What do you think?
Rate this book
Future Bright, Future Grimm: Transhumanist Tales for Mother Nature’s Offspring
Magic matters to people. Fairy tales matter. They’re all coming true.
Transhumanism – the rising global movement to supercharge human evolution with radical tech – heralds body- and mind-bending personal transformation. Yet it feels curiously familiar, like the dizzying fears and fantasies we probed in Germanic folklore as children.
Future Bright, Future Grimm draws upon the odd, abrupt, often violent tales of the Brothers Grimm to summon transhumanist tomorrows of astounding grace and danger. The adventurers, magicians and monsters who lurk here are we and our mind-children – amplified, augmented, immortalised in rebooted fables with the edgiest of twists.
This is magical realism inspired by the transfiguring technological sorcery that our species seems driven to conjure. Where the improbability of traditional fantasy meets the wildest possibilities of modern science and the coming ‘Singularity’.
Open doors – some dazzling, some dystopian – to enchanted mindscapes, unhinged. A storybook for changelings, whose humble once-upon-a-times now spell truly outlandish ever-afters.
Transhumanism – the rising global movement to supercharge human evolution with radical tech – heralds body- and mind-bending personal transformation. Yet it feels curiously familiar, like the dizzying fears and fantasies we probed in Germanic folklore as children.
Future Bright, Future Grimm draws upon the odd, abrupt, often violent tales of the Brothers Grimm to summon transhumanist tomorrows of astounding grace and danger. The adventurers, magicians and monsters who lurk here are we and our mind-children – amplified, augmented, immortalised in rebooted fables with the edgiest of twists.
This is magical realism inspired by the transfiguring technological sorcery that our species seems driven to conjure. Where the improbability of traditional fantasy meets the wildest possibilities of modern science and the coming ‘Singularity’.
Open doors – some dazzling, some dystopian – to enchanted mindscapes, unhinged. A storybook for changelings, whose humble once-upon-a-times now spell truly outlandish ever-afters.
- GenresFantasy
228 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 10, 2021
2 people are currently reading
568 people want to read
About the author
D.J. MacLennan
4 books39 followersDiving deep — with love and awe (and, sometimes, ire) — into the unquenchable ocean of abstraction and interconnection is my work and my abiding passion.
If you have read my writing, you’ll have a feel for the sort of subjects that hold a fascination for me: empathy, personal identity, life and death, neuroscience, neurophilosophy, technology, artificial intelligence, the singularity, transhumanism, transformation, and transcendence.
If you have read my writing, you’ll have a feel for the sort of subjects that hold a fascination for me: empathy, personal identity, life and death, neuroscience, neurophilosophy, technology, artificial intelligence, the singularity, transhumanism, transformation, and transcendence.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 12, 2021
I just could not get into this book, this book is updated to modern times of Grimm fairy tales.
November 1, 2021
As much as fairy tale retelling is one of my favourite things to read, the retelling as a genre has become somewhat overpopulated at this point, and I am often left unimpressed by what I’ve read. It was a very different case with Future Bright, Future Grimm, as this was the kind of fairy tale retelling that is not like any other. The elements from transhumanist philosophy blend in with the uncanny nature of original Grimm’s fairy tales surprisingly well. Not only the exhilarating promises of the transhumanist future but also the lurking perils are explored. Just like old fairy tales often do, there is enough room that readers are invited to fill in with their own ideas and imaginations following the author’s cue. This was indeed a unique, inspiring reading experience.
I was granted early access to the book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I was granted early access to the book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 25, 2021
This is one hell of a book! Fantastically retold fairy tales we have all heard but changed, molded & resurfacing as a new. I must say, the introduction really threw me off and I did consider not continuing with the tales but I'm glad I changed my mind 😊 Grimm fairy tales are not nice & neither are these tales but worth the read none the less.
I received an advance review copy for free from booksirens.com, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free from booksirens.com, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 18, 2021
If you have read DJ MacLennan's previous book, 'Frozen to Life', you will be aware that he is both a writer and a cryonicist. He is in fact the first man in Scotland to sign up to have his head frozen when he dies & rebooted at some point in future when technology allows. Whether or not you agree with his plans, you would have to admit that is an audacious way of dealing with future plans. DJ has now published his first work of fiction, a collection of transhumanist 'fairy tales'. And indeed they are sort of fairy tales, but with an moralistic edge about what could (and may) happen in the future. There is some dark humour woven into the fabric of the stories, a sort of future magic realism. You don't need to have read his previous book, but it certainly contextualizes his thought processes. I would recommend you read both.
November 6, 2021
I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
There are twenty four retold fairy tales selected from the Brothers Grimm repertoire in this book, all of them remade with Transhumanism in mind, an idea that, if I understood the author's intro correctly, proposes to improve on humans through technological advances inserted into the body; not to fix what's malfunctioning as is the current practice but to make what's functioning well even more powerful and efficient.
I can't say that there was a story here that made an impression on me, more because of the style than anything. Most of the tales are very quirky, very weird, and dark, and some have a questionable veneer of eugenics that might not be intentional, whilst others are funny and lovely. The length varies, but on average they are very short. One of them is so short, barely one paragraph long, that it reads more like authorial commentary on the original fairy tale than a retelling of it. That's the main issue for me, that a few of the tales are more a venue for the author to comment on themes than a traditional retelling, and the shortness of so many of them doesn't allow for much depth. I would've done away with the dense introduction as well, or at least made it less confusing for readers not familiar with the driving philosophy behind these stories.
There are twenty four retold fairy tales selected from the Brothers Grimm repertoire in this book, all of them remade with Transhumanism in mind, an idea that, if I understood the author's intro correctly, proposes to improve on humans through technological advances inserted into the body; not to fix what's malfunctioning as is the current practice but to make what's functioning well even more powerful and efficient.
I can't say that there was a story here that made an impression on me, more because of the style than anything. Most of the tales are very quirky, very weird, and dark, and some have a questionable veneer of eugenics that might not be intentional, whilst others are funny and lovely. The length varies, but on average they are very short. One of them is so short, barely one paragraph long, that it reads more like authorial commentary on the original fairy tale than a retelling of it. That's the main issue for me, that a few of the tales are more a venue for the author to comment on themes than a traditional retelling, and the shortness of so many of them doesn't allow for much depth. I would've done away with the dense introduction as well, or at least made it less confusing for readers not familiar with the driving philosophy behind these stories.
April 6, 2022
I was blessed with an e-arc
I normally read high fantasy as a main or manga, so it took me some time getting into it, but when I did I felt impressed with these retellings of fairytale, they all have a modern twist.
I normally read high fantasy as a main or manga, so it took me some time getting into it, but when I did I felt impressed with these retellings of fairytale, they all have a modern twist.
November 18, 2021
D.J. MacLennan explores what happens if you allow time to move on in a fairy tale realm. He redefines death, time and gender to create new fairy tale worlds, stepping away from the traditional medieval setting. In the introduction he explains the role of transhumanism in his stories. And indeed, in his stories you read about humankind’s accelerating transition to a qualitatively different, more marvelous mode of being.
Bending fairy tale reality
You dive into the stories with certain expectations, trying to notice all the winks to the future. Because of this attitude, the first stories you read don’t seem subtle at all, as there are multiple references to something futuristic, a modern trend (like minimalism) or school of thought in every paragraph.
Not all transitions are for the better, as is clearly illustrated by the story Asha which is based on Cinderella. Another fun story is Gingerbread, which unmistakably draws from Hansel & Gretel. Despite this being one of the “easier” stories, I won’t attempt to write a summary. Little Night Shard shows how “naming things – wresting them from the chaotic, unpronounceable background – may grant them immense, sometimes unwarranted, causal power.” This quote makes the story sound simple, but don’t let that mislead you.
D.J. MacLennan did something unique with all the original fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.The predictability of the fairy tale motifs remains, but it is fun to read how differently things can turn out in another world.
Fairy tale manual
The stories don’t read as easily as the fairy tales I’m used to. This is partly because of the terminology, but also because of the writing style in general (long, detailed sentences). I noticed this less in the second half of the book. However, you do need to be relatively knowledgeable about transhumanism and technological advances to really understand what is happening in the story. And even then. I’m pretty sure I didn’t understand every aspect of them.
At the end of each story, the author explains the fairy tale that inspired it and the concepts he added to the story. You’ll also find references to characters from books, philosophical conventions, and other sources. I really looked forward to these explanations, sometimes even more than to the next story.
Recommendation
While Future Bright, Future Grimm is a fun book to read, it is certainly not for everyone. To illustrate that point, does the following short take-away from a story interest you? In the story The Foundling, checksums are performed based on the past predictability of a fairy tale data block, in the same way that a computer performs checksums.
It helps if you know (or look up) something about transhumanism and singularity, but you should also be familiar with the technology vocabulary. Without that knowledge, you won’t understand everything in the story, and that might hamper your reading experience.
Regardless of how much you understand, this book is an interesting showcase of how fairy tales can evolve into modern times. It shows how stuck we are in our expectations of things like fairy tale settings and the ways to move a story forward. If death is not the end, and time can go on indefinitely, I see many more creative ways to transform human storytelling. Having said that, if you reflect on the thoughts in the previous sentence, these concepts are not unknown to fairy tale worlds.
Many thanks to Anatta Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Bending fairy tale reality
You dive into the stories with certain expectations, trying to notice all the winks to the future. Because of this attitude, the first stories you read don’t seem subtle at all, as there are multiple references to something futuristic, a modern trend (like minimalism) or school of thought in every paragraph.
Not all transitions are for the better, as is clearly illustrated by the story Asha which is based on Cinderella. Another fun story is Gingerbread, which unmistakably draws from Hansel & Gretel. Despite this being one of the “easier” stories, I won’t attempt to write a summary. Little Night Shard shows how “naming things – wresting them from the chaotic, unpronounceable background – may grant them immense, sometimes unwarranted, causal power.” This quote makes the story sound simple, but don’t let that mislead you.
D.J. MacLennan did something unique with all the original fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.The predictability of the fairy tale motifs remains, but it is fun to read how differently things can turn out in another world.
Fairy tale manual
The stories don’t read as easily as the fairy tales I’m used to. This is partly because of the terminology, but also because of the writing style in general (long, detailed sentences). I noticed this less in the second half of the book. However, you do need to be relatively knowledgeable about transhumanism and technological advances to really understand what is happening in the story. And even then. I’m pretty sure I didn’t understand every aspect of them.
At the end of each story, the author explains the fairy tale that inspired it and the concepts he added to the story. You’ll also find references to characters from books, philosophical conventions, and other sources. I really looked forward to these explanations, sometimes even more than to the next story.
Recommendation
While Future Bright, Future Grimm is a fun book to read, it is certainly not for everyone. To illustrate that point, does the following short take-away from a story interest you? In the story The Foundling, checksums are performed based on the past predictability of a fairy tale data block, in the same way that a computer performs checksums.
It helps if you know (or look up) something about transhumanism and singularity, but you should also be familiar with the technology vocabulary. Without that knowledge, you won’t understand everything in the story, and that might hamper your reading experience.
Regardless of how much you understand, this book is an interesting showcase of how fairy tales can evolve into modern times. It shows how stuck we are in our expectations of things like fairy tale settings and the ways to move a story forward. If death is not the end, and time can go on indefinitely, I see many more creative ways to transform human storytelling. Having said that, if you reflect on the thoughts in the previous sentence, these concepts are not unknown to fairy tale worlds.
Many thanks to Anatta Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2022
My rating: 4 Stars
Genre: Fantasy – Fairytales - Mythical
📖 Disclaimer - I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
✍️ This book has such an interesting writing style, it is almost antiquated yet also modern, an intriguing blend. In a strange way, you feel smart reading but at the same time, the stories are recognisable as variations on traditional tales. Although these variations are far from the Disney versions you may be more familiar with.
