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New Worlds, Old Ways: Speculative Tales from the Caribbean
"The Caribbean has a powerful, modern tradition of fantastic literature that's on full display in this anthology of original fiction by writers from Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Bermuda...None of these writers is likely to be familiar to American audiences, but all are worth getting to know. Readers who love the writing of Nalo Hopkinson, Tobias S. Buckell, and Lord herself will savor this volume."--Publishers Weekly, Starred review
"New Worlds, Old Ways fulfills its promise of arriving at a recognizable genre of Caribbean speculative fiction. Prior to this collection we have not had any reader-friendly approaches that have directly addressed the genre of Caribbean speculative fiction. Lord, and the various writers in this collection, have given readers access to a hitherto unexplored genre, one that differentiates as well as connects to the treasure trove of Caribbean literature. The collection is a boon for scholars and reading aficionados of the Speculative Fiction genre. And as the editor states, true to its world, New Worlds, Old Ways offers both depth and delight without disappointment. It suggests tthat if one looks closely enough, they will find that Caribbean fiction has always been speculative."--SX Salon
Do not be misled by the "speculative" in the title. Although there may be robots and fantastical creatures, these common symbols are tools to frame the familiar from fresh perspectives. Here you will find the recent past and ongoing present of government and society with curfews, crime, and corruption; the universal themes of family, growth and death, love and hate; the struggle to thrive when power is capricious and revenge too bittersweet. Here too is the passage of everything—old ways, places, peoples, and ourselves—leaving nothing behind but memories, histories, and stories.This anthology speaks to the fragility of our Caribbean home, but reminds the reader that although home may be vulnerable, it is also beautifully resilient. The voice of our literature declares that in spite of disasters, this people and this place shall not be wholly destroyed.Read for delight, then read for depth, and you will not be disappointed.Brand-new stories Tammi Browne-Bannister, Summer Edward, Portia Subran, Brandon O'Brien, Kevin Jared Hosein, Richard B. Lynch, Elizabeth J. Jones, Damion Wilson, Brian Franklin, Ararimeh Aiyejina, and H.K. Williams.New Worlds, Old Ways is the third publication of Peekash Press, an imprint of Akashic Books and Peepal Tree Press committed to supporting the emergence of new Caribbean writing, and as part of the CaribLit project.
"New Worlds, Old Ways fulfills its promise of arriving at a recognizable genre of Caribbean speculative fiction. Prior to this collection we have not had any reader-friendly approaches that have directly addressed the genre of Caribbean speculative fiction. Lord, and the various writers in this collection, have given readers access to a hitherto unexplored genre, one that differentiates as well as connects to the treasure trove of Caribbean literature. The collection is a boon for scholars and reading aficionados of the Speculative Fiction genre. And as the editor states, true to its world, New Worlds, Old Ways offers both depth and delight without disappointment. It suggests tthat if one looks closely enough, they will find that Caribbean fiction has always been speculative."--SX Salon
Do not be misled by the "speculative" in the title. Although there may be robots and fantastical creatures, these common symbols are tools to frame the familiar from fresh perspectives. Here you will find the recent past and ongoing present of government and society with curfews, crime, and corruption; the universal themes of family, growth and death, love and hate; the struggle to thrive when power is capricious and revenge too bittersweet. Here too is the passage of everything—old ways, places, peoples, and ourselves—leaving nothing behind but memories, histories, and stories.This anthology speaks to the fragility of our Caribbean home, but reminds the reader that although home may be vulnerable, it is also beautifully resilient. The voice of our literature declares that in spite of disasters, this people and this place shall not be wholly destroyed.Read for delight, then read for depth, and you will not be disappointed.Brand-new stories Tammi Browne-Bannister, Summer Edward, Portia Subran, Brandon O'Brien, Kevin Jared Hosein, Richard B. Lynch, Elizabeth J. Jones, Damion Wilson, Brian Franklin, Ararimeh Aiyejina, and H.K. Williams.New Worlds, Old Ways is the third publication of Peekash Press, an imprint of Akashic Books and Peepal Tree Press committed to supporting the emergence of new Caribbean writing, and as part of the CaribLit project.
164 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 24, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 3, 2016
New Worlds, Old Ways gets off to a potent start with its first entry, Once in a Blood Moon, a dreamy tale of a sea god, resilience and transformation by the promising Antiguan born, Barbados-based writer Tammi-Browne-Bannister. The tightly woven poetics of Bannister’s language is a joy to digest both mentally and emotionally. Some writers simply possess that rare gift to leave the reader spellbound through the power of the written word.
There’s an undeniable spacey quality about The Passing Over of Zephora. The story begins with the protagonist hold up in a hotel room somewhere in Puerto Rico. With an hour to spare before she must return to the airport and depart the island, Zephora ventures out on a sightseeing excursion of Old San Juan, on the suggestion of a mysterious cab driver. Things spiral into a hallucinatory state as the reader must decipher between fact and fantasy.
Written in the first-person, and rich with Trinidadian patois, Maiden of the Mud is so distinctly Trini that it brought a fixed smile to my face. Writer Kevin Jared Hosein does a superb job of inhabiting the head and heart of an unfulfilled female wedding singer. One night after performing at the nuptials for the daughter of a well-to-do Indo-Trinidadian family, the said singer catches the eye of the bride’s brother, and eventually wins his affections. This earns her the ire of his elitist mother. Tragedy is right around the bend. But it’s not what you think. There’s another twist. Maiden of the Mud is darkly funny and rooted in a true sense of realism, with a splash of the supernatural.
To be expected, New Worlds, Old Ways is not without its flaws. Four of the stories should have never made the cut. There is a clear line of distinction between the real talent and the rest. With that said, what’s good in this collection is solidly good. Thankfully that happens to be a little more than half of the stories featured.
There’s an undeniable spacey quality about The Passing Over of Zephora. The story begins with the protagonist hold up in a hotel room somewhere in Puerto Rico. With an hour to spare before she must return to the airport and depart the island, Zephora ventures out on a sightseeing excursion of Old San Juan, on the suggestion of a mysterious cab driver. Things spiral into a hallucinatory state as the reader must decipher between fact and fantasy.
Written in the first-person, and rich with Trinidadian patois, Maiden of the Mud is so distinctly Trini that it brought a fixed smile to my face. Writer Kevin Jared Hosein does a superb job of inhabiting the head and heart of an unfulfilled female wedding singer. One night after performing at the nuptials for the daughter of a well-to-do Indo-Trinidadian family, the said singer catches the eye of the bride’s brother, and eventually wins his affections. This earns her the ire of his elitist mother. Tragedy is right around the bend. But it’s not what you think. There’s another twist. Maiden of the Mud is darkly funny and rooted in a true sense of realism, with a splash of the supernatural.
To be expected, New Worlds, Old Ways is not without its flaws. Four of the stories should have never made the cut. There is a clear line of distinction between the real talent and the rest. With that said, what’s good in this collection is solidly good. Thankfully that happens to be a little more than half of the stories featured.
Read
February 5, 2017What should be the role of the small press? I believe it should be to tackle the kind of fiction that lays at the boundaries, at the edges, which is not the focus of the mainstream industry rather than a slavish attempt to imitate the big presses. This anthology by Karen Lord fulfills this mandate by looking at narratives from the Caribbean and expanding the voices, themes and stories of a region which does not get much attention by most readers. In short, it colors beyond the borders of the page and should be getting a great deal of attention if the world was fair. Alas, it seldom is, so enjoy it as a sort of cult treasure.
February 16, 2019
4.5
The stories in this collection spoke to me deeply. They captured anxieties that only a first generation Canadian single child of Trinidadian parents could know. I didn’t know that I needed these stories as much as I now know I so clearly do.
7 Cowrie Shell Review to come on ONYX Pages: https://youtu.be/AzRq9pflO4I
Subscribe and click on the notifications bell to receive an alert when it’s up!
The stories in this collection spoke to me deeply. They captured anxieties that only a first generation Canadian single child of Trinidadian parents could know. I didn’t know that I needed these stories as much as I now know I so clearly do.
7 Cowrie Shell Review to come on ONYX Pages: https://youtu.be/AzRq9pflO4I
Subscribe and click on the notifications bell to receive an alert when it’s up!
January 19, 2018
A challenging collection of eleven speculative fiction stories by Caribbean authors.
Book Review: New Worlds, Old Ways is quite appropriately subtitled "Speculative Tales from the Caribbean," and spotlights "new writers and new works" of speculative fiction from English-speaking countries. As someone who lives 1,000 miles (1600+ km) from the nearest ocean, these stories could be culturally and geographically exotic, but were still familiar. As I learned from reading Jamaica Kincaid's story collection At the Bottom of the River, speculative fiction can include digging deep into the mythic and archetypal, as in "Once in a Blood Moon" by Tammi Browne-Bannister.* That story that had the place of honor in kicking off this collection. Myth, magical realism, speculative fiction, it's all kind of a blur. The story also involved sea turtle conservation and probed the connection between humanity and nature, so how could I not like it? The following story by Summer Edward, set in Puerto Rico, took me into a bewildering psychedelic haze. The next two stories were straight science fiction ... and from there we had a ghost story, horror, magic, dystopian ... oh, and more SciFi. There's a wonderful mix of genres in New Worlds, Old Ways, each story is different from the one before. And not a clunker in the bunch. Some were better than others, but I enjoyed them all.
