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At the Edge
Step up, as close as you dare…
…to a place at the edge of sanity, where cicadas scritch across balmy summer nights,
at the edge of town, where the cell phone coverage is decidedly dodgy,
at the edge of space, where a Mimbinus argut bounds among snowy rocks,
at the edge of the page, where demon princes prance in the shadows,
at the edge of despair, where 10 darushas will get you a vodka lime and a ring-side seat,
at the edge of the universe, where time stops but space goes on...
From the brink of civilisation, the fringe of reason, and the border of reality, come 22 stories infused with the bloody-minded spirit of the Antipodes, tales told by the children of warriors and whalers, convicts and miners: people unafraid to strike out for new territories and find meaning in the expanses at the edge of the world.
Compiled by award-winning editing team Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray, and including a story by Arthur C. Clarke finalist Phillip Mann and introduction by World Fantasy Award winner Angela Slatter, At the Edge is a dark and dystopic collection from some of Australia and New Zealand’s best speculative writers.
…to a place at the edge of sanity, where cicadas scritch across balmy summer nights,
at the edge of town, where the cell phone coverage is decidedly dodgy,
at the edge of space, where a Mimbinus argut bounds among snowy rocks,
at the edge of the page, where demon princes prance in the shadows,
at the edge of despair, where 10 darushas will get you a vodka lime and a ring-side seat,
at the edge of the universe, where time stops but space goes on...
From the brink of civilisation, the fringe of reason, and the border of reality, come 22 stories infused with the bloody-minded spirit of the Antipodes, tales told by the children of warriors and whalers, convicts and miners: people unafraid to strike out for new territories and find meaning in the expanses at the edge of the world.
Compiled by award-winning editing team Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray, and including a story by Arthur C. Clarke finalist Phillip Mann and introduction by World Fantasy Award winner Angela Slatter, At the Edge is a dark and dystopic collection from some of Australia and New Zealand’s best speculative writers.
412 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 22, 2017
(Note: This was an ongoing review like the one I eventually finished for Rogues Ed. George RR Martin & Gardner Dozois. Unlike Rogues, I only recognised a handful of writers, which was refreshing in a way - most do stand up though - although a couple of stories are far rawer than the famous list of polished writers on the Rogue contents.)
I've just finished this anthology from Down Under, which is made up of dystopian stories from the fantasy, sci-fi and horror genres. Although mostly very good (there are a couple of duds), a few do take themselves a little too seriously. I suppose I like a dash of humour (or light) in my serious reads too. Most of the works though are fresh and innovative, which I also like in my reading. I have, however, found a few of the horror stories too painfully dark and I thought they could have had more depth - or is the purpose of horror just to frighten readers? A couple of the sci-fi stories also choose concept over characters. All up, however, as I've stated at the end, it's a strong anthology.
It was great to see the Maori culture coming through so strongly in the NZ (we call them Kiwis) narratives. I know they're a far larger percentage of the population but I also wonder whether we Australians are travelling down the right path. I remember Thomas Keneally once saying in an interview that he wouldn't have written Jimmy Blacksmith today due to cultural appropriation reasons. Yet the NZ writers in At the Edge have me now questioning our own Australian writers approach. Perhaps being more inclusive would be another way forward? Why shouldn't all Australians be able to both celebrate and explore Indigenous culture and issues like so many NZ writers do here? It's a grey issue and probably far more complicated than my shallow point here. Most likely our thinking reflects our very real guilt regarding our dark history compared to NZ's when relating to our First Nation Peoples.
My faves - all truly exceptional stories are: 'The Urge' by Carlington Black, for the unique suspense and mystery and insectoid-human fusion, 'Crossing' by Anthony Panegyres, which is amazing: thoughtful, poignant, bittersweet, meaningful and uniquely structured, 'Street Furniture' by Joanne Anderton,, which is a fantastically dark, wicked and fun, but also a fresh and meaningful YA fantasy, 'Seven Excerpts from Season One' by David Versace (which almost has that offbeat Connie Willis feel about it) and 'The Island at the End of the World' by Paul Mannering for the descriptive new world it paints - not sure if I completely understood it mind you, but it is a hauntingly beautiful story. These are all fabulous but uniquely different stories - I think they cover a number of genre too (horror, sci-fi-fantasy blend, YA dark fantasy, horror, and futuristic fantasy). I thought all had that edge... (excuse the pun).
4* "The Leaves no Longer Fall" by Jodi Cleghorn. A story dealing with dystopia caused by climate change. It explores motherhood and science and the sacrifices professional women make. I thought it a very good story - if I had to be critical, I'd say I found the tone too bleak throughout. It's great but it's one of those that takes itself very seriously in terms of dialogue, relationships, thoughts and interactions. A bit of levity may have made it even more effective.
5* "The Urge" by Carlington Black. Diary entry style story about cicadas and their breeding season. But what's now happening though to the human world around them? Loved it. Weird, offbeat, creepy and I love the gradual morphing that occurs.
4* "Boxing Day" by Martin Livings. Liked this one too. In the backyard of a country town home, this extended bogan family literally have a 'Boxing Day' tradition of beating the crap out of each other...even though the Dad has already killed his own son in a previous 'celebration'. Now the daughter wants to compete in these fights for revenge. Just a stack of fun - did find the twist at the end too predictable but it was a great ride (light in tone despite the violence).
4* "The Architect" (Part 1) By Phillip Mann. Apparently one of the bigger writers here (he's been shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke Award in the past). A man geoscapes (is that a word?) a city on a planet. This shouldn't have been split into two different parts in the anthology. Part 1 lacked interaction with other characters and fell very flat. Good concept - but ultimately more of a concept than a story you can connect with but Part 2 meant the pieces came together with other characters. Mann writes in quite a formal and somewhat stilted manner, but the story is a good one. One for the hard sci-fi buffs.
3.5* "Hood of Bone" by Debbie Cowens. Well-written horror story. The sea brings an alien-like parasite to the shore. The pet dog is the initial victim. Although gripping, I just wanted more in terms of theme. It's scary, dark, uncomfortable and horrific.
5* "Crossing" by Anthony Panegyres. My favourite along with 'Street Furniture'. This one is difficult to write about without spoiling the story as it has a unique plot. Jane Self is torn between her past and present. The world is a little mixed up in time and parts are vague and odd. The story also pokes fun at religion (well that's how I saw it). We see the world of Adeville through Jane's eyes. And then it all changes about halfway through- and the bits all suddenly make sense. Thought this very clever as the present and one's past intermesh in a way. The tone and style changes throughout. "Crossing" deals with closure and relationships and the 'other side' in a poignant, thoughtful yet bittersweet manner. Pretty amazing work. A line of dialogue has remained with me: "Maybe that's it. Maybe life's just a series of unresolved questions."
4.5* "12-36" by EG Wilson. Another great story. This one is sci-fi. Rerenga's ship is in trouble in space, when a young stowaway girl is found in the locker. I thought the build up and tension fantastic. It felt to me a lot like Neil Gaiman's Dr Who Tardis episodes (won't go further here as I'll spoil the story) but I thought it still written v.well.
4.5* "Crop Rotation" by David Stevens. I feel as though I'm spoiling a few just commenting on them here. An isolated middle-aged farmer has replacement wives. Yet they have an otherworldly feel. Ripper of a story, which is really critical of the the whole patriarchal notion. Stevens, like many here, really captures a sense of place well. The atmosphere is uncomfortably creepy. And this dark fantasy said something - it could also be read as a feminist text.
3.5* "Narco" by Michelle Child. A girl who suffers from narcolepsy is on a very weird train ride. But what's real and what's not? This is a story of psychological intrigue as nightmares merge with reality. Enjoyed it.
2.5* "The Great and True Jouney" by Richard Barnes. A weird scientific, other worldly, action story on an ice-scape. At times it felt like I was on the ice with the duo in LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness novel. I thought this one too vague and racy. I'll have to honestly admit that I didn't get it. I think of myself as a pretty good reader but maybe the concept was beyond my levels of comprehension at the time.
4* "BlindSight" AJ Ponder. This is straight out of the horror genre. Rosie, a young girls seems to be connected to a demonic creature from the darker paranormal world. It's a very heavy story in terms of its graphic nature and the ever present danger that surrounds the poor Rosie... and everyone who is connected to her. Rosie is isolated form the world though for a reason. An imaginative horror that links to reading and stories too. Thought this one had some depth.
2.5* "In Sacrifice We Hope" Keira McKenzie. I live about an hour and a half's drive south from Perth, just south of Mandurah, but I know Perth (the state's capital city) really well. I liked that McKenzie has put Perth on the map here. The names and places are familiar to me, which I enjoyed. Often you see Australian stories in the outback or in the bigger cities like Melbourne and Sydney. This story has two youths explore a forbidden zone - the Burswood Casino. It's futuristic dystopia of a world that's gone wrong. The writing, however, is almost like it's straight out of the 50s or 60s pulp era. It just tries a little too hard. It's also very plot based - I didn't get a great feel for the characters. The story concentrated on keeping the reader on the edge of their seat - I suppose that's part of the nature of the story and it just didn't gel with me. I was surprised by all the alliteration and sibilance too. Maybe that's the fault of the editors though. 'The boys clambered over clumps of masonry, shattered stairs and unrecognisable stuff subverted into ecosystems for snakes, spiders and scorpions...' You get the drift...
4* "Little Thunder" by Jan Goldie. I'm a bit of a sci-fi geek so this one gelled with me. It's written well and set in a bar full of outlandish alien vagabonds. I kind of had the Star Wars bar with Han Solo and Greedo in mind...Didn't think the ending or storyline all that convincing but thumbs up for setting and fun characters.
5* "Street Furniture" by Joanne Anderton. Loved this cool story. Hilarious, but also very creepy, goblins live on discarded street furniture on home verges. They stink of smoke and beer too. And they want more - better chairs, desk lamps etc too (despite the fact that there is no electricity). They're "a little transparent around the edges" and not everyone sees them. They return favours but there's a price. Young Emma is locked into a deal to get rid of her bastard of a stepdad. I wasn't sure of the celebrity ending at first (won't give it away) but I've come around to it. The story is dark, funny - I'd say more YA fantasy - and it looks at issues of the down and outs. Dark, comical, clever. This was a refreshing change of tone.
4* "Call of the Sea" by Eileen Mueller. This story explores family loss and separation and the potential to start again. It's very good, but for my own personal taste, a little on the grave side. Well-written family drama as a child is lost to the waves. But is the child lost? And what else might the sea offer this poor divorcee mother?
3* "Responsibility" by Octavia Cade. At first I thought this was a Shirley Jackson Merricat type character and then I realised it was a zombie chicken story. An outrageous idea that naturally isn't a strong story. Written in a fresh style but it's basically a joke that goes on far too long. Think some readers will love its absurdness.
3.5* "Hope Lies North" by JC Hart. Really enjoyed the Maori cultural elements at play here. In this future dystopia, the Earth is also an enemy to many. Our protagonist, Sarah, finds a group that at first seem to be treated better by the Earth but there is a heavy trade off... in body parts. And now Sarah is being held captive with a cost to pay. Thereafter the story becomes an action sequence with a very clichéd ending involving our relationship with Mother Earth. An enjoyable story but after a solid opening it became too plot driven.
5* "Seven Excerpts From Season One" by David Versace. A very clever horror story entailing a group of high school kids making a documentary series about the town's past horrors. Yet not all is as seems. The story is made up of cuts and excerpts from the first season of the show. The kids show gets quite a following as it goes viral on the net. Things get spookier too. I liked the innovative structure here and the story's format made it really strong. Thought it had a little of the zany Connie Willis about it - and that's no small compliment. Great work.
5* "The Island at the End of the World" by Paul Mannering. "Sky-fire" "Sun-fall" and "there is nothing beyond the horizon". At first you just think that you are on a very tribal island with a strong oral tradition and culture. The island is all they know. But what sounds like a paradise of sunsets and stories, coconuts and seafood, becomes so much more in terms of what it means to be human. This either is a story of metamorphosis, or the story of another species of man (or both...). Mannering paints his story. The imagery is vivid and exquisite and the writing rich. I think part of the narrative may have gone over my head, as the story is deliberately vague, as it aims to provide the reader with a unique lens into this other culture. It didn't matter if I didn't quite get it all - I still loved it.
4* "Back When the River Had No Name" by Summer Wigmore. This has that classical dystopian feel of a post apocalyptic world. The young protagonist is mysterious but very capable as he sets out to win favour here with a self-appointed older guardian of the river. Not sure if the story needed the dramatic unveiling part of the boy and his long-dead Mum. Nevertheless, it's a captivating story.
4* "Splintr" by AJ Fitzwater. Another hard sci-fi concept story. Aeron is left alone on Earth to die each day. But this story is more than that - it's an exploration of the new humanity. Is Aeron part of a broader collective identity? This is quite philosophical and challenging. I don't know whether I enjoyed it. Know that sounds odd, but I just prefer a little more emotional connection with characters, but I certainly admired it for what it is: an intelligent exploration of future collective possibilities.
3* "One Life, No Respawns" by Tom Dullemond. Once again, clever concept for the sci-fi fans. Found this one very challenging. It's a futuristic replay type of story - at least that's what I thought. I read a lot, yet I did find this a little beyond my cerebral powers, so it's not really fair to rate it. I could say that it might have needed clearer positioning for the reader...but maybe that was the whole point.
2.5* "And Still the Forests Grow Though we are Gone" by AC Buchanan. Similar thoughts to the previous story. Found myself really concentrating and going backwards and forwards. Would rather a little more clarity along with a more human story. Sometimes sci-fi is more about the concept but I like characters interacting. Hard for me to judge this one due to my reading preferences.
