of disable characters in a variety of settings and it helps make it "normal" as in part of our regular experience instead of something special. I think accepting difference and working with it is a good thing.
The quality level of the stories is mixed. The type of stories are mixed and I didn't like all of them. But the experience of reading characters where what is considered a disability here is just a characteristic of someone's nature was a delight. I appreciate the exposure and thought experiments. I would like more of this. I am sad that it had to be funded via an Indiegogo campaign and that there isn't more of a call for stories like this. These are not nitche stories. They are accessible and enjoyable by everyone.
Going through my reviews of each story, it appears that I really like the ones that have an element of conflict/contrast between the Haves and the Have Nots. I did not like the more experimental story telling ones.
Pirate songs / Nicolette Barischoff - Kick ass space story, loved it. 5 stars.
Pay attention / Sarah Pinsker - Really good story from the perspective of someone who is not NeuroTypical. 5 stars.
Invisible people / Margaret Killjoy - Good story, I liked it. 5 stars
The lessons of the moon / Joyce Chng - Written in such a way I wasn't really sure what was going on. A review helped me understand what was going on. 2 stars.
Screens / Samantha Rich - This one left me a little lost on how the world handled the turning invisible disabilities into visual ones. I would have liked a little more direction about what came up around it. But it was a good idea. 3 stars.
A sense all its own / Sara Patterson -Great story, well told. 5 stars.
Better to have loved / Kate O'Connor -This was on ok story. I don't feel it touched any depth.
It could have explored the value of feelings or the cost of removing feelings but it stuck to just the process of choosing to do it or not. It was missing thought. 3 stars.
Morphic resonance / Toby MacNutt - I enjoyed this one. I think it could have gone much farther.
Why was the tech so underground, why weren't people more concerned about exposure if it was so verboten? But a good exploration, 4 stars.
Losing touch / Louise Hughes -Interesting idea, robots supporting individual human consciousnesses but don't know what to do to help them. 4 stars.
Into the waters I rode down / Jack Hollis Marr -OK story but written in a way I am not fond of.
There is a lot of piecing things together to try an understand what is going on. 3 stars.
Playa song / Petra Kuppers -This story didn't make any sense to me, even after reading reviews.
It has great detail about how people were escaping the end of civilization from the Bay Area. But it was disjointed and some things ended up somewhere unrelated to anything else and unexplainable. Didn't like it. 1 star.
Puppetry / A.C. Buchanan - Good story, I liked it. 4 stars
Lyric / A.F. Sanchez -This one bothered me. It seemed to focus on the set up and stop before it got to the story. 3 stars.
Courting the silent sun / Rachael K. Jones -Pretty good story a major motivational element was not clear enough for me. The story took on depth after reading a review. 3 stars.
In open air / David Jon Fuller -This had the bones of a good story but the story got lost by focusing on the experience of the main character. 3 stars.
The quality level of the stories is mixed. The type of stories are mixed and I didn't like all of them. But the experience of reading characters where what is considered a disability here is just a characteristic of someone's nature was a delight. I appreciate the exposure and thought experiments. I would like more of this. I am sad that it had to be funded via an Indiegogo campaign and that there isn't more of a call for stories like this. These are not nitche stories. They are accessible and enjoyable by everyone.
Going through my reviews of each story, it appears that I really like the ones that have an element of conflict/contrast between the Haves and the Have Nots. I did not like the more experimental story telling ones.
Pirate songs / Nicolette Barischoff - Kick ass space story, loved it. 5 stars.
Pay attention / Sarah Pinsker - Really good story from the perspective of someone who is not NeuroTypical. 5 stars.
Invisible people / Margaret Killjoy - Good story, I liked it. 5 stars
The lessons of the moon / Joyce Chng - Written in such a way I wasn't really sure what was going on. A review helped me understand what was going on. 2 stars.
Screens / Samantha Rich - This one left me a little lost on how the world handled the turning invisible disabilities into visual ones. I would have liked a little more direction about what came up around it. But it was a good idea. 3 stars.
A sense all its own / Sara Patterson -Great story, well told. 5 stars.
Better to have loved / Kate O'Connor -This was on ok story. I don't feel it touched any depth.
It could have explored the value of feelings or the cost of removing feelings but it stuck to just the process of choosing to do it or not. It was missing thought. 3 stars.
Morphic resonance / Toby MacNutt - I enjoyed this one. I think it could have gone much farther.
Why was the tech so underground, why weren't people more concerned about exposure if it was so verboten? But a good exploration, 4 stars.
Losing touch / Louise Hughes -Interesting idea, robots supporting individual human consciousnesses but don't know what to do to help them. 4 stars.
Into the waters I rode down / Jack Hollis Marr -OK story but written in a way I am not fond of.
There is a lot of piecing things together to try an understand what is going on. 3 stars.
Playa song / Petra Kuppers -This story didn't make any sense to me, even after reading reviews.
It has great detail about how people were escaping the end of civilization from the Bay Area. But it was disjointed and some things ended up somewhere unrelated to anything else and unexplainable. Didn't like it. 1 star.
Puppetry / A.C. Buchanan - Good story, I liked it. 4 stars
Lyric / A.F. Sanchez -This one bothered me. It seemed to focus on the set up and stop before it got to the story. 3 stars.
Courting the silent sun / Rachael K. Jones -Pretty good story a major motivational element was not clear enough for me. The story took on depth after reading a review. 3 stars.
In open air / David Jon Fuller -This had the bones of a good story but the story got lost by focusing on the experience of the main character. 3 stars.
May 28, 2016
I have to admit that I was hesitant to review Accessing the Future because I wrote the afterward for it and I felt as though it would seem self-serving to review it, but as a disability scholar and a speculative fiction fan who is disabled, I felt that this book needed to be reviewed… well, that and IT IS A REALLY FANTASTIC BOOK. There is nothing so pleasing as finding a collection where every story is appealing. When I read the collection, I kept waiting with worry for the one story that would disappoint me… but it never arrived. I was incredibly pleased that every story in the collection spoke to me, entertained me, and interrogated the notion of disability in a powerful way.
As a disability scholar, I always fear that people will write “inspiration porn”. For those of you who are not in disability scholarship, we use the term “inspiration porn” to refer to media that use disabled people to make able-bodied people feel better, often by talking about how inspirational we disabled people are. This is, of course, infantalising and insulting to disabled people. I was incredibly pleased when none of the stories in Accessing the Future was “inspiration porn”. I should have known that the brilliant Kathryn Allan and Djibril Al-Ayad would make sure that the collection was free of this trope of disability, but it has gotten to the point where when I see disability in any title, I respond with some hesitation, always worried that I am about to be inundated with problematic tropes about disability. Not only does Accessing the Future represent stories that avoid this trope, the collection features stories that actively resist tropes and present disabled characters as complex and complete… as actual people instead of symbols of something that author is trying to represent. And isn’t it about time we are treated as real people instead of someone’s dream about what we should be or what they imagine us to be?
To read a longer version of my review, visit my website at https://speculatingcanada.ca/2016/03/...
As a disability scholar, I always fear that people will write “inspiration porn”. For those of you who are not in disability scholarship, we use the term “inspiration porn” to refer to media that use disabled people to make able-bodied people feel better, often by talking about how inspirational we disabled people are. This is, of course, infantalising and insulting to disabled people. I was incredibly pleased when none of the stories in Accessing the Future was “inspiration porn”. I should have known that the brilliant Kathryn Allan and Djibril Al-Ayad would make sure that the collection was free of this trope of disability, but it has gotten to the point where when I see disability in any title, I respond with some hesitation, always worried that I am about to be inundated with problematic tropes about disability. Not only does Accessing the Future represent stories that avoid this trope, the collection features stories that actively resist tropes and present disabled characters as complex and complete… as actual people instead of symbols of something that author is trying to represent. And isn’t it about time we are treated as real people instead of someone’s dream about what we should be or what they imagine us to be?
To read a longer version of my review, visit my website at https://speculatingcanada.ca/2016/03/...
June 26, 2023
Accessing the Future has a fantastic theme, with stories focused on disabilities in several different facets. I really appreciated the overall project, and I thought the introduction and afterword were especially strong. The stories covered a decently broad range of disabilities, and I was pleasant surprised to see deafness touched upon in three of the 15 stories (I'm deaf). That said, a few of the stories failed for me due to a dreamlike or stream-of-consciousness style or structure which always aggravates me.
My favorite single story was probably Sarah Pinsker's "Pay Attention," but I also really liked David Jón Fuller's "In Open Air." Kate O'Connor's "Better to Have Loved" touched a nerve (in a good way) for me, as someone also living in grief, and Sara Patterson's "A Sense All Its Own" was plain fun.
My favorite single story was probably Sarah Pinsker's "Pay Attention," but I also really liked David Jón Fuller's "In Open Air." Kate O'Connor's "Better to Have Loved" touched a nerve (in a good way) for me, as someone also living in grief, and Sara Patterson's "A Sense All Its Own" was plain fun.
November 17, 2017
You can't ignore them
disabled, but not broken
a worthwhile message.
disabled, but not broken
a worthwhile message.
April 24, 2022
Ok so I actually finished it a few days ago but I wanted to write up a review for each of the stories.
Before I do, I wanna say I loved the illustrations that were between every few stories, and I loved that they each had a page describing them in detail. Illustrations good, the descriptions were good too.
Pirate Songs - Nicolette Barischoff
First story was pretty cool, it didn't resonate with me like some of the others though. I thought it had a cool setting and it was intriguing to see the world the author presented. It was interesting to me that the mc had come from a privileged background and despite her disability was obviously better off and more empowered in many ways than those she met. 3.5 stars. I wish it'd been longer.
Pay Attention - Sarah Pinsker
I really enjoyed this one. Class comes into this story as well, in a more contemporary setting. I was so happy for the main character and so sad for them at the same time. I'm not sure what to say about this one except it felt really empowering. I don't know if I share exactly the same kind of thing this character has, but some of the ways it's described felt really relatable. 4 stars
Invisible People - Margaret Killjoy
Good cyberpunk acab story. The paranoia felt too real. 3.5 stars.
The Lessons of the Moon - Joyce Chng
This one made me cry a bit. So short, so sad. I love it. The writing was so special, I really enjoyed the way this one was structured. 4 stars.
Screens - Samantha Rich
One of my favourites. I'm not sure how to describe it, or how to summarise my feelings on it. The concept of a device that can display invisible illnesses is so appealing to me, as it is for the people in this story. But I can relate heavily to how vulnerable it would make you, too. To have everything on display. That's a lot. 4.5 stars
A Sense All its Own - Sara Patterson
This was one of the ones where I just thought the world and characters were pretty metal, awesome, something I'd love to read more of set in this universe. Not as touching as some others for me, but really fun. 3.5 stars
Better to Have Loved - Kate O'Connor
Short and sweet. Bitterly, bitter sweet. Really interesting concept on what disabilities really are. 4 stars.
Morphic Resonance - Toby MacNutt
Honestly, I struggled to understand this one. I'm not exactly sure if I parsed it correctly, and it's a shame because it seems to go into gender stuff more. But I didn't understand the tech being described and I didn't particularly enjoy or get much from it. 2 stars.
Losing Touch - Louise Hughes
God this one was really kinda depressing, but fascinating. What makes somebody a person, an individual? 3.5 stars.
Into the waters i rode down - Jack Hollis Marr
Really interesting writing style. I enjoyed it a lot but I'm having trouble describing why, beyond that I loved the prose and the bond and actions it depicts. 4 stars
Playa Song - Petra Kuppers
Uhhhh I really can barely remember this one sorry. Can't give a proper review, I don't even remember if I enjoyed it.
Puppetry - A.C Buchanen
Another im struggling to remember, though I do remember liking this one quite a lot.
Lyric - A.F Sanches
This one is my favourite in the book. It hit me so hard. Autistic feels. It was such a touching story, one that just felt so...close to home. I definitely understood why the MC chose that animal over something else. I dunno what to say, it made me cry a lot and think about my own stuff in more depth. 5 stars
Courting the Silent Sun - Rachael K. Jones
Not really into romance in stories a lot, but the one shown in this one was pretty nice. I liked the story, but it wasn't something I would seek out. 3.5 stars
In Open Air - David Jón Fuller
This one being the last in the anthology was sort of disappointing. It had a really interesting premise that it didn't go anywhere with. As soon as it was getting somewhere neat it ended. It has good bones though. 3 stars.
Before I do, I wanna say I loved the illustrations that were between every few stories, and I loved that they each had a page describing them in detail. Illustrations good, the descriptions were good too.
Pirate Songs - Nicolette Barischoff
First story was pretty cool, it didn't resonate with me like some of the others though. I thought it had a cool setting and it was intriguing to see the world the author presented. It was interesting to me that the mc had come from a privileged background and despite her disability was obviously better off and more empowered in many ways than those she met. 3.5 stars. I wish it'd been longer.
Pay Attention - Sarah Pinsker
I really enjoyed this one. Class comes into this story as well, in a more contemporary setting. I was so happy for the main character and so sad for them at the same time. I'm not sure what to say about this one except it felt really empowering. I don't know if I share exactly the same kind of thing this character has, but some of the ways it's described felt really relatable. 4 stars
Invisible People - Margaret Killjoy
Good cyberpunk acab story. The paranoia felt too real. 3.5 stars.
The Lessons of the Moon - Joyce Chng
This one made me cry a bit. So short, so sad. I love it. The writing was so special, I really enjoyed the way this one was structured. 4 stars.