As a tangent, I not only wondered about the eternal question of how to pronounce Caribbean (accent on second or third syllable?), but also the relationship between the various English, French, and Spanish speaking countries. As one story noted: "You are from a region where the nations share an overarching history. You belong more to a region than you do to a nation. You can travel anywhere along this chain of islands and find customs and traditions that remind you of your own." New Worlds, Old Ways included authors from Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, and Bermuda. It's easy for the under-educated and ill-informed to dismiss other cultures, other countries. But after reading other literatures, the reader soon learns that we're all just people, with brilliant ideas, great stories, and a surplus of humanity to embrace. I was quite fortunate that my local library had this book. If you're interested in "reading 'round the world," look for New Worlds, Old Ways. [3½★]
* - Full disclosure, happily, Tammi is a GR friend of mine.
Book Review: New Worlds, Old Ways is quite appropriately subtitled "Speculative Tales from the Caribbean," and spotlights "new writers and new works" of speculative fiction from English-speaking countries. As someone who lives 1,000 miles (1600+ km) from the nearest ocean, these stories could be culturally and geographically exotic, but were still familiar. As I learned from reading Jamaica Kincaid's story collection At the Bottom of the River, speculative fiction can include digging deep into the mythic and archetypal, as in "Once in a Blood Moon" by Tammi Browne-Bannister.* That story that had the place of honor in kicking off this collection. Myth, magical realism, speculative fiction, it's all kind of a blur. The story also involved sea turtle conservation and probed the connection between humanity and nature, so how could I not like it? The following story by Summer Edward, set in Puerto Rico, took me into a bewildering psychedelic haze. The next two stories were straight science fiction ... and from there we had a ghost story, horror, magic, dystopian ... oh, and more SciFi. There's a wonderful mix of genres in New Worlds, Old Ways, each story is different from the one before. And not a clunker in the bunch. Some were better than others, but I enjoyed them all.
As a tangent, I not only wondered about the eternal question of how to pronounce Caribbean (accent on second or third syllable?), but also the relationship between the various English, French, and Spanish speaking countries. As one story noted: "You are from a region where the nations share an overarching history. You belong more to a region than you do to a nation. You can travel anywhere along this chain of islands and find customs and traditions that remind you of your own." New Worlds, Old Ways included authors from Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, and Bermuda. It's easy for the under-educated and ill-informed to dismiss other cultures, other countries. But after reading other literatures, the reader soon learns that we're all just people, with brilliant ideas, great stories, and a surplus of humanity to embrace. I was quite fortunate that my local library had this book. If you're interested in "reading 'round the world," look for New Worlds, Old Ways. [3½★]
* - Full disclosure, happily, Tammi is a GR friend of mine.
Read
April 30, 2017Some weaker stories and I almost put the book down, but then came Brandon O'Brien's story, which was awesome - it engaged with local political themes, had genuine tension, there was a queer couple who did not die :), etc. I was glad I did not stop reading because I ended up enjoying the majority of the work. I did kind of feel like this anthology would have benefited from an open call rather than just querying people who'd been to fiction workshops etc.
I might review this book at length later; not sure yet.
Source of the book: Lawrence Public Library (who ordered it on my request, thank you!)
I might review this book at length later; not sure yet.
Source of the book: Lawrence Public Library (who ordered it on my request, thank you!)
February 16, 2021
Daddy by Damion Wilson read by LeVar Burton.
Really good, some eye misting over. Very sweet, believable characters and awesome power. 4 solid stars.
Really good, some eye misting over. Very sweet, believable characters and awesome power. 4 solid stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2018
This short anthology brings together speculative fiction (science fiction and fantasy) short stories from several Caribbean authors. All of the authors were new-to-me, and I did find a few who I may seek out more work by. However, on the whole I didn’t think the collection was very strong.
In “Once in a Blood Moon” the protagonist is an orphaned girl drawn towards sea turtles. This magical realism story touches on environmental issues. Unfortunately, it was also fairly forgettable. At least I liked it more than the following story, “The Passing Over of Zephora,” a strange story that I couldn’t make heads or tails of.
Of the remaining fantastical stories, “Maiden of the Mud” by Kevin Jared Hosein might be my favorite. In it, a wedding singer ends up dead and haunting the man who murdered her, becoming an inspiration for local folklore. I found it a delicious ghost story, although her quest for vengeance could perhaps have been more developed. “Water Under the Bridge” is another vengeance story, this time about a girl who’s being molested by her mother’s boyfriend and finds supernatural aid. Finally, “The Ceremony” is a story of one family and their dark legacy. While well written and engaging, I wasn’t sure what the point of the ceremony itself was.