And finished...Really enjoyed it and I've discovered a few great writers in the process. Some fantastic stories here. Thought the Mann story being split an odd move and thought a couple of horror stories could have had more meaning, and a couple of the late sci-fi stories relate to conceptual ideas more than characters interacting. All up though it's a thumbs up!
Highly recommended.
I've just finished this anthology from Down Under, which is made up of dystopian stories from the fantasy, sci-fi and horror genres. Although mostly very good (there are a couple of duds), a few do take themselves a little too seriously. I suppose I like a dash of humour (or light) in my serious reads too. Most of the works though are fresh and innovative, which I also like in my reading. I have, however, found a few of the horror stories too painfully dark and I thought they could have had more depth - or is the purpose of horror just to frighten readers? A couple of the sci-fi stories also choose concept over characters. All up, however, as I've stated at the end, it's a strong anthology.
It was great to see the Maori culture coming through so strongly in the NZ (we call them Kiwis) narratives. I know they're a far larger percentage of the population but I also wonder whether we Australians are travelling down the right path. I remember Thomas Keneally once saying in an interview that he wouldn't have written Jimmy Blacksmith today due to cultural appropriation reasons. Yet the NZ writers in At the Edge have me now questioning our own Australian writers approach. Perhaps being more inclusive would be another way forward? Why shouldn't all Australians be able to both celebrate and explore Indigenous culture and issues like so many NZ writers do here? It's a grey issue and probably far more complicated than my shallow point here. Most likely our thinking reflects our very real guilt regarding our dark history compared to NZ's when relating to our First Nation Peoples.
My faves - all truly exceptional stories are: 'The Urge' by Carlington Black, for the unique suspense and mystery and insectoid-human fusion, 'Crossing' by Anthony Panegyres, which is amazing: thoughtful, poignant, bittersweet, meaningful and uniquely structured, 'Street Furniture' by Joanne Anderton,, which is a fantastically dark, wicked and fun, but also a fresh and meaningful YA fantasy, 'Seven Excerpts from Season One' by David Versace (which almost has that offbeat Connie Willis feel about it) and 'The Island at the End of the World' by Paul Mannering for the descriptive new world it paints - not sure if I completely understood it mind you, but it is a hauntingly beautiful story. These are all fabulous but uniquely different stories - I think they cover a number of genre too (horror, sci-fi-fantasy blend, YA dark fantasy, horror, and futuristic fantasy). I thought all had that edge... (excuse the pun).
4* "The Leaves no Longer Fall" by Jodi Cleghorn. A story dealing with dystopia caused by climate change. It explores motherhood and science and the sacrifices professional women make. I thought it a very good story - if I had to be critical, I'd say I found the tone too bleak throughout. It's great but it's one of those that takes itself very seriously in terms of dialogue, relationships, thoughts and interactions. A bit of levity may have made it even more effective.
5* "The Urge" by Carlington Black. Diary entry style story about cicadas and their breeding season. But what's now happening though to the human world around them? Loved it. Weird, offbeat, creepy and I love the gradual morphing that occurs.
4* "Boxing Day" by Martin Livings. Liked this one too. In the backyard of a country town home, this extended bogan family literally have a 'Boxing Day' tradition of beating the crap out of each other...even though the Dad has already killed his own son in a previous 'celebration'. Now the daughter wants to compete in these fights for revenge. Just a stack of fun - did find the twist at the end too predictable but it was a great ride (light in tone despite the violence).
4* "The Architect" (Part 1) By Phillip Mann. Apparently one of the bigger writers here (he's been shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke Award in the past). A man geoscapes (is that a word?) a city on a planet. This shouldn't have been split into two different parts in the anthology. Part 1 lacked interaction with other characters and fell very flat. Good concept - but ultimately more of a concept than a story you can connect with but Part 2 meant the pieces came together with other characters. Mann writes in quite a formal and somewhat stilted manner, but the story is a good one. One for the hard sci-fi buffs.
3.5* "Hood of Bone" by Debbie Cowens. Well-written horror story. The sea brings an alien-like parasite to the shore. The pet dog is the initial victim. Although gripping, I just wanted more in terms of theme. It's scary, dark, uncomfortable and horrific.
5* "Crossing" by Anthony Panegyres. My favourite along with 'Street Furniture'. This one is difficult to write about without spoiling the story as it has a unique plot. Jane Self is torn between her past and present. The world is a little mixed up in time and parts are vague and odd. The story also pokes fun at religion (well that's how I saw it). We see the world of Adeville through Jane's eyes. And then it all changes about halfway through- and the bits all suddenly make sense. Thought this very clever as the present and one's past intermesh in a way. The tone and style changes throughout. "Crossing" deals with closure and relationships and the 'other side' in a poignant, thoughtful yet bittersweet manner. Pretty amazing work. A line of dialogue has remained with me: "Maybe that's it. Maybe life's just a series of unresolved questions."
4.5* "12-36" by EG Wilson. Another great story. This one is sci-fi. Rerenga's ship is in trouble in space, when a young stowaway girl is found in the locker. I thought the build up and tension fantastic. It felt to me a lot like Neil Gaiman's Dr Who Tardis episodes (won't go further here as I'll spoil the story) but I thought it still written v.well.
4.5* "Crop Rotation" by David Stevens. I feel as though I'm spoiling a few just commenting on them here. An isolated middle-aged farmer has replacement wives. Yet they have an otherworldly feel. Ripper of a story, which is really critical of the the whole patriarchal notion. Stevens, like many here, really captures a sense of place well. The atmosphere is uncomfortably creepy. And this dark fantasy said something - it could also be read as a feminist text.
3.5* "Narco" by Michelle Child. A girl who suffers from narcolepsy is on a very weird train ride. But what's real and what's not? This is a story of psychological intrigue as nightmares merge with reality. Enjoyed it.
2.5* "The Great and True Jouney" by Richard Barnes. A weird scientific, other worldly, action story on an ice-scape. At times it felt like I was on the ice with the duo in LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness novel. I thought this one too vague and racy. I'll have to honestly admit that I didn't get it. I think of myself as a pretty good reader but maybe the concept was beyond my levels of comprehension at the time.
4* "BlindSight" AJ Ponder. This is straight out of the horror genre. Rosie, a young girls seems to be connected to a demonic creature from the darker paranormal world. It's a very heavy story in terms of its graphic nature and the ever present danger that surrounds the poor Rosie... and everyone who is connected to her. Rosie is isolated form the world though for a reason. An imaginative horror that links to reading and stories too. Thought this one had some depth.