Screens - Samantha Rich
One of my favourites. I'm not sure how to describe it, or how to summarise my feelings on it. The concept of a device that can display invisible illnesses is so appealing to me, as it is for the people in this story. But I can relate heavily to how vulnerable it would make you, too. To have everything on display. That's a lot. 4.5 stars
A Sense All its Own - Sara Patterson
This was one of the ones where I just thought the world and characters were pretty metal, awesome, something I'd love to read more of set in this universe. Not as touching as some others for me, but really fun. 3.5 stars
Better to Have Loved - Kate O'Connor
Short and sweet. Bitterly, bitter sweet. Really interesting concept on what disabilities really are. 4 stars.
Morphic Resonance - Toby MacNutt
Honestly, I struggled to understand this one. I'm not exactly sure if I parsed it correctly, and it's a shame because it seems to go into gender stuff more. But I didn't understand the tech being described and I didn't particularly enjoy or get much from it. 2 stars.
Losing Touch - Louise Hughes
God this one was really kinda depressing, but fascinating. What makes somebody a person, an individual? 3.5 stars.
Into the waters i rode down - Jack Hollis Marr
Really interesting writing style. I enjoyed it a lot but I'm having trouble describing why, beyond that I loved the prose and the bond and actions it depicts. 4 stars
Playa Song - Petra Kuppers
Uhhhh I really can barely remember this one sorry. Can't give a proper review, I don't even remember if I enjoyed it.
Puppetry - A.C Buchanen
Another im struggling to remember, though I do remember liking this one quite a lot.
Lyric - A.F Sanches
This one is my favourite in the book. It hit me so hard. Autistic feels. It was such a touching story, one that just felt so...close to home. I definitely understood why the MC chose that animal over something else. I dunno what to say, it made me cry a lot and think about my own stuff in more depth. 5 stars
Courting the Silent Sun - Rachael K. Jones
Not really into romance in stories a lot, but the one shown in this one was pretty nice. I liked the story, but it wasn't something I would seek out. 3.5 stars
In Open Air - David Jón Fuller
This one being the last in the anthology was sort of disappointing. It had a really interesting premise that it didn't go anywhere with. As soon as it was getting somewhere neat it ended. It has good bones though. 3 stars.
January 25, 2025
Deaf reader reviewing books with deaf characters. This book is listed on my ranked list of books with deaf characters.
This is a nice diverse collection of stories that centrally feature disabled characters. My review focuses specifically on the three stories with deaf characters. Since I cannot find information about any of these authors' hearing statuses or connections to any deaf communities, I lean toward presuming they are all hearing.
“into the waters i rode down” by Jack Hollis Marr
Aliye, an older deaf woman, is a neuroscientist who consents to an experimental implant that allows her to “hear” for the first time in her life. She’s not ecstatic about it. Rather it’s a necessary evil to use herself as a guinea pig because they’re at war. It's an intriguing premise and narrative, with a deaf character who ultimately rejects the “gift” of “cure.”
“Courting the Silent Sun” by Rachael K. Jones
Ismael is prelingually deaf, wears a cochlear implant-adjacent device, and signs. Renee is also deaf and signs. They’re a couple aboard a ship full of hearing people. The CI also speaks for Ismael when he wears signing gloves (damning evidence that this is most likely a hearing author who doesn't know ASL—although it’s worth noting that she is trying to be pro-deaf culture). Renee has seemingly always rejected the implant and does not change her mind even though Ismael tries to force it on her.
“In Open Air” by David Jón Fuller
Soraiya, 60 years old, is hard of hearing with "cookie bite" deafness (can hear low and high pitches, but not mid-ranges). She is speechreading-reliant because the human voice mostly falls into those mid-ranges. She does not have access to hearing aids.
All in all, not bad. The characters are all more than their deafness, except perhaps Ismael and Renee, who to an extent serve more as representatives of binary ideologies. But they do have personalities.
This is a nice diverse collection of stories that centrally feature disabled characters. My review focuses specifically on the three stories with deaf characters. Since I cannot find information about any of these authors' hearing statuses or connections to any deaf communities, I lean toward presuming they are all hearing.
“into the waters i rode down” by Jack Hollis Marr
Aliye, an older deaf woman, is a neuroscientist who consents to an experimental implant that allows her to “hear” for the first time in her life. She’s not ecstatic about it. Rather it’s a necessary evil to use herself as a guinea pig because they’re at war. It's an intriguing premise and narrative, with a deaf character who ultimately rejects the “gift” of “cure.”
“Courting the Silent Sun” by Rachael K. Jones
Ismael is prelingually deaf, wears a cochlear implant-adjacent device, and signs. Renee is also deaf and signs. They’re a couple aboard a ship full of hearing people. The CI also speaks for Ismael when he wears signing gloves (damning evidence that this is most likely a hearing author who doesn't know ASL—although it’s worth noting that she is trying to be pro-deaf culture). Renee has seemingly always rejected the implant and does not change her mind even though Ismael tries to force it on her.
“In Open Air” by David Jón Fuller
Soraiya, 60 years old, is hard of hearing with "cookie bite" deafness (can hear low and high pitches, but not mid-ranges). She is speechreading-reliant because the human voice mostly falls into those mid-ranges. She does not have access to hearing aids.
All in all, not bad. The characters are all more than their deafness, except perhaps Ismael and Renee, who to an extent serve more as representatives of binary ideologies. But they do have personalities.
March 31, 2020
Accessing the Future is a collection of worlds created by 15 authors, 9 artists and edited by Kathryn Allan and Djibril al-Ayad that is much needed in our small world. This book brings the views of those with disabilities or mental illness to the forefront of storytelling. through the creation of inclusive spaces, readers get an in your face view of what life is like and can be like for some in a science fiction setting.
This book is a refreshing contrast to the majority of books that feature characters with disabilities or mental illness. As they are no longer a side character, the depressing pity story or the inspirational porn that everyone needs to read. The authors inside these worlds have place their characters at the forefront of every story showcasing the down and dirty reality of how life can be depending on your situation from those in privileged settings to those in the slums.
Readers can relate to characters, connecting with the stories on a deeper level because these worlds were created with the understanding of what true inclusion means, which allows you to immerse yourself in each short story. At the end of every story, I found myself aching for just a few pages more of each world, which as an avid reader knows will never be enough.
Something truly incredible that is included along with each wonderful piece of artwork inside the book is a detailed description of the art. Showcasing just how inclusive literature can be made for everyone, by allowing those visually impaired to share in every part of this fantastic collection.
Warning this book will introduce you to a new style of writing through so many amazing authors that you will need more shelf space for all the new books you just have to read. It will also make you look at how disability and mental illness are portrayed in stories in a whole new way when reading books by nondisabled writers.
July 17, 2021
Very pleased with this anthology, not because it’s particularly fantastic — it’s just pretty good — but because there’s so much nuance, and realism, and room for failure, both for characters and also for the authors. This isn’t one of your pandering anthologies, and definitely isn’t here for your inspiration; it’s just here to exist, and I love it for that.
That said, the stories were a mix of really good, not-so-great, and meh. But that’s because I enjoyed some concepts, was completely confused by others, and found a few that really didn’t impress me. That’s a good thing! This anthology is disability-themed, it’s not about disability.
My favourites:
• Better To Have Loved, by Kate O’Connor. I seem to really like stories about loss, going by recent reviews 🥺 (Mild spoiler: Would you take a pill to forget your pain?)
• Morphic Resonance, by Toby MacNutt. Very cool concepts! Very, very cool concepts.
• Losing Touch by Louise Hughes. Took me a minute to figure out what was going on, but — yes, wow. What if?
• into the waters i rode down by Jack Hollis Marr must be the most original short story I’ve ever read.
• Puppetry, by AC Buchanan rather disappointed me in the end, but I would read the novel, I think.
• Lyric, by A.F. Sanchez was not a fave, but was just very wild, and I liked the protagonist.
• In Open Air, by David Jón Fuller had such a fun ending.
3.5/5.
That said, the stories were a mix of really good, not-so-great, and meh. But that’s because I enjoyed some concepts, was completely confused by others, and found a few that really didn’t impress me. That’s a good thing! This anthology is disability-themed, it’s not about disability.
My favourites:
• Better To Have Loved, by Kate O’Connor. I seem to really like stories about loss, going by recent reviews 🥺 (Mild spoiler: Would you take a pill to forget your pain?)
• Morphic Resonance, by Toby MacNutt. Very cool concepts! Very, very cool concepts.
• Losing Touch by Louise Hughes. Took me a minute to figure out what was going on, but — yes, wow. What if?
• into the waters i rode down by Jack Hollis Marr must be the most original short story I’ve ever read.
• Puppetry, by AC Buchanan rather disappointed me in the end, but I would read the novel, I think.
• Lyric, by A.F. Sanchez was not a fave, but was just very wild, and I liked the protagonist.
• In Open Air, by David Jón Fuller had such a fun ending.
3.5/5.
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