The science fiction stories slant towards dystopian and post-apocalyptic, although there are a few exceptions. In “Daddy,” the protagonist’s dementia-ridden father suddenly begins to teleport. It’s an intriguing idea, but like many of the other stories in the collection, could have used more development. “A New Life in a New Time” is the story of a man who works for a company that freezes people trying to get away from their problems, bringing them a few years into the future. It involves a trope I really hate — a man obsessing about a woman in cryo-sleep.
The most professional story in the collection is probably “Quaka-Hadja,” where the protagonist goes about her daily tasks, ignorant of the dire situation she’s in. I don’t want to say much more, but there’s a sort of creeping horror and understanding to the story!
“Past Imperfect” is a post-apocalyptic story involving a man with photographic memory. Honestly, I started skimming this one. It was not very interesting. The next story, “Cascadura,” about a woman who is famed for being strangely immortal, worked better for me. The protagonist is the last woman from Trinidad and Tobago, and she’s seen all the people she knows die. She isn’t happy with her immortality, but death is beyond her reach.
“Fallenangel.dll” by Brandon O’Brien is a more dystopic approach, about a man who is roped into going out past curfew and ends up in his co-worker’s scheme to uncover a conspiracy with government police robots. It perhaps could have used better development, but I liked it well enough. It’s also always nice to see queer characters get a happy ending.
Old Worlds, New Ways might not have been the best short story collection I’ve read, but there’s still a few gems to be had.
Review from The Illustrated Page.
In “Once in a Blood Moon” the protagonist is an orphaned girl drawn towards sea turtles. This magical realism story touches on environmental issues. Unfortunately, it was also fairly forgettable. At least I liked it more than the following story, “The Passing Over of Zephora,” a strange story that I couldn’t make heads or tails of.
Of the remaining fantastical stories, “Maiden of the Mud” by Kevin Jared Hosein might be my favorite. In it, a wedding singer ends up dead and haunting the man who murdered her, becoming an inspiration for local folklore. I found it a delicious ghost story, although her quest for vengeance could perhaps have been more developed. “Water Under the Bridge” is another vengeance story, this time about a girl who’s being molested by her mother’s boyfriend and finds supernatural aid. Finally, “The Ceremony” is a story of one family and their dark legacy. While well written and engaging, I wasn’t sure what the point of the ceremony itself was.
The science fiction stories slant towards dystopian and post-apocalyptic, although there are a few exceptions. In “Daddy,” the protagonist’s dementia-ridden father suddenly begins to teleport. It’s an intriguing idea, but like many of the other stories in the collection, could have used more development. “A New Life in a New Time” is the story of a man who works for a company that freezes people trying to get away from their problems, bringing them a few years into the future. It involves a trope I really hate — a man obsessing about a woman in cryo-sleep.
The most professional story in the collection is probably “Quaka-Hadja,” where the protagonist goes about her daily tasks, ignorant of the dire situation she’s in. I don’t want to say much more, but there’s a sort of creeping horror and understanding to the story!
“Past Imperfect” is a post-apocalyptic story involving a man with photographic memory. Honestly, I started skimming this one. It was not very interesting. The next story, “Cascadura,” about a woman who is famed for being strangely immortal, worked better for me. The protagonist is the last woman from Trinidad and Tobago, and she’s seen all the people she knows die. She isn’t happy with her immortality, but death is beyond her reach.
“Fallenangel.dll” by Brandon O’Brien is a more dystopic approach, about a man who is roped into going out past curfew and ends up in his co-worker’s scheme to uncover a conspiracy with government police robots. It perhaps could have used better development, but I liked it well enough. It’s also always nice to see queer characters get a happy ending.
Old Worlds, New Ways might not have been the best short story collection I’ve read, but there’s still a few gems to be had.
Review from The Illustrated Page.
February 28, 2017
Cool, weird tales.
February 18, 2021
5.0⭐ “This isn’t the first time your father has, relocated.”
**spoilers**
♡ LBR 2021♡
It’s LeVar Burton Reads season 8! Season of Choice, & Effect.
It’s episode 3, and we’re gifted with “Daddy” by Damion Wilson.
If you read this story and it hit close to home, you’re in good company. Damion found a way to tell the family’s story through Tanya’s resentment and exhaustion. We’re not going through it with her, but we get these jilted shards of pain that we know too well from our own lives.
It’s powerful in brevity and effectiveness. This same method delivers warmth and love in the same way. Distant, yet, intimate.
I saw a tweet once, and I may be paraphrasing, but essentially it said “As I’ve gotten older, I realize that our parents had trauma too, at a time when mental health stigma was harsh, and few therapy resources were available. I had to stop being angry.”
I think that’s the heart of this story. There’s so much pain, so much unresolved family destruction, and Tanya seems to compartmentalize everything, pushing it all on the back burner, until she has no choice but to face it head on, because guess what, Dad is *here*. And he’s not doing well either. You need each other.
Sometimes we put up so many walls, we realize we can’t get better without each other. We don't realize the complexity of familial pain. It's its own animal, it really is like being on an island. You have to stomach things you'd never stomach in any other circumstance, and balance it with boundaries to keep everyone safe. It's so hard. Compartmentalizing is easy. Decadently easy.
I love this story so, so much. I love the conversation with the nursing home director, I love Tanya's piecing together of the truth. I loved LeVar’s commentary on letting go, and letting life in, letting go to ultimately received, finally.
Thanks for reading, and If you wanna chat about the latest LBR episodes, hit me up in the comments and come meet with us at LeVar Burton Reads: The Official Community on Facebook.
- 📚☕♥
Goodreads Official Star Representation
5 - It was amazing
4 - I really liked it
3 - I liked it
2 - It was okay
1 - Did not like it.
**spoilers**
♡ LBR 2021♡
It’s LeVar Burton Reads season 8! Season of Choice, & Effect.
It’s episode 3, and we’re gifted with “Daddy” by Damion Wilson.
If you read this story and it hit close to home, you’re in good company. Damion found a way to tell the family’s story through Tanya’s resentment and exhaustion. We’re not going through it with her, but we get these jilted shards of pain that we know too well from our own lives.
It’s powerful in brevity and effectiveness. This same method delivers warmth and love in the same way. Distant, yet, intimate.
I saw a tweet once, and I may be paraphrasing, but essentially it said “As I’ve gotten older, I realize that our parents had trauma too, at a time when mental health stigma was harsh, and few therapy resources were available. I had to stop being angry.”
I think that’s the heart of this story. There’s so much pain, so much unresolved family destruction, and Tanya seems to compartmentalize everything, pushing it all on the back burner, until she has no choice but to face it head on, because guess what, Dad is *here*. And he’s not doing well either. You need each other.
Sometimes we put up so many walls, we realize we can’t get better without each other. We don't realize the complexity of familial pain. It's its own animal, it really is like being on an island. You have to stomach things you'd never stomach in any other circumstance, and balance it with boundaries to keep everyone safe. It's so hard. Compartmentalizing is easy. Decadently easy.
I love this story so, so much. I love the conversation with the nursing home director, I love Tanya's piecing together of the truth. I loved LeVar’s commentary on letting go, and letting life in, letting go to ultimately received, finally.
Thanks for reading, and If you wanna chat about the latest LBR episodes, hit me up in the comments and come meet with us at LeVar Burton Reads: The Official Community on Facebook.
- 📚☕♥
Goodreads Official Star Representation
5 - It was amazing
4 - I really liked it
3 - I liked it
2 - It was okay
1 - Did not like it.
June 25, 2019
Even though I loved a few of these stories, on a whole they were not enough to make up for the stories that were vague, lacked world-building and had characters that I could care less what happened to them. There were stories that were character-driven and I became invested in where they would ultimately end up. I felt their pain, despondence, neglect, self-worth and fire.
There were stories that were based in myths and legends of the caribbean islands, the fight to uncover governmental corruption and a daughter's longing for her island home taken by environmental disasters.
The tales that stood out in this collection were Maiden of the Mud, The Ceremony, Fallen Angel and Water Under the Bridge, which dealt with issues affecting females and the resulting outcomes based on their responses.
My least favourite were Quaka-Hadja, A New Life in a New Time and Past Imperfect, these stories occurred in a post-apocalyptic or a future dependent on technology and to me lacked that human element and world-building which gets me invested in a story.
There were stories that were based in myths and legends of the caribbean islands, the fight to uncover governmental corruption and a daughter's longing for her island home taken by environmental disasters.
The tales that stood out in this collection were Maiden of the Mud, The Ceremony, Fallen Angel and Water Under the Bridge, which dealt with issues affecting females and the resulting outcomes based on their responses.
My least favourite were Quaka-Hadja, A New Life in a New Time and Past Imperfect, these stories occurred in a post-apocalyptic or a future dependent on technology and to me lacked that human element and world-building which gets me invested in a story.
January 24, 2022
Ever since the Datlow anthologies became all the rage, I have avoided thematic F/SF anthologies because you usually end of wading through some terribly boring stuff looking for the few gems that might not even be there. This book is not at all like that. There were a few stories that I liked a bit less, but the non-subjective quality is pretty consistent and high enough to be pleasant to read. I say pleasant, not because the stories are silly happy things - mostly there is a melancholic feel to them, but because they hold interest and are written with care and with some skill.
This book exposes the reader to writers from places that don't get heavy exposure in mainstream anthologies. I liked that. Island cultures have thought patterns that flow in unusual and interesting ways. Musically, like the speech. I think that most readers would enjoy these stories
This book exposes the reader to writers from places that don't get heavy exposure in mainstream anthologies. I liked that. Island cultures have thought patterns that flow in unusual and interesting ways. Musically, like the speech. I think that most readers would enjoy these stories
June 14, 2021
Daddy, a short speculative fiction story by Damion Wilson, deftly combined the melancholy of caring for a parent with Alzheimer's with teleportation. The story begins grounded in the reality of a woman whose mother and sister are dead, with her recent divorce and her father's declining mental capabilities weighing on her. When he starts appearing at locations far away from his assisted living home, she is confused. The fantasy/sci-fi aspect of the conclusion tie in nicely to this well-written tale. I listened to this story from this collection through the LeVar Burton Reads podcast.
December 26, 2019
A collection of science fiction and fantasy set among the islands (and peoples) of the Caribbean. Some are simply SF&F stories set in, say, Trinidad. Those stories could be set anywhere. Other stories are specific to the place in which they're set. The Barbadian stories, for example, are specific to the geography and culture of Barbados.
All in all, a very fine collection of Caribbean SF.
All in all, a very fine collection of Caribbean SF.
May 30, 2021
Listened to "Daddy" by Damion Wilson on Levar Burton Reads
September 15, 2017
I was partly attracted to this collection because of the title, which seemed both optimistic and suggested that it would in some was reflect Caribbean culture, of which I know little and therefore would be interested in learning more of. But there is little optimism in the book; most of the stories lean towards sci-fi, with settings that are dystopic or post-apocalyptic, with the only one set in a future that isn't overtly bad being a story of vicious inter-generational conflict depressing in its own way.
Like all short story collections, a bit of a mixed bag. It starts with some stories that are in my opinion very weak, but there are some very good stories towards the end.
Once in a blood moon: Really a lament about the plight of sea turtles dressed up as a literary story trying to be fantasy. But for me, if I am reading fantasy, details like a beaked face and a reddish-brown husk growing on someones scalp are details to be taken literally, while the story doesn't seem to believe in its own truth.
The passing over of Zephora: Not speculative fiction in my opinion; all of the trippy weird stuff that could be fantasy makes more sense as a dream sequence.
A new life in a new time: An engaging little story, but I find the premise of the technology, or rather the marketing thereof, at its heart to be a bit unrealistic; most people have friends, family, or acquaintances that would be annoyed with them choosing to drop off the face of the earth for a few months or years just to take a break, and everyone has bills or other costs that would likewise not tolerate long neglect.
fallenangel.dll: Another engaging story, but the plot has a massive hole in it; the concern about the automated drones is that they could be used as conscienceless oppressors, but we only see it working with corrupt cops to frame someone; the story makes more sense if we assume the drone and the footage were planted by a political rival of the Prime Minister.
Maiden of the mud: More of a horror story. I found it strange that the demon/ghost narrator felt she was haunting a string of men, when her powers actually target women and unborn children. Someone has a skewed sense of importance, and notably the author is male.
Water under the bridge: A fairly good and creepy story. I'm not sure if the vengeance enacted goes a step to far though.
The ceremony: The central conflict of the story is depressing, but it is a good and engaging story. However, I'm not sure how the transfer of youth actually benefits anyone; it doesn't really help with inheritance since in all of the cases in the story, there are three generations already present, and an extra 20 years doesn't help that much. Further undercut by the fact that there is a seemingly ageless family lawyer who keeps presiding over the ritual.
Daddy: An interesting little story. I would worry though that teleporting to be by someone who is dead would have catastrophic effects.
Quaka-Hadja: A really good story. Less about what happens in the story than about the slow revelation of the truth of things to the reader. Very well executed. Depressing post-apocalyptic setting.
Past imperfect: Another post-apocalypse. It feels a bit like the author happened to read up on photographic memory and just wanted to write about that, but the technical details are woven into an engaging story.
Cascadura: And yet another post-apocalyptic setting, though one where humans are managing alright. An enjoyable story that blends sci-fi and folklore in interesting ways. I do wonder how well known the bit of lore is in the modern culture of Trinidad and Tobago; the author very neatly explains enough to be understood by someone unfamiliar, but would recognition have come quicker to a native?
Like all short story collections, a bit of a mixed bag. It starts with some stories that are in my opinion very weak, but there are some very good stories towards the end.
Once in a blood moon: Really a lament about the plight of sea turtles dressed up as a literary story trying to be fantasy. But for me, if I am reading fantasy, details like a beaked face and a reddish-brown husk growing on someones scalp are details to be taken literally, while the story doesn't seem to believe in its own truth.
The passing over of Zephora: Not speculative fiction in my opinion; all of the trippy weird stuff that could be fantasy makes more sense as a dream sequence.
A new life in a new time: An engaging little story, but I find the premise of the technology, or rather the marketing thereof, at its heart to be a bit unrealistic; most people have friends, family, or acquaintances that would be annoyed with them choosing to drop off the face of the earth for a few months or years just to take a break, and everyone has bills or other costs that would likewise not tolerate long neglect.
fallenangel.dll: Another engaging story, but the plot has a massive hole in it; the concern about the automated drones is that they could be used as conscienceless oppressors, but we only see it working with corrupt cops to frame someone; the story makes more sense if we assume the drone and the footage were planted by a political rival of the Prime Minister.
Maiden of the mud: More of a horror story. I found it strange that the demon/ghost narrator felt she was haunting a string of men, when her powers actually target women and unborn children. Someone has a skewed sense of importance, and notably the author is male.
Water under the bridge: A fairly good and creepy story. I'm not sure if the vengeance enacted goes a step to far though.
The ceremony: The central conflict of the story is depressing, but it is a good and engaging story. However, I'm not sure how the transfer of youth actually benefits anyone; it doesn't really help with inheritance since in all of the cases in the story, there are three generations already present, and an extra 20 years doesn't help that much. Further undercut by the fact that there is a seemingly ageless family lawyer who keeps presiding over the ritual.
Daddy: An interesting little story. I would worry though that teleporting to be by someone who is dead would have catastrophic effects.
Quaka-Hadja: A really good story. Less about what happens in the story than about the slow revelation of the truth of things to the reader. Very well executed. Depressing post-apocalyptic setting.
Past imperfect: Another post-apocalypse. It feels a bit like the author happened to read up on photographic memory and just wanted to write about that, but the technical details are woven into an engaging story.
Cascadura: And yet another post-apocalyptic setting, though one where humans are managing alright. An enjoyable story that blends sci-fi and folklore in interesting ways. I do wonder how well known the bit of lore is in the modern culture of Trinidad and Tobago; the author very neatly explains enough to be understood by someone unfamiliar, but would recognition have come quicker to a native?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2018
One day I read this quote in the introduction, which blew my mind:
"Unmitigated dystopia in fiction may be enjoyed by those who live securely, but this region suffers under crises of economy and climate and a history shadowed with genocide. I am wary and weary of literature that depicts the utter extinction, physical or cultural, of a people who still fight to survive." - Karen Lord
And the next day, Trump goes on about "shithole countries."
So that's my context. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection just because of that, for better or worse. I appreciated that these stories were actually short. So many speculative shorts are way too long these days, imho. But these were all the perfect length. My favorite was "The Ceremony," because I felt it was deeply layered and I can't stop thinking about it.
"Unmitigated dystopia in fiction may be enjoyed by those who live securely, but this region suffers under crises of economy and climate and a history shadowed with genocide. I am wary and weary of literature that depicts the utter extinction, physical or cultural, of a people who still fight to survive." - Karen Lord
And the next day, Trump goes on about "shithole countries."
So that's my context. I thoroughly enjoyed this collection just because of that, for better or worse. I appreciated that these stories were actually short. So many speculative shorts are way too long these days, imho. But these were all the perfect length. My favorite was "The Ceremony," because I felt it was deeply layered and I can't stop thinking about it.
March 27, 2019
I enjoyed the fantasy and sci-fi elements involved on this collection. As, expected, I enjoyed some stories more than others (‘Once in a Blood Moon’, ‘Daddy’ and ‘Cascadura’ are among those I enjoyed.)
With Hosein’s ‘Maiden of the Mud’ the protagonist’s revenge was strangely focused on punishing other expecting mothers instead of on the man who fathered her unborn child then killed her. The conclusion I came to is that she is jealous of those expecting. Jealous because she lost her child and thus finds the abortion of each life satisfying and fair.
With Hosein’s ‘Maiden of the Mud’ the protagonist’s revenge was strangely focused on punishing other expecting mothers instead of on the man who fathered her unborn child then killed her. The conclusion I came to is that she is jealous of those expecting. Jealous because she lost her child and thus finds the abortion of each life satisfying and fair.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2019
Like many short story collections or anthologies, there are strong pieces and less strong pieces. However, this collection is well edited for style, theme, and of course geography, and reads cumulatively very nicely.
September 15, 2024
A mixed bag for sure. While there weren't many big highs, the lows were not very low either, so every short story felt pretty satisfying. Even ones that weren't to my tastes were pleasant to read and I liked aspects of.
July 23, 2017
Love this collection! A wonderful mix of creepy, fun, and moving SFF stories from the Caribbean. Thanks as always to Akashic for publishing amazing work.
March 31, 2023
An incredibly captivating, thrilling and excellently crafted set of page turning short stories that filled me up with suspense, joy, fear and pride for the characters within. A shoo-in for a re-read.
July 30, 2023
Imaginative, poignant, and unique. Loved it.
July 7, 2020
I found the collection to be uneven in my enjoyment, but it ended far stronger than it began, leaving me with a very positive overall impression. Characteristically, I was more intrigued by the stories that leaned more into science fiction, rather than those that felt built upon folklore. The stories that stuck out to me the most were The Ceremony by Elizabeth J. Jones, about a woman whose family has an insidious traditional ceremony involved in the passing down of their land, and Daddy by Damion Wilson, about a woman learning that her father, who has dementia, has begun to teleport out of his nursing home in search of his late wife. Also Quaka-Hadja by Brian Franklin, about a constructed woman taking care of her creator father in a post-apocalyptic bunker, and Cascadura by H. K. Williams, about an unhappy immortal woman. In spite of some of the stories underwhelming, I'd definitely recommend this collection to speculative fiction fans. Glad I picked it up!
April 24, 2021
LeVar Burton reads: Daddy by Damion Wilson
February 16, 2021
This story is really entrenched in (nuclear) family history and lore—and managing a relationship with a father with Alzheimer’s. It’s filled with life mundanities and the intricacies and complexities that are deeply stitched into the close-knit fabric of the family. Ostensibly, it's about a woman and her relationship with her aging father, with speculative elements. But, thematically, it's about loss, family ties, suffering with disease, family traits, caretaking, nostalgia, childhood, home sickness, the idea of home, in general.
The ending was powerful and a kind of cathartic release.
3.5 for most of the story, 4 for the ending.
I think 4.3 for LeVar Burton’s rendering of it and his comments after. It was really affecting (—trying to find another word other than touching b/c I think I use the term touching far too much to describe these podcasted stories—) to hear that LeVar also lived through the passing of his mother and little sister within six months of one another. I felt really sad when I heard that, but I’m glad he found the story helps him revive and reimagine those memories that are so integral to these close family relationships. And he also mentioned he wonders if these memories are retained as they were, or have been colored or warped over time (my paraphrasing), and I can see how that kind of processing of memory is a way we stand back from where we are, trying to make sense of our lives and those who are dear to us.
I think, like LeVar, I like how the story is not simply morose or whimsical, but also there’s a sense of empowerment and recognition—something greater that happens that allows you to carry on, or is only possible when you carry forth with your life and are not pulled down to the depths by loss. There's a hopeful lilt to the end that I appreciate.
The ending was powerful and a kind of cathartic release.
3.5 for most of the story, 4 for the ending.
I think 4.3 for LeVar Burton’s rendering of it and his comments after. It was really affecting (—trying to find another word other than touching b/c I think I use the term touching far too much to describe these podcasted stories—) to hear that LeVar also lived through the passing of his mother and little sister within six months of one another. I felt really sad when I heard that, but I’m glad he found the story helps him revive and reimagine those memories that are so integral to these close family relationships. And he also mentioned he wonders if these memories are retained as they were, or have been colored or warped over time (my paraphrasing), and I can see how that kind of processing of memory is a way we stand back from where we are, trying to make sense of our lives and those who are dear to us.
I think, like LeVar, I like how the story is not simply morose or whimsical, but also there’s a sense of empowerment and recognition—something greater that happens that allows you to carry on, or is only possible when you carry forth with your life and are not pulled down to the depths by loss. There's a hopeful lilt to the end that I appreciate.
March 2, 2021
3.5 stars
A very emotional story - the protagonist, Tanya, is so viscerally lonely throughout the story, it almost hurts. She is left behind, by her husband who abandons her, by the death of her mother and sister, until, as she tells her father, they are the only two left. I always like stories about families, especially fathers and daughters, and this one was a nice, melancholic yet ultimately hopeful read.
A very emotional story - the protagonist, Tanya, is so viscerally lonely throughout the story, it almost hurts. She is left behind, by her husband who abandons her, by the death of her mother and sister, until, as she tells her father, they are the only two left. I always like stories about families, especially fathers and daughters, and this one was a nice, melancholic yet ultimately hopeful read.
August 21, 2016
A beautiful, if uneven, collection of tales that are universal and specific at the same time. Whereas the themes reflect fears that most people share - I was quite surprised by how many stories referred to aging (and why haven't I seen more of it in speculative fiction before?) - they are also deeply rooted in the Caribbean. I'm hoping to hear more from the authors included in this anthology.
February 1, 2017
A variety of SFF, all worth reading. They tend to the shorter, so a good quick read. Some patois/creole/nonUS English, absolutely not a problem to read unless you couldn't handle Their Eyes Were Watching God (in that case, you might have to try an audio book, I'm sorry, or try harder). It's worth it.
January 13, 2017
Like most compilations, this was a mix of good stories and bad stories. I really enjoyed reading science fiction with a Caribbean influence and will definitely be looking up some of these authors to see if they have other, longer works.
April 18, 2021
“Daddy” by Damion Wilson
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