Sweetlust: Stories

by Asja Bakić, Jennifer Zoble (Translator)

The eleven stories in Sweetlust interweave feminist critique, intertextuality, and science fiction tropes in an irreverent portrait of our past, present, and future.

In a dystopian world with no men, women are "rehabilitated" at an erotic amusement park. Climate change has caused massive flooding and warming in the Balkans, where one programmer builds a time machine. And a devious reimagining of The Sorrows of Young Werther refocuses to center a sexually adventurous Charlotte.

Asja Bakić deploys the speculative and weird to playfully interrogate conversations around artificial intelligence, gender fluidity, and environmental degradation. Once again Bakić upends her characters' convictions and identities—as she did in her acclaimed debut Mars—and infuses each disorienting universe with sly humor and off-kilter eroticism. Both visceral and otherworldly, Sweetlust takes apart human desire and fragility, repeatedly framing pleasure as both inviting and perilous.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Science Fiction, Feminism, Speculative Fiction, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2020

About the author

Asja Bakić is a Bosnian poet, writer and translator. She was born in Tuzla, where she obtained a degree in Bosnian language and literature. She has published a book of poetry, Može i kaktus, samo neka bode (It Can Be a Cactus, as Long as it Pricks, 2009), which was nominated for the Kiklop Award for best debut. Her second book, a collection of short stories entitled Mars (2015), was shortlisted for the Edo Budiša Award for young writers. Her poems and stories have been translated into English, Polish, Czech, Macedonian, Slovenian, Romanian and Swedish. She writes the blog In the Realm of Melancholy and is co-editor of the feminist webzine Muff. Bakić participates in the European poetry platform Versopolis. She has translated Emily Dickinson, Alejandra Pizarnik, Elizabeth Bishop, Emil Cioran, Jacques Rancière and other prominent authors into Croatian. She currently lives and works in Zagreb.

Reviews

[Sunny Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 long live short stories and women’s speculative fiction and socialist feminist surrealism

[iva° · Rating 4 out of 5]

ako si dovoljno otvoren za izvanserijsku zbirku priča, u kojima se miješaju sf, futuristički svijet, mitologija, bajka, eros i magija, onda bi u "sladostrašću" mogao uživati. vrlo neobično, maštovito i vješto pisano. psihodelična naslovnica u potpunom je skladu sa sadržajem pa, sudeći i po koricama, putovat ćeš po raznim čudesnim svjetovima.

[fridayinapril · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweetlust is the second collection of short stories by Bakić translated by Zoble. Bakić touches on themes of gender, climate change, and power with undertones of dry humor. The stories move quickly. They are at times weird and quirky, and at times they border on the supernatural and dystopian.
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Albeit this collection felt a tiny bit darker than her previous one Mars, I was still the happiest traveling through its pages, and couldn't help but be reminded of Bezoar: And Other Unsettling Stories by Mexican author Guadalupe Nettel, tr. Suzanne Jill Levine. This was another win for me.
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"Perhaps it was then, as she watched her peers struggling to grow up, that her dissatisfaction asserted itself for the first time: Could a girl ever be important enough to be placed at the best table, beneath the best lights?"
•
"She experienced swimming differently from
table tennis. For her it wasn’t a sport. The nausea she woke up feeling on competition days disappeared in the lake water: she threw it to the muddy bottom with each crawl stroke. With each backstroke she unloaded the burden from her shoulders."
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Thank you to @feministpress for my copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
•

[Ileana (The Tiniest Book Club) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im kroatischen Original (die Übersetzung ins Deutsche ist von Alida Bremer) trägt der Band den Titel „Sladostrašće“, laut Asja Bakić schwer zu übersetzen, bedeutet das so viel wie „die Lust am Essen und Ficken“. Kristine Listau hat hier den kongenialen deutschen Titel gefunden: „Leckermäulchen“.

Die Kurzgeschichten haben mich sofort an ähnlich fantastische, feministische Sammlungen wie „Der Fluch des Hasen“ von Bora Chung oder „Shit Cassandra Saw“ von Gwen E. Kirby erinnert. In jeder einzelnen der elf Miniaturen tut sich eine vollkommen neue mehr oder minder dystopische Parallelwelt auf. Jedes Mal bin ich wieder gerudert und habe versucht, mich zurechtzufinden in überraschenden, surrealen Settings, die Genreanleihen von Sci-Fi, Horror, Fabel tragen.

Manche erschließen neue Perspektiven: in „Die Leiden der jungen Lotte“ kommt endlich mal nicht der unerträgliche Werther zu Wort, die Nymphe Daphne erzählt ihre Version der mythologischen Begegnung mit Apollo und wie sie in den Wettbewerb zwischen ihm und seiner grausamen Schwester Artemis gerissen wird („Δάφνη“). Die Stories sind durchwegs grotesk, erotisch, voller schwarzem Humor.