2.5* "In Sacrifice We Hope" Keira McKenzie. I live about an hour and a half's drive south from Perth, just south of Mandurah, but I know Perth (the state's capital city) really well. I liked that McKenzie has put Perth on the map here. The names and places are familiar to me, which I enjoyed. Often you see Australian stories in the outback or in the bigger cities like Melbourne and Sydney. This story has two youths explore a forbidden zone - the Burswood Casino. It's futuristic dystopia of a world that's gone wrong. The writing, however, is almost like it's straight out of the 50s or 60s pulp era. It just tries a little too hard. It's also very plot based - I didn't get a great feel for the characters. The story concentrated on keeping the reader on the edge of their seat - I suppose that's part of the nature of the story and it just didn't gel with me. I was surprised by all the alliteration and sibilance too. Maybe that's the fault of the editors though. 'The boys clambered over clumps of masonry, shattered stairs and unrecognisable stuff subverted into ecosystems for snakes, spiders and scorpions...' You get the drift...
4* "Little Thunder" by Jan Goldie. I'm a bit of a sci-fi geek so this one gelled with me. It's written well and set in a bar full of outlandish alien vagabonds. I kind of had the Star Wars bar with Han Solo and Greedo in mind...Didn't think the ending or storyline all that convincing but thumbs up for setting and fun characters.
5* "Street Furniture" by Joanne Anderton. Loved this cool story. Hilarious, but also very creepy, goblins live on discarded street furniture on home verges. They stink of smoke and beer too. And they want more - better chairs, desk lamps etc too (despite the fact that there is no electricity). They're "a little transparent around the edges" and not everyone sees them. They return favours but there's a price. Young Emma is locked into a deal to get rid of her bastard of a stepdad. I wasn't sure of the celebrity ending at first (won't give it away) but I've come around to it. The story is dark, funny - I'd say more YA fantasy - and it looks at issues of the down and outs. Dark, comical, clever. This was a refreshing change of tone.
4* "Call of the Sea" by Eileen Mueller. This story explores family loss and separation and the potential to start again. It's very good, but for my own personal taste, a little on the grave side. Well-written family drama as a child is lost to the waves. But is the child lost? And what else might the sea offer this poor divorcee mother?
3* "Responsibility" by Octavia Cade. At first I thought this was a Shirley Jackson Merricat type character and then I realised it was a zombie chicken story. An outrageous idea that naturally isn't a strong story. Written in a fresh style but it's basically a joke that goes on far too long. Think some readers will love its absurdness.
3.5* "Hope Lies North" by JC Hart. Really enjoyed the Maori cultural elements at play here. In this future dystopia, the Earth is also an enemy to many. Our protagonist, Sarah, finds a group that at first seem to be treated better by the Earth but there is a heavy trade off... in body parts. And now Sarah is being held captive with a cost to pay. Thereafter the story becomes an action sequence with a very clichéd ending involving our relationship with Mother Earth. An enjoyable story but after a solid opening it became too plot driven.
5* "Seven Excerpts From Season One" by David Versace. A very clever horror story entailing a group of high school kids making a documentary series about the town's past horrors. Yet not all is as seems. The story is made up of cuts and excerpts from the first season of the show. The kids show gets quite a following as it goes viral on the net. Things get spookier too. I liked the innovative structure here and the story's format made it really strong. Thought it had a little of the zany Connie Willis about it - and that's no small compliment. Great work.
5* "The Island at the End of the World" by Paul Mannering. "Sky-fire" "Sun-fall" and "there is nothing beyond the horizon". At first you just think that you are on a very tribal island with a strong oral tradition and culture. The island is all they know. But what sounds like a paradise of sunsets and stories, coconuts and seafood, becomes so much more in terms of what it means to be human. This either is a story of metamorphosis, or the story of another species of man (or both...). Mannering paints his story. The imagery is vivid and exquisite and the writing rich. I think part of the narrative may have gone over my head, as the story is deliberately vague, as it aims to provide the reader with a unique lens into this other culture. It didn't matter if I didn't quite get it all - I still loved it.
4* "Back When the River Had No Name" by Summer Wigmore. This has that classical dystopian feel of a post apocalyptic world. The young protagonist is mysterious but very capable as he sets out to win favour here with a self-appointed older guardian of the river. Not sure if the story needed the dramatic unveiling part of the boy and his long-dead Mum. Nevertheless, it's a captivating story.
4* "Splintr" by AJ Fitzwater. Another hard sci-fi concept story. Aeron is left alone on Earth to die each day. But this story is more than that - it's an exploration of the new humanity. Is Aeron part of a broader collective identity? This is quite philosophical and challenging. I don't know whether I enjoyed it. Know that sounds odd, but I just prefer a little more emotional connection with characters, but I certainly admired it for what it is: an intelligent exploration of future collective possibilities.
3* "One Life, No Respawns" by Tom Dullemond. Once again, clever concept for the sci-fi fans. Found this one very challenging. It's a futuristic replay type of story - at least that's what I thought. I read a lot, yet I did find this a little beyond my cerebral powers, so it's not really fair to rate it. I could say that it might have needed clearer positioning for the reader...but maybe that was the whole point.
2.5* "And Still the Forests Grow Though we are Gone" by AC Buchanan. Similar thoughts to the previous story. Found myself really concentrating and going backwards and forwards. Would rather a little more clarity along with a more human story. Sometimes sci-fi is more about the concept but I like characters interacting. Hard for me to judge this one due to my reading preferences.
And finished...Really enjoyed it and I've discovered a few great writers in the process. Some fantastic stories here. Thought the Mann story being split an odd move and thought a couple of horror stories could have had more meaning, and a couple of the late sci-fi stories relate to conceptual ideas more than characters interacting. All up though it's a thumbs up!
Highly recommended.
May 21, 2019
The first story in this anthology, 'The Leaves No Longer Fall' by Jodi Cleghorn, was pretty amazing. A well written dystopia with a touching human element. 5 stars
Story 2: 'The Urge' by Carlington Black.
A Kafka-esque nightmare. Deeply disturbing. 4 stars.
Story 3: ‘Boxing Day’ by Martin Livings.
Sometimes I read a short story that is so damned good I wish I’d written it myself. This is one of those stories. Amazingly good. 5 fucken stars.
Story 4: ‘The Architect: Part 1’ by Phillip Mann.
This was proper, old school SF. Mann clearly has a fantastic imagination. This story continues with a second part later in this anthology, so I’m waiting to see how it ends before I give it a rating.
Story 5: ‘Hood of Bone’ by Debbie Cowens.
Seriously bloody creepy Lovecraftian horror; I really wish I hadn’t read this just before lunch… Ewww… 5 terrifying stars.
Story 6: ‘Crossing’ by Anthony Panegyres.
A ghost story with a twist. I don’t know why but I didn’t enjoy this one that much. There was nothing wrong with it, really, and it was a good idea and well written; I just didn’t connect with it for some reason. 3 stars.
Story 7: ’12-36’ by E.G. Wilson.
A slightly metaphysical slice of SF. It was OK; quite cute. 3 stars.
Story 8: ‘Crop Rotation’ by David Stevens.
A nice, little gross-out body-horror tale. 4 stars.
Story 9: ‘Narco’ by Michelle Child.
A brief psychological thriller. It didn’t do much for me, I’m afraid; I found the ending quite unsatisfying. 2 stars.
Story 10: ‘The Great and True Journey’ by Richard Barnes.
I quite liked this one. A journey across nigh impossible terrain in search of enlightenment. I think it really needed to be longer, though; I didn’t spend enough time with the characters to care that much about them. 3 stars.
Story 11: ‘BlindSight’ by A.J. Ponder.
A young girl is tormented by second sight. A horrible little read. 4 stars.
Story 12: ‘In Sacrifice We Hope’ by Keira McKenzie.
A tale of urban legends... But are they just legends? Quite good. 3 stars.
Story 13: ‘Little Thunder’ by Jan Goldie.
A woman walks into a bar… A nice little space opera-type story. 3 stars.
Story 14: ‘Street Furniture’ by Joanna Anderton.
Absolutely brilliant. A must-read for anybody who’s a fan of the movie Labyrinth. 5 stars.
Story 15: ‘Call of the Sea’ by Eileen Mueller.
A moving story of grief and fantasy. 4 stars.
Story 16: ‘Responsibility’ by Octavia Cade.
Seriously weird and pretty funny. 4 stars.
Story 17: ‘Hope Lies North’ by J.C. Hart.
Another dystopian future, this time portraying a world rocked by tectonic upheaval. Not bad. 3 stars.
Story 18: ‘Seven Excerpts from Season One’ by David Versace.
A kind of ‘found-footage’ short story, if you can imagine that. I loved it. 5 stars.
Story 19: ‘The Island at the End of the World’ by Paul Mannering.
A beautifully written world from a time after the destruction of the moon. 5 stars.
Story 20: ‘Back When the River Had No Name’ by Summer Wigmore.
Post-apocalyptic in the 'Mad Max' vein. I quite enjoyed it. 3 stars.
Story 21: ‘The Architect: Part 2’ by Phillip Mann.
The second part of this was just as good as the first. Honestly, this old school style SF tale was a great read, I just question the decision to split it into two parts; it almost destroyed the momentum. I wish I’d ignored the book’s reading order and skipped straight to part 2 after finishing part 1. 4 stars.
Story 22: ‘Splintr’ by A.J. Fitzwater.
Deliberately obscure and pretentious. Left me cold, I’m afraid. 2 stars.
Story 23: ‘One Life, No Respawns’ by Tom Dullemond.
A brief portrait of PTSD, science fiction style. 3 stars.
Story 24: ‘And Still the Forests Grow Though We Are Gone’ by A.C. Buchanan.
A decent tale of environmental disaster. Not bad at all but not the strongest story to end the collection with. 3 stars.
All things considered, this was a pretty good collection of short stories. There were a couple of clunkers but that’s the case with the vast majority of anthology-type books. Overall, I was impressed and I’ve found some new authors whose longer works I’ll be checking out. Aggregate rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Story 2: 'The Urge' by Carlington Black.
A Kafka-esque nightmare. Deeply disturbing. 4 stars.
Story 3: ‘Boxing Day’ by Martin Livings.
Sometimes I read a short story that is so damned good I wish I’d written it myself. This is one of those stories. Amazingly good. 5 fucken stars.
Story 4: ‘The Architect: Part 1’ by Phillip Mann.
This was proper, old school SF. Mann clearly has a fantastic imagination. This story continues with a second part later in this anthology, so I’m waiting to see how it ends before I give it a rating.
Story 5: ‘Hood of Bone’ by Debbie Cowens.
Seriously bloody creepy Lovecraftian horror; I really wish I hadn’t read this just before lunch… Ewww… 5 terrifying stars.
Story 6: ‘Crossing’ by Anthony Panegyres.
A ghost story with a twist. I don’t know why but I didn’t enjoy this one that much. There was nothing wrong with it, really, and it was a good idea and well written; I just didn’t connect with it for some reason. 3 stars.
Story 7: ’12-36’ by E.G. Wilson.
A slightly metaphysical slice of SF. It was OK; quite cute. 3 stars.
Story 8: ‘Crop Rotation’ by David Stevens.
A nice, little gross-out body-horror tale. 4 stars.
Story 9: ‘Narco’ by Michelle Child.
A brief psychological thriller. It didn’t do much for me, I’m afraid; I found the ending quite unsatisfying. 2 stars.
Story 10: ‘The Great and True Journey’ by Richard Barnes.
I quite liked this one. A journey across nigh impossible terrain in search of enlightenment. I think it really needed to be longer, though; I didn’t spend enough time with the characters to care that much about them. 3 stars.
Story 11: ‘BlindSight’ by A.J. Ponder.
A young girl is tormented by second sight. A horrible little read. 4 stars.
Story 12: ‘In Sacrifice We Hope’ by Keira McKenzie.
A tale of urban legends... But are they just legends? Quite good. 3 stars.
Story 13: ‘Little Thunder’ by Jan Goldie.
A woman walks into a bar… A nice little space opera-type story. 3 stars.
Story 14: ‘Street Furniture’ by Joanna Anderton.
Absolutely brilliant. A must-read for anybody who’s a fan of the movie Labyrinth. 5 stars.
Story 15: ‘Call of the Sea’ by Eileen Mueller.
A moving story of grief and fantasy. 4 stars.
Story 16: ‘Responsibility’ by Octavia Cade.
Seriously weird and pretty funny. 4 stars.
Story 17: ‘Hope Lies North’ by J.C. Hart.
Another dystopian future, this time portraying a world rocked by tectonic upheaval. Not bad. 3 stars.
Story 18: ‘Seven Excerpts from Season One’ by David Versace.
A kind of ‘found-footage’ short story, if you can imagine that. I loved it. 5 stars.
Story 19: ‘The Island at the End of the World’ by Paul Mannering.
A beautifully written world from a time after the destruction of the moon. 5 stars.
Story 20: ‘Back When the River Had No Name’ by Summer Wigmore.
Post-apocalyptic in the 'Mad Max' vein. I quite enjoyed it. 3 stars.
Story 21: ‘The Architect: Part 2’ by Phillip Mann.
The second part of this was just as good as the first. Honestly, this old school style SF tale was a great read, I just question the decision to split it into two parts; it almost destroyed the momentum. I wish I’d ignored the book’s reading order and skipped straight to part 2 after finishing part 1. 4 stars.
Story 22: ‘Splintr’ by A.J. Fitzwater.
Deliberately obscure and pretentious. Left me cold, I’m afraid. 2 stars.
Story 23: ‘One Life, No Respawns’ by Tom Dullemond.
A brief portrait of PTSD, science fiction style. 3 stars.
Story 24: ‘And Still the Forests Grow Though We Are Gone’ by A.C. Buchanan.
A decent tale of environmental disaster. Not bad at all but not the strongest story to end the collection with. 3 stars.