🗣 I often think it’s useful to see an extract of a book to get an idea of the writing style. Here is a brief extract so that you can see a sample of the writing yourself:
👓 This book contains 24 short stories and at the end of each one, the author provides detail of the original story and an overview of areas he changed during the re-telling (e.g. trading male for female viewpoints, adjusting time periods etc). I really enjoyed these creative insights. The stories are dark, shocking and striking. If anyone has ever read the “original” Grimm stories (for example in the original Grimm version Cinderella’s sisters cut off their toes to try to make them fit the slipper), Maclennan very much pays homage to this writing style.
👫 The author also includes a detailed introduction about the different terms used in fairy tales (such as Transhumanism) including insight into its use and historical references. This is very interesting
🗺 As a little side note (not that it should particularly matter) but the cover is also rather beautiful, harking back to traditional storybook style covers.
💭 Overall View: Not for the faint-hearted but this is a really intriguing collection of dark stories.
Genre: Fantasy – Fairytales - Mythical
📖 Disclaimer - I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
✍️ This book has such an interesting writing style, it is almost antiquated yet also modern, an intriguing blend. In a strange way, you feel smart reading but at the same time, the stories are recognisable as variations on traditional tales. Although these variations are far from the Disney versions you may be more familiar with.
🗣 I often think it’s useful to see an extract of a book to get an idea of the writing style. Here is a brief extract so that you can see a sample of the writing yourself:
‘I come to take your daughter,’ said the red-lit being. ‘With me, she actualises; with you, she dies.’
‘I don’t know who or what you are,’ cried the woman, ‘but please don’t take my daughter. She’s all I have!’
‘You are all you have; she is all she has,’ came the dry rustle of response to the woman’s desperate plea. Then, with a loud pop-zip, the being was gone.
The woman stumbled back to her shack, whimpering as she went. She unlocked the sheet-iron door and burst in. But she was too late – her beloved daughter had been taken.
👓 This book contains 24 short stories and at the end of each one, the author provides detail of the original story and an overview of areas he changed during the re-telling (e.g. trading male for female viewpoints, adjusting time periods etc). I really enjoyed these creative insights. The stories are dark, shocking and striking. If anyone has ever read the “original” Grimm stories (for example in the original Grimm version Cinderella’s sisters cut off their toes to try to make them fit the slipper), Maclennan very much pays homage to this writing style.
👫 The author also includes a detailed introduction about the different terms used in fairy tales (such as Transhumanism) including insight into its use and historical references. This is very interesting
🗺 As a little side note (not that it should particularly matter) but the cover is also rather beautiful, harking back to traditional storybook style covers.
💭 Overall View: Not for the faint-hearted but this is a really intriguing collection of dark stories.
December 3, 2021
Rating: 4/5
Published Date: 11/15/2021
I was given an eARC from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for my honest review.
Transhumanism – the rising global movement to supercharge human evolution with radical tech – heralds body- and mind-bending personal transformation. Yet it feels curiously familiar, like the dizzying fears and fantasies we probed in Germanic folklore as children.
Future Bright, Future Grimm draws upon the odd, abrupt, often violent tales of the Brothers Grimm to summon transhumanist tomorrows of astounding grace and danger. The adventurers, magicians and monsters who lurk here are we and our mind-children – amplified, augmented, immortalized in rebooted fables with the edgiest of twists.
This is magical realism inspired by the transfiguring technological sorcery that our species seems driven to conjure. Where the improbability of traditional fantasy meets the wildest possibilities of modern science and the coming ‘Singularity’.
This book was both dark/twisty and philosophical, out of this world but at the same time worldly. I do have to say I normally do not read books, and I was disappointed nor was I hooked. I do believe that it is all up to the person who reads the books if that is something that they really like. I am not a huge sci-fi fan, but I know when to appreated well written sci-fi. The different POV on a classic written Grimms Brothers Fairy Tales was well done and a lot of the stories had me saying hmm, and definitely left me thinking. I really loved how the author took time after each story to explain the rationale behind each story and gave a small backdrop of where it stemmed from. Overall I would recommend this book to any that has read Transhumanism/ Sci-Fi and loves them.
I want to Thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial publishing for the chance to review this eARC for my honest opinion .
Published Date: 11/15/2021
I was given an eARC from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for my honest review.
Transhumanism – the rising global movement to supercharge human evolution with radical tech – heralds body- and mind-bending personal transformation. Yet it feels curiously familiar, like the dizzying fears and fantasies we probed in Germanic folklore as children.
Future Bright, Future Grimm draws upon the odd, abrupt, often violent tales of the Brothers Grimm to summon transhumanist tomorrows of astounding grace and danger. The adventurers, magicians and monsters who lurk here are we and our mind-children – amplified, augmented, immortalized in rebooted fables with the edgiest of twists.
This is magical realism inspired by the transfiguring technological sorcery that our species seems driven to conjure. Where the improbability of traditional fantasy meets the wildest possibilities of modern science and the coming ‘Singularity’.
This book was both dark/twisty and philosophical, out of this world but at the same time worldly. I do have to say I normally do not read books, and I was disappointed nor was I hooked. I do believe that it is all up to the person who reads the books if that is something that they really like. I am not a huge sci-fi fan, but I know when to appreated well written sci-fi. The different POV on a classic written Grimms Brothers Fairy Tales was well done and a lot of the stories had me saying hmm, and definitely left me thinking. I really loved how the author took time after each story to explain the rationale behind each story and gave a small backdrop of where it stemmed from. Overall I would recommend this book to any that has read Transhumanism/ Sci-Fi and loves them.
I want to Thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial publishing for the chance to review this eARC for my honest opinion .
December 3, 2021
I came across this book while looking for a gift for a member of my household. They read a lot of sci-fi and futurism stuff so I’ve heard a fair bit about the subjects tackled in this book but never actually read any futurist fiction. As I said, it’s supposed to be a gift, but I found myself drawn in by the cover and I’ve actually read it- very carefully so it still looks new! My first venture into futurism! The stories are all related to the original dark and gory Grimm tales (which I have read version of) and are really cleverly framed. To my delight there’s even a reference or two to Baba Yaga. One of my favourite books, as a kid, was Old Peter’s Russian Tales. Anyway, the language is rich and properly engaging, while at times feeling almost ancient, like these brand new tales have existed forever. No, I didn’t quite follow all of the stories, initially, but then again, I didn’t quite follow vast chunks of Tolkien and had to read The Thursday Murder Club twice! I did however, really enjoy the darkness and richness (and humour in places) of the stories and by reading the author’s explanations of each story’s inspiration before and after the story, I feel like I did get to grips with all of them. The intended recipient of this gift will absolutely love this book and will read every word of the introduction. I may even try reading something else in the futurism genre in the gap between my next murder mystery and thriller! Maybe!
PS My first ever attempt at a review
PS My first ever attempt at a review
November 23, 2021
Some of these stories were interesting and some were uninteresting. This might be because the reader needs a lot of science/sci-fi background knowledge to understand what’s going on a lot of the time. There is a lot of metaphor that relies on this knowledge as well. You probably also need to have read the original Grimm stories to see exactly what the author was referencing (although he does explain the stories afterward). I see it more as a philosophical experiment than a traditional book of short stories. If I had more knowledge in the subjects that the author references, I probably would have enjoyed this book more.
December 5, 2021
Modern mind-bending transformation of Fairy tales, pulling on the gory Grimm tales to catapult you into the future. Fairy tales can be diffused in different forms, thinking about traditional Scottish folk tales the concept of a changeling is based on ‘theft of substance’ removing a healthy being and leaving a shadow of self in place. This is not the case with MacLennan cleverness to reimagine a carefully selection of lesser-known Grimm fables. Taking you into the faerie realm through the shadows with fantastical colourful characters. The use of traditional story telling allows the future possibilities to be explored. Allowing the way, we look at life, with much fear and hardship, seeking shelter from our human condition behind a barrier of tales and imaginations.
November 4, 2021
First of all, can we give it up for this cover? I absolutely adore the cover! That's what caught my eye, and it being retelling of brothers Grimm stories? Yes please! However, I don't think I'm the target audience for this books since I've never read anything about transhumanity, nor do I know any of the scientific background or any of the terms. While some of the stories were very innovative, interesting and fun, most of them made me utterly confused and I had no idea what I was reading. Unfortunately, this book was not for me.
August 10, 2023
Unfortunately, Future Bright, Future Grimm was not my cup of tea. The writing was interesting, imaginative and unique, but the short story format didn't work for me. The stories were a mix of either too short and a tempting teaser or too cerebral and I didn't get it. Would love to see some of them expanded into a novella or novel. I'm super curious to see what D.J. MacLennan creates in the future and will be keeping an eye out for more of his work. Definitely a lot of potential for weird, offbeat and unusual stories.
Recommended for fans of: speculative fiction, Jeff VanderMeer, Blake Crouch, Station Eleven, Ubik, Altered Carbon
Thank you to Netgalley, BooksGoSocial Publishing and D.J. MacLennan for the reading copy.
Recommended for fans of: speculative fiction, Jeff VanderMeer, Blake Crouch, Station Eleven, Ubik, Altered Carbon
Thank you to Netgalley, BooksGoSocial Publishing and D.J. MacLennan for the reading copy.
October 7, 2021
these were wonderfully done fairy tale retelling stories, I really enjoyed going through each one. This had what I was looking for in fairy tale retelling and had what I enjoyed about the originals.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! The writing style created a nice flow and the storytelling really pulled me in. I read this in one sitting, and completely lost track of time.
November 16, 2021
Transhumanism. Back in the early 1990s, my dad got us all a video cassette that contained a couple of episodes of Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future. My sister, cousins and I watched it to bits for years, not wholly understanding the reasons behind Lord Dread's reign of terror (neither did it occur to us to figure it out). It was many, many years later, when I found the whole season available on YouTube that I watched it and understood the rather nerve-chilling agenda behind this villain's actions. Essentially, Lord Dread was trying to build a machine world where the human brain was fused within the body of machines to reach a state of immortality. Only now have I learnt there is a term for such a belief -- transhumanism.
In Future Bright, Future Grimm, D.J. Maclennan rewrites the fairy tales of the Grimm brothers, with this transhumanistic theme in mind. He spends a while, before the retellings, explaining his thoughts and ideas on transhumanism. Quite a bit of it has to do with time and space and how we perceive it. He has read widely and has pooled in his thoughts about this philosophy (or would it be belief-system?) as a lead-up or explanation of what is to follow. Nevertheless, while I was prepared for the strange and the weird, I don't think I was as prepared for the strangest, weirdest, creepiest ideas that I came across in the retellings.
At this point, I must stop and say that it has been many years now since I have read fairy tales. While once I thought my sons would grow up with them just as I did, I have deliberately kept them away from them because my reading of the fairytales as an adult showed me how frighteningly dark these fairytales actually are. Maclennan uses the same darkness of these fairytales and twists them into something that transhumanists (is that a word yet?) would call futuristic. Maclennan's retellings are brief (considering those I read) and deeply disturbing. He offers up an explanation after each story and what exactly he was going for in the elements of the story that he changed. These tid-bits were interesting to read, and it is fascinating how he was able to retain the original stories while reshaping them.
On the whole, however, this was not a book that worked well for me at all. I think had I bothered to look up what transhumanism meant before picking up this book at NetGalley, I would have definitely thought twice about it. The general reviews were intriguing, and perhaps, if this were your type of jam, you might like it too.
In Future Bright, Future Grimm, D.J. Maclennan rewrites the fairy tales of the Grimm brothers, with this transhumanistic theme in mind. He spends a while, before the retellings, explaining his thoughts and ideas on transhumanism. Quite a bit of it has to do with time and space and how we perceive it. He has read widely and has pooled in his thoughts about this philosophy (or would it be belief-system?) as a lead-up or explanation of what is to follow. Nevertheless, while I was prepared for the strange and the weird, I don't think I was as prepared for the strangest, weirdest, creepiest ideas that I came across in the retellings.
At this point, I must stop and say that it has been many years now since I have read fairy tales. While once I thought my sons would grow up with them just as I did, I have deliberately kept them away from them because my reading of the fairytales as an adult showed me how frighteningly dark these fairytales actually are. Maclennan uses the same darkness of these fairytales and twists them into something that transhumanists (is that a word yet?) would call futuristic. Maclennan's retellings are brief (considering those I read) and deeply disturbing. He offers up an explanation after each story and what exactly he was going for in the elements of the story that he changed. These tid-bits were interesting to read, and it is fascinating how he was able to retain the original stories while reshaping them.
On the whole, however, this was not a book that worked well for me at all. I think had I bothered to look up what transhumanism meant before picking up this book at NetGalley, I would have definitely thought twice about it. The general reviews were intriguing, and perhaps, if this were your type of jam, you might like it too.
November 20, 2021
Fairy tales were never meant for children (!), -and the originals, (which, by the way I have read - I studied German and know a thing or two about the Grimm brothers) were rather shocking, strange, horrific and quite bloody and moral tales.
They were later rewritten for children - omitting the most gruesome parts.
I was under the assumption that this Grimm retelling would be an adaptation of the original narrations, but I had no idea the author would take such liberties with these retellings.
In the preface, he questions the ‘when’ in the ‘Once upon a time’ ('often feudal') and then really adds everything from Wittgenstein's philosophy of language, to Einsteins block universe, Zen Buddhism and excerpts from Rudolf Steiner, to the idea that every conceivable boundary, such as innate sexuality, gender, biological entity, brain, etc, will eventually evolve into a new something, whereby our biological entities and the self will be eradicated in the process. He also states that in the end, even death must go.
The preface in no way invites you to read the rest, the author shamelessly ventilates his knowledge, making it look like you are reading a thesis rather than a preface to a book.
We are all entitled to our own opinion, so far, so good, albeit, I don’t think that these adaptations do justice to the Grimm legacy.
Nice starting point, but for me, as a German linguist, unacceptable and just too weird.
** 2 stars.
They were later rewritten for children - omitting the most gruesome parts.
I was under the assumption that this Grimm retelling would be an adaptation of the original narrations, but I had no idea the author would take such liberties with these retellings.
In the preface, he questions the ‘when’ in the ‘Once upon a time’ ('often feudal') and then really adds everything from Wittgenstein's philosophy of language, to Einsteins block universe, Zen Buddhism and excerpts from Rudolf Steiner, to the idea that every conceivable boundary, such as innate sexuality, gender, biological entity, brain, etc, will eventually evolve into a new something, whereby our biological entities and the self will be eradicated in the process. He also states that in the end, even death must go.
The preface in no way invites you to read the rest, the author shamelessly ventilates his knowledge, making it look like you are reading a thesis rather than a preface to a book.
We are all entitled to our own opinion, so far, so good, albeit, I don’t think that these adaptations do justice to the Grimm legacy.
Nice starting point, but for me, as a German linguist, unacceptable and just too weird.
** 2 stars.
December 1, 2021
I received an ARC copy of this book and am leaving a review voluntarily.
So, the premise of this book are the Grimm fairy tales but in a futuristic and sci fi setting, with lots of transhumanism occurring. It’s a very unique set up, one different from most other settings I’ve seen for retelling.
But I think that may be part of its problem. It feels too different, too eccentric and too extreme. Some of the stories had a mild eugenics feel though I do think that was unintentional so I won’t count that against the author. But the settings were too distant from their fairy tale origins that it felt odd. I almost think it would have been better to eliminate the fairy tale aspect and just create a unique futuristic world.
I think this book is good for hard sci fi fans or people who enjoy extreme and eccentric characters and settings. Unfortunately, that’s not me. I find the book to be well written but I didn’t find any of the characters to be engaging and while the setting was interesting, it wasn’t particularly welcoming.
Take it for what you will. If you’re a hard sci fi fan, give it a read. If not, it might not be the story for you.
So, the premise of this book are the Grimm fairy tales but in a futuristic and sci fi setting, with lots of transhumanism occurring. It’s a very unique set up, one different from most other settings I’ve seen for retelling.
But I think that may be part of its problem. It feels too different, too eccentric and too extreme. Some of the stories had a mild eugenics feel though I do think that was unintentional so I won’t count that against the author. But the settings were too distant from their fairy tale origins that it felt odd. I almost think it would have been better to eliminate the fairy tale aspect and just create a unique futuristic world.
I think this book is good for hard sci fi fans or people who enjoy extreme and eccentric characters and settings. Unfortunately, that’s not me. I find the book to be well written but I didn’t find any of the characters to be engaging and while the setting was interesting, it wasn’t particularly welcoming.
Take it for what you will. If you’re a hard sci fi fan, give it a read. If not, it might not be the story for you.
February 15, 2022
I really want to be able to give this book more than 2 stars. Some of the imagery was absolutely beautiful and I found the incorporation of transhumanist ideation in the storytelling fascinating. Of all the stories, I would say "Asha" was my favorite. But with all that being said, I felt the collection was a bit too didactic. Perhaps the explanations/notes from the author at the end of each story were a tad heavy-handed. If those were shorter or gone entirely, I'd probably give this collection 2.5-3 stars. The stories themselves were again compelling from an imagery perspective, but the plots were often needlessly obscure.
On the whole, while occasionally stunning, this collection was too befuddling for me to fully embrace the nuance in the storytelling.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
On the whole, while occasionally stunning, this collection was too befuddling for me to fully embrace the nuance in the storytelling.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 15, 2021
I love fairy tale retellings and this collection gives an interesting tech heavy futuristic twist to classics. The prose is well crafted but by no means light fluffy reading. The author steers towards the darker and sometimes more deviant themes from classic fairy tales and explorers taboo topics such as incest. Though, I can admire their overall technique I had a hard time connecting to the stories. In all the tales are for people who enjoy the grim more than the happily ever after and with a heavy sci-fi techno spin. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 20, 2022
I liked the premise of the book, extruding Grimm fairy tales through a futuristic funnel of philosophy. As with any anthology, it was a mixed bag of wins, some truly inspired and some that left me stale. The post-tale analysis might be considered pretentious but explained some of the choices made and teased out some references I had missed.
My overall impression is just that there were a few too many tales. "Always leave them wanting more" would have trimmed a couple and kept the quality and imagery high.
My overall impression is just that there were a few too many tales. "Always leave them wanting more" would have trimmed a couple and kept the quality and imagery high.
October 31, 2021
Future Bright, Future Grimm is unlike any other book I've read. It was both futuristic and creepy; philosophical and dark. My favorite part was how MacLennan explained his rationale behind each short story at the end of each chapter. I found a lot of this book confusing (probably because of the futuristic ideas that went over my head), but it was an interesting read that def kept me thinking! I appreciate the opportunity to read this e-ARC. Thank you netgalley!
November 7, 2021
This book hit a little close to home at times, to remind us of what we might face in the future.
The author has chosen to 'modernise' 24 Grimm fairytales into futuristic tales where humans have 'improved' themselves using advances in medicine and technology.
This a great, quirky book. Not an easy read for me, but still very interesting and scary.
The author has chosen to 'modernise' 24 Grimm fairytales into futuristic tales where humans have 'improved' themselves using advances in medicine and technology.
This a great, quirky book. Not an easy read for me, but still very interesting and scary.
November 28, 2021
Honestly....Not sure what to say about this one. I don't know if it was the writing style or the (sometimes very forced and stilted) elements of transhumanism, but I just could not get into any of these retold stories.
Or it might just be me.
***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***
Or it might just be me.
***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***
January 5, 2022
Transhumanism is a very interesting book. However it is extremely hard to get into and can cause alot of misunderstanding. Comparing it to the brothers grimm is a big no for me it's not similar at all. This book explain what happens as time goes on in the fairy tale relam.
May 17, 2022
If he was aiming for pretentious, he succeeded admirably. His pomposity shines through in both his retelling of Grimm fairy tales and his retelling of how he retold each tale, which follows each tale. Avoid this.
November 29, 2021
I can’t say if this is bad or good. It’s both simplistic and complicated.. just really not my cup of tea. I do like how the author seemed to have chose lesser known tales
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews