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In This Desert, There Were Seeds
Endangered tigers connecting telepathically through time-travel; a guard’s ethical dilemma at a history museum; a slaughterhouse worker’s memories of his dead wife; a monochrome town upended by a wild watermelon… In This Desert, There Were Seeds is an intimate collection of past and future dreams, featuring exciting new and established literary voices from Western Australia and Singapore. From our shifting sense of community and identity, to our frustrations with existing political, social and economic structures — this anthology transcends boundaries and captures the persistence of ordinary lives in deserts literal and metaphorical.
232 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2019
7 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Jon Gresham
17 books71 followersJon Gresham's debut novel, Gus: The Life & Opinions of the Last Raffles' Banded Langur, was a finalist for the 2023 Epigram Books Fiction Prize. His collection of short stories, We Rose Up Slowly, was published in July 2015 by Math Paper Press.
He co-edited, In This Desert There Were Seeds (Ethos Books & Margaret River Press. 2019), with Elizabeth Tan.
His story, The Visit, was shortlisted for the Short Fiction Essex University Prize in 2020.
His stories have appeared in various anthologies and literary journals including The Best Asian Short Stories 2020, Best Singaporean Short Stories 1, Best New Singaporean Short Stories Volume Three, In Transit, Singapore Love Stories and many others.
From 2019 to 2023, Gresham ran the Asia Creative Writing Programme, a partnership between the National Arts Council and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
He is also a co-founder of the Singaporean literary community, Sing Lit Station, the founder of the Book a Writer programme and currently runs the Writing the City creative writing workshop.
Gresham lives in Singapore. He writes stories, takes photos and blogs at www.igloomelts.com
He co-edited, In This Desert There Were Seeds (Ethos Books & Margaret River Press. 2019), with Elizabeth Tan.
His story, The Visit, was shortlisted for the Short Fiction Essex University Prize in 2020.
His stories have appeared in various anthologies and literary journals including The Best Asian Short Stories 2020, Best Singaporean Short Stories 1, Best New Singaporean Short Stories Volume Three, In Transit, Singapore Love Stories and many others.
From 2019 to 2023, Gresham ran the Asia Creative Writing Programme, a partnership between the National Arts Council and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
He is also a co-founder of the Singaporean literary community, Sing Lit Station, the founder of the Book a Writer programme and currently runs the Writing the City creative writing workshop.
Gresham lives in Singapore. He writes stories, takes photos and blogs at www.igloomelts.com
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 29, 2020
I am pleasantly surprised by this collection of short stories by Australian and Singaporean authors by Jon Gresham and local publisher Ethos Books. Each of the stories focuses on the theme of the future - which can be further branched out to climate change, hope, changing relationships, the appreciation of the past, and more.
The moment I actually sat up and started paying more attention to what I was reading is when I finished reading The Blue Leopard by Marylyn Tan - it was deliciously weird and it struck you in the right places. I loved the subtle world-building, masterfully compacted in 7 pages that I couldn't stop turning.
Some others worth mentioning:
Datuk's Home by Aishah Alhadad, a quietly touching piece about aging and difficult situations.
Gently Burns the Crescent Moon by Heather Teo, a creative piece about the author's relationship with one of Singapore's oldest housing estates, Dakota Crescent. Dakota Crescent is rich in culture and history; the many ground-up efforts honoring and preserving it, such as Dakota Adventures, Save Dakota, and They Told Us to Move, shows the impact it had on the Singaporean psych. The essay itself took the metaphor a little bit too far in my opinion, but I appreciated the homage to Dakota Crescent.
Madqala 1868/London 2018 by Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes was an eye-opening look into the Madqala treasures, stolen (or acquired, depending on who you speak to) by the British during the battle of Madqala. It asks the same questions that Ethiopia has been asking forever - why won't Britain return these treasures? Very heart-wrenching.
Walking on Water by Arin Alycia Fong was a punch to the gut, and it feels very close to me given the local context and the pandemic. The thought of Mum's determination to make sugee cake, an act of grasping onto some sense of normalcy in the face of the flooding of their island city with its high rise residences, is too close to comfort for me. One of my favourite pieces.
The Slaughterman by Leslie Thiele immersed me into the story with its crystal sharp scenes and crisp writing. I still don't know what happened at the end - and it's killing me.
A Minor Kalahari by Diana Rahim, the piece that inspired the title of this collection, is one of my two favourite pieces of this collection. The story takes place in an alternate, authoritarian reality not too far from imagination for Singaporeans. A watermelon appeared overnight in an estate in the heartlands and it causes some unrest with the neighbours because growing fruit apparently is illegal. The interactions between the neighbours is so reminiscent of my own experiences.
