New World: An Anthology of Sci-Fi and Fantasy

by C. Spike Trotman (Editor), Evan Dahm (Contributor), Carla Speed McNeil (Contributor)

New World is a 360-page black-and-white anthology of fantasy and sci-fi comics for readers 15 years old and up. It's a book about culture clash: what happens when civilizations meet.

Genres: Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels, Anthologies, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction

344 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 2016

About the author

Trotman is also the creator of the webcomics Lucas and Odessa, Sparkneedle, and Blikada, as well as the somewhat less serious Playing With Dolls. She lives in Chicago with her husband.

Reviews

[Mir]

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[Lex Ophiuchus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Quiet World: 3/5
Written in Stone: 4/5
Stranded in E: 1/5
The Journey Stones: 4/5
Impression: 4/5
The Numbers Game: 1/5
Free: 3/5
Dr. Bubble: 5/5
Islands: 5/5
Star Catcher: 1/5
The Prophet: 4/5
Recordings: 2/5
The Book House: 4/5
Peopleology: 4/5
Fear & Fascination: 1/5
A Vessel in Drift: 2/5
Cleanup: 5/5
The Brides of Cetus: 3/5
An Experimental Colony: 3/5
Daikaiju, Die!: 4/5
Incubation: 3/5
Hosts: 3/5
Anticthon: 3/5
Garden of Heaven: 5/5

[Freya Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were moments of brilliance here, but they were few and far between. The narrative was engaging at times but often lost focus. Some chapters were a joy to read, while others felt like a chore. It’s not a bad read, but it’s not something I’d revisit. Worth a try, but temper your expectations.

[Mars R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some stories good, some meh, some truly excellent, as per standard with anthologies. Like all good science fiction, many of these stories explore philosophical problems of our own world, and while some may get a little too abstract for my taste, others are truly phenomenal. I plan on using Evan Dahm's "The Quiet World" for a starter socratic seminar with middle schoolers next year. And I can't stop thinking about Carla Speed McNeil's "Written in Stone". Who's right and who's wrong? What's the message? What does it imply about the parallel problems of colonialism and culture in our own society? I am basically forcing everyone in my life who will hold still long enough to read the story and then discuss it with me.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars

Really solid and thought-provoking collection of stories! There were some that made me laugh out loud and some that made my stomach drop [in a good way] and some that made me flip frantically back to the beginning to reread. A bit of range in terms of my own emotional investment but that's to be expected from an anthology. I loved the black and white art style throughout and the different takes on colonialism, cultural exchange, and generational storytelling were really interesting anthropologically, philosophically, and artistically.

Favorite stories: Islands, The Book House, Fear & Fascination, The Brides of Cetus, Daikaju Die!, Anticthon

[Ariel · Rating 2 out of 5]

These are the stores I liked.

Impression by spike
Free by Yáo Xiāo
Dr. Bubble by William Tallman
Peopleology by Magera Gordon
Fear & Fascination by M. Dean
The Brides of Cetus by Meg Gandy
Daikiju DIE by Nero O'Reilly and Irish Jay
Anticthon by Evan Palmer

The rest were very meh...

Reading most of these felt like I was reading was kinda annoying because almost all of them felt so unfinished.
Some of the art was hard to look at.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked a lot of the stories here, though I can’t say there was really a standout that I loved.

A lot of the art was great. Some not quite my taste. That’s what I expect of anthologies though.

Anyway I recommend it if you like comic anthologies about first contact ish stuff and all the philosophical problems involved.

[Himanshu Vartak · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good variety of artwork, although all of it is B/W, which makes it a little hard to follow sometimes. I had the most fun with the stories where the artwork was cartoon-like, but the story was mature. That said, wasn't a big fan of most of the stories; they felt like unfinished drafts of bigger stories.

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the stories were great, others were a bit meh, but that's usually the way with collections. Some real gems hidden in here, accompanied with impressive illustrations, so well worth a read for any sci-fi fan.

[Matt Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oof - I'd been picking at this for so long, then finally read it straight through. So many of the stories I'd read more than a year ago had become classic in my mind, so I was surprised to see them again in this anthology. It's a good one.

[Cesar Leon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Cómo todo tipo de antologías o recopilatorios la calidad varía bastante entre unas historias y otras. Sin lugar a dudas vale la pena por esas que te dejan con ese giro inesperado justo al terminar.

[Faith Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blown away by how engaging this was. The tension built steadily, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The twists were surprising and kept me guessing until the very end. I found myself thinking about it long after I finished. It’s the kind of story that stays with you. Highly recommended!

[Karlee Sargent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute joy to read! The author’s voice is so distinct and refreshing, making every page a delight. The characters were vibrant, and their journeys were inspiring. I was left feeling both satisfied and wanting more. Truly a standout in its genre.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure if I'm just burnt out on comic anthologies, but unfortunately only a couple of these stories made any impact on me.

[Donny Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected and most welcome surprise.

[James Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all anthologies, there are good and bad entries. Overall the good wins out.

[Luis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall not very interesting. Some stories were pretty decent.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

many stories of colonization, all fascinating

[Beccy · Rating 4 out of 5]

True rating; 3.75 stars

Overall this is a really good collection, with some wonderful illustration and storytelling. As with any anthology not everything is the same standard or fits the same style, but I really liked a lot of the stories and the ones I didn't like as much, it was more because of an anticlimactic ending rather than anything really bad.

[Jennine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully designed, with a wide range of artistic styles, topics, and narrative approaches represented. There's something here for everyone, just not quite enough for me - I found quite a few of the stories rather thin as stories. But this seems like it would be very rewarding for someone who is more deeply into comics than I am.