Genderfluidität, Klimakatastrophe, Erblindung durch Masturbation: nach der Lektüre ist mir ein bisschen schwindelig, als wäre ich gerade aus einer Zeitmaschine gestolpert.

CN: Inzest, sexualisierte Gewalt, Misogynie

[Luise Matilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich liebe weird girl fiction und wohl auch Kurzgeschichten. Die Settings knallen böse und die Protagonistinnen auch. Highlight auch die Leiden der jungen Lotte, obwohl ich feminist-retelling-kritisch bin. Auf die antike Sagendinger direkt Olga Tokarczuk hinterher

[Puella Sole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Priče ove zbirke čine jednu pravu hibridnu mješavinu fantastike, antike, elemenata klasične književne tradicije, distopijskog, mračnog i duhovitog, modernog, beskrajno isprepletenog i svedenog, erotskog i pornografskog. Ovome bi se moglo dodati i to da pričama ne nedostaje ni ideološka pozadina, naprotiv, iz reda u red, iz priče u priču, preko fascinacije određenim temama i postavljanjem u odabrane kontekste, iščitavamo i autorkine stavove i suprotstavljanje određenim ideologijama. Ukratko, ima u njima zaista svega. To im je istovremeno i glavna pozitivna odlika (jer zaista već na prvu dobijate nešto potpuno drugačije, i taj vas osjećaj prati kako čitanje odmiče), ali i nedostatak (jer toliko insistiranje na transformisanju i izmještanju svega iz prostora klasičnog ili očekivanog, neko bi rekao i nametnutog, zna djelovati previše isforsirano i na kraju ublažiti konačni utisak). Zapravo, priče djeluju kao neka literarna verzija Black Mirrora (to je bio moj prvi komentar kad sam počela s čitanjem i kad su me pitali za utiske) i u svojoj apsurdnosti, zbirka kao cjelina, idejno je i te kako zanimljiva, i vjerujem da će privući mnoge koji prate savremenu regionalnu književnost, kao i one koji su možda usmjereniji na žanrovsku, ali u konstantnom insistiranju na umrežavanju najrazličitijih oblika iskaza, od raznih formi žanrovske književnosti pa do nekih standardnijih, kao da se sama priča kao takva donekle raspline i ispusti šansu da dostigne pretpostavljeni potencijal koji se osjeti na idejnom planu.

Kompletni utisci na blogu: https://puellasole.com/2020/09/05/asj...

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

“i’m not like most girls” core

[__lesh __ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dont read a lot of Balkan made literature but Asja Bakić might change that. This collection of stories was so interesting, fresh, surprising. I loved the greek mythology involvment. It was fun yet deep and saying important things, so free, writing about, sex, organsms, balkan culture without any restrictions. Also reading a croatian text originaly written on croatian !!!!
Some stories were better but they left an impact and i think i will be thinking about them for days...(also the mention of Anne Carsons Eros the bittersweet book that i've just read made my month)

[Marko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Divlje, osvježavajuće priče.

[gabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 (lol)

peeking eyes all the way through. didn’t want to look, couldn’t look away.

for fans of yellowjackets (w/o the flesheating sozz xx)

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dystopisch, surreal und weirdly sexuell. Ich liebs

[ivana · Rating 3 out of 5]

ova trojka je ekstremno solidna trojka, not amazing, but also nowhere near bad. falilo mi je nešto da krenemo u 4☆, al nmg si nikako dokučit što

[Pauline Schuhmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

sehr abgefahren, hat mir gut gefallen

[Laura Hoffman Brauman]

Sweetlust is a collection of short stories originally written in Croatian by Asja Bakic and translated by Jennifer Zoble. Each of these is a little surreal and Bakic explores gender fluidity, sexuality, climate change, often in a dystopian setting. From a story set in an erotic amusement park in a world with no men, to Dorica Kastra, about a marriage between 4 people who are looking for a fifth for their marriage, each of these plays with ideas about identity. I could pick up some themes in here about criticism for the recent political situation in the areas from the former Yugoslavia, but I don't have a lot of background knowledge, so I'm sure I missed a lot of those references. Overall these were interesting, but definitely more on the weird side that I typically pick up. I do still want to read her other collection, I find her work interesting even if I am a little confused at times. (Plus in one of the stories, the protagonist heads up a hill with her teen angst and her Maryse Conde novel, and I'm in for more stories by anyone who creates that scene.)

[Juuliaeve · Rating 2 out of 5]

such a strange book with a possible deep societal message (I just didn’t see it).

[Irene Ros · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest I didn't make it past the Sweetlust short story. I feel like it didn't hold up as Sci Fi. The premise was interesting but explored in a very shallow way, and the ending was deeply and profoundly unsatisfying. Felt like it glossed over some important details. I think it's the difference between someone coming up with a concept and then writing a story that over emphasizes it, vs someone writing a story that may explore a concept but holds up on its own.

[Annaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweetlust shows the dangerous and deliciously dark side of sex. In each story, women are well-rounded characters with desires that are relatable if not always palatable. Some stories were stronger than others. The final one "The Sorrows of Young Lotte" might just be my favorite. The translation is wonderful! It all reads naturally, and while I'm not too familiar too familiar with Bosnia or Eastern Europe in general, I feel like I didn't miss too much from the stories. Definitely recommend!

[Jelena SM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, Asja je fantastična!

[Julia Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the most unusual and strangest books I've read. Feminist, queer, sci-fi short stories from the Balkans--I felt clueless reading some, but there were a few gems. Superb translation.

[Dunja Brala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kurzgeschichten und ich, das sind so ein eigenes Ding. Meist hab ich keine Lust, mich auf so kurze Ereignisse einzulassen. Doch wenn diese in dystopischen Settings angesiedelt sind und dazu noch aus Kroatien kommen, muss ich sie doch lesen!

Na, das ist mal ein weirdes Buch! Schon das Cover ist schräg und und als ich die erste Geschichte zu lesen begann, fiel ich in eine Art Vergnügungspark der Crazyness. Hier befriedigen Maschinen Menschen, Masturbation führt zu Blindheit, es wird überlegt, ob man die eigene Mutter missbrauchen sollte und Menstruation findet im kollektiv statt und hat Züge eines Splatter Movies. Dann wiederum erwacht die Antike zu neuem Leben und man buhlt um die Gunst der ICH - Erzählerin. Abschließend erzählt uns Lotte ihre Sicht auf Werther.

Asja Bakić hat sich so richtig ausgetobt! Zeitgenössische Themen werden hier mit Einfallsreichtum dargeboten. Es gibt Zeitmaschinen, Unterwelten Außerirdische. Diese stoßen auf Klimawandel, Genderfluidität und vor allem auf Beziehung, die sich physisch und psychisch offenbaren

Wie so oft bei Kurzgeschichten hat mir nicht jede gleich gut gefallen. Ich musste mich erst mal darauf einlassen, dass wir es hier mit nichts mir Bekanntem zu tun haben. Alle Grenzen sind aufgehoben, alle Moralvorstellungen infrage gestellt. Dabei fließt es sprachlich nur so aus der Autorin hinaus. Sie plappert ohne Unterlass und Bilder ziehen an mir vorbei, die ich in meiner Vorstellung bisher nicht existierten. Was mir wiederum sehr geläufig war, sind die Orte, die benannt werden und das übte auf mich natürlich ein ganz besonderen Reiz aus. Auch die Bezugnahme auf historische Ereignisse Kroatiens oder Jugoslawiens haben für mich die einzelnen Geschichten interessanter gemacht.

Manchmal war es schon ein hartes Stück Arbeit gedanklich nicht abzuschweifen und mich auf diese andere Art von Alice im Freigeistland einzulassen. Andererseits hat es mir einen Heidenspaß bereitet. Ich liebe Literatur aus meiner zweiten Heimat, die jenseits des Traditionellen Zugang zu den Lesern findet. Ich freu mich schon auf meinen nächsten Urlaub, wenn ich meine doch eher konservativen Familie über die Freizügigkeit kroatischer Literatur aufklären werde. Das Bakić meinem Empfinden nach ab und zu ein bisschen zu sehr über die Stränge schlägt finde ich nicht so schlimm. Sie gönnt mir immer mal wieder, den Moment auf den Teppich zu kommen, mich neu zu sortieren, tief Luft zu holen und in den nächsten Abschnitt, die nächste Geschichte einzutauchen.

Eine Empfehlung für Alle, die etwas Verrücktes lesen möchten, Freund*innen von Kurzgeschichten und literarischen Abenteuern, die Wege abseits des Mainstream beschreiten wollen.

[Danielle | Dogmombookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

SWEETLUST defies category, time, place but it does have variations of lust and strong desire as a common thread.

There's an amusement park for women propelled by AI after all the men of the world have died from syphilis. A young girl on the brink of puberty who follows a young man in the water beyond waterfalls to a mirrored world of her own. A theoretical physicist who fights to get a seat in a time machine to venture back in time and warn the world of climate disaster.

They are bizarre, some are completely unhinged, I mean unhinged (man who is fantasizing about sex with his mom). the fact that none of them are bound by genre, time, place, reality in any way is so freeing and works so well to be dropped in media res in all these worlds. A foursome who are looking for a fifth to add to their marriage.

My favorites were 1998, Gretel, Fellows Gully, Dorica Castra. Overall a very strong short story collection.

Translated from Croatian by Jennifer Zoble.

[Rhiannon Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.




This science/speculative fiction, feminist short story collection was just off-kilter enough to keep me guessing and unique enough to keep me reading. Releasing in the US on Valentine's Day, I strongly recommend this for your sweetheart or BFF if they like kooky and sexy modern feminist fables.



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[bibia · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book plays at feminist content though i’m not sure how far it succeeds at it beyond what i consider to be surface level observations on structural misogyny. regardless, i’ll leave in this review what stood out to me, with that being the namesake short story of sweetlust that seemed at least at its initial pages to explore themes within the compulsory heterosexuality studies of adrienne rich in the form of a straightforward otherworldly narrative, the retelling of the persephones/hades/demeter’s myth through a genderbent narrative that portrayed hades as a stereotypical overbearing ‘boy-mom’ and the most incredible last story of the book by the name of ‘the sorrows of young lotte’ that captured an intricate mother-daughter relationship in their distaste and men’s entitlement to their desired object. beyond those three, the book is an overall two and a half stars.

[Space_cadet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastično. Stil pisanja i nadnaravni elementi me podsjećaju na Murakamija, ali bez njegovog seksizma i plitkih ženskih likova čija je svrha samo na neki način zadovoljiti glavnog protagonista. Naprotiv, ova knjiga stavlja žene kao glavne naratore svojih priča i predstavlja ih posve realistično. Apsolutno sam očarana ovom knjigom i svim tematikama koje su obrađene u njoj (od mommy issues pa do trans issues itd.).
P. S.
Naslovnica je apsolutno prekrasna. Definitivno ću nabaviti kopiju (I zbog sadržaja i zbog naslovnice).

[Ivana Filipov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knjigu sam pročitala u izdanju izdavačke kuće Štrik.
Kao u svakoj zbirci, neke pripovetke su mi se više dopale, neke manje. Opšti utisak je četiri zvezdice "stvarno mi se sviđa" :)
Najviše mi se dopada što se autorka kroz elemente fantazije, disutopije, kao i prikaze iz mitologije i klasične književnosti, bavi pitanjem položaja žene, nasiljem u partnerskim odnosima, transseksualnošču i drugim aktuelnim pitanjima o kojima danas puno slušam, ali imam retko prilike da čitam u književnosti.
Posebno su mi prijali neočekivani raspleti, drugačije perspektive iz kojih se posmatra relativno poznata pojava.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iako subjektivno slabija od 'Marsa', svidela mi se u ova zbirka u određenoj meri. Asja je postala grublja, smelija, analitičnija. Za moj ukus, za nijansu previše vulgarnosti i lascivnosti - više mi se svidela suptilnost njene prethodno pročitane zbirke. U 'Sladostrašću' Asja provocira i čitaoca i društveni sistem. Sveopšti utisak je pozitivan, i sposobna sam da objektivno ovo doživim kao korektnu zbirku priča vrednu pažnje, ali shvatam da subjektivno gledavši meni nije toliko odgovarala kao što sam mislila da će na osnovu 'Marsa'.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps it’s that this is a translation and words in English don’t equate to the original language as smoothly. Or perhaps this is Bakic’s style in and of itself. Whatever the root cause, the result was writing at such unique pacing and description. It was neither halted nor flowy; not simplistic nor obtuse. The style of writing became, for me, a very conscious part of the experience of these stories as were the content of the stories themselves. A very interesting experience.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

1998 - 4/5
Gretel - 4/5
Blindness - 3/5
Fellow’s Gully - 4.5/5
1740 - 4/5
Mama - DNF
The Abduction - 3/5
Daphne - 3/5
MCSB - 3/5
Dorica Kastra - 4/5
The Sorrows of Young Lotte - 5/5
Overall 3.4 if including the DNF or 3.75 if not.
I felt pretty lacklustre about a lot of this but that last story, Lotte was hilarious, I loved it.

‘Is a woman even alive if there’s no man nearby lamenting his pain in her presence’

[ashley hays · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a very slow read… the short stories at the beginning are interesting enough but it didn’t feel new or exciting in the least. i gave it a few weeks and picked it up again and found the second half very similar to her body and other parties. the best story was the last, but i throughly the last few.

[Joy]

DNF 65%. I'm sad about this dnf, especially since I liked Mars so much. These stories just didn't click for me. Translated by Jennifer Zoble.