The moment I actually sat up and started paying more attention to what I was reading is when I finished reading The Blue Leopard by Marylyn Tan - it was deliciously weird and it struck you in the right places. I loved the subtle world-building, masterfully compacted in 7 pages that I couldn't stop turning.
Some others worth mentioning:
Datuk's Home by Aishah Alhadad, a quietly touching piece about aging and difficult situations.
Gently Burns the Crescent Moon by Heather Teo, a creative piece about the author's relationship with one of Singapore's oldest housing estates, Dakota Crescent. Dakota Crescent is rich in culture and history; the many ground-up efforts honoring and preserving it, such as Dakota Adventures, Save Dakota, and They Told Us to Move, shows the impact it had on the Singaporean psych. The essay itself took the metaphor a little bit too far in my opinion, but I appreciated the homage to Dakota Crescent.
Madqala 1868/London 2018 by Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes was an eye-opening look into the Madqala treasures, stolen (or acquired, depending on who you speak to) by the British during the battle of Madqala. It asks the same questions that Ethiopia has been asking forever - why won't Britain return these treasures? Very heart-wrenching.
Walking on Water by Arin Alycia Fong was a punch to the gut, and it feels very close to me given the local context and the pandemic. The thought of Mum's determination to make sugee cake, an act of grasping onto some sense of normalcy in the face of the flooding of their island city with its high rise residences, is too close to comfort for me. One of my favourite pieces.
The Slaughterman by Leslie Thiele immersed me into the story with its crystal sharp scenes and crisp writing. I still don't know what happened at the end - and it's killing me.
A Minor Kalahari by Diana Rahim, the piece that inspired the title of this collection, is one of my two favourite pieces of this collection. The story takes place in an alternate, authoritarian reality not too far from imagination for Singaporeans. A watermelon appeared overnight in an estate in the heartlands and it causes some unrest with the neighbours because growing fruit apparently is illegal. The interactions between the neighbours is so reminiscent of my own experiences.
October 20, 2019
"The waves tell her the past cannot be changed, but it has now been washed away, leaving a clean canvas for a new story."
.
.
"I don't know what makes people happy," said Jen.
"It's a choice," said Sophie.
"Well then I missed that choice," she said. "I never really wanted to be happy. I just want to be okay."
.
.
#InThisDesertThereWereSeeds is an eclectic array of stories from authors with distinctive life experiences. Each story may have its own colour however they centre on the theme of past and future dreams.
.
.
THis is SOOOO GOOd! The past may be long gone and the future is still uncertain. But, it doesn't mean that we can't talk about it. This book is like a palate cleanser. It subtly nudges you to think about past and future dreams in a new way. There was a huge range of forms, perspectives and styles each author had to offer. The diversity of the stories were fascinating to read about compared to reading an entire book by the same author (which is what I'm very used to). Knowing that there'll be something new every time I reach the end of a story only spurred me on to finish the book!
.
.
'Vigilance Security' by David Whish-Wilson captured my heart right from the first line. It's about what goes behind closed doors when we're all alone and left with our own thoughts and touches briefly on the idea of security of our past. Do we accept ourselves for whatever that has happened? Are we ready to move on or will it forever haunt us?
.
.
Initially, I was a bit sceptical when I first started reading. About thirty pages in, I found myself enjoying it a lot more than I would have expected. I was mindblown. This collection of stories just. Wrecked. MY. Soul.
.
.
Normally, I would stick to things I'm familiar with because it's comforting and predictable. I'm quite a bit of a no-no when it comes to discovering different things to experiment with. You may be like me when it comes to reading short stories for example. Trust me, it's not that bad. I enjoyed it. A Lot. If you're up for a challenge, #InThisDesertThereWereSeeds is a good start.
.
.
Thank you @ethosbooks for the review copy! #InThisDesertThereWereSeeds is a must, must, must read.
.
.
"I don't know what makes people happy," said Jen.
"It's a choice," said Sophie.
"Well then I missed that choice," she said. "I never really wanted to be happy. I just want to be okay."
.
.
#InThisDesertThereWereSeeds is an eclectic array of stories from authors with distinctive life experiences. Each story may have its own colour however they centre on the theme of past and future dreams.
.
.
THis is SOOOO GOOd! The past may be long gone and the future is still uncertain. But, it doesn't mean that we can't talk about it. This book is like a palate cleanser. It subtly nudges you to think about past and future dreams in a new way. There was a huge range of forms, perspectives and styles each author had to offer. The diversity of the stories were fascinating to read about compared to reading an entire book by the same author (which is what I'm very used to). Knowing that there'll be something new every time I reach the end of a story only spurred me on to finish the book!
.
.
'Vigilance Security' by David Whish-Wilson captured my heart right from the first line. It's about what goes behind closed doors when we're all alone and left with our own thoughts and touches briefly on the idea of security of our past. Do we accept ourselves for whatever that has happened? Are we ready to move on or will it forever haunt us?
.
.
Initially, I was a bit sceptical when I first started reading. About thirty pages in, I found myself enjoying it a lot more than I would have expected. I was mindblown. This collection of stories just. Wrecked. MY. Soul.
.
.
Normally, I would stick to things I'm familiar with because it's comforting and predictable. I'm quite a bit of a no-no when it comes to discovering different things to experiment with. You may be like me when it comes to reading short stories for example. Trust me, it's not that bad. I enjoyed it. A Lot. If you're up for a challenge, #InThisDesertThereWereSeeds is a good start.
.
.
Thank you @ethosbooks for the review copy! #InThisDesertThereWereSeeds is a must, must, must read.
January 7, 2026
read more reviews on my blog!
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If there’s one book that really made me think, it would be In This Desert, There Were Seeds. As a collection of stories that weaves together different types of styles, it’s a unique refresher from my usually preferred long form prose. With each author writing a single story of their own, I got to read various, diverse perspectives.
I truly enjoyed reading about the characters, even if the moments seemed short and fleeting. Every story contained people from all walks of life, and many social issues inspired by our current society.
One issue this anthology touched on was the potential consequences of the effects of our current actions on Earth, as well as the push and pull of our emotions, told through the authors’ own authentic voice, take centre stage here. Some are irreversible, while others show that there’s light left in the darkness, even if little at the moment.
My favorite short story was Aviatrix by Choo Ruizhi. As an avid reader of science fiction, one trope I’m always interested in is the different types of futuristic inventions, even if they seem fictional at the moment. Aviatrix didn’t disappoint, with the story about a time traveller from the 31st century paying a visit to Singapore. Along the way, she encounters the ‘mythical’ tiger, and it’s the last of its kind. When he recounts his story of what his family used to be, and the reason they—and the entire ecosystem—vanished, it paints a grim picture of the devastation humans could cause in the far future, if we don't buck up our efforts to reverse climate change. It's a timely, haunting reminder written for the present day.
All in all, I enjoyed this book. I'd say this quote, out of all the memorable lines, stood out the most to me. Just like these stories tell tales of life's cruel dealings of losso, pain, and brokenness, we get our fair share. But there's always that lingering feeling that the story isn't yet over, even as it says so on the page, that there's probably an unwritten happier ending waiting to be discovered.
'In This Desert, There Were Seeds' launches at the Singapore Writers Festival on 2nd November, at Gallery II of The Arts House! Thank you @ethosbooks for sending me a review copy of this gorgeous anthology!
my bookstagram
“For to know such happiness would be to know death did not have to be a misery; that death did not need to be, well, death."
If there’s one book that really made me think, it would be In This Desert, There Were Seeds. As a collection of stories that weaves together different types of styles, it’s a unique refresher from my usually preferred long form prose. With each author writing a single story of their own, I got to read various, diverse perspectives.
I truly enjoyed reading about the characters, even if the moments seemed short and fleeting. Every story contained people from all walks of life, and many social issues inspired by our current society.
One issue this anthology touched on was the potential consequences of the effects of our current actions on Earth, as well as the push and pull of our emotions, told through the authors’ own authentic voice, take centre stage here. Some are irreversible, while others show that there’s light left in the darkness, even if little at the moment.
“It has been a long time since I have smelled, heard, or sensed other tigers on this island. Our homes have vanished. Our prey has vanished. And slowly, we are vanishing too.”
My favorite short story was Aviatrix by Choo Ruizhi. As an avid reader of science fiction, one trope I’m always interested in is the different types of futuristic inventions, even if they seem fictional at the moment. Aviatrix didn’t disappoint, with the story about a time traveller from the 31st century paying a visit to Singapore. Along the way, she encounters the ‘mythical’ tiger, and it’s the last of its kind. When he recounts his story of what his family used to be, and the reason they—and the entire ecosystem—vanished, it paints a grim picture of the devastation humans could cause in the far future, if we don't buck up our efforts to reverse climate change. It's a timely, haunting reminder written for the present day.
“The waves tell her the past cannot be changed, but it has now been washed away, leaving a clean canvas for a new story.”
All in all, I enjoyed this book. I'd say this quote, out of all the memorable lines, stood out the most to me. Just like these stories tell tales of life's cruel dealings of losso, pain, and brokenness, we get our fair share. But there's always that lingering feeling that the story isn't yet over, even as it says so on the page, that there's probably an unwritten happier ending waiting to be discovered.
'In This Desert, There Were Seeds' launches at the Singapore Writers Festival on 2nd November, at Gallery II of The Arts House! Thank you @ethosbooks for sending me a review copy of this gorgeous anthology!
January 14, 2020
Favourite stories in this collection include:
The Slaughterman, Vigilance Security and Glass. As with any anthology, some stories were stronger than others, but I did enjoy reading the ways in which each author interpreted the set theme.
The Slaughterman, Vigilance Security and Glass. As with any anthology, some stories were stronger than others, but I did enjoy reading the ways in which each author interpreted the set theme.
November 2, 2019
A huge thank you to ethos books for sending me an advance copy of In This Desert, There Were Seeds, in exchange for an honest review.
I usually don’t pick up anthology because short stories aren’t my thing. But I was intrigued when I heard about this book and decided to review it. Though most of the stories fell flat to me, there were a couple stories that really stood out to me; Vigilance Security by David Whish-Wilson, Reunion Dinner by Chen Cuifen, Glass by Alicia Tuckerman, Gently Burns the Crescent Moon by Heather Teo.
My favourite story amongst all was The Wave by Sabrina Dudgeon-Swift — it was a story really spoke to me as I was going through a difficult time in my personal life when I read it, and it reminded me of what strength and courage are, to go through a period of darkness in my life.
Some of the stories were too metaphorical to my liking and if that’s your jam, I think you’ll absolutely enjoy this read!
I usually don’t pick up anthology because short stories aren’t my thing. But I was intrigued when I heard about this book and decided to review it. Though most of the stories fell flat to me, there were a couple stories that really stood out to me; Vigilance Security by David Whish-Wilson, Reunion Dinner by Chen Cuifen, Glass by Alicia Tuckerman, Gently Burns the Crescent Moon by Heather Teo.
My favourite story amongst all was The Wave by Sabrina Dudgeon-Swift — it was a story really spoke to me as I was going through a difficult time in my personal life when I read it, and it reminded me of what strength and courage are, to go through a period of darkness in my life.
Some of the stories were too metaphorical to my liking and if that’s your jam, I think you’ll absolutely enjoy this read!
February 4, 2020
I definitely think this book is worth five stars. Because it is a collection of short stories, I tried to space out the time I read it in and I think that was a good decision. The stories were very different, so of course I didn't love all of them. The one about people swallowing fish to feel alive is WHACK; that is really the only way to describe it. But throughout all the stories, there was this common thread of despair with the world and wondering what the future will bring. They were all written well, despite the drastically different styles, genres and setting. I loved the focus on Asia and Australia, because it really resonated with me. Despite living in Australia, so much of what I read is set on the other side of the world. I felt this collection is something that is very relevant to me and maybe that is why it came across so powerfully. Maybe it is the way the stories exchanged happiness and despair to create a clear connection throughout the stories and into the reader.
May 30, 2025
So, how did we get here?
I'd been trying to track down a copy of this book for a few months after learning that Elizabeth Tan had played a role in editing the 20 short stories comprising this anthology, and I wound up acquiring an ACT library card almost exclusively for this very purpose.
With the overarching premise of 'Our Imagined Futures', my expectation going in was that there'd be a smattering of whimsically offbeat sci-fi-ish concepts to indulge in, not unlike a few stories from Tan's own short story collection, Smart Ovens For Lonely People, which prompted the search for In This Desert, There Were Seeds in the first place.
Holy moly... that was not the expectation I should've gone in with.
It is interesting to draw comparisons to Smart Ovens, as some of its stories spring to mind (perhaps Unicorn, Lola Metronome, and the titular Smovens) as potentially fitting right into this anthology - not for their whimsy, but rather their whole "wow it sure feels like the world's ending, perfect time to dig into some rough topics" outlook that most of In This Desert's respective authors have taken to each of their imagined futures in spades.
A good number of these stories really hit hard and don't hold back with the society they envision, exposing the best, worst, and strangest of the people within them.
Oftentimes there's some clear (and usually pretty grim) attribute of humanity that an author is trying to explore, and the most salient of these very kindly take the time to wrap you up in the characters and their world before delivering a punch to the gut in some fresh and unique way each time.
A few stories genuinely require time out to process what exactly has just gone down.
Honorable mention goes to The Blue Leopard which required the longest of these pauses (because how else am I meant to come to terms with a world involving the crash out of a lady with a multilingual brain implant forcefully choking herself on a spiny fish to try to feel something, as presented to me in only EIGHT PAGES????)
Outside of that, it's possibly worth noting that I found it pretty fascinating to see distinctive flavours from each of Western Australia and Singapore interlaced with one another from story to story.
There was maybe a 5-10% hitrate on my eyes starting to skim over bits that I thought dragged a little, and not all of the stories stuck with me (as I suppose a collection of this nature is wont to do).
Although, from the bunch, I'll do the usual book review thing of listing the ones that I'd happily reread and dissect with annotations or the like (presented roughly in order of my preferences):
- Flies
- Dark Mulberry
- Glass
- The Slaughterman
- Harihara
- Reunion Dinner
In star rating terms, these are the 5s and 4s of In This Desert, which itself must regretfully be holistically assigned a 3.
Although, in short story anthology terms, that really means that you should give it a go and see what you reckon.
I'm pretty sure this one is out of print these days (although the guy I initially tried to check with never did get back to my email about that), so if you do happen to notice it lying about then consider it a sign from the universe to try this collection out (or, at the very least, the seven stories mentioned by name above, if only to espouse the virtue of my Goodreads Hot Takes).
I'd been trying to track down a copy of this book for a few months after learning that Elizabeth Tan had played a role in editing the 20 short stories comprising this anthology, and I wound up acquiring an ACT library card almost exclusively for this very purpose.
With the overarching premise of 'Our Imagined Futures', my expectation going in was that there'd be a smattering of whimsically offbeat sci-fi-ish concepts to indulge in, not unlike a few stories from Tan's own short story collection, Smart Ovens For Lonely People, which prompted the search for In This Desert, There Were Seeds in the first place.
Holy moly... that was not the expectation I should've gone in with.
It is interesting to draw comparisons to Smart Ovens, as some of its stories spring to mind (perhaps Unicorn, Lola Metronome, and the titular Smovens) as potentially fitting right into this anthology - not for their whimsy, but rather their whole "wow it sure feels like the world's ending, perfect time to dig into some rough topics" outlook that most of In This Desert's respective authors have taken to each of their imagined futures in spades.
A good number of these stories really hit hard and don't hold back with the society they envision, exposing the best, worst, and strangest of the people within them.
Oftentimes there's some clear (and usually pretty grim) attribute of humanity that an author is trying to explore, and the most salient of these very kindly take the time to wrap you up in the characters and their world before delivering a punch to the gut in some fresh and unique way each time.
A few stories genuinely require time out to process what exactly has just gone down.
Honorable mention goes to The Blue Leopard which required the longest of these pauses (because how else am I meant to come to terms with a world involving the crash out of a lady with a multilingual brain implant forcefully choking herself on a spiny fish to try to feel something, as presented to me in only EIGHT PAGES????)
Outside of that, it's possibly worth noting that I found it pretty fascinating to see distinctive flavours from each of Western Australia and Singapore interlaced with one another from story to story.
There was maybe a 5-10% hitrate on my eyes starting to skim over bits that I thought dragged a little, and not all of the stories stuck with me (as I suppose a collection of this nature is wont to do).
Although, from the bunch, I'll do the usual book review thing of listing the ones that I'd happily reread and dissect with annotations or the like (presented roughly in order of my preferences):
- Flies
- Dark Mulberry
- Glass
- The Slaughterman
- Harihara
- Reunion Dinner
In star rating terms, these are the 5s and 4s of In This Desert, which itself must regretfully be holistically assigned a 3.
Although, in short story anthology terms, that really means that you should give it a go and see what you reckon.
I'm pretty sure this one is out of print these days (although the guy I initially tried to check with never did get back to my email about that), so if you do happen to notice it lying about then consider it a sign from the universe to try this collection out (or, at the very least, the seven stories mentioned by name above, if only to espouse the virtue of my Goodreads Hot Takes).
October 26, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. this is something new to me when it comes to reading short stories - it really does gives a dystopian kind of vibe, allowing me to imagine freely about livin’ in the future. 💫 i do have some favourites and the rest being so-so stories which i think what makes it a roller coaster read(?) 🤪 i mean i really enjoyed the ride though but i felt like its missing a little bit of its thrilling factor. certain stories are not that straightforward which allow readers to fully be immersed in the story and think/reflect. so again, i guess this will be more for everyone who really love to reflect a lot on a book that they have just read AND!!! i felt like this will make a good book for everyone who are willing to try out reading a different genre that is not in their comfort zone. i do find myself taking certain pauses not because i was frustrated or anything but its because i was enjoying the process of understanding a story before reading the next one. 💭
thank you so much @ethosbooks for sending in an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review 💚
thank you so much @ethosbooks for sending in an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review 💚
November 18, 2020
Short stories as a medium is fascinating. In a few pages, you must build a world, establish plot, characters, hook our attention, bring it to a climax and resolution without unnecessary waffling.
I have a mixed relationship with short story anthologies. Rarely have I found a short story collection where I like even half of the short stories. I usually find the stories emotionally don’t stay with me long enough to make them memorable, or they leave me asking the dreaded question: “okay, so what?” by the end of them.
Short stories may be a few pages long, but they sure are challenging to work around.
That being said, I love the title of this anthology.
The title speaks of hope in uncertainty and dark places. And it’s a great metaphorical message for current times. This anthology features writers from Western Australia and Singapore (edited by Jon Gresham and Elizabeth Tan) painting a range of futuristic scenarios to comment about current times. It’s an excellent use of genre fiction to explore contemporary issues.
The mix here in this short story collection is eclectic - from futuristic scenarios to the fantastical and delightfully emotionally charged mundane moments of everyday life. Sometimes the mix borders on confusing. You know that feeling of something ending just as you’re getting used to its unfamiliarity? I can understand why some might find the reading experience jarring and not cohesive.
However, if you enjoy metaphorical, reflective fiction and willing to explore beyond genres that you’re comfortable with, readers will find much to enjoy here. A few uplifting stories provide a satisfying emotional climax, others meander and are ambiguous enough to make you think and reflect on the issues they touched on.
Stories that resonated with me were those that touched on our shared humanity and community intertwined with historical elements.
Some of my favourite stories:
Flies: a powerful statement about standing up for yourself in the wake of prejudice
Gently burns the crescent moon: A heart-wrenching ode to Dakota Crescent, one of Singapore’s oldest housing estates. Dakota Crescent was built in 1958, before the formation of our national Housing Development Board (HDB) and was demolished in 2019. The book They Told Us To Move: Dakota—Cassia also touches on this topic from a sociological point of view.
Aviatrix: Gives me Amelia Earhart vibes - a solo female adventurer communicating with the last of the tigers in the Malayan jungle
Maqdala 1868/London 2018: My personal standout in its emotional intensity. Everything is spot on here; from the ethical dilemma faced by the main character, experiences of casual racism and white saviourhood and the real-life event it is based on (the Victoria and Albert museum in the UK refuses to return Ethiopian treasures seized by British troops during their imperialistic era.). A reflection on the insidious nature of colonialism/white-saviour hood.
The Wave: I loved how dictionary definitions were interweaved into the story as a woman struggles to rebuild her life. File this under the uplifting category; fantastic reading for anyone going through a rough period in their life.
A Minor Kalahari: Chaos ensures as a watermelon appears in an authoritarian, bureaucratic neighbourhood. Singaporeans will find this scenario uncomfortably familiar. Made me reflect on neighbourliness and how we treat our neighbours. It begs the question: are we so stooped in process and following the rulebook we eliminate all forms of serendipity?
Clearly the sadder, more melancholic stories appeal to me. But they are cautionary reminders of how we can triumph over setbacks and look forward to an imagined future.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
An ode to living in trying times.
I have a mixed relationship with short story anthologies. Rarely have I found a short story collection where I like even half of the short stories. I usually find the stories emotionally don’t stay with me long enough to make them memorable, or they leave me asking the dreaded question: “okay, so what?” by the end of them.
Short stories may be a few pages long, but they sure are challenging to work around.
That being said, I love the title of this anthology.
The title speaks of hope in uncertainty and dark places. And it’s a great metaphorical message for current times. This anthology features writers from Western Australia and Singapore (edited by Jon Gresham and Elizabeth Tan) painting a range of futuristic scenarios to comment about current times. It’s an excellent use of genre fiction to explore contemporary issues.
The mix here in this short story collection is eclectic - from futuristic scenarios to the fantastical and delightfully emotionally charged mundane moments of everyday life. Sometimes the mix borders on confusing. You know that feeling of something ending just as you’re getting used to its unfamiliarity? I can understand why some might find the reading experience jarring and not cohesive.
However, if you enjoy metaphorical, reflective fiction and willing to explore beyond genres that you’re comfortable with, readers will find much to enjoy here. A few uplifting stories provide a satisfying emotional climax, others meander and are ambiguous enough to make you think and reflect on the issues they touched on.
Stories that resonated with me were those that touched on our shared humanity and community intertwined with historical elements.
Some of my favourite stories:
Flies: a powerful statement about standing up for yourself in the wake of prejudice
Gently burns the crescent moon: A heart-wrenching ode to Dakota Crescent, one of Singapore’s oldest housing estates. Dakota Crescent was built in 1958, before the formation of our national Housing Development Board (HDB) and was demolished in 2019. The book They Told Us To Move: Dakota—Cassia also touches on this topic from a sociological point of view.
Aviatrix: Gives me Amelia Earhart vibes - a solo female adventurer communicating with the last of the tigers in the Malayan jungle
Maqdala 1868/London 2018: My personal standout in its emotional intensity. Everything is spot on here; from the ethical dilemma faced by the main character, experiences of casual racism and white saviourhood and the real-life event it is based on (the Victoria and Albert museum in the UK refuses to return Ethiopian treasures seized by British troops during their imperialistic era.). A reflection on the insidious nature of colonialism/white-saviour hood.
The Wave: I loved how dictionary definitions were interweaved into the story as a woman struggles to rebuild her life. File this under the uplifting category; fantastic reading for anyone going through a rough period in their life.
A Minor Kalahari: Chaos ensures as a watermelon appears in an authoritarian, bureaucratic neighbourhood. Singaporeans will find this scenario uncomfortably familiar. Made me reflect on neighbourliness and how we treat our neighbours. It begs the question: are we so stooped in process and following the rulebook we eliminate all forms of serendipity?
Clearly the sadder, more melancholic stories appeal to me. But they are cautionary reminders of how we can triumph over setbacks and look forward to an imagined future.
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An ode to living in trying times.
August 10, 2020
Featuring contributors from Western Australia and Singapore, the anthology In this Desert, There Were Seeds offers diverse voices that draw from varied cultures and backgrounds. The theme that holds the 20 stories together is tenuous, though they all seem to reflect upon similarly uncertain futures.
Each story offer unique experiences and perspectives, some too abstract to make a strong impression. A few uplifting ones tease welcome light in the distance, while the standouts leave just enough ambiguity for one to ponder.
Each story offer unique experiences and perspectives, some too abstract to make a strong impression. A few uplifting ones tease welcome light in the distance, while the standouts leave just enough ambiguity for one to ponder.
February 15, 2021
interesting new kinda read!!!! :))
December 5, 2019
Writers were asked to contribute stories to a book about facing The Future and prompted more specifically, "What are your deepest fears?" These top twenty picks of the results aren't necessarily about The Future (one's set in 2001 and one in 2018) but they are about people facing things the writers fear and finding hope and courage. The collection starts with a brain-searing image of a widow reconnecting with her religious roots and dying in meditative ecstasy in the temple at Karnataka, and ends with a sassy political fable about an utterly unauthorized watermelon sprouting out of an overplanned urban area that's become a desert. In between, a sister flies halfway round the world to share the sort of dinner that would get a minimum-wage worker turned down for a second date, so her sister won't have to eat dinner alone on New Year's Eve; and a pilot, whose body was never found in the wreck of the plane, turns out to be a time traveller visiting from the thirty-first century; and an old lady writing a letter full of sensuous love to her house; and a couple for whom breaking up really is the happy ending...Definitely read if you find inspiration in stories of people making the best of things, or if you just want short introductions to twenty talented emergent writers.
April 16, 2020
‘In This Desert, There Were Seeds’ launched at the Singapore Writers Festival on 2 November, at The Arts House! Kudos to ethos books and Writing WA for putting this together, an anthology of “Imagined futures”. I thought the curated stories were very original, deep, each expounding on the truths that may be hard to find when we simply go through our present without observing, seeing and reflecting on life. I’ve always enjoyed short stories and recommend this to you if you do too!
Here were my favourites:
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📕Vigilance Security, glimpse into how lives can be so isolated yet scarily connected by “big brother”, the perfect setting for a perfect murder.
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📗Aviatrix by @singapore_stories, where time travel back to 1930, loaded with gadgets and gear from 3016 allows one to savour the past, even connect telepathically with extinct tigers.
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📘A minor Kalahari, the tickling story of a dull and drab town, whose citizens are shocked by the arrival of the most surprising guest: a watermelon in all its green glory!
Here were my favourites:
•
📕Vigilance Security, glimpse into how lives can be so isolated yet scarily connected by “big brother”, the perfect setting for a perfect murder.
•
📗Aviatrix by @singapore_stories, where time travel back to 1930, loaded with gadgets and gear from 3016 allows one to savour the past, even connect telepathically with extinct tigers.
•
📘A minor Kalahari, the tickling story of a dull and drab town, whose citizens are shocked by the arrival of the most surprising guest: a watermelon in all its green glory!
May 25, 2020
Pleasantly surprised to find more hits than misses in this collection. It certainly had its fair share of grossly overwritten or uninteresting storylines. But there were also stories with interesting conceptual angles, some of which (such as Aviatrix) fell flat by the end but others of which (such as Reunion Dinner and Maqdala) were satisfying reads. Datuk’s Home was amateurish but tells the kind of story we need to hear more of, and Gently Burns the Crescent Moon was a beautiful ode to the impermanence of life in Singapore. My favourite was the last - Diana Rahim’s A Minor Kalahari, which was sophisticated, metaphorically rich and thought-provoking.
September 4, 2024
Sebagai sebuah kumpulan cerpen, buku ini menawarkan spektrum cerita yang luas, namun tetap menyatu dalam satu tema sentral: harapan di tengah dunia yang semakin carut-marut. Mulai dari kisah yang realis hingga surealis—drama keluarga hingga fiksi ilmiah—tidak semuanya berhasil meninggalkan kesan mendalam yang mampu bertahan dalam ingatan.
Hanya ada 6 cerpen yang paling berkesan bagiku dari total 20 cerpen yang ada, antara lain:
1. Vigilance Security: Mengangkat isu privasi manusia yang pada kenyataannya tak pernah benar-benar ada karena segala hal sudah diawasi.
2. Datuk's Home: Mengajak kembali mengenang kampung halaman dengan kakek-nenek yang telah menua, meski sebagai cucu, aku sebenarnya tidak pernah benar-benar dekat dengan mereka.
3. Magdala 1868/London 2018: Secara kuat mengangkat isu identitas dan budaya, mengeksplorasi bagaimana kolonialisme Barat mengklaim segala sesuatu sebagai miliknya.
4. Flies: Menunjukkan pentingnya resistensi dan perlawanan dalam mempertahankan identitas orientasi seksual.
5. The Aviatrix: Mengangkat isu konservasionisme satwa liar dengan balutan time travel dan historical fiction.
6. Minor Kalahari: Sebagai cerpen utama dalam buku ini, kisahnya menegaskan kebutuhan kita sebagai manusia untuk memelihara harapan bersama di tengah dunia yang semakin kelabu.
Hanya ada 6 cerpen yang paling berkesan bagiku dari total 20 cerpen yang ada, antara lain:
1. Vigilance Security: Mengangkat isu privasi manusia yang pada kenyataannya tak pernah benar-benar ada karena segala hal sudah diawasi.
2. Datuk's Home: Mengajak kembali mengenang kampung halaman dengan kakek-nenek yang telah menua, meski sebagai cucu, aku sebenarnya tidak pernah benar-benar dekat dengan mereka.
3. Magdala 1868/London 2018: Secara kuat mengangkat isu identitas dan budaya, mengeksplorasi bagaimana kolonialisme Barat mengklaim segala sesuatu sebagai miliknya.
4. Flies: Menunjukkan pentingnya resistensi dan perlawanan dalam mempertahankan identitas orientasi seksual.
5. The Aviatrix: Mengangkat isu konservasionisme satwa liar dengan balutan time travel dan historical fiction.
6. Minor Kalahari: Sebagai cerpen utama dalam buku ini, kisahnya menegaskan kebutuhan kita sebagai manusia untuk memelihara harapan bersama di tengah dunia yang semakin kelabu.
November 9, 2020
I’m not a fan of short stories coz they usually end when I’m just about to build a connection with them. But this anthology of surprises was really interesting. There were a handful that really captured my imagination; the Slaughterman, the wave, Harihara. The rest were mmm ok. Good read to pick up if you’re in a break between full length novels.
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June 3, 2020It's hard for me to rate it. This anthology as a whole didn't steal my heart. Some stories were hard to read and completely not my thing, but the ones I liked, I liked a lot, so giving a low rating would seem unfair.
January 26, 2025
some stories hit harder than harders, usually the singaporean ones. bit of a hit or miss some of the stories weren't very memorable while some were really good: harihara, glass, flies, reunion dinner, dark mulberry, a minor kalahari, maqdala 1868/london 2018
July 30, 2025
maybe sg short stories just aren’t my thing
September 19, 2021
In the desert there were seeds is a book with many authors who came together and shared about their life experiences in different short stories.
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Some of the stories may relate to you some won't but it doesn't really matter. I don't usually read short stories but I kept seeing this book hype around the #sgbookstagrammers so I decided to pick it up after reading @watermelonreads review. It was a new and good challenge but I will have to say out our of the number of stories
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Some of the stories may relate to you some won't but it doesn't really matter. I don't usually read short stories but I kept seeing this book hype around the #sgbookstagrammers so I decided to pick it up after reading @watermelonreads review. It was a new and good challenge but I will have to say out our of the number of stories
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