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Resist Fascism
RESIST. ANY WAY YOU CAN.
The world is in turmoil. The world is always in turmoil, but in recent years, people have seen violence and hatred become proud instead of ashamed. What meager rights we've fought for are being deliberately eroded. And the vulnerable have any help stripped away. All of this is happening openly and without fear of reprisal. And the worst perpetrators are some of the largest governments of the world.
Resisting the spread of fascism is as important now as it was 75 years ago. And there are many effective ways to resist.
RESIST FASCISM is a micro-anthology of science fiction and fantasy tales that explore the many and varied ways people can fight back. From helping promote low-income housing, to fighting fascists hand-to-hand, to burning it all down. Best of all, RESIST FASCISM shows that you don't have to be a hero to advance change.
The world is in turmoil. The world is always in turmoil, but in recent years, people have seen violence and hatred become proud instead of ashamed. What meager rights we've fought for are being deliberately eroded. And the vulnerable have any help stripped away. All of this is happening openly and without fear of reprisal. And the worst perpetrators are some of the largest governments of the world.
Resisting the spread of fascism is as important now as it was 75 years ago. And there are many effective ways to resist.
RESIST FASCISM is a micro-anthology of science fiction and fantasy tales that explore the many and varied ways people can fight back. From helping promote low-income housing, to fighting fascists hand-to-hand, to burning it all down. Best of all, RESIST FASCISM shows that you don't have to be a hero to advance change.
115 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 10, 2018
5 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 16, 2018
Mariame Kaba says, "Hope is a discipline."
This slim collection of nine short stories from Crossed Genres Publications is both timely and hopeful. The stories are quite different from one another but coalesce nicely around the goal of the book, which is to address the real-world resurgence of fascism by "exploring the many and varied ways people can fight back."
My favorites:
R. K. Kalaw's "3.4 oz:" crossing borders under the oppressive eye of a totalitarian state that looks a lot like US Customs and Border Patrol in 2018 (with slightly better tech) is easier when you can literally bottle the emotions that raise suspicion. Likes: complicated family relationships, anger
Tiffany E. Wilson's "Meet Me at State Sponsored Movie Night:" New York City-esque youths disrupt the stream of state propaganda and avoid the booted heel of an urban police force. Likes: propaganda in the form of cartoons so badly made you have to wonder if the cartoonists are members of the resistance, those meddling kids
Izzy Wasserstein's "Pelecanimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge:" In Spain in the 1930s, an international crew of anarchists and communists battle fascists in an attempt to stem the rising tide of rightwing authoritarianism sweeping Europe, and one soldier befriends refugees from another time. Likes: the epistolary style, gay soldiers in love, raptors with feathers
Hope is a discipline; it's something you can do on purpose. The writers who contributed to this book are doing hope, on purpose, and although I didn't always feel like these stories found the answer to the question of how to defeat fascism, I was profoundly grateful to read and feel like part of a community that is trying to find that answer.
This slim collection of nine short stories from Crossed Genres Publications is both timely and hopeful. The stories are quite different from one another but coalesce nicely around the goal of the book, which is to address the real-world resurgence of fascism by "exploring the many and varied ways people can fight back."
My favorites:
R. K. Kalaw's "3.4 oz:" crossing borders under the oppressive eye of a totalitarian state that looks a lot like US Customs and Border Patrol in 2018 (with slightly better tech) is easier when you can literally bottle the emotions that raise suspicion. Likes: complicated family relationships, anger
Tiffany E. Wilson's "Meet Me at State Sponsored Movie Night:" New York City-esque youths disrupt the stream of state propaganda and avoid the booted heel of an urban police force. Likes: propaganda in the form of cartoons so badly made you have to wonder if the cartoonists are members of the resistance, those meddling kids
Izzy Wasserstein's "Pelecanimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge:" In Spain in the 1930s, an international crew of anarchists and communists battle fascists in an attempt to stem the rising tide of rightwing authoritarianism sweeping Europe, and one soldier befriends refugees from another time. Likes: the epistolary style, gay soldiers in love, raptors with feathers
Hope is a discipline; it's something you can do on purpose. The writers who contributed to this book are doing hope, on purpose, and although I didn't always feel like these stories found the answer to the question of how to defeat fascism, I was profoundly grateful to read and feel like part of a community that is trying to find that answer.
February 14, 2019
Nearly Perfect. This amazing collection doesn't have a clunker in the bunch. Yes, some are stronger than others but they all work together to provide a look at how speculative fiction can promote resistance and hope. I want to read more stories like this, where well-constructed characters celebrate triumphs big and small, and uplift people in their wake. That does not mean I want happy rainbows; some of these tales are dark. But they reflect a truth and a kind of emotional roadmap for maintaining fortitude. Oh, and it was really entertaining, too!
January 17, 2021
A perfect little anthology for the present moment (early 2021). Marginalized folks claiming back their power from dominant groups that aren't capable of seeing how the system perpetuates inequality. Encouragement to fight the power now, before things get worse.
My favorite stories:
3.4 Ounces - We all hate the tyranny of the TSA and it's liquid rules. But what if the scanners could detect our feelings?
We Speak in Tongues of Flame - Art as protest
Ask Me About My Book Club - Librarian witches who are fighting to rock the debt economy
Pelecamimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge - Anti-fascist dinos kick ass!
Meg's Last Bout of Genetic Smuggling - Knowledge as the ultimate freedom
My favorite stories:
3.4 Ounces - We all hate the tyranny of the TSA and it's liquid rules. But what if the scanners could detect our feelings?
We Speak in Tongues of Flame - Art as protest
Ask Me About My Book Club - Librarian witches who are fighting to rock the debt economy
Pelecamimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge - Anti-fascist dinos kick ass!
Meg's Last Bout of Genetic Smuggling - Knowledge as the ultimate freedom
April 15, 2023
Resist Fascism est une anthologie de nouvelles dirigée par Bart R. Leib et Kay T. Holt et publiée en 2018 chez Crossed Genres Publications. Comme son titre l’indique, elle regroupe des textes appelant à résister au fascisme dans ses ré-incarnations contemporaines. Comme l’anthologie Recognize Fascism publié deux ans plus tard et dont je vous parlais il y a peu, elle le fait à travers des nouvelles de science-fiction ou de fantasy.
RESIST. ANY WAY YOU CAN.
The world is in turmoil. The world is always in turmoil, but in recent years, people have seen violence and hatred become proud instead of ashamed. What meager rights we've fought for are being deliberately eroded. And the vulnerable have any help stripped away. All of this is happening openly and without fear of reprisal. And the worst perpetrators are some of the largest governments of the world.
Resisting the spread of fascism is as important now as it was 75 years ago. And there are many effective ways to resist.
Je vous propose un aperçu de chacune des neuf nouvelles qui composent le recueil :
- To Rain Upon One City de Rivqa Rafael nous plonge dans un ghetto urbain où sont tassés des réfugiés (pensez à la « jungle de Calais ») et raconte la tentative d’une jeune fille pour échapper à ce destin à travers le sport et l’esprit de communauté
- 3.4 oz de R.K. Kalaw nous parle d’immigration, de contrôle aux aéroports et de la société de surveillance
- In the Background de Barbara Krasnoff met en scène des figurants pour une série télévisée à succès, impliqués dans des actes de résistance politique
- The Seventh Street Matriarchy de Marie Vibbert aborde les questions du logement urbain, de la spéculation immobilière, et de la corruption des décideurs
- We Speak in Tongues of Flame de J L George illustre la magie du dessin, et de l'art en général, face à une dictature militaire
- Meet Me at State Sponsored Movie Night de Tiffany E. Wilson nous fait rencontrer une bande d'adolescents qui résistent à leur façon à l'occasion d’une soirée ciné où n’est proposé qu’un programme unique approuvé par le pouvoir
- Ask Me About My Book Club de M. Michelle Bardon met en scène un club de lecture composé de sorcières, dans un monde où les dragons ont pris le pouvoir et ont interdit la sorcellerie, prétexte à nous parler de dette étudiante et de l’emprise du capitalisme sur nos vies et nos choix
- Pelecanimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge de Izzy Wassersteinn se déroule en 1937, en pleine guerre d’Espagne et raconte comment la réapparition des dinosaures fair basculer la lutte des anarchistes face au champ fasciste
- Meg's Last Bout of Genetic Smuggling de Santiago Belluco raconte une histoire de contrebande génétique entre Mars et la Terre, et en particulier un Texas désormais indépendant et fasciste
Le niveau est plutôt homogène : hormis une petite baisse de régime au milieu du recueil, j’ai beaucoup aimé ces nouvelles, toutes courtes. L’ensemble tient sur 115 pages et se lit facilement. Les textes sont originaux, joliment écrits et jouent parfaitement sur le décalage de leurs univers de science-fiction ou de fantasy pour nous parler de nos sociétés d’aujourd’hui.
RESIST. ANY WAY YOU CAN.
The world is in turmoil. The world is always in turmoil, but in recent years, people have seen violence and hatred become proud instead of ashamed. What meager rights we've fought for are being deliberately eroded. And the vulnerable have any help stripped away. All of this is happening openly and without fear of reprisal. And the worst perpetrators are some of the largest governments of the world.
Resisting the spread of fascism is as important now as it was 75 years ago. And there are many effective ways to resist.
Je vous propose un aperçu de chacune des neuf nouvelles qui composent le recueil :
- To Rain Upon One City de Rivqa Rafael nous plonge dans un ghetto urbain où sont tassés des réfugiés (pensez à la « jungle de Calais ») et raconte la tentative d’une jeune fille pour échapper à ce destin à travers le sport et l’esprit de communauté
- 3.4 oz de R.K. Kalaw nous parle d’immigration, de contrôle aux aéroports et de la société de surveillance
- In the Background de Barbara Krasnoff met en scène des figurants pour une série télévisée à succès, impliqués dans des actes de résistance politique
- The Seventh Street Matriarchy de Marie Vibbert aborde les questions du logement urbain, de la spéculation immobilière, et de la corruption des décideurs
- We Speak in Tongues of Flame de J L George illustre la magie du dessin, et de l'art en général, face à une dictature militaire
- Meet Me at State Sponsored Movie Night de Tiffany E. Wilson nous fait rencontrer une bande d'adolescents qui résistent à leur façon à l'occasion d’une soirée ciné où n’est proposé qu’un programme unique approuvé par le pouvoir
- Ask Me About My Book Club de M. Michelle Bardon met en scène un club de lecture composé de sorcières, dans un monde où les dragons ont pris le pouvoir et ont interdit la sorcellerie, prétexte à nous parler de dette étudiante et de l’emprise du capitalisme sur nos vies et nos choix
- Pelecanimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge de Izzy Wassersteinn se déroule en 1937, en pleine guerre d’Espagne et raconte comment la réapparition des dinosaures fair basculer la lutte des anarchistes face au champ fasciste
- Meg's Last Bout of Genetic Smuggling de Santiago Belluco raconte une histoire de contrebande génétique entre Mars et la Terre, et en particulier un Texas désormais indépendant et fasciste
Le niveau est plutôt homogène : hormis une petite baisse de régime au milieu du recueil, j’ai beaucoup aimé ces nouvelles, toutes courtes. L’ensemble tient sur 115 pages et se lit facilement. Les textes sont originaux, joliment écrits et jouent parfaitement sur le décalage de leurs univers de science-fiction ou de fantasy pour nous parler de nos sociétés d’aujourd’hui.
Read
October 16, 2019A fantastic collection that, given the unifying theme of the stories, had a surprisingly wide range of tones. Definitely worth picking up.
December 19, 2018
Resist Fascism edited by Bart R. Leib and Kay T. Holt is a mini-anthology of stories about exactly what the title advertises. I backed it on Kickstarter because a friend who's in it (Rivqa Rafael) drew my attention to it. It made for an interesting read.
These stories were all good reads and, as usual, I've written some notes about each one at the end of this review. Taken as a whole, this anthology definitely delivered on what it promised. I enjoyed most of the stories individually, but I did find that overall there was a very strong US-ian vibe and maybe more small rebellions than I would have preferred. My favourite stories were "Ask Me About My Book Club" by M. Michelle Bardon, which was fun to read as well as being powerful and "Meg's Last Bout of Genetic Smuggling" by Santiago Belluco which wasn't without its flaws, but backed a powerful punch. Also, I can't not mention "Pelecanimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge" by Izzy Wasserstein for being so different from the rest, and also containing dinosaurs.
Overall, I recommend this short anthology to anyone that finds the theme appealing. Aside from the Americanism mentioned above, I didn't find the stories repetitive and, unexpectedly, read the whole anthology through, without reading other stories in between.
~
To Rain Upon One City by Rivqa Rafael — A story set in a future on another world, where the poor aren’t even allowed fresh water that rains outside, but must drink recycled water as they barely scrape by. The main character, despite her youth, spends most of her time looking after her mother. I liked this story and I thought the martial arts aspect was a nice distinguishing touch.
3.4 oz by R.K. Kalaw — A story set in a dystopian world where airport security scanners check for emotions as well as liquids etc. To seem as compliant and unthreatening as possible, put protagonist must use magic to hide emotions. It’s also a story about family, love, and risk.
In the Background by Barbara Krasnoff — A story of small resistance in a world where rights have been eroded away. I liked it, although it leaves a lot unsaid.
The Seventh Street Matriarchy by Marie Vibbert — This story is about a housing estate and the new case worker who notices something odd when she’s assigned there. The story is about resisting corruption as much as actual fascism, but, either way, I liked it.
We Speak in Tongues of Flame by J L George — This story was rather more fantastical than lose of those that went before it. It has clear fantasy elements and a less obvious context. It’s definitely about resisting, though.
Meet Me at State Sponsored Movie Night by Tiffany E. Wilson — Young women briefly hijack the state-sponsored movie night to show some old cartoons instead of propaganda. It was a very minor form of resistance do while the story was clearly building up to something more off the page, I didn’t enjoy this story as much as some of the others. It felt like a very American take on the problem. (Also, if they have frequent blackouts, why not go back to cheap analogue watches instead of wasting precious smartphone battery just to check the time?)
Ask Me About My Book Club by M. Michelle Bardon — This is probably my favourite story in this anthology so far. After literal dragons take over the US government, a book club of witches form a resistance, posting coded photos of their brunch online while discussing books. I kind of guessed part of the ending, but it was still a very solid story. Recommended for fans of Tansy Rayner Roberts.
Pelecanimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge by Izzy Wasserstein — Quite a different tone for this one. An epistolary story set during World War II in which a solder writing to his sweetheart back home talks about fighting fascists and also discovering and befriending some dinosaurs in Spain (they sounded like velociraptor to me). A welcome change of pace in this collection.
Meg's Last Bout of Genetic Smuggling by Santiago Belluco — This was a really solid story and a good way to end the anthology. It’s about a girl from Mars smuggling culture and information to Texas/Earth, where such things are banned. It took an interesting angle, sociologically as well as scientifically, and the ending packed a powerful punch. My only quibble was with the small issues that arose from the male author writing the female protagonist and getting a few details off. Disappointing but it wasn’t enough to ruin the story for me.
4.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
These stories were all good reads and, as usual, I've written some notes about each one at the end of this review. Taken as a whole, this anthology definitely delivered on what it promised. I enjoyed most of the stories individually, but I did find that overall there was a very strong US-ian vibe and maybe more small rebellions than I would have preferred. My favourite stories were "Ask Me About My Book Club" by M. Michelle Bardon, which was fun to read as well as being powerful and "Meg's Last Bout of Genetic Smuggling" by Santiago Belluco which wasn't without its flaws, but backed a powerful punch. Also, I can't not mention "Pelecanimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge" by Izzy Wasserstein for being so different from the rest, and also containing dinosaurs.
Overall, I recommend this short anthology to anyone that finds the theme appealing. Aside from the Americanism mentioned above, I didn't find the stories repetitive and, unexpectedly, read the whole anthology through, without reading other stories in between.
~
To Rain Upon One City by Rivqa Rafael — A story set in a future on another world, where the poor aren’t even allowed fresh water that rains outside, but must drink recycled water as they barely scrape by. The main character, despite her youth, spends most of her time looking after her mother. I liked this story and I thought the martial arts aspect was a nice distinguishing touch.
3.4 oz by R.K. Kalaw — A story set in a dystopian world where airport security scanners check for emotions as well as liquids etc. To seem as compliant and unthreatening as possible, put protagonist must use magic to hide emotions. It’s also a story about family, love, and risk.
In the Background by Barbara Krasnoff — A story of small resistance in a world where rights have been eroded away. I liked it, although it leaves a lot unsaid.
The Seventh Street Matriarchy by Marie Vibbert — This story is about a housing estate and the new case worker who notices something odd when she’s assigned there. The story is about resisting corruption as much as actual fascism, but, either way, I liked it.
We Speak in Tongues of Flame by J L George — This story was rather more fantastical than lose of those that went before it. It has clear fantasy elements and a less obvious context. It’s definitely about resisting, though.
Meet Me at State Sponsored Movie Night by Tiffany E. Wilson — Young women briefly hijack the state-sponsored movie night to show some old cartoons instead of propaganda. It was a very minor form of resistance do while the story was clearly building up to something more off the page, I didn’t enjoy this story as much as some of the others. It felt like a very American take on the problem. (Also, if they have frequent blackouts, why not go back to cheap analogue watches instead of wasting precious smartphone battery just to check the time?)
Ask Me About My Book Club by M. Michelle Bardon — This is probably my favourite story in this anthology so far. After literal dragons take over the US government, a book club of witches form a resistance, posting coded photos of their brunch online while discussing books. I kind of guessed part of the ending, but it was still a very solid story. Recommended for fans of Tansy Rayner Roberts.
Pelecanimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge by Izzy Wasserstein — Quite a different tone for this one. An epistolary story set during World War II in which a solder writing to his sweetheart back home talks about fighting fascists and also discovering and befriending some dinosaurs in Spain (they sounded like velociraptor to me). A welcome change of pace in this collection.
Meg's Last Bout of Genetic Smuggling by Santiago Belluco — This was a really solid story and a good way to end the anthology. It’s about a girl from Mars smuggling culture and information to Texas/Earth, where such things are banned. It took an interesting angle, sociologically as well as scientifically, and the ending packed a powerful punch. My only quibble was with the small issues that arose from the male author writing the female protagonist and getting a few details off. Disappointing but it wasn’t enough to ruin the story for me.
4.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
January 29, 2019
The first micro-anthology from Crossed Genres is a really stellar collection of 9 stories with the common theme of resisting fascism in ways both great and small. Mostly the small, honestly -- personal moments define most of these stories -- but it's small actions that create large movements.
The characters are immigrants or indigenous peoples or minorities, some visible in our own modern world, some created especially for the stories in which they appear. The settings vary from very-much-our-own-cities (with sf-nal or fantastical tweaks,like R.K. Kalaw's "3.4 oz" and M. Michelle Bardon's "Ask Me About My Book Club") to alternate histories (Barbara Krasnoff's "In The Background" and Izzy Wasserstein's "Pelecanimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge") to the near/far future (Tiffany E. Wilson's "Meet Me At The State Sponsored Movie Night" and Santiago Belluco's "Meg's Last Bout of Genetic Smuggling") to entirely new worlds (JL George's "We Speak In Tongues of Flame" and Rivqa Rafael's "To Rain Upon One City"). Marie Vibbert's "The Seventh Street Matriarcy" doesn't feel genre at all -- it feels contemporary, like it could be happening in cities right this very moment.
I highly recommend this 94-page anthology. You can read it as quickly as you'd read a decent-length novella and have food for thought for many weeks to come.
The characters are immigrants or indigenous peoples or minorities, some visible in our own modern world, some created especially for the stories in which they appear. The settings vary from very-much-our-own-cities (with sf-nal or fantastical tweaks,like R.K. Kalaw's "3.4 oz" and M. Michelle Bardon's "Ask Me About My Book Club") to alternate histories (Barbara Krasnoff's "In The Background" and Izzy Wasserstein's "Pelecanimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge") to the near/far future (Tiffany E. Wilson's "Meet Me At The State Sponsored Movie Night" and Santiago Belluco's "Meg's Last Bout of Genetic Smuggling") to entirely new worlds (JL George's "We Speak In Tongues of Flame" and Rivqa Rafael's "To Rain Upon One City"). Marie Vibbert's "The Seventh Street Matriarcy" doesn't feel genre at all -- it feels contemporary, like it could be happening in cities right this very moment.
I highly recommend this 94-page anthology. You can read it as quickly as you'd read a decent-length novella and have food for thought for many weeks to come.
December 16, 2018
*** full disclosure, I backed the kickstarter ***
Great mini short story collection showcasing the many sites and modes of resistance open to us, with a common thread that we're better when we support each other. Also - rebel book club FTW
Great mini short story collection showcasing the many sites and modes of resistance open to us, with a common thread that we're better when we support each other. Also - rebel book club FTW
August 12, 2025
a strong anthology with a lot of potential - a lot of really interesting premises but just too short to get into fully. but i suppose i would prefer to leave wanting more than struggling to get through the stories like i often do in anthologies?
some interesting thoughts from book club: the context of this being published in response to trump’s first election - perhaps part of the reason why the stories are more focused on individual action/small acts of resistance? whereas now that feels a lot more redundant
a few stories also briefly touched on what it means to be complicit with state violence etc but would have liked this to be more fleshed out/explored
- to rain upon one city - 5/5 - would love a more fleshed out story. why are they refugees? what happened to em? but liked the hopeful ending, the dynamics of up-stationers, white saviorism etc. one of my favourites from the anthology easily, especially in terms of world building and plot but felt like an introduction to a much bigger story. (interesting tidbit from someone in bookclub: there’s a town in the US that doesn’t have water bc it goes to AI…)
- 3.4 oz - 4/5 - interesting concept (bottling emotions to get through tea) but v short and a bit confusing/would like a lot more world building. my thoughts about this one definitely increased after book club - realising it highlights how facism/resistance can result in having to lose parts of yourself/relationships in order to survive.
- in the background - 3/5 - didn’t realise illegitimate was actually written on birth certs eek… it’s really one step forward three steps back sometimes 🙃 wish this was explored more though. again, wanted more e.g., what was the message w the cigarette ??
- the seventh street matriarchy - 4/5 - interesting ideas/themes - can’t just shut men out (presumably critiques of the lesbian/feminist separatist movements), crime due to stiuation, becoming complicit in systems you want to change. again would have liked a more fleshed out story and the forced inclusion of men into a system that was working felt a bit flat. also somebody pointed out the young boy in the housing being disabled and that being why he was allowed to stay?
- we speak in tongues of flame - 2/5 - didn’t really vibe with. why did she burn the town? (did like the idea that she doesnt have to do something moral, she can just avenge those who were shitty to her)
- meet me at state sponsored movie night - 3/5 - resistance in joy
- ask me about my book club - 5/5 - what a slay concept. book club dragons taking over government (and ideas of government keeping people uneducated so they keep voting them in etc). secret witches. again wish there was more to this one. people stop being leftist/caring as gain privilege. reading women’s books = not taken seriously.
- pelecanimimus and the battle for mosquito ridge - 1/5 - skimmed. not interesting/couldn’t get into it. but others in book club liked it bc dinosaurs + queer love story + beautiful writing so maybe i will reread. a quote mentioned: “a bridge isn’t just one stone and i want to be a worthy stone”
- megs last bout of genetic smuggling - 5/5 - so cool torrenting w genes, books etc but again wish it was more fleshed out
some interesting thoughts from book club: the context of this being published in response to trump’s first election - perhaps part of the reason why the stories are more focused on individual action/small acts of resistance? whereas now that feels a lot more redundant
a few stories also briefly touched on what it means to be complicit with state violence etc but would have liked this to be more fleshed out/explored
- to rain upon one city - 5/5 - would love a more fleshed out story. why are they refugees? what happened to em? but liked the hopeful ending, the dynamics of up-stationers, white saviorism etc. one of my favourites from the anthology easily, especially in terms of world building and plot but felt like an introduction to a much bigger story. (interesting tidbit from someone in bookclub: there’s a town in the US that doesn’t have water bc it goes to AI…)
- 3.4 oz - 4/5 - interesting concept (bottling emotions to get through tea) but v short and a bit confusing/would like a lot more world building. my thoughts about this one definitely increased after book club - realising it highlights how facism/resistance can result in having to lose parts of yourself/relationships in order to survive.
- in the background - 3/5 - didn’t realise illegitimate was actually written on birth certs eek… it’s really one step forward three steps back sometimes 🙃 wish this was explored more though. again, wanted more e.g., what was the message w the cigarette ??
- the seventh street matriarchy - 4/5 - interesting ideas/themes - can’t just shut men out (presumably critiques of the lesbian/feminist separatist movements), crime due to stiuation, becoming complicit in systems you want to change. again would have liked a more fleshed out story and the forced inclusion of men into a system that was working felt a bit flat. also somebody pointed out the young boy in the housing being disabled and that being why he was allowed to stay?
- we speak in tongues of flame - 2/5 - didn’t really vibe with. why did she burn the town? (did like the idea that she doesnt have to do something moral, she can just avenge those who were shitty to her)
- meet me at state sponsored movie night - 3/5 - resistance in joy
- ask me about my book club - 5/5 - what a slay concept. book club dragons taking over government (and ideas of government keeping people uneducated so they keep voting them in etc). secret witches. again wish there was more to this one. people stop being leftist/caring as gain privilege. reading women’s books = not taken seriously.
- pelecanimimus and the battle for mosquito ridge - 1/5 - skimmed. not interesting/couldn’t get into it. but others in book club liked it bc dinosaurs + queer love story + beautiful writing so maybe i will reread. a quote mentioned: “a bridge isn’t just one stone and i want to be a worthy stone”
- megs last bout of genetic smuggling - 5/5 - so cool torrenting w genes, books etc but again wish it was more fleshed out
November 6, 2020
I found this book sweet and strident. There is a range of tones and feels among the stories and not-quite-gratuitous dinosaurs and dragons. It feels topical and it also feels like younger me reading Tesseracts 3 — that sci-fi feel and that good-sci-fi will to address social issues and still allow you to doubt the good folks.
July 14, 2021
A short collection of stories featuring every day people resisting fascism. Overall, I enjoyed this collection, especially Marie Vibbert and M. Michelle Bardon's stories. There was one that didn't work for me, so I ended up skipping it. Overall, highly recommended!
December 11, 2020
Excellent collection of stories, well edited and nicely produced.
Read
January 19, 2019No star rating because I have a story in this, but it sure is in some good company. Personal favourites are "3.4 oz" (stuffing magic in carry-on compliant bottles for dystopian travel), "Ask Me About My Book Club" (witches use book club to fight dragon overlords), and "Pelecanimimus and the Battle for Mosquito Ridge" (dinosaurs help fight Franco).
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews