2020: An Anthology

by Sek Han Foo (Editor), Leon Wing (Editor), Raja Ummi Nadrah (Contributor)

Malaysians have been looking forward to this talismanic year for decades. In fact, we started anticipating it when our seventh Prime Minister was still our fourth. Is 2020 really the year when we suddenly become a modern, progressive society that is the envy of the world? Or have things stagnated and ossified beyond repair? Don’t answer all at once! 2020: An Anthology brings together 20 pieces — mostly fiction, but some essays and a comic too — that reflect on our nation by focusing on our people, who continue to thrive and flail and exist in ways that will never be captured by even the most visionary slogans.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[hans · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 'futuristic anthology in the present tense' from the blurb caught my attention at first, I was never a fan of fancy future science-fic stuff but somehow was attracted to try this one out. Consist of 20 short stories by 19 authors, it was a mixed of various genres and not really focusing on the 'futuristic' part. Some are, but most of it were honestly fun and witty, pinch of relatable current issues-- family and friendship, lifestyle and career also about one's concern and responsibilies. Few stories that I personally love:

Masalodeh (Paul Gnanaselvam): cynical and humorous, great and fun characters-- I love Rajamah and Rani, and Kak Su really potrayed that annoying human who tried to be nice in front but actually having fishy plan on your back

Last Farewell (Tina Isaacs)-- witty and honestly the beep beep was a bit irritating but I guess it needed to the plot considering the hidden plan they both had (more suspense!), a heartache family stuff despite the wittiness, another group of fun characters

The Alley (Linges)-- a bit thrilling involving crime and revenge, narration based on a character's point of view, unique and engaging, love the human-animal interactions

Hukum (Natasha Gideon)-- heavy issue of 'haruan makan anak', quite psychological and I love the development of the narrative-- gripping, sorrowful and the ending was a bit.. it would be awesome if we can have that kind of simulation in the future!

Others were okay too-- I like the relationship view in Batteries (Anna Tan), interracial issue in Program Angkasaraya2030 (Anuar Shah) and LGBT concerns/problems in Is It Safe To Come Out Now? (Nathaniel Sario).

Because of its varied themes, I had fun reading most of them. Fairly great compilation. Actual rating 3.5 stars.

[Plainqoma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this anthology better than I expected. Wanted to read this before we hit the new year and super glad this was so good I finished it early than I anticipated. Some were very astounding, pretty okay-ish and some I don't think it went with the 2020 theme.

I love how some of it associated with sci-fi and dystopian world. And it's nice reading about equality, racism and what the future maybe can offer us in alternate universe. 😂

Some of my favourites will be :

- Masalodeh by Paul Ghanaselvam
- Awakening by Terence Toh
- Skin Dyes by Chris Quah
- 2020 Calling by May Chong
- Hukum by Natasha Gideon
- The White-Clothed Society by Raja Ummi Nadrah

[Fadillah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You have memorized the multiplication table that is found at the back of your exercise books where the rukunegara may be found or perhaps you have one of those that include a different sort of pledge, with words like ‘liberal’ or ‘equitable’ and things you do not understand, nor important to understand for you to appreciate - the blessedness of your land as shown in the way it is mapped out upon the wall of your study : your country praises the land that it made on, because it yielded for you rubber, pepper, mineral, petroleum and palm oil”.
- 0202 by Catalina Rembuyan (2020 An anthology)
.
.
3.27? 3.27? My eyes almost popped out when i saw the rating in goodreads. (I know its a matter of preference but i am honestly shocked by it). I actually enjoyed about 80% of the featured stories in the collection. As a Malaysian, whether you were born in the 80s, 90s or even 2000s, you have heard of vision 2020 / wawasan 2020 and it somewhat has been embedded deep inside of our core memory. Tun Mahathir really did brainwash majority of us with how 2020 will looks like - a flying car as an epitome of the technological advancement year, Malaysia achieved developed country status by then, economy is stable and prosperous and we are being looked up as an ideal nation. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Malaysia were known for its kleptocracy, 2.6 billions scandal, A short-lived Pakatan Harapan government and even the direction of this country seems uncertain. That being said, 2020 - An anthology served as a reminder : what it’s like to envision of Wawasan 2020. Some stories simply is here to remind us that No, we did not achieve those visions. Some stories provides hope - don’t give up yet, together we can change this country. Some stories demonstrated what the future might look like - if we did no do anything. Overall, i thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend this to if you want a book to read for ‘Merdeka Day’ or ‘Malaysia Day’. P/s : The book is published in January 2020 but i still find it eerie when there’s a few story mentioning Pandemic-like plot (Considering the world were hit with Covid in March 2020) and Anti Vaccine movement that creeping up social media.
.
.
Easily 5 stars rating :
1. Skin Dyes by Chris Quah (Forget ancestry, forget your history, we live in the world we choose our skin color now)
2. Awakening by Terence Toh (The combination of Matrix and Inception story only this time make it Malaysian)
3. The Last Malayan by Zed Adam Idris (A great escape of The last were-tiger from her confinement in a world which Malayan tiger already extinct)
4. 0202 by Catalina Rembuyan (An ode to Malaysia by Sarawakian)
5. Masalodeh by Paul Gnanaselvam (Is it food appreciation or appropriation?)
6. Geographical Constant by William Tham Wai Liang (I think Malaysians that live or lived abroad may love this writing - it encapsulates what it’s like leaving your country and coming back after years of staying away)
.
.
4 stars because something is missing but i cannot point it out - but the story still good tho :
1. Hang Terbang by M. Kumar (Can you imagine ‘babi’ shaped flying car?)
2. Hukum By Natasha Gideon (Revenge is sweeter if this can be a reality - the world which criminals were being punished in prison to taste their own medicine repeatedly every day)
3. The White Clothed Society by Raja Ummi Nadrah (An allegory to the repressive regime? government? regime? you decide.)
4. Batteries by Anna Tan (When technology forced us to forego the sense of community, confine us to isolation and we did not realize it at all until its too late)
5. Standing in the eyes of the world by Chris Quah (Back then when people knew Singapore but not Malaysia)
6. 2020 calling by May Chong (2020, are we there yet?)
The rest that is not listed i would just rate them 3 stars. It was okay but none of the 3 stars stories were bad, TBH. It just didn’t connect with me personally.

[Lance Pegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

TLDR: This book can draw emotion well in its best parts; at worst, it is anvilicious and as heavy-handed as your discipline teacher's rotan.

Having been a fan of Fixi Novo's output over the last few years, due to its emphasis on urban Malaysian fiction, I picked this up on its concept alone.

Some of the best stories in this anthology deal directly at the heart of the matter. 0202 was a particular standout in this case, highlighting the stark disparity between both the expected 2020 and the 2020 we have, as well as the divide between Malaya and Borneo (though this may be my Sarawakian roots showing). Other stories in this book use the idea of 2020 as a way to highlight the growing disparity of old and new in Malaysia, namely Masalodeh's pitting of a tradition-based vendor against a changing World around her in her daughter and the stalls surrounding her. Others take the theme more loosely; take The Dyed Society for example; with the protagonist being thrust into a future 2020 years from the present.

The anthology really shines where its authors use the imagery at hand to make its story more vivid. The usage of firmly local imagery in stories like 0202 and 2020 Calling strongly evoke the spirit of the stories they are trying to tell. Awakening and Hindsight also use their story elements very well to convey the messages they want to deliver in a very interesting and powerful way; Hindsight being an interesting sci-fi short in and of itself. The lighter side of this group of stories also helps round the emotional side out, with Batteries being an interesting mix of scare and fun, and Is It Safe to Come Out Now? having a good share of cute moments to close the book.

Some of the weaker points of this book fall in their messages, unfortunately. A running theme seems to be the nigh-unresolvable ethnic tension in Malaysia. Some address this in a way that gives some interest to the reader; Dye Society being of particular note in this case. However, some do this with a particularly heavy hand, namely Raja Ummi's The White-Dyed Society being a particularly transparent and frankly tired critique of Malay Muslim culture in Malaysia, and Awakening feeling like an overly dystopian view of the future. In other places as well, stories try to end with a vague feeling to lead the reader, that doesn't really land that well. The Last Malayan did this ending well; The Accidental on the other hand felt more like an ice-cream koan.

As a whole, this anthology is worth reading on its own merit. If you're a Malaysian, some stories will be more resonant with you than others. Although some pieces suffer from reciting the same critiques and fun-poking at current society that most people have today, the great writing and the other strong stories in this book will keep you reading on to the end. Was it worth RM30? Definitely.

[Azril Noor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Antologi ini diterbitkan tanpa mengetahui bagaimana 2020 akan dilalui. Realiti yang tak seindah mana. My personal favorites is Masalodeh, Program #AngkasaRaya2030, Skin Dyes and The Last Malayan.

[Ismim Putera · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. A good effort by Fixi Novo to compile another collection of fiction & essays on year 2020. In this book, you will find sci-fi, reflective essays and surprisingly one story in Malay.
The stories are fairly good, to be honest. I enjoyed "Hang Terbang", "Masalondeh", "Awakening", "Skin Dyes" & "The Last Malayan".
One story has explicit sexual content in it. Content warning should have been informed in the introduction!
Hang Terbang would be a lot better if it were to be slightly longer. I wanted to know what will happen to the pig-like flying cars during or after the launch. I also like the characters & the racial issues portrayed in "Masalondeh". "Skin Dyes" really caught my attention. It would be great if the writer can expand this story into a full-blown sci-fi thriller novel or something like that. It already has the necessary characters, setting & conflicts. Work on this, please! "Awakening", a sci-fi on virtual reality & machineries, is an interesting read.
"The Last Malayan" is exceptionally good. The writer manages to integrate conflicts such as animal abuse, environmental issues & even were tigers. This story too, worth to be turn into a novel as well.
The rest of the stories, sorry to say, not a good read as well as not quite related to the theme.
The essays are boring but generally OK probably because of bombastic words & purple prose. They are mostly on philosophical aspects of racial relations, racisms, colourism, friendship, homosexuality & justice.
I was hoping this book to offer me stories that show "dreams containing inspirational or positive messages intended to educate or inspire the Malaysians".
Stories by a whole new batch of previously unpublished authors, too, would be even better.

[Zulzafry Zulkifly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember what i like the most about short stories compilation by fixi novo. It's the variety of culture and true manglish we can see from the compilation. It has malay culture, as well as chinese and indian which we cannot find in almost another malay short stories compilation.

For this book, eventhough there is nothing like what had happened in the past year, it is still nice to see what others think and expect from 2020 especially when we all know about 2020 vision by Tun Mahathir. However in this book, as another book by fixi, none of the short stories represents the happiness and proud about what had happened in our contry except i think one which the story told about traveling around the world and see other people perspective of our country. The others, telling us their disappointment about everything that happened in our country. Scandals, corruption, stupid menteri and low-class-mind from the citizens.

Oh and some of them, telling about science fiction also. I think this book is worth to read after all we had faced in 2020.

[Rona Irama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda enjoyed reading this. Ada bermacam jenis cerita. Ada yang make sense, ada yang macam hmm tak ada pun takpe kot. Ada yang tak faham pun nak cerita pasal apa Confused face

I love reading how the writers bayangkan how 2020 (and the future) akan dilalui especially now that we're in the middle of a pandemic. Realiti yang tak macam apa yang kita sangkakan. Kereta terbang? Wawasan 2020? Program Jelajah Angkasa? Pffft! Lupakan je lah semua tu. Until we have a good bunch of leaders and goverment yang betul-betul bekerja dan serve untuk rakyat, impian, cita-cita dan harapan tu kita simpan sendiri je lah.

My favs are Skin Dyes, Hang Terbang, Awakening, Standing In The Eyes of The World, Hukum & Masalodeh.

3/5 stars.

[Sarah Syazwani · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first book in 2021. Well it is a good book starter for me to read after so long being a reading slump. My favorites are Hukum, The White-Clothed Society, Masalodeh, The Last Malayan, Awakening and Skin Dyes. Other stories look so boring to me because I couldn’t digest their storyline.

[Ummi Farhana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the short stories left good impression, invaded my thought for a while, made me wonder.

Hang Terbang, Hukum, Program Angkasaraya 2030 & Masalodeh are some of my favourites.

Some are just mere filler. Good read, though.

[Regina Ibrahim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read during PKP...some are really good and some I have to skip. Still an enjoying anthology... it has Malaysian taste in it...

[Nathan Price · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some very creative and sincere pieces in here. Highlights included the poetic shorts by Catalina Rembuyan and May Chong, the vulnerable coming out story by Nathaniel Sario, and the wistful ode to small business by Paul Gnasaselvam.

Unfortunately, there were as many stories that felt phoned in. Not a huge amount of imagination for a book with a futuristic bent. Too many others were didactic or sanctimonious; more lectures than narratives. Perhaps more appreciated by readers from Malaysia, but not much there for those from afar and unfamiliar with the political particulars.

[Bayuu Haikalson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tak tahu lah nak cakap apa. Semasa baca buku ini, ada cerita yang bagus dan ada yang tak perlu masukkan dalam buku ini. Aku tak dapat nak tangkap apa yang penulis cuba sampaikan sebenarnya, sampai aku kena baca lagi sekali. Adakah penulis mahu menerapkan nilai-nilai tersebut di masa akan datang? Tiada pengajaran yang aku dapat di dalam setengah karya di dalam buku ini.

[Rumaizah Bakar · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology of what 2020 could have been... I hope Fixi publish another one portraying what 2020 truly was. None had imagined this post-apocalypse world that we now occupy.

There are some memorable stories here though the overall quality is uneven. I like the Last Malayan, Skin Dye, Hukum, and White-clothed Society.

[Rizqan Sulaiman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this in 2025 is WILD. This book comes before the you-know-what in 2020 and some future references to the virus, although vague, is uncanny.

However, like any other FIXI cerpen books, there is some hit and miss. Some are just DNF and some are interesting enough to be full novel (looking at you The Last Malayan).

[Nani Yunus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some hit the spot and some not.

Anuar Shah telling Malaysian politics as it is.

Tina Issac was fun read and you could almost hear the characters' voices.

I cried reading Natasha Gideon.

Linges put me through of the unseen eyes of nobody.