All things considered, this was a pretty good collection of short stories. There were a couple of clunkers but that’s the case with the vast majority of anthology-type books. Overall, I was impressed and I’ve found some new authors whose longer works I’ll be checking out. Aggregate rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
August 23, 2016
At the Edge is a dark and, yes, edgy, collection of dystopic, horror and otherwise downright creepy short fiction, with strong ties in our world but reaching out into others.
The Leaves No Longer Fall by Jodi Cleghorn
A bleak and dark future, set in a world where the outside is hostile and dangerous. A world where science outweighs family, with tragic consequences. Beautiful, haunting, bleak.
The Urge by Carlington Black
Creepy and unsettling, written in diary form, we follow a world from the ordinary into the bizarre, surrounded by a never-ending chorus of cicadas and fragranced with the sharp stink of ozone.
Boxing Day by Martin Livings
A young woman seeks to prove herself, with violence and passion. Brutal but also oddly beautiful.
The Architect by Phillip Mann
I don't remember this one particularly well, and thus may need to re-read it.
Hood of Bone by Debbie Cowens
Another creepy one, this is amongst my favourites, and sent shivers down my spine. Decidedly unsettling, a women drags her dog away from a rotting fish, is confronted by a madman. But is it merely dementia, or something decidedly more horrifying?
Crossing by Anthony Panegyres
Another one of my favourites, this is a ghost story, with a difference. Poignant, bittersweet and something of a lesson in letting go of the past, it tells of Jane Self, separated by a cruel twist of fate from her husband and desperately seeking closure.
12-36 by EG Wilson
Set in the far reaches of space, a solo pilot finds a small girl aboard her craft. How did she get there? Who is she? What does her presence mean? Thought-provoking.
Crop Rotation by David Stevens
A husband notices his wife has changed. Is it dementia? Or something more insidious? Another in the creepy, dark and slightly bizarre category.
Narco by Michelle Child
A woman is unable to stay awake on a train through the night. What is real and what is a dream? What happens when awake and asleep blur into one? This chilling short story, that will make you think twice before traveling alone - that's what.
The Great and True Journey by Richard Barnes
We are transported now into a frigid and dangerous world, a world of treacherous peaks and deadly crevasses. A world where death is not always the end, but where one cannot escape pain nor treachery.
BlindSight by AJ Ponder
Shadowy and menacing, where reading can have dastardly consequences. Haunting and beautifully written. Yet terrifyingly chilling.
In Sacrifice we Hope by Keira McKenzie
In a dystopic future, two boys venture where they should not dare and uncover a horrifying secret, with tragic outcome. With evocative descriptions, this chilling tale is not recommended to read after dark.
Little Thunder by Jan Goldie
Another that I might need to re-read.
Street Furniture by Joanne Anderton
Ever wondered why furniture gets left out on the street? Well, goblins are real, and they can grant wishes - particularly those requiring unpleasantness - if paid accordingly. Wishes, such as the removal of an unpleasant step-father. But such debts are not to be taken lightly... Although still shadowy and with a touch of the brutal, there is also a lightness to this one, with its somewhat dark humour.
Call of the Sea by Eileen Mueller
Reality and surreality merge in this tale of tragedy and loss, as a child is snatched away by the ocean. Heart-breaking, haunting and eloquently written.
Responsibility by Octavia Cade
An odd, but engaging, tale of two sisters - one who brings life and one who brings death. What happens when the life-sister must look after her death-sister's house and collection of zombie critters? With all the bleakness and tragedy, it's nice to have something that feels a little lighter, even if there are still shadows creeping around the edges.
Still to read:
Hope Lies North by JC Cade
Seven Excerpts from Season One by David Versace
The Island at the End of the World by Paul Mannering
Back When the River had No Name by Summer Wigmore
The Architect - part II by Phillip Mann
Splintr by AJ Fitzwater
One Life, No Respawns by Tom Dullemond
And Still the Forests Grow Though We are Gone by AC Buchanan
The Leaves No Longer Fall by Jodi Cleghorn
A bleak and dark future, set in a world where the outside is hostile and dangerous. A world where science outweighs family, with tragic consequences. Beautiful, haunting, bleak.
The Urge by Carlington Black
Creepy and unsettling, written in diary form, we follow a world from the ordinary into the bizarre, surrounded by a never-ending chorus of cicadas and fragranced with the sharp stink of ozone.
Boxing Day by Martin Livings
A young woman seeks to prove herself, with violence and passion. Brutal but also oddly beautiful.
The Architect by Phillip Mann
I don't remember this one particularly well, and thus may need to re-read it.
Hood of Bone by Debbie Cowens
Another creepy one, this is amongst my favourites, and sent shivers down my spine. Decidedly unsettling, a women drags her dog away from a rotting fish, is confronted by a madman. But is it merely dementia, or something decidedly more horrifying?
Crossing by Anthony Panegyres
Another one of my favourites, this is a ghost story, with a difference. Poignant, bittersweet and something of a lesson in letting go of the past, it tells of Jane Self, separated by a cruel twist of fate from her husband and desperately seeking closure.
12-36 by EG Wilson
Set in the far reaches of space, a solo pilot finds a small girl aboard her craft. How did she get there? Who is she? What does her presence mean? Thought-provoking.
Crop Rotation by David Stevens
A husband notices his wife has changed. Is it dementia? Or something more insidious? Another in the creepy, dark and slightly bizarre category.
Narco by Michelle Child
A woman is unable to stay awake on a train through the night. What is real and what is a dream? What happens when awake and asleep blur into one? This chilling short story, that will make you think twice before traveling alone - that's what.
The Great and True Journey by Richard Barnes
We are transported now into a frigid and dangerous world, a world of treacherous peaks and deadly crevasses. A world where death is not always the end, but where one cannot escape pain nor treachery.
BlindSight by AJ Ponder
Shadowy and menacing, where reading can have dastardly consequences. Haunting and beautifully written. Yet terrifyingly chilling.
In Sacrifice we Hope by Keira McKenzie
In a dystopic future, two boys venture where they should not dare and uncover a horrifying secret, with tragic outcome. With evocative descriptions, this chilling tale is not recommended to read after dark.
Little Thunder by Jan Goldie
Another that I might need to re-read.
Street Furniture by Joanne Anderton
Ever wondered why furniture gets left out on the street? Well, goblins are real, and they can grant wishes - particularly those requiring unpleasantness - if paid accordingly. Wishes, such as the removal of an unpleasant step-father. But such debts are not to be taken lightly... Although still shadowy and with a touch of the brutal, there is also a lightness to this one, with its somewhat dark humour.
Call of the Sea by Eileen Mueller
Reality and surreality merge in this tale of tragedy and loss, as a child is snatched away by the ocean. Heart-breaking, haunting and eloquently written.
Responsibility by Octavia Cade
An odd, but engaging, tale of two sisters - one who brings life and one who brings death. What happens when the life-sister must look after her death-sister's house and collection of zombie critters? With all the bleakness and tragedy, it's nice to have something that feels a little lighter, even if there are still shadows creeping around the edges.
Still to read:
Hope Lies North by JC Cade
Seven Excerpts from Season One by David Versace
The Island at the End of the World by Paul Mannering
Back When the River had No Name by Summer Wigmore
The Architect - part II by Phillip Mann
Splintr by AJ Fitzwater
One Life, No Respawns by Tom Dullemond
And Still the Forests Grow Though We are Gone by AC Buchanan
May 5, 2016
Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray have put together a fantastic collection of dark sci-fi and fantasy stories from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. There are too many gripping, memorable stories in this anthology to pull out just one or two standouts; let's just say my TBR pile is groaning as I hunt out other work by the At the Edge authors...
January 22, 2018
Solid 4.5 stars. Some great stories here. Lots of standouts for me: Jodi Cleghorn's The Leaves No Longer Fall, Boxing Day by Martin Livings, Crossing by Anthony Panegyres, Jo Anderton's Street Furniture, David Versace's Seven Excerpts from Season One, and Paul Mannering's The Island at the End of the World.
November 29, 2016
This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I enjoyed it immensely. This is a collection of short stories, all of them written by authors that make their homes Down Under in Australia, New Zealand, and that area of the world that seems to us here in the northern hemisphere to be the last wild haunts left unexplored. For this reason, they tend to have the spelling of words, ways of speaking, and happen in places that may seem somewhat unusual to those readers that hail from a different clime, but are probably all too familiar to readers from the authors’ native lands.
The stories themselves are a mixture of everything from science fiction, fantasy, horror, psychological drama, and combinations of all the above. A few of the stories take place in the normal world, but the majority have as their background a world where the apocalypse, in one form or another, has happened, and the characters are doing their best to cope with the outcome. There are enough aliens, demons, fantasy creatures, and mutated monsters to keep any reader coming back for more. The writing is easy to read and gets you right into the stories in just the first couple of paragraphs. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a collection of good shorts to spend a rainy afternoon with.
The stories themselves are a mixture of everything from science fiction, fantasy, horror, psychological drama, and combinations of all the above. A few of the stories take place in the normal world, but the majority have as their background a world where the apocalypse, in one form or another, has happened, and the characters are doing their best to cope with the outcome. There are enough aliens, demons, fantasy creatures, and mutated monsters to keep any reader coming back for more. The writing is easy to read and gets you right into the stories in just the first couple of paragraphs. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a collection of good shorts to spend a rainy afternoon with.
August 23, 2016
Disclaimer: I have a story in this home so there's clearly a conflict of interest.
And now for the Claimer: Dan Rabarts & Lee Murray have done a stellar job in compiling this anthology of dystopian stories from the Antipodes. The broad variety of favourites in the reviews suggests to me that there's a little something special for every reader to unearth and savour.
And now for the Claimer: Dan Rabarts & Lee Murray have done a stellar job in compiling this anthology of dystopian stories from the Antipodes. The broad variety of favourites in the reviews suggests to me that there's a little something special for every reader to unearth and savour.
September 7, 2016
Usually, I love to drop in and out of short fiction, but this collection compelled me to read cover to cover over a couple of nights. In fact a couple of stories haunted me enough that I had to reread in order to contemplate the complex plots and subtly twisted characters.
August 7, 2016
It's not very often I read a collection this size and can honestly say there's not a single story I didn't like. A really solid, well put together collection consisting of a great of variety stories which all sit alongside one another very neatly.
August 20, 2016
(Disclaimer: I have a story in this anthology, so let's call that a conflict of interest and skip the review)
(But it's good, you should read it)
(But it's good, you should read it)
September 13, 2016
A wonderful and rich collection. Full review to come.
July 8, 2018
An excellent anthology, particularly strong on horror in my opinion.
July 24, 2017
I love this book. Yes, I have a story in it. There is fabulous talent between these pages.
August 22, 2016
I bought this book cause me mate Dave has a story in it. I read his story right away, but got bogged down after a while and have only just returned to finish the collection so I can qualify to review it. The overall tone is... grim. Dave’s story, while it has a few grim elements, was very much a gleam of light amid the depressing post-apocalyptic ruins. It is the first published piece, as far as I am aware, of a much broader vision he has of small-town weird Australiana. I have been waiting to see some of it all writ up for a long time. This fragment (“Seven Excerpts from Season One”) is seen through the lens of a group of high-school students doing a vidjo project, and it was worth waiting for. The main disappointment for me was that it was set in Victoria, rather than one of the rugby-league playing states, as I’d understood the original inspiration to have been Calliope in central Queensland, and had been assiduously feeding Dave bits and pieces from the New England for the past decade. Those aerial ping-pong people are foreigners to me. And the cast of characters seemed a little bit like they had been picked to tick off boxes on a diversity checklist. But I guess some Media Studies teachers probably sort their students into project groups that way.
The anthology is neatly bookended by two stories where our respective countries have gone over the edge, into the emptiness that defines them: Australia swallowed by the desert in “The Leaves No Longer Fall” and New Zealand by the sea in “And Still the Forests Grow though we are Gone”. Which titles run together in a nice “If on a Winter's Night a Traveller” way. Kudos to the anthologists on this symmetry.
One thing that struck me reading this collection was the contrast between the influence of indigenous culture on the two sides of the Tasman. Lots of the New Zealand stories had Māori words for Māori things and reference what seemed to be bits of Māori mythology. On our side... nothing. There was a line or two mentioning our indigenous people in me mate Dave’s story. Otherwise, if there was anything, I missed it. Aboriginal Australia was invisible. Just saying.
So as not to end on a bad note, I will get the bad part out of the way before going any further. For me, “Blindsight” was very unpleasant. YMMV. It did have a pretty neat core premise but the execution made me feel mentally unwell and detracted significantly from my overall experience of reading the book.
Okay, that’s out of the way. So what else did I like, beside Dave’s story? I liked “Hood of Bone” for the strong evocation of the sea as a character, and very much a malevolent character. We who dwell in the uplands fear tsunami and the dark abysses full of eyeless things. In “Crop Rotation” the bush was a malevolent character, and I think it was my favourite story not written by me mate Dave. It is how an Apocalypse should be: one tiny glittering speck, like a moth’s scale, to tell the tale of a catastrophe that has destroyed everything. I liked “Splintr”, which seemed reminiscent of the Strugatsky brothers’ “Far Rainbow”; and “The Island at the End of the World” which nicely evoked a sense of place and community; and “Crossing”, about which I have nothing particular to say but which was sweet. I found myself liking “The Great and True Journey” more than I expected. It had echoes of Robert Silverberg with its Mimbinus arguts and suchlike, which disposed me favourably towards it, and at the end I had the feeling it had some meaning but I was just too careless or dull to tell what it was.
I liked the world building very much in “Little Thunder”, and also in “One Life, No Respawns”, and would have liked to read longer, more-polished tales told in each of them. “Little Thunder” was marred for me by the sort of puerile jokes that we would have made if it had been a role-playing session of “Tales from the Floating Vagabond” rather than a short story, and both stories suffered from a surfeit of comic book violence. Why aren’t there more stories about non-violent conflict resolution? I know I can’t really talk. I have destroyed plenty of hapless bouncers and city blocks myself – to say nothing of cities and planets – and have torn more Calormenes limb from limb than I can count. But there are so many protagonists in these stories who resort to violence as the first and only way to solve their problems.
Like the violence in “Hope Lies North”. I had to keep reminding myself that the author is not the character, that because a story seems to have a message that doesn't mean the author is trying to push that message. I would like to rewrite this keeping the same words as much as possible, but making it a clash of civilisations story, and having the viewpoint character as a member of Islamic State. I think if I did that people would say it was a vile, disgusting story and I was a bad person. But it would be the same story. IMHO.
Finally, “The Architect” showed me a certain double standard in myself I hadn’t been aware of. If it had been presented to me as something translated from an obscure Eastern European or Latin American writer, I would have really liked it. But as something originally written in English by one of my own tribe it left me cold.
So, in conclusion, there is plenty of good stuff in this anthology to make it worth your while. I recommend that you gift copies of this book to everyone you know, since everyone you know ought to read me mate Dave’s story.
The anthology is neatly bookended by two stories where our respective countries have gone over the edge, into the emptiness that defines them: Australia swallowed by the desert in “The Leaves No Longer Fall” and New Zealand by the sea in “And Still the Forests Grow though we are Gone”. Which titles run together in a nice “If on a Winter's Night a Traveller” way. Kudos to the anthologists on this symmetry.
One thing that struck me reading this collection was the contrast between the influence of indigenous culture on the two sides of the Tasman. Lots of the New Zealand stories had Māori words for Māori things and reference what seemed to be bits of Māori mythology. On our side... nothing. There was a line or two mentioning our indigenous people in me mate Dave’s story. Otherwise, if there was anything, I missed it. Aboriginal Australia was invisible. Just saying.
So as not to end on a bad note, I will get the bad part out of the way before going any further. For me, “Blindsight” was very unpleasant. YMMV. It did have a pretty neat core premise but the execution made me feel mentally unwell and detracted significantly from my overall experience of reading the book.
Okay, that’s out of the way. So what else did I like, beside Dave’s story? I liked “Hood of Bone” for the strong evocation of the sea as a character, and very much a malevolent character. We who dwell in the uplands fear tsunami and the dark abysses full of eyeless things. In “Crop Rotation” the bush was a malevolent character, and I think it was my favourite story not written by me mate Dave. It is how an Apocalypse should be: one tiny glittering speck, like a moth’s scale, to tell the tale of a catastrophe that has destroyed everything. I liked “Splintr”, which seemed reminiscent of the Strugatsky brothers’ “Far Rainbow”; and “The Island at the End of the World” which nicely evoked a sense of place and community; and “Crossing”, about which I have nothing particular to say but which was sweet. I found myself liking “The Great and True Journey” more than I expected. It had echoes of Robert Silverberg with its Mimbinus arguts and suchlike, which disposed me favourably towards it, and at the end I had the feeling it had some meaning but I was just too careless or dull to tell what it was.
I liked the world building very much in “Little Thunder”, and also in “One Life, No Respawns”, and would have liked to read longer, more-polished tales told in each of them. “Little Thunder” was marred for me by the sort of puerile jokes that we would have made if it had been a role-playing session of “Tales from the Floating Vagabond” rather than a short story, and both stories suffered from a surfeit of comic book violence. Why aren’t there more stories about non-violent conflict resolution? I know I can’t really talk. I have destroyed plenty of hapless bouncers and city blocks myself – to say nothing of cities and planets – and have torn more Calormenes limb from limb than I can count. But there are so many protagonists in these stories who resort to violence as the first and only way to solve their problems.
Like the violence in “Hope Lies North”. I had to keep reminding myself that the author is not the character, that because a story seems to have a message that doesn't mean the author is trying to push that message. I would like to rewrite this keeping the same words as much as possible, but making it a clash of civilisations story, and having the viewpoint character as a member of Islamic State. I think if I did that people would say it was a vile, disgusting story and I was a bad person. But it would be the same story. IMHO.
Finally, “The Architect” showed me a certain double standard in myself I hadn’t been aware of. If it had been presented to me as something translated from an obscure Eastern European or Latin American writer, I would have really liked it. But as something originally written in English by one of my own tribe it left me cold.
So, in conclusion, there is plenty of good stuff in this anthology to make it worth your while. I recommend that you gift copies of this book to everyone you know, since everyone you know ought to read me mate Dave’s story.
June 10, 2016
I'm an author in this, I should mention that off the bat. I'm going to review it as a fan, though, because ... I am one. Everything about the whole concept of this collection, and now everything about its execution, dazzles me. Stories of liminality from the Antipodes, broad enough to strike fancies but narrow enough to be cohesive? Edited by a great team, published by a great publisher? This kind of theme, edges and bridges and doorways, is one of my very favourite in speculative fiction and in anything. The only thing I'm sad about is that I've finished reading all these very brilliant stories, and feel quite a loss.
Some of New Zealand and Australia's best talent came together in this book, and I'm honoured to have played any part in it.
Some of New Zealand and Australia's best talent came together in this book, and I'm honoured to have played any part in it.
December 19, 2016
I'd love to do a detailed proper review but for now just leaving a note-to-self, that these 23 stories are all good; outstanding are 3 stories by known (to me) quantities Martin Livings, Jo Anderton and Octavia Cade, and also 5 stories by newer discoveries Carlington Black, Shell Child, Eileen Mueller, Paul Mannering and AC Buchanan. Hat tip to the editors!
Read
August 22, 2016This book is an entry in the Aurealis Awards for 2016, for which I am a judge. Any review will be withheld until the results of the awards are announced.
September 13, 2018
Some a tories are brilliant and I want to know more. Other's strayed too far into the horror-struck for me to enjoy.
September 2, 2020
This collection is mostly apocalyptic or dystopian stories by authors from Australia and New Zealand. Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy - both Dark and Futuristic - are all encountered here, at the Edge of the world. It was not easy to find, and I don't recall how it ended up on my to-read pile, but it was worth the wait.
My favorite stories were probably EG Wilson's "12-36", Jodi Cleghorn's "The Leaves no Longer Fall" and David Versace's "Seven Excerpts From Season One". Unfortunately the last story, AC Buchanan's "And Still the Forests Grow Though We Are Gone", didn't resonate with me.
It appears editor Lee Murray has written some horror fiction also, and I look forward to checking that out in the future.
My favorite stories were probably EG Wilson's "12-36", Jodi Cleghorn's "The Leaves no Longer Fall" and David Versace's "Seven Excerpts From Season One". Unfortunately the last story, AC Buchanan's "And Still the Forests Grow Though We Are Gone", didn't resonate with me.
It appears editor Lee Murray has written some horror fiction also, and I look forward to checking that out in the future.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews