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The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound
Explore the depth and breadth of giving and of caring and delve into the world of caregivers--a segment of our population that is often taken for granted--with twenty-three original thought-provoking and moving stories.
The world of caregivers and unsung heroes, the province of ghosts . . .
Who are THE SUM OF US?
Children giving care. Dogs and cats giving care. Sidekicks, military, monks, ghosts, robots. Even aliens. Care given by lovers, family, professionals. Caregivers who can no longer give. Caregivers who make the decision not to give, and the costs and the consequences that follow. Bound to us by invisible bonds, but with lives, dreams, and passions of their own.
These are their stories: The Oracle and The Warlord, The Dunschemin Retirement Home for Repentant Supervillians, Good-bye is That Time between Now and Forever, Blinders, Am I a Proud Outlier?, Things that Creep and Bind, Dreams as Fragile as Glass, Number One Draft Pick, and many more.
Twenty-three science fiction and fantasy authors capture the depth and breadth of caring and of giving. They find insight, joy, devastation, and heroism in grand sweeps and in tiny niches. And, like wasps made of stinging words, there is pain in giving, and in working one’s way through to the light.
Our lives and relationships are complex. But in the end, there is hope, and there is love.
AUTHORS:
Colleen Anderson, Charlotte Ashley, Brenda Cooper, Ian Creasey, A.M. Dellamonica, Bev Geddes, Claire Humphrey, Sandra Kasturi, Tyler Keevil, Juliet Marillier, Matt Moore, Heather Osborne, Nisi Shawl, Alex Shvartsman, Kate Story, Karina Sumner-Smith, Amanda Sun, Hayden Trenholm, James Van Pelt, Liz Westbrook-Trenholm, Edward Willett, Christie Yant, Caroline M. Yoachim, and Dominik Parisien (Introduction).
Edited by Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law
The world of caregivers and unsung heroes, the province of ghosts . . .
Who are THE SUM OF US?
Children giving care. Dogs and cats giving care. Sidekicks, military, monks, ghosts, robots. Even aliens. Care given by lovers, family, professionals. Caregivers who can no longer give. Caregivers who make the decision not to give, and the costs and the consequences that follow. Bound to us by invisible bonds, but with lives, dreams, and passions of their own.
These are their stories: The Oracle and The Warlord, The Dunschemin Retirement Home for Repentant Supervillians, Good-bye is That Time between Now and Forever, Blinders, Am I a Proud Outlier?, Things that Creep and Bind, Dreams as Fragile as Glass, Number One Draft Pick, and many more.
Twenty-three science fiction and fantasy authors capture the depth and breadth of caring and of giving. They find insight, joy, devastation, and heroism in grand sweeps and in tiny niches. And, like wasps made of stinging words, there is pain in giving, and in working one’s way through to the light.
Our lives and relationships are complex. But in the end, there is hope, and there is love.
AUTHORS:
Colleen Anderson, Charlotte Ashley, Brenda Cooper, Ian Creasey, A.M. Dellamonica, Bev Geddes, Claire Humphrey, Sandra Kasturi, Tyler Keevil, Juliet Marillier, Matt Moore, Heather Osborne, Nisi Shawl, Alex Shvartsman, Kate Story, Karina Sumner-Smith, Amanda Sun, Hayden Trenholm, James Van Pelt, Liz Westbrook-Trenholm, Edward Willett, Christie Yant, Caroline M. Yoachim, and Dominik Parisien (Introduction).
Edited by Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2017
20 people are currently reading
1660 people want to read
About the author
Susan Forest
25 books91 followersSusan Forest grew up in a family of mountaineers and skiers, and she loves adventure. She also loves the big ideas found in SF/F, and finds fast-paced adventure stories a great place to explore how individuals grapple with complex moral decisions. Aurora Award winners, Bursts of Fire and Flights of Marigold, first books in her Addicted to Heaven series, confront issues of addiction in an epic fantasy world of intrigue and betrayal.
Susan is also an award-winning fiction editor, has published over 25 short stories (Analog, Asimov's, BCS, & more), and has appeared at many international writing conventions. She loves travel and has been known to dictate novels from the back of her husband's motorcycle. http://speculative-fiction.ca/
Susan is also an award-winning fiction editor, has published over 25 short stories (Analog, Asimov's, BCS, & more), and has appeared at many international writing conventions. She loves travel and has been known to dictate novels from the back of her husband's motorcycle. http://speculative-fiction.ca/
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 4, 2018
This was such a constistently good short story anthology. I have been struggling with anthologies recently so much that I started to consider not reading any anymore. This one, however, was really mostly good. I struggle with reviewing anthologies in general and while I thought this was really worthwhile, there were no stories that became new favourites and that I want to gush about.
The collection of speculative works looks at the concept of caregivers from many different angles; some of which I just adored. I loved the idea of a retirement home for former super villains and their henchmen (and henchwomen) and thought this story was executed wonderfully (The Dunschemin Retirement Home For Repentant Supervillains by Ian Creasey). Bottleneck by A. Am. Dellamonica was action-packed and interesting enough that I would love a whole book set in this world.
As always, there were some stories that did not quite work for me – I mean what is it with stories set in societies that closely resemble beehives? There were two of those here and while the first one did in fact prove to be charming after a while (The Mother’s Keepers by Edward Willet), the second dragged and did not offer anything new I found (Am I Not A Proud Outlier? by Kate Story). Also, this is a premise I have no definitely have read enough of.
So overall, worthwhile but not groundbreaking. I even now struggle to recall most of the stories and I think this will prove to be even more the case in a few weeks time. But I enjoyed it while I read it, which sometimes is enough.
I received an arc of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Laksa Media Groups in exchange for an honest review.
The collection of speculative works looks at the concept of caregivers from many different angles; some of which I just adored. I loved the idea of a retirement home for former super villains and their henchmen (and henchwomen) and thought this story was executed wonderfully (The Dunschemin Retirement Home For Repentant Supervillains by Ian Creasey). Bottleneck by A. Am. Dellamonica was action-packed and interesting enough that I would love a whole book set in this world.
As always, there were some stories that did not quite work for me – I mean what is it with stories set in societies that closely resemble beehives? There were two of those here and while the first one did in fact prove to be charming after a while (The Mother’s Keepers by Edward Willet), the second dragged and did not offer anything new I found (Am I Not A Proud Outlier? by Kate Story). Also, this is a premise I have no definitely have read enough of.
So overall, worthwhile but not groundbreaking. I even now struggle to recall most of the stories and I think this will prove to be even more the case in a few weeks time. But I enjoyed it while I read it, which sometimes is enough.
I received an arc of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Laksa Media Groups in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2020
4.5 stars. I regret that I let this fantastic collection languishing in my TBR shelf for two years. It is actually one of the best collections I read in years!
23 tales of caregivers. There's a space welder apprentice, a seeing-eye dog with a power of speech, a companion to an ant-like alien queen, a hardened soldier in the frontier, a therapy cat serving the Goddess Bast, a monster hunter, there are so many marvelous POVs that are so engaging to read.
In his introduction, Dominik Parisien said that The Sum of Us asks 'Who cares for the caregivers?' The answer is the other caregivers....and us, the reader. We read this to show our care, our recognition of their personhood, inner lives, matter beyond the myriad of ways they can help us. Perhaps, we are caregivers too, most of us at some point in our lives, in some fashion.
Most of the authors are unknown to me except for a few like Caroline Yoachim and Juliet Marilier. I'll be sure looking forward to these new authors in the future, as well as the editors. Great job, kudos!
Thank you for the publisher, Laksa Media, for the review copy.
23 tales of caregivers. There's a space welder apprentice, a seeing-eye dog with a power of speech, a companion to an ant-like alien queen, a hardened soldier in the frontier, a therapy cat serving the Goddess Bast, a monster hunter, there are so many marvelous POVs that are so engaging to read.
In his introduction, Dominik Parisien said that The Sum of Us asks 'Who cares for the caregivers?' The answer is the other caregivers....and us, the reader. We read this to show our care, our recognition of their personhood, inner lives, matter beyond the myriad of ways they can help us. Perhaps, we are caregivers too, most of us at some point in our lives, in some fashion.
Most of the authors are unknown to me except for a few like Caroline Yoachim and Juliet Marilier. I'll be sure looking forward to these new authors in the future, as well as the editors. Great job, kudos!
Thank you for the publisher, Laksa Media, for the review copy.
September 10, 2017
The Sum of Us, released September 8th, 2017, is an anthology of 23 short stories around the theme of carers and caregiving, edited by Canadian editors Lucas K. Law and Susan Forest. As someone who has spent significant parts of their life caring for loved ones to one degree or another as well as being cared for, I wasn’t sure how this collection was going to hit me. This is an emotional deep dive, bringing to the surface complex experiences and feelings around the nature of caring for others.
The collection starts you off chilled with ‘The Dunschemin Retirement Home for Repentant Supervillains’, a tongue-in-cheek story by Ian Creasey about a nursing home for elderly supervillains who are supposed to have given up their evil ways. Inside lives Anarcho, who’s not quite done with supervillainy despite his diminished ability, and his henchman Stafford, on whom Anarcho relies for the enactment of his dastardly plans. It’s a funny little piece that nevertheless surfaces the importance of Stafford’s continued choice to remain with Anarcho.
A choice is crucial in Hayden Trenholm’s ‘The Burdens We Bear’. Syvian, an old monk of an ancient order, is the sole caretaker onboard a ship carrying thousands of cryogenically-frozen humans to a new planet. Syvian’s relationship with Michael, the antagonistic ship’s AI, is spiky, but as we realise the nature of the choice that Syvian must make to ensure the survival of his invaluable cargo, Michael too softens. Syvian makes his choice in the end, and though it’s self-sacrifice, it was a free one.
Maybe unsurprisingly, there are a number of stories in this anthology featuring a robot, AI, or otherwise constructed being whose primary function is to give care. Especially in the global north, professional care is a growing industry as populations skew older. The question is whether the human tendency to turn to constructs to take on this labour is altruistic (looking for the best way to do it) or motivated by reluctance to take on the work ourselves for whatever reason.
‘Mother Azalea’s Sad Home for Forgotten Adults’ by James Van Pelt features a nursing home in which ‘resident assistants’ (human-like robots) monitor patients’ quality of life via a complicated formula, euthanising them as soon as it falls below a certain value. This reads hella sinister, as would any story where the power to decide one’s own life or death is in hands other than our own, but I think the effect is amplified because it’s with non-human intelligence that the power lies. In Van Pelt’s story, Dave, a human doctor, shows Tad, a resident assistant, a new aspect to quality of life previously unconsidered in the robot’s formula. It depicts a future in which robots—symbolising purely logic-driven care—miss the nuances of humanity necessary to give good care.
A totally different story, Amanda Sun’s ‘The Gardener’ implicitly examines whether it can even be ethical to make the entire purpose of a being to care for things it has no stake in. This wonderfully sinister story pulls an old twist but a good one. A gardening android, like Tad, misses the significance of human behaviour, but for this robot the point is moot: it must choose on its own whether to continue its duties.
Sandra Kasturi’s ‘The Beautiful Gears of Dying’ moves away from ethics to blur the lines between human and construct and thereby between life and death. A little piece exposing a desire for the undying, unliving machinery under a robot’s synthetic skin over the very human, messy, painful process of gradual death.
Another important theme throughout the book is that of grief, whether for yourself or others, and what you do with it. For me, the most striking of these stories is ‘Good-bye is That Time Between Now and Forever’ by Matt Moore, in which a trans woman, Catalina, accompanies her elderly father from Barcelona to Boston on his final journey in a cataclysmically changed world. The tension that comes with our not seeing the full picture adds to the certainty of approaching horror; the horror in the end being not only what’s happened to North America but that of bereavement—and then, in the end, the horror is eased by the acceptance of it.
Another beautiful, though heartbreaking, story about loss is Karina Sumner-Smith’s ‘The Oracle and the Warlord’, in which a warlord comes to seek a prophecy of an oracle who, despite the love and care of her attendant, is almost at the end of her life. It’s not only about death but also about the grief for the stepped losses of long-term illness—loss of mobility, loss of energy, loss of the things by which a person defines themselves, is defined by other people, for which they are loved. It is also about how, in the wake of loss, the world rolls on despite everything.
On the flip side of grief, though, this collection also hums with joy—the joy of living and loving. In Liz Westbrook-Trenholm’s ‘Gone Flying’, a grizzled old woman spends her twilight years caring for her brood of baby clones, as mandated by whatever government remains after an apocalyptic cataclysm. It started out so intensely harrowing I had to put the book down and walk away for a few hours. But when I came back, I discovered a story so full of love, even woven inextricably with sorrow, and in the end, joy at the weary old persistence of life, that I’m still thinking about it days after finishing the whole book.
Stories like Claire Humphrey’s ‘Number One Draft Pick’ and Charlotte Ashley’s ‘Orang Tua Adventure Home Academy’ are full of light and life in the face of ill health and death. Something in these speaks to me so fundamentally—being ill or disabled and being a carer aren’t your be all and end all most of the time, they’re just a manner in which you navigate the world.
The last story in the collection is an ode to joy. In ‘Dreams As Fragile As Glass’ by Caroline M. Yoachim, Hikaru moves with her husband Tsutomu and her daughter Masumi from Japan to Hawai’i, and not long after the family discovers that Masumi is developing symptoms of a genetic disease that turns her gradually into colourful glass. But Masumi only wants to learn to surf.
And surf she does, both strong and fragile at the same time, beautiful as she shines in the sun. Her parents watch her from the sand, caught up in this moment they’ve enabled, when their daughter is alive and happy.
Alongside the stories I’ve mentioned are many more I haven’t, but that’s down to space constraints rather than deservedness. The Sum of Us is a whole world’s worth of windows on the experience of caregiving, from the familiar to the totally alien, encompassing the range of human (and non-human) emotion. As Susan Forest mentions in her afterword, there are none of us who don’t care in some way or another; humanity is defined by its cooperative nature, so in a way caring is the ultimate expression of human nature.
This anthology is the second book published as part of Laksa Media’s mission ‘Read for a Cause, Write for a Cause, Help a Cause’, and as such, a donation of CAN$1,000 goes to support mental health programmes upon publication, plus a further portion of the revenue from sales. The first collection was Strangers Among Us, which tackled mental health, and which I’m looking forward to going back and reading!
The collection starts you off chilled with ‘The Dunschemin Retirement Home for Repentant Supervillains’, a tongue-in-cheek story by Ian Creasey about a nursing home for elderly supervillains who are supposed to have given up their evil ways. Inside lives Anarcho, who’s not quite done with supervillainy despite his diminished ability, and his henchman Stafford, on whom Anarcho relies for the enactment of his dastardly plans. It’s a funny little piece that nevertheless surfaces the importance of Stafford’s continued choice to remain with Anarcho.
A choice is crucial in Hayden Trenholm’s ‘The Burdens We Bear’. Syvian, an old monk of an ancient order, is the sole caretaker onboard a ship carrying thousands of cryogenically-frozen humans to a new planet. Syvian’s relationship with Michael, the antagonistic ship’s AI, is spiky, but as we realise the nature of the choice that Syvian must make to ensure the survival of his invaluable cargo, Michael too softens. Syvian makes his choice in the end, and though it’s self-sacrifice, it was a free one.
Maybe unsurprisingly, there are a number of stories in this anthology featuring a robot, AI, or otherwise constructed being whose primary function is to give care. Especially in the global north, professional care is a growing industry as populations skew older. The question is whether the human tendency to turn to constructs to take on this labour is altruistic (looking for the best way to do it) or motivated by reluctance to take on the work ourselves for whatever reason.
‘Mother Azalea’s Sad Home for Forgotten Adults’ by James Van Pelt features a nursing home in which ‘resident assistants’ (human-like robots) monitor patients’ quality of life via a complicated formula, euthanising them as soon as it falls below a certain value. This reads hella sinister, as would any story where the power to decide one’s own life or death is in hands other than our own, but I think the effect is amplified because it’s with non-human intelligence that the power lies. In Van Pelt’s story, Dave, a human doctor, shows Tad, a resident assistant, a new aspect to quality of life previously unconsidered in the robot’s formula. It depicts a future in which robots—symbolising purely logic-driven care—miss the nuances of humanity necessary to give good care.
A totally different story, Amanda Sun’s ‘The Gardener’ implicitly examines whether it can even be ethical to make the entire purpose of a being to care for things it has no stake in. This wonderfully sinister story pulls an old twist but a good one. A gardening android, like Tad, misses the significance of human behaviour, but for this robot the point is moot: it must choose on its own whether to continue its duties.
Sandra Kasturi’s ‘The Beautiful Gears of Dying’ moves away from ethics to blur the lines between human and construct and thereby between life and death. A little piece exposing a desire for the undying, unliving machinery under a robot’s synthetic skin over the very human, messy, painful process of gradual death.
Another important theme throughout the book is that of grief, whether for yourself or others, and what you do with it. For me, the most striking of these stories is ‘Good-bye is That Time Between Now and Forever’ by Matt Moore, in which a trans woman, Catalina, accompanies her elderly father from Barcelona to Boston on his final journey in a cataclysmically changed world. The tension that comes with our not seeing the full picture adds to the certainty of approaching horror; the horror in the end being not only what’s happened to North America but that of bereavement—and then, in the end, the horror is eased by the acceptance of it.
Another beautiful, though heartbreaking, story about loss is Karina Sumner-Smith’s ‘The Oracle and the Warlord’, in which a warlord comes to seek a prophecy of an oracle who, despite the love and care of her attendant, is almost at the end of her life. It’s not only about death but also about the grief for the stepped losses of long-term illness—loss of mobility, loss of energy, loss of the things by which a person defines themselves, is defined by other people, for which they are loved. It is also about how, in the wake of loss, the world rolls on despite everything.
On the flip side of grief, though, this collection also hums with joy—the joy of living and loving. In Liz Westbrook-Trenholm’s ‘Gone Flying’, a grizzled old woman spends her twilight years caring for her brood of baby clones, as mandated by whatever government remains after an apocalyptic cataclysm. It started out so intensely harrowing I had to put the book down and walk away for a few hours. But when I came back, I discovered a story so full of love, even woven inextricably with sorrow, and in the end, joy at the weary old persistence of life, that I’m still thinking about it days after finishing the whole book.
Stories like Claire Humphrey’s ‘Number One Draft Pick’ and Charlotte Ashley’s ‘Orang Tua Adventure Home Academy’ are full of light and life in the face of ill health and death. Something in these speaks to me so fundamentally—being ill or disabled and being a carer aren’t your be all and end all most of the time, they’re just a manner in which you navigate the world.
The last story in the collection is an ode to joy. In ‘Dreams As Fragile As Glass’ by Caroline M. Yoachim, Hikaru moves with her husband Tsutomu and her daughter Masumi from Japan to Hawai’i, and not long after the family discovers that Masumi is developing symptoms of a genetic disease that turns her gradually into colourful glass. But Masumi only wants to learn to surf.
And surf she does, both strong and fragile at the same time, beautiful as she shines in the sun. Her parents watch her from the sand, caught up in this moment they’ve enabled, when their daughter is alive and happy.
Alongside the stories I’ve mentioned are many more I haven’t, but that’s down to space constraints rather than deservedness. The Sum of Us is a whole world’s worth of windows on the experience of caregiving, from the familiar to the totally alien, encompassing the range of human (and non-human) emotion. As Susan Forest mentions in her afterword, there are none of us who don’t care in some way or another; humanity is defined by its cooperative nature, so in a way caring is the ultimate expression of human nature.
This anthology is the second book published as part of Laksa Media’s mission ‘Read for a Cause, Write for a Cause, Help a Cause’, and as such, a donation of CAN$1,000 goes to support mental health programmes upon publication, plus a further portion of the revenue from sales. The first collection was Strangers Among Us, which tackled mental health, and which I’m looking forward to going back and reading!
September 24, 2017
The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound edited by Lucas K. Law and Susan Forester starts with a fairly simple premise. We are all caregivers. Whether we're parents, children, elderly or young, hospital staff, soldiers, siblings, personal assistants or even pets, we all care for someone in some capacity and are cared for by others.
Released on the 8th September 2017, The Sum of Us is a brilliant, dynamic and diverse speculative fiction anthology which brings caregivers to the front stage and allows us to not only experience the vast variety of voices, experiences and stories of carers but does so in such a way which encourages us to reimagine care work and caregivers. Who are caregivers? What does it mean to care? How gendered, age and species related is caregiving? How do we define quality of life? Who can care (robots, humans, animals, aliens)? Where does the caregiver end and the non-caregiver begin?
As someone who has both been a caregiver and a receiver of care, I know that it can be easy for caregivers to fade away into the background so I was delighted to come across this anthology which seeks to look beyond caregivers as peripheral ghosts to recognise their personhood, with all of its nuances, complexities and emotions. With 23 different short stories in it, the Sum of Us does a wonderful job of bringing together so many different experiences and stories of carers who are LGBT, elderly, children, spouses, people of colour, disabled, non-human species and more.
In an anthology with so many stories, of course, there were a handful that I didn't gel with (5 to be exact) but on the whole found it to be a really enjoyable anthology, something which surprised me as I really don't read much short fiction. Despite dealing with topics which can be quite heavy going, I found that placing such topics in a speculative fiction setting reframed these stories in a way which made them much lighter, easier to read and more accessible. It did take me awhile to get through everything but found myself constantly immersed in these witty, complicated and heart-warming worlds whenever I returned.
Interestingly, reading through reviews from other readers, many appear to favour the same stories over others and there were many stories which I loved which other didn't seem to like as much (or enough to mention). So included below is a short list of my favourite short stories and a little summary of each.
Mother Azalea's Home for Forgotten Adults by James Van Pelt - Takes place in a home for forgotten adults where the ill are cared for by robotic carers who "measure" their quality of life and make decisions to terminate their life when it drops below a certain level. This story though focuses on 15-year-old Rocky and the home director Brandt, as Brandt, through Rocky, learns to see the ill as individuals once again. It raises questions such as how do we measure quality of life? Should people who are suffering be euthanised by robots? Or, as in Rocky's case, should we make the most of every second they have left and make their last hours hours of joy?
The Gatekeeper by Juliet Marillier - Follows Tariq, a former medical engineer in Afghanistan who immigrated to Australia where he now works at a home for people with dementia, and his relationship with a cat he rescued, Hamza. Hamza is no ordinary cat though, but a servant of the goddess Bast, who calls Hamza to the side of dying people at the home to keep them company as they join Bast to depart from this life. However, Hamza's job is threatened when an administrator turns up who wants to get rid of him and Tariq must work to convince her to keep Hamza as a therapy cat. A beautifully written story which raises important questions about whether caregiving is restricted to humans or whether we can also think of animals as caregivers.
A Mother's Milk by Heather Osborne - This was one of my favourite stories and is about two aliens who are orbiting earth, Dathas and her partner Cennil. Dathas is the equivalent of an alien anthropologist who is learning about human culture through a representative from Earth and is in the process of getting permission to visit. However, Cennil has other ideas and decides to get himself pregnant, which will effectively rob Dathas of her chance as she will need to stay on board the ship in water to nurse the babies who cling to her body. Yet, her human friend raises an interesting suggestion, why can Cennil not care for the children? Is there a physiological difference that prevents him from doing so? A Mother's Milk cleverly challenges the belief that women always have to be the caregivers when there is no reason that men cannot do the same job.
Goodbye is That Time Between Now and Forever by Matt Moore - Another one I really enjoyed, 'Goodbye' follows an older trans woman, Catalina, who is accompanying her father on a tram from Barcelona to Boston, across a ruined world, where he seeks euthanasia. It explores the caregiving responsibilities of both a parent, who had to make a terrible decision in order to save his child's life, and the caregiving responsibilities of an adult who is required to make a joint decision to help their parent die.
Number One Draft Pick by Claire Humphrey - Is another well-written story which focuses on dog handler Reshma and medical assistance dog Zuzu as they begin to work with a new client, young hockey star Ty Arthur. A running theme throughout the entire book, 'Number One' demonstrates the reciprocal nature of caregiving. Reshma and Zuzu do not just change Ty's life, where he needs to adjust to having a severe health condition and a medical assistance dog, but also shows how Reshma's life changes through the people she looks after (in this instance, finding out a new love for hockey). Yet, drawing on the name of the book, 'Number One' reminds us that caregiving is not the total Sum of Us but that we are allowed to have lives, aspirations, and loves outside of the person we care for.
Other favourites included The Dunschemin Retirement Home for Repentent Supervillains by Ian Creasey, Gone Flying by Liz Westbrook-Trenholm, and Blinders by Tyril Keevil.
Hopefully, this review has peaked your interest in the Sum of Us, and if it has I would really encourage you to read it. A huge thank you to Laksa Media Groups for letting me read this through NetGalley.
The beauty of an anthology, something I have only just discovered, is being able to just pop in and out of new worlds at a pace which suits you, and allows you to forego any stories you don't enjoy whilst not detracting from the book as a whole. I'm very excited to follow some of the authors mentioned above, whose work I would love to read more of, as well as look into purchasing a copy of the Sum of Us and another anthology edited by Forester and Law 'Strangers Among Us: Tales of the Underdog and Outcasts' which looks at mental health through a similarly speculative lens.
Released on the 8th September 2017, The Sum of Us is a brilliant, dynamic and diverse speculative fiction anthology which brings caregivers to the front stage and allows us to not only experience the vast variety of voices, experiences and stories of carers but does so in such a way which encourages us to reimagine care work and caregivers. Who are caregivers? What does it mean to care? How gendered, age and species related is caregiving? How do we define quality of life? Who can care (robots, humans, animals, aliens)? Where does the caregiver end and the non-caregiver begin?
As someone who has both been a caregiver and a receiver of care, I know that it can be easy for caregivers to fade away into the background so I was delighted to come across this anthology which seeks to look beyond caregivers as peripheral ghosts to recognise their personhood, with all of its nuances, complexities and emotions. With 23 different short stories in it, the Sum of Us does a wonderful job of bringing together so many different experiences and stories of carers who are LGBT, elderly, children, spouses, people of colour, disabled, non-human species and more.
In an anthology with so many stories, of course, there were a handful that I didn't gel with (5 to be exact) but on the whole found it to be a really enjoyable anthology, something which surprised me as I really don't read much short fiction. Despite dealing with topics which can be quite heavy going, I found that placing such topics in a speculative fiction setting reframed these stories in a way which made them much lighter, easier to read and more accessible. It did take me awhile to get through everything but found myself constantly immersed in these witty, complicated and heart-warming worlds whenever I returned.
Interestingly, reading through reviews from other readers, many appear to favour the same stories over others and there were many stories which I loved which other didn't seem to like as much (or enough to mention). So included below is a short list of my favourite short stories and a little summary of each.
Mother Azalea's Home for Forgotten Adults by James Van Pelt - Takes place in a home for forgotten adults where the ill are cared for by robotic carers who "measure" their quality of life and make decisions to terminate their life when it drops below a certain level. This story though focuses on 15-year-old Rocky and the home director Brandt, as Brandt, through Rocky, learns to see the ill as individuals once again. It raises questions such as how do we measure quality of life? Should people who are suffering be euthanised by robots? Or, as in Rocky's case, should we make the most of every second they have left and make their last hours hours of joy?
The Gatekeeper by Juliet Marillier - Follows Tariq, a former medical engineer in Afghanistan who immigrated to Australia where he now works at a home for people with dementia, and his relationship with a cat he rescued, Hamza. Hamza is no ordinary cat though, but a servant of the goddess Bast, who calls Hamza to the side of dying people at the home to keep them company as they join Bast to depart from this life. However, Hamza's job is threatened when an administrator turns up who wants to get rid of him and Tariq must work to convince her to keep Hamza as a therapy cat. A beautifully written story which raises important questions about whether caregiving is restricted to humans or whether we can also think of animals as caregivers.
A Mother's Milk by Heather Osborne - This was one of my favourite stories and is about two aliens who are orbiting earth, Dathas and her partner Cennil. Dathas is the equivalent of an alien anthropologist who is learning about human culture through a representative from Earth and is in the process of getting permission to visit. However, Cennil has other ideas and decides to get himself pregnant, which will effectively rob Dathas of her chance as she will need to stay on board the ship in water to nurse the babies who cling to her body. Yet, her human friend raises an interesting suggestion, why can Cennil not care for the children? Is there a physiological difference that prevents him from doing so? A Mother's Milk cleverly challenges the belief that women always have to be the caregivers when there is no reason that men cannot do the same job.
Goodbye is That Time Between Now and Forever by Matt Moore - Another one I really enjoyed, 'Goodbye' follows an older trans woman, Catalina, who is accompanying her father on a tram from Barcelona to Boston, across a ruined world, where he seeks euthanasia. It explores the caregiving responsibilities of both a parent, who had to make a terrible decision in order to save his child's life, and the caregiving responsibilities of an adult who is required to make a joint decision to help their parent die.
Number One Draft Pick by Claire Humphrey - Is another well-written story which focuses on dog handler Reshma and medical assistance dog Zuzu as they begin to work with a new client, young hockey star Ty Arthur. A running theme throughout the entire book, 'Number One' demonstrates the reciprocal nature of caregiving. Reshma and Zuzu do not just change Ty's life, where he needs to adjust to having a severe health condition and a medical assistance dog, but also shows how Reshma's life changes through the people she looks after (in this instance, finding out a new love for hockey). Yet, drawing on the name of the book, 'Number One' reminds us that caregiving is not the total Sum of Us but that we are allowed to have lives, aspirations, and loves outside of the person we care for.
Other favourites included The Dunschemin Retirement Home for Repentent Supervillains by Ian Creasey, Gone Flying by Liz Westbrook-Trenholm, and Blinders by Tyril Keevil.
Hopefully, this review has peaked your interest in the Sum of Us, and if it has I would really encourage you to read it. A huge thank you to Laksa Media Groups for letting me read this through NetGalley.
The beauty of an anthology, something I have only just discovered, is being able to just pop in and out of new worlds at a pace which suits you, and allows you to forego any stories you don't enjoy whilst not detracting from the book as a whole. I'm very excited to follow some of the authors mentioned above, whose work I would love to read more of, as well as look into purchasing a copy of the Sum of Us and another anthology edited by Forester and Law 'Strangers Among Us: Tales of the Underdog and Outcasts' which looks at mental health through a similarly speculative lens.
January 2, 2018
This was a beautiful, heartbreaking anthology.
The Sum of Us is a collection of stories about caregivers in all the universes in our imaginations. Some of these stories were very hard to read, but they were all beautiful. I think my favorite story was “Number One Draft Pick” by Claire Humphrey. The stories flowed really well together, in my opinion. I think there will be something sad and stunning in this collection for any science fiction or fantasy reader.
The Sum of Us is a collection of stories about caregivers in all the universes in our imaginations. Some of these stories were very hard to read, but they were all beautiful. I think my favorite story was “Number One Draft Pick” by Claire Humphrey. The stories flowed really well together, in my opinion. I think there will be something sad and stunning in this collection for any science fiction or fantasy reader.
August 1, 2017
This book truly shows the sacrifices caretakers make each and every day. Through all of these stories, the central message of love and sacrifice is carried, which makes this a happy, impactful read. However, like most anthologies, some stories were better than others, and there was one story I couldn't even make it through because it bored me so much. My favorites, if anyone was curious, were "Mother Azalea's Sad Home for Forgotten Adults," and "Dreams as Fragile as Glass." I feel like an older audience or those who have experienced being a caretaker for themselves would enjoy this more than I did, but overall I did have a good reading experience with this book and I would possibly read it again if I had a hard copy.
PS: That cover though <3
PS: That cover though <3
October 4, 2017
SFF fans that enjoy character-driven narrative will find this a satisfying read. These stories were carefully selected. Yes, there’s sadness and deep emotional conflict here, but also empathy kindness, bravery, love, and humor – all of which are part of the caregiving experience. Ian Creasey‘s story the Dunschemin Retirement Home for Repentant Supervillans The science and fantasy elements of most of the stories are fascinating and compelling. These stories are honest about the emotional and physical cost of caregiving, and never deliver simply happy endings, but there’s acceptance and hope.
In the recognizable dystopian world of Colleen Anderson’s story “The Healer’s Touch”, a woman blends nanotech and mysticism to help refugees, war survivors, and survivors of torture at cost to herself. Women, queer people, people of color, people with varied forms of disability, and – thankfully -- people over age 35 are characters in these tales. As a Librarian, I recommend The Sum of Us to many different people: caregivers, students of the health professions; people working in the health professions; members of large families; only children; and people that may see themselves as future caregivers.
The Sum of Us includes a story by "Everfair" author Nisi Shawl, Sunshine of your Love. Shawl presents an original and surprising take on the theme of genetic manipulation. Polly, caregiver to her sister Myra, a brilliant researcher who now has dementia and is confined to a bed. Polly offers shelter to Lazzrus, a Black man with exceptional genes that give him, if not superpowers, an ability to be frozen in time, youthful, handsome, and strong. Lazzrus was also, at one time, Polly and and Myra’s research subject. Lazzrus is on the run because of his unusual genetic makeup. Authorities in the dystopian world of the story want him even more than the women who more him children; this is a world where fertility is increasingly difficult. It’s a complex story that challenges assumptions and the implicit bias and racism of our own time.
"Twenty-three science fiction and fantasy authors explore the depth and breadth of caring and of giving. They find insight, joy, devastation, and heroism in grand sweeps and in tiny niches. And, like wasps made of stinging words, there is pain in giving, and in working one's way through to the light. Our lives and relationships are complex. But in the end, there is hope, and there is love. These are their stories. Children giving care. Dogs and cats giving care. Sidekicks, military, monks, ghosts, robots. Even aliens. Care given by lovers, family, professionals. Caregivers who can no longer give. Caregivers who make the decision not to give. The costs and the consequences that follow. Bound to us by invisible bonds, but with lives, dreams, and passions of their own. Introduction by Dominik Parisien. In addition to dealing with caregiving and caregivers, the book also deals with mental health and mental illness. There is an appendix in the book for Mental Health Resources and another appendix for Caregiving and Caregivers Resources".
In the recognizable dystopian world of Colleen Anderson’s story “The Healer’s Touch”, a woman blends nanotech and mysticism to help refugees, war survivors, and survivors of torture at cost to herself. Women, queer people, people of color, people with varied forms of disability, and – thankfully -- people over age 35 are characters in these tales. As a Librarian, I recommend The Sum of Us to many different people: caregivers, students of the health professions; people working in the health professions; members of large families; only children; and people that may see themselves as future caregivers.
The Sum of Us includes a story by "Everfair" author Nisi Shawl, Sunshine of your Love. Shawl presents an original and surprising take on the theme of genetic manipulation. Polly, caregiver to her sister Myra, a brilliant researcher who now has dementia and is confined to a bed. Polly offers shelter to Lazzrus, a Black man with exceptional genes that give him, if not superpowers, an ability to be frozen in time, youthful, handsome, and strong. Lazzrus was also, at one time, Polly and and Myra’s research subject. Lazzrus is on the run because of his unusual genetic makeup. Authorities in the dystopian world of the story want him even more than the women who more him children; this is a world where fertility is increasingly difficult. It’s a complex story that challenges assumptions and the implicit bias and racism of our own time.
"Twenty-three science fiction and fantasy authors explore the depth and breadth of caring and of giving. They find insight, joy, devastation, and heroism in grand sweeps and in tiny niches. And, like wasps made of stinging words, there is pain in giving, and in working one's way through to the light. Our lives and relationships are complex. But in the end, there is hope, and there is love. These are their stories. Children giving care. Dogs and cats giving care. Sidekicks, military, monks, ghosts, robots. Even aliens. Care given by lovers, family, professionals. Caregivers who can no longer give. Caregivers who make the decision not to give. The costs and the consequences that follow. Bound to us by invisible bonds, but with lives, dreams, and passions of their own. Introduction by Dominik Parisien. In addition to dealing with caregiving and caregivers, the book also deals with mental health and mental illness. There is an appendix in the book for Mental Health Resources and another appendix for Caregiving and Caregivers Resources".
July 8, 2024
apesar de ter adorado o conto da Juliet Marillier, ( mas sou suspeita, a ela até dava 5 estrelas se ela escrevesse uma lista de compras ou uma lista telefónica) e ter adorado alguns outros contos, a maioria não me entusiasmou, pela vertente comum de cronologias futuristicas e temas de ficção científica, com o unico tema em comum o cuidar de alguém ou alguma coisa e como foi exactamente criado para ajudar cuidadores tocou numa corda sensivel já que fui cuidadora da minha mãe até ela falecer. E só por isso para quem quiser ajudar e tiver curiosidade, recomendo
January 14, 2020
Excellent. I think I loved every story!
August 11, 2017
As a society, we undervalue care and undervalue care workers. We tend to assume that people who do care work are doing it because they like helping people and we assume that the job is compensation enough. Even in the home, we de-value family members who provide care, viewing their care work as something that doesn’t need compensation. Care work is consistently treated as though it is not real labour and isn’t valued or compensated for.
Part of this lack of value for care work stems from patriarchal beliefs that position care work as a feminine labour and therefore de-value it the same way that patriarchy de-values anything viewed as feminine.
Care work has been in need to reimagining for some time. It has needed a fundamental disruption of social assumptions and a re-evaluating of the meaning of this labour. Using the medium of speculative fiction, a genre devoted to asking questions, Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law’s The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound brings together stories that critically interrogate the way that we imagine care and care-giving. These stories take a broad exploration of what care can mean, looking at parental care, long term care homes, social responsibilities for care, foster care, maternal care, elder care, medical care by doctors and nurses, the care relationships of pets, and even the care roles of insectile species’ (since care isn’t just a human trait). These stories examine complexities of care that are critical to this culture moment such as what is the value of care?, what difference does quality care make?, what is quality of life?, is care the role of home or the state?, what are the gendered dynamics of care-giving?, why do we de-value care-givers?, how much responsibility should parents have in the care of their children?, and what is the role of robotics in care? These are all critical questions that are in need of complex and creative answers and The Sum of Us invites readers to think critically about them. It doesn’t introduce easy answers about care-giving, but instead invites readers to explore often contrary ideas about care, asking readers to come up with their own critical questions and creative answers to the meaning of care.
These are tales of robots, aliens, insects, future wars, supervillains, nanites, other worlds, plagues, and mutants, but at their core, these are all tales about what caring means, and these are real, human questions. They may be explored through the lens of the alien, but they are fundamentally about human values and what care means to us. Sometimes the only way to get us to ask critical questions about the way that we value (or de-value) caring labour is to project our modes of care onto another, onto the future, onto another society, onto the inhuman so that we ask ourselves “if this makes us upset when we see an alien doing it, what does it mean that we are doing the same thing?”
To read some of the reviews of individual stories in this collection, see my review of:
Claire Humphrey’s “Number One Draft Pick”
https://speculatingcanada.ca/2017/07/...
Juliet Marillier’s “The Gatekeeper”
https://disabledembodiment.wordpress....
Edward Willett’s “The Mother’s Keeper”
https://speculatingcanada.ca/2017/07/...
Sandra Kasturi’s “The Beautiful Gears of Dying”
https://speculatingcanada.ca/2017/07/...
A.M. Dellamonica’s “Bottleneck”
https://speculatingcanada.ca/2017/06/...
Caroline M. Yoachim’s “Dreams as Fragile as Glass”
https://disabledembodiment.wordpress....
Kate Story’s “Am I Not A Proud Outlier”
https://speculatingcanada.ca/2017/07/...
To find out more about The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound, visit http://laksamedia.com/the-sum-of-us-a...
Part of this lack of value for care work stems from patriarchal beliefs that position care work as a feminine labour and therefore de-value it the same way that patriarchy de-values anything viewed as feminine.
Care work has been in need to reimagining for some time. It has needed a fundamental disruption of social assumptions and a re-evaluating of the meaning of this labour. Using the medium of speculative fiction, a genre devoted to asking questions, Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law’s The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound brings together stories that critically interrogate the way that we imagine care and care-giving. These stories take a broad exploration of what care can mean, looking at parental care, long term care homes, social responsibilities for care, foster care, maternal care, elder care, medical care by doctors and nurses, the care relationships of pets, and even the care roles of insectile species’ (since care isn’t just a human trait). These stories examine complexities of care that are critical to this culture moment such as what is the value of care?, what difference does quality care make?, what is quality of life?, is care the role of home or the state?, what are the gendered dynamics of care-giving?, why do we de-value care-givers?, how much responsibility should parents have in the care of their children?, and what is the role of robotics in care? These are all critical questions that are in need of complex and creative answers and The Sum of Us invites readers to think critically about them. It doesn’t introduce easy answers about care-giving, but instead invites readers to explore often contrary ideas about care, asking readers to come up with their own critical questions and creative answers to the meaning of care.
These are tales of robots, aliens, insects, future wars, supervillains, nanites, other worlds, plagues, and mutants, but at their core, these are all tales about what caring means, and these are real, human questions. They may be explored through the lens of the alien, but they are fundamentally about human values and what care means to us. Sometimes the only way to get us to ask critical questions about the way that we value (or de-value) caring labour is to project our modes of care onto another, onto the future, onto another society, onto the inhuman so that we ask ourselves “if this makes us upset when we see an alien doing it, what does it mean that we are doing the same thing?”
To read some of the reviews of individual stories in this collection, see my review of:
Claire Humphrey’s “Number One Draft Pick”
https://speculatingcanada.ca/2017/07/...
Juliet Marillier’s “The Gatekeeper”
https://disabledembodiment.wordpress....
Edward Willett’s “The Mother’s Keeper”
https://speculatingcanada.ca/2017/07/...
Sandra Kasturi’s “The Beautiful Gears of Dying”
https://speculatingcanada.ca/2017/07/...
A.M. Dellamonica’s “Bottleneck”
https://speculatingcanada.ca/2017/06/...
Caroline M. Yoachim’s “Dreams as Fragile as Glass”
https://disabledembodiment.wordpress....
Kate Story’s “Am I Not A Proud Outlier”
https://speculatingcanada.ca/2017/07/...
To find out more about The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound, visit http://laksamedia.com/the-sum-of-us-a...
July 6, 2018
I entered this anthology of speculative short stories about caregiving with the intention of bookmarking the stories that stood out the most for me, as well as the ones I savored, these were the stories I intended to list and review here but this ended up being too unwieldy a task as there were just too many good stories from a variety of approaches and themes. Instead, and with the note that my selection means that some equally awesome stories remain unexplored but ready to be discovered, I am just going to highlight a few of the ones that struck me the most:
“The Gatekeeper” by Juliet Marillier - Those are not tears that are threatening to well up in my eyes as I travel to work on public transport, nope its just a sudden localised mist situation that is taking place behind my glasses and completely unrelated to this story of an Afghani refugee, his rescue cat, and connections they make not just with the residents of the care home but with each other and the deep interconnections of memory, loyalty and fear when the safety they have found and the security of home they have made is threatened.
"Mother Azalea' Sad Home for Forgotten Adults" by James Van Pelt - was another movingly good story. The 'Sad Home' part of the title is a bit misleading as I would classify the story as both more intriguing, in terms of ideas around its android home attendants, and more heartfelt, in its exploration of the relationship between the director of the home and its newest resident. The importance of bringing a human, empathetic element to medical care was very well done in a contrastive fashion that was not overblown.
"The Healers Touch" by Colleen Anderson - This one did a beautiful job of combining scifi exploration of the use of doctor directed nanos at a very hands on level to treat patients with a personal story of the doctor's own emotional journey in coming to terms with her own past traumas as her new role sees her confronted with those of her patients. Healing of self and others becomes intertwined in an important way. LGBT story.
"The Oracle and the Warlord" by Karina Sumner-Smith - This was one of the relatively few truly sad tales in the anthology, as the protagonist Andra watches her friend, and former lover, weaken and lose her self over time in service and payment to the dark waters in her role as the oracle. It is a role that ends up being vitally important to the well being of her world and the story becomes one of the sacrifices voluntarily made for the safety of others. LGBT story
"The Gardener" by Amanda Sun - Also ended up being another sad story but more of a bittersweet sadness. A meditation on missing someone, of remaining behind to carry on its duties, conveyed through perspective of an android who has obviously not picked up on essential human cues but has developed some of his own feelings no matter how foreign or androidly expressed.
"Orang Tua Adventure Home Academy" by Charlotte Ashley - This one was one of the fun, adventurous stories within the anthology and as the story progresses one of the main character comes to see how much vim and curiosity there is still left to her in last years as she finds a new life in new surroundings in a different culture. It also ended up being a very sweet story about two people separated by culture and generation coming to open up and appreciate each other.
"Goodbye is That Time Between Now and Forever" by Matt Moore - This one was a gracefully done snapshot taken at the end of a terminally ill father's life as he and his daughter, who acts as his guardian/carer, travel back to their homeland, America, where he is 'volunteering' to end his life and undergo what is known the transformation at the barricade that separates the walled off America from the rest of the world. In the flashbacks we see how America had undergone a viral plague, where the infected turned violently against each other and in escaping death Catalina and her father made it out to Barcelona but at the cost that Catalina's father had to make a split second choice to save Catalina or risk picking up her sister and mother. We also see how Catalina grows up, transitions MtF and finds a place of home in Barcelona but how her father never quite is able to let go of his old home. We see the journey of the parent as caregiver, to the child who grows to become their parent's caregiver and we see the bonds of love and connections between them - even over the points of their differences. LGBT story
"Gone Flying" by Liz Westbrook-Trenholm - This was definitely one of the outstanding stories in the collection for me, with its final sentences resonating after the tale was done. It was one of only a couple of the stories where I just took a moment to let it rest before moving on to the next. The journey of Nanee as in her old age, in a post apocalyptic world, in a war ravaged body, she strives to raise her babies, her clones, as illness combined with lack of resources contrive against this. But though the story starts as one of despair it turns into one of hope and fruition and of ingenuity and most of all of love.
The last story here "Dreams as Fragile as Glass" by Caroline M. Yoachim was one of the shortest but no less resonant for that. It was a story of being parents to a child with a hereditary, terminal illness - in this case given the sheen of an almost fairy tale form - the guilt that comes with that but also the courage to allow the child fly while they can. To find joy in pleasures even if those pleasures may be dangerous in a manner exacerbated by their illness. This ended up being a brief, beautiful and fluid story that was complete within itself.
“The Gatekeeper” by Juliet Marillier - Those are not tears that are threatening to well up in my eyes as I travel to work on public transport, nope its just a sudden localised mist situation that is taking place behind my glasses and completely unrelated to this story of an Afghani refugee, his rescue cat, and connections they make not just with the residents of the care home but with each other and the deep interconnections of memory, loyalty and fear when the safety they have found and the security of home they have made is threatened.
"Mother Azalea' Sad Home for Forgotten Adults" by James Van Pelt - was another movingly good story. The 'Sad Home' part of the title is a bit misleading as I would classify the story as both more intriguing, in terms of ideas around its android home attendants, and more heartfelt, in its exploration of the relationship between the director of the home and its newest resident. The importance of bringing a human, empathetic element to medical care was very well done in a contrastive fashion that was not overblown.
"The Healers Touch" by Colleen Anderson - This one did a beautiful job of combining scifi exploration of the use of doctor directed nanos at a very hands on level to treat patients with a personal story of the doctor's own emotional journey in coming to terms with her own past traumas as her new role sees her confronted with those of her patients. Healing of self and others becomes intertwined in an important way. LGBT story.
"The Oracle and the Warlord" by Karina Sumner-Smith - This was one of the relatively few truly sad tales in the anthology, as the protagonist Andra watches her friend, and former lover, weaken and lose her self over time in service and payment to the dark waters in her role as the oracle. It is a role that ends up being vitally important to the well being of her world and the story becomes one of the sacrifices voluntarily made for the safety of others. LGBT story
"The Gardener" by Amanda Sun - Also ended up being another sad story but more of a bittersweet sadness. A meditation on missing someone, of remaining behind to carry on its duties, conveyed through perspective of an android who has obviously not picked up on essential human cues but has developed some of his own feelings no matter how foreign or androidly expressed.
"Orang Tua Adventure Home Academy" by Charlotte Ashley - This one was one of the fun, adventurous stories within the anthology and as the story progresses one of the main character comes to see how much vim and curiosity there is still left to her in last years as she finds a new life in new surroundings in a different culture. It also ended up being a very sweet story about two people separated by culture and generation coming to open up and appreciate each other.
"Goodbye is That Time Between Now and Forever" by Matt Moore - This one was a gracefully done snapshot taken at the end of a terminally ill father's life as he and his daughter, who acts as his guardian/carer, travel back to their homeland, America, where he is 'volunteering' to end his life and undergo what is known the transformation at the barricade that separates the walled off America from the rest of the world. In the flashbacks we see how America had undergone a viral plague, where the infected turned violently against each other and in escaping death Catalina and her father made it out to Barcelona but at the cost that Catalina's father had to make a split second choice to save Catalina or risk picking up her sister and mother. We also see how Catalina grows up, transitions MtF and finds a place of home in Barcelona but how her father never quite is able to let go of his old home. We see the journey of the parent as caregiver, to the child who grows to become their parent's caregiver and we see the bonds of love and connections between them - even over the points of their differences. LGBT story
"Gone Flying" by Liz Westbrook-Trenholm - This was definitely one of the outstanding stories in the collection for me, with its final sentences resonating after the tale was done. It was one of only a couple of the stories where I just took a moment to let it rest before moving on to the next. The journey of Nanee as in her old age, in a post apocalyptic world, in a war ravaged body, she strives to raise her babies, her clones, as illness combined with lack of resources contrive against this. But though the story starts as one of despair it turns into one of hope and fruition and of ingenuity and most of all of love.
The last story here "Dreams as Fragile as Glass" by Caroline M. Yoachim was one of the shortest but no less resonant for that. It was a story of being parents to a child with a hereditary, terminal illness - in this case given the sheen of an almost fairy tale form - the guilt that comes with that but also the courage to allow the child fly while they can. To find joy in pleasures even if those pleasures may be dangerous in a manner exacerbated by their illness. This ended up being a brief, beautiful and fluid story that was complete within itself.
October 25, 2018
A collection of short stories themed around caregivers. Some are long term, some short, some of people who are dying, others taking care of children, some are content in their roles, and some are not.
I read the previous anthology by these editors, Strangers Among Us, which focused on characters with disabilities, and I thought it was overall good, with some rough points. In this one, there's fewer rough points and questionable stuff, but the level of qualiy in stories was about the same, so I guess, overall, it's better.
There is a danger in this particular subject matter, because many of the stories involving people taking care of other people who simply won't get better, probably, only worse. Either they're dying, or their mind is slowly going, or gone entirely, and the characters the stories focus on have to accept that fact and often defer their own dreams and desires to care anyway. As such, it's very easy for an anthology like this to become depressing. To not risk that is potentially worse, denying that reality and coming across inauthentic. However, in my view, the book did successfully thread that needle between the two... sure, some stories were sad, and often bittersweet at best, but there's enough hope and variation that I never felt overwhelmed by the negative part of the stories.
I've gotten a bit behind in my reviews and, writing this, it's been a few weeks since I finished the book. In that time, I'm afraid I can't remember specifics of which stories I liked most, which might say something, but I do remember liking the book as a whole.
I read the previous anthology by these editors, Strangers Among Us, which focused on characters with disabilities, and I thought it was overall good, with some rough points. In this one, there's fewer rough points and questionable stuff, but the level of qualiy in stories was about the same, so I guess, overall, it's better.
There is a danger in this particular subject matter, because many of the stories involving people taking care of other people who simply won't get better, probably, only worse. Either they're dying, or their mind is slowly going, or gone entirely, and the characters the stories focus on have to accept that fact and often defer their own dreams and desires to care anyway. As such, it's very easy for an anthology like this to become depressing. To not risk that is potentially worse, denying that reality and coming across inauthentic. However, in my view, the book did successfully thread that needle between the two... sure, some stories were sad, and often bittersweet at best, but there's enough hope and variation that I never felt overwhelmed by the negative part of the stories.
I've gotten a bit behind in my reviews and, writing this, it's been a few weeks since I finished the book. In that time, I'm afraid I can't remember specifics of which stories I liked most, which might say something, but I do remember liking the book as a whole.
September 23, 2017
3.5 stars
The Sum of Us is a new sci-fi/fantasy short story collection that brings together authors from all over the world. Each with their own unique voice, the stories all tie together in regards to the common theme- caregiving. Within each of us is a person who desires to be cared for as well as to offer care. For some it may be on a grander scale, such as a nurse or a police officer would feel. For others it's more simple and under the radar moments that we live for. Happy to care for and assist someone or something in need for no reason at all. It's this general theme of compassion and dedication that each of the stories in this anthology reflects on.
Personally I'm neither a huge fan of the sci-fi/fantasy genre nor of short stories. When I first came across this book though I knew I wanted to read it. In part because of the gorgeous, artsy cover and in part because the focus intrigued me. I'm glad I chose to go with my gut and take a chance here. Even with several of the stories doing little to nothing for me, more than not drew me in quickly and kept my attention to the last page. A few of my favorites include: Mother Azalea's Sad Home for Forgotten Adults, The Gift, The Healer's Touch, The Beautiful Gears of Dying, Blinders, and Dreams As Fragile As Glass.
Many thanks to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review an advanced copy of this book. I think I must look for the others in this series.
The Sum of Us is a new sci-fi/fantasy short story collection that brings together authors from all over the world. Each with their own unique voice, the stories all tie together in regards to the common theme- caregiving. Within each of us is a person who desires to be cared for as well as to offer care. For some it may be on a grander scale, such as a nurse or a police officer would feel. For others it's more simple and under the radar moments that we live for. Happy to care for and assist someone or something in need for no reason at all. It's this general theme of compassion and dedication that each of the stories in this anthology reflects on.
Personally I'm neither a huge fan of the sci-fi/fantasy genre nor of short stories. When I first came across this book though I knew I wanted to read it. In part because of the gorgeous, artsy cover and in part because the focus intrigued me. I'm glad I chose to go with my gut and take a chance here. Even with several of the stories doing little to nothing for me, more than not drew me in quickly and kept my attention to the last page. A few of my favorites include: Mother Azalea's Sad Home for Forgotten Adults, The Gift, The Healer's Touch, The Beautiful Gears of Dying, Blinders, and Dreams As Fragile As Glass.
Many thanks to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to review an advanced copy of this book. I think I must look for the others in this series.
February 3, 2020
The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound is an anthology of twenty-three short stories, which was collected and edited by Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law. Twenty-three short stories are penned by a mix of authors well known in the science fiction and fantasy genre.
For the most part, I rather like most if not all of these contributions. The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound is an anthology of twenty-three short stories of speculative fiction through the lens of caregivers, whose own lives and needs often seem to fade into the background.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions, and The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound is not an exception, but they were the outliers and not the rule as most stories were written quite well. There are a couple of short stories that didn't resonate with me – comparatively speaking, but was written well nevertheless, and didn't hinder my enjoyment of the anthology. Fortunately, the started and ended off rather strongly.
All in all, The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound is a wonderful solid collection of twenty-three speculative fiction short stories that deals and has protagonists who are caregivers or background characters.
For the most part, I rather like most if not all of these contributions. The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound is an anthology of twenty-three short stories of speculative fiction through the lens of caregivers, whose own lives and needs often seem to fade into the background.
Like most anthologies there are weaker contributions, and The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound is not an exception, but they were the outliers and not the rule as most stories were written quite well. There are a couple of short stories that didn't resonate with me – comparatively speaking, but was written well nevertheless, and didn't hinder my enjoyment of the anthology. Fortunately, the started and ended off rather strongly.
All in all, The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound is a wonderful solid collection of twenty-three speculative fiction short stories that deals and has protagonists who are caregivers or background characters.
September 1, 2017
This book's premise sounded really intriguing and I was ecstatic when offered the opportunity to review it. However, once I started reading it, I had a really hard time finishing the book. A book filled with 25 stories should have been a really quick read, especially since I'm a sucker for hurt/comfort stories. However, this is not what these stories were about. There were some heart warming stories in there but I just never could connect to the characters. I just think the stories were too short for me to ever feel really invested in the stories, which led to a super long read for me. For lovers of short stories, this one might be for me. Character driven readers may want to pass this one up though.
June 16, 2017
Thank you Net Galley for the fee ARC.
I was surprised when I got this book that the stories were not all what I expected. I thought they were about standard caregiving - taking care of the sick and elderly. Then I realized , these were science fiction and fantasy writers and I had to expand my horizon to what caregiving really was.
Some great stories - dystopian to magical realism. You will enjoy.
I was surprised when I got this book that the stories were not all what I expected. I thought they were about standard caregiving - taking care of the sick and elderly. Then I realized , these were science fiction and fantasy writers and I had to expand my horizon to what caregiving really was.
Some great stories - dystopian to magical realism. You will enjoy.
July 27, 2017
I'd like to thank Laksa Media Groups onNetGalley for the ARC. The Sum of Us is a book about 'care giving' written by various authors. I was expecting something along the lines of Chicken soup for the Soul but was taken with surprise. The first story is about retired super villains who are being taken care of by their hunch men. Almost every short story has a different genre ranging from fantasy, sci-fi, adult fiction, dystopia and so on. It is very unique book. I'd totally recommend it.
January 3, 2018
This was an amazing anthology I picked up on a whim. I wasn't expecting the range of stories that was included; there was such a range in the stories included, and quite a few that I fell in love with. The standouts for me were The Oracle and the Warlord, Sunshine of Your Love, Am I Not a Proud Outlier?, and The Gardner. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Number One Draft Pick.
As a whole, I think that this was the best anthology I read last year.
As a whole, I think that this was the best anthology I read last year.
April 6, 2020
This anthology was a powerful collection of works focused on caregivers and those they care for. The book highlights caregivers in many different forms and allowed me to reflect upon my own experiences in both roles. The stories were imaginative, difficult, and full of hope, loss, and the power of caregiving. I would highly recommend this anthology.
May 14, 2024
Adored this series of short stories! Many are so moving, all are interesting and transporting. A wonderful book to pick up for all occasions. You will find at least two or three stories that just particularly touch your heart and resonate with you, while all are enjoyable and will make you think of someone in your life. Incredibly creative range.
August 19, 2017
These imaginative stories explored caregiving, a vital role that is often not appreciated enough, taking the reader on an engrossing journey of fantasy while providing insight about this work.
February 13, 2020
The Gatekeeper by Juliet Marillier. Short story in this collection. Touching story about a cat who lives in a nursing home and visits the patients.
November 15, 2021
Entertaining collection, ecclectic and touching.
December 6, 2023
I loved most of the stories. I think the writers are brilliant, extremely talented, and very compassionate.
December 22, 2017
I do not know what I was expecting, but this anthology is superb. It is not only powerful, it is touching, and imaginative. There's a wealth of genres, narratives, and phenomenal stories. Normally I have a list of ones I love and others I really didn't like, that's usually the nature of anthologies, but these were all great! I might be recommending this book to everyone this month!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
October 4, 2017
A really excellent anthology of very thoughtful stories that I highly recommend.
I think my favourite was "The Gatekeeper" by Juliet Marillier and the one I found most creepy (in a good way) was "The Gardener" by Amanda Sun.
I think my favourite was "The Gatekeeper" by Juliet Marillier and the one I found most creepy (in a good way) was "The Gardener" by Amanda Sun.
July 30, 2017
I was able to read this book through Net Galley!
It was hard for me personally to get into this. I guess I'm a fan of classic short stories, and that's a lot to live up to. Lots of good writers and interesting storylines. Great for advanced readers!
It was hard for me personally to get into this. I guess I'm a fan of classic short stories, and that's a lot to live up to. Lots of good writers and interesting storylines. Great for advanced readers!
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