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Nova Hellas: Stories from Future Greece
The stories in Nova Hellas take us on a dystopian, harsh journey. Yet their protagonists are resilient, cunning and resourceful; they thrive, not only survive. In doing so, they reflect both the history of Greece itself, always surviving and rebuilding, always claiming a better tomorrow - and, perhaps, to a smaller degree, the stubbornness of Greek science fiction, which insisted on thriving in adverse circumstances and against much opposition.
164 pages, Paperback
Published March 30, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 9, 2021
"Nova Hellas" is an important anthology, for at least two reasons. The first and most obvious one, is that all the stories are high-quality dystopian fiction, with themes that resonate deeply with the world in which we live today: refugees, climate change, hyper-technology, democratic failures, etc. All the stories are like a facet of the black diamond shining above us today, reminding us, through bees, colors, smells, feelings, how fragile it is to be a human being. I enjoyed all the stories equally, and was very impressed by the creativity I encountered. And this links with my second reason, which is its Greek identity. These stories are not US or UK centered, they come from the other side of the EU, from a Mediterranean culture of hybridity, influences and tragedies. The Athens or the islands you will meet are not the ones that are sold to tourists, even, if in this anthology, Greece is still sold to tourists. It is another vision of the world, familiar yet idiosyncratic, only linked to us through the pangs of human nature and global technology. None of these stories have the usual American "moral" aspect or the British irony - they play on a very different set of keys and colors - and it is extremely refreshing. Contrary to what we hear day after day, it is the global that is made local here, a healthy (albeit tragic) reminder that freedom is never given, but fought for.
March 31, 2021
A very good varied selection of Greek science fiction stories often exploring alternate visions of the country but also having a good look at the issues impacting modern Greece today - highly recommended
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
December 19, 2024
There’s quite a few interesting stories of futuristic Greece, others were more or less ok. Future Greece floods far more than I thought it would in these versions. But aside from the usual environmental catastrophes and how humans have had to adapt, there were a couple really good stories on immortality and how natural death is considered a disease in the far future, and another one where people lose sight of colors and then can only see one. Those were amazing! Very unique and I flew by them. This book was part of a sci-fi bundle I bought a while ago and so far it’s been amazing discovering new authors from around the world.
March 16, 2021
This is a fascinating and riveting anthology of futuristic science fiction by Greek authors, translated into English.
This is a genre I don’t often read but I thoroughly enjoyed this book—I found the stories and varied writing styles engaging and thought provoking.
Detailing familiar locales ravaged by climate change, societies undergoing upheaval as residents are physically displaced, exploring the role of AI and the convoluted morality and ethics at play, addressing the meaning of connection, reality, hierarchy, and tradition—these stories give a glimpse of what the future might hold and what lessons from the past still resonate or have been willingly ignored.
I think this book is appealing to those who read the genre frequently but is also very approachable for readers who may be less familiar and making a foray into it. The writing was varied and held my attention. The translations were excellent. Nova Hellas has left me with many thoughts on the stories I just read and I would be most interested in reading similar follow up anthologies by these creative and skilled writers.
My thanks to Luna Press Publishing for providing a digital ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This is a genre I don’t often read but I thoroughly enjoyed this book—I found the stories and varied writing styles engaging and thought provoking.
Detailing familiar locales ravaged by climate change, societies undergoing upheaval as residents are physically displaced, exploring the role of AI and the convoluted morality and ethics at play, addressing the meaning of connection, reality, hierarchy, and tradition—these stories give a glimpse of what the future might hold and what lessons from the past still resonate or have been willingly ignored.
I think this book is appealing to those who read the genre frequently but is also very approachable for readers who may be less familiar and making a foray into it. The writing was varied and held my attention. The translations were excellent. Nova Hellas has left me with many thoughts on the stories I just read and I would be most interested in reading similar follow up anthologies by these creative and skilled writers.
My thanks to Luna Press Publishing for providing a digital ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 23, 2022
I’d originally meant to review this anthology of Greek science fiction for Speculative Fiction in Translation. However, I became delayed in writing the review and Rachel Cordasco got her own review of it posted onto her site in the meantime. I agree wholeheartedly with her general praise for Nova Hellas, but I had different personal favorites from it. Her review is definitely still worth checking out for comparison.
The collection starts strongly, with a pair of my favorites. “Roseweed” is set in a post-climate change dystopia where divers and engineers explore the lower floors of partially submerged buildings for structural integrity. They are hired as part of a plan to turn these spots into ‘escape rooms’ for rich tourists looking for the thrill of visiting abandoned locations filled with the allure of danger and risk among the decay. The story highlights one of the repeating themes of the anthology: that amid disheartening futures, people find ways to go on and live amid the changes. Even when it is still the rich that are carelessly exploiting environments and the classes beneath them, regular people find some semblance of optimism amid those challenges or frustrations.
The story that follows, “Social Engineering” likewise does a great job establishing one of the unifying features to the anthology, the merging of the Classical Greece with the Modern and the Future. This short story literally overlays the periods in an Athens that is cloaked within artificial, or ‘augmented’ realities. The protagonist of the story has been hired to influence an upcoming city referendum, and the plot delves into how engineering at the level of physical urban planning but also through directed social interaction may create more issues than solutions.
Those themes of society hidden underneath veneers or layers, and the interplay between the architectural hardware of a place (with its loaded history) and the individuals who fit into that system like cogs comes up again in different ways in “The Human(c)ity of Athens”, and then another artificial reality in “Baghdad City”. Interestingly – and I assume intentionally – that specific portmanteau of ‘humancity’ appears in a later story of the anthology as well (T2, if I recall), striking alternate tones to the same theme(s).
Like Rachel, I enjoyed the classic science fiction vibes of “Those We Serve”, with its artificial intelligences that have ‘replaced’ human counterparts, and the mystery of “Any Old Disease” that called to mind questions of what we consider biological versus not. “The Bee Problem” similarly evokes thoughts on the intersections between the biological and the artificial when the performance of drones becomes affected by a return of native bee populations.
Very short, “Abacos” had a transcript format that I didn’t really enjoy, though it is certainly well composed as that. It shares with “Android Whores Can’t Cry” an element of trying to reconstruct a past, the truth, from recording, which is interesting. I remain uncertain over that last story, probably the most challenging in the anthology, and needing a reread.
The story that closes out Nova Hellas was another of my top favorites. “The Colour That Defines You” occurs in a future world where some unexplained event has caused humans to no longer see colors. In general, people are left only seeing shades of gray from black to white… except for one specific color that is unique to each and every person. Pure happenstance leads some to discover the identity of that one color their brain can process. Others haven’t yet found it. Through the story we follow the threads of several intersecting characters and how this unique situation ends up defining their existence. What if the only color one could perceive was that of fresh, scarlet, blood? The set up for this is pure MacGuffin, but Stamatopoulos takes the literal plot, as well as its symbolisms in fascinating directions.
I can’t say as I’ve ever read science fiction – or even any fiction – from Greece before, but I’m glad to have had this opportunity to discover new authors and see their visions of common, but varied, themes in the genre. A huge amount of thanks to Luna Press Publishing for making works such as this available, and as always to my friend and partner in crime Rachel Cordasco of SF in Translation for helping to spread the word. [For legal reasons, Rachel and Daniel do no actually engage in criminal enterprise.]
The collection starts strongly, with a pair of my favorites. “Roseweed” is set in a post-climate change dystopia where divers and engineers explore the lower floors of partially submerged buildings for structural integrity. They are hired as part of a plan to turn these spots into ‘escape rooms’ for rich tourists looking for the thrill of visiting abandoned locations filled with the allure of danger and risk among the decay. The story highlights one of the repeating themes of the anthology: that amid disheartening futures, people find ways to go on and live amid the changes. Even when it is still the rich that are carelessly exploiting environments and the classes beneath them, regular people find some semblance of optimism amid those challenges or frustrations.
The story that follows, “Social Engineering” likewise does a great job establishing one of the unifying features to the anthology, the merging of the Classical Greece with the Modern and the Future. This short story literally overlays the periods in an Athens that is cloaked within artificial, or ‘augmented’ realities. The protagonist of the story has been hired to influence an upcoming city referendum, and the plot delves into how engineering at the level of physical urban planning but also through directed social interaction may create more issues than solutions.
Those themes of society hidden underneath veneers or layers, and the interplay between the architectural hardware of a place (with its loaded history) and the individuals who fit into that system like cogs comes up again in different ways in “The Human(c)ity of Athens”, and then another artificial reality in “Baghdad City”. Interestingly – and I assume intentionally – that specific portmanteau of ‘humancity’ appears in a later story of the anthology as well (T2, if I recall), striking alternate tones to the same theme(s).
Like Rachel, I enjoyed the classic science fiction vibes of “Those We Serve”, with its artificial intelligences that have ‘replaced’ human counterparts, and the mystery of “Any Old Disease” that called to mind questions of what we consider biological versus not. “The Bee Problem” similarly evokes thoughts on the intersections between the biological and the artificial when the performance of drones becomes affected by a return of native bee populations.
Very short, “Abacos” had a transcript format that I didn’t really enjoy, though it is certainly well composed as that. It shares with “Android Whores Can’t Cry” an element of trying to reconstruct a past, the truth, from recording, which is interesting. I remain uncertain over that last story, probably the most challenging in the anthology, and needing a reread.
The story that closes out Nova Hellas was another of my top favorites. “The Colour That Defines You” occurs in a future world where some unexplained event has caused humans to no longer see colors. In general, people are left only seeing shades of gray from black to white… except for one specific color that is unique to each and every person. Pure happenstance leads some to discover the identity of that one color their brain can process. Others haven’t yet found it. Through the story we follow the threads of several intersecting characters and how this unique situation ends up defining their existence. What if the only color one could perceive was that of fresh, scarlet, blood? The set up for this is pure MacGuffin, but Stamatopoulos takes the literal plot, as well as its symbolisms in fascinating directions.
I can’t say as I’ve ever read science fiction – or even any fiction – from Greece before, but I’m glad to have had this opportunity to discover new authors and see their visions of common, but varied, themes in the genre. A huge amount of thanks to Luna Press Publishing for making works such as this available, and as always to my friend and partner in crime Rachel Cordasco of SF in Translation for helping to spread the word. [For legal reasons, Rachel and Daniel do no actually engage in criminal enterprise.]
April 9, 2021
When I first saw the cover of Nova Hellas popping up on Twitter, I felt a bubbling of excitement that I hadn't felt since I uncovered The Dedalus Book of Greek Fantasy collecting dust at my university's library six or seven years ago.
Nova Hellas is truly a master anthology of thought-provoking and creative tales of the future. Published by Luna Press Publishing, we are able to experience in English (and sometimes Ancient Greek with footnote translations) a series of dystopias and resourceful protagonists.
Greece, for many outside the country, is known for antiquity. Yet for anyone who has studied the region's modern history, it's possible to see the complex relationships and identities forged in the fires of independence, war, military coups, and economic turmoil. Life so often informs our imaginations as a starting point. And with this array of modern Greek writers, the reader can really explore the future through an invaluable lens of resilience.
It's easy for me to rave about this collection - it's an incredible treasure trove. And I loved every story.
If you love SFF and want to read something different and meaningful, Nova Hellas will give you 11 remarkable and unforgettable narratives.
Nova Hellas is truly a master anthology of thought-provoking and creative tales of the future. Published by Luna Press Publishing, we are able to experience in English (and sometimes Ancient Greek with footnote translations) a series of dystopias and resourceful protagonists.
Greece, for many outside the country, is known for antiquity. Yet for anyone who has studied the region's modern history, it's possible to see the complex relationships and identities forged in the fires of independence, war, military coups, and economic turmoil. Life so often informs our imaginations as a starting point. And with this array of modern Greek writers, the reader can really explore the future through an invaluable lens of resilience.
It's easy for me to rave about this collection - it's an incredible treasure trove. And I loved every story.
If you love SFF and want to read something different and meaningful, Nova Hellas will give you 11 remarkable and unforgettable narratives.
June 2, 2021
Very interesting anthology, with stories from dystopian. Athens and not only. Some young and talented Greek
writers share their vision of the future. A must read for those who don't settle for mainstream.
writers share their vision of the future. A must read for those who don't settle for mainstream.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2022
I really liked 3 of stories in this, liked 3 and was left confused by the others. I dont read anthologies often but I did find it nice to not only read Dystopian but also a translated work as I never feel I do this enough.
If you like short stories I would check this out as you are bound to find at least one you like as each one is unique and even had some twists I didn't see coming.
If you like short stories I would check this out as you are bound to find at least one you like as each one is unique and even had some twists I didn't see coming.
December 27, 2023
Di tutte le raccolte che ho letto finora targate Future Fiction, questa è stata senza ombra di dubbio quella che ho percepito come meglio riuscita.
Tutti i racconti risultano interessanti e sufficientemente diversi, con varie declinazioni di sci-fi e tema tra l'uno e l'altro.
Degni di nota "Il problema delle api" per il tema sicuramente molto contemporaneo ma meno trattato rispetto ad altri temi come riscaldamento globale e progresso tecnologico, "Le prostitute androidi non piangono" che è una chiara elegia a K. Dick, e "Il colore che mi rappresenta" per l'originalità.
Tutti i racconti risultano interessanti e sufficientemente diversi, con varie declinazioni di sci-fi e tema tra l'uno e l'altro.
Degni di nota "Il problema delle api" per il tema sicuramente molto contemporaneo ma meno trattato rispetto ad altri temi come riscaldamento globale e progresso tecnologico, "Le prostitute androidi non piangono" che è una chiara elegia a K. Dick, e "Il colore che mi rappresenta" per l'originalità.
July 7, 2024
Very interesting. Especially the first one was difficult to get into. I loved reading scifi from a coulture I know but have never heard their ideas for the future.
July 24, 2022
Creo que lo más destacable es que se tocan temas diferentes a la temática de ciencia ficción estadounidense o británica. Como la migración o la multiculturalidad. Por lo demás, la calidad, imaginación y hasta el estilo literario son bastante estándar.
April 26, 2023
Loved this collection! I loved reading the stories written from a different cultural background, and they were all good stories, too! Excellent reading!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews