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Reviews tagging 'Animal death'
Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology by Jeff VanderMeer, Ann VanderMeer
2 reviews
purplemind's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
A great anthology that made me discover some authors whose works I'm definitely going to seek out.
There are a few weaker stories in the bunch, but overall I can't really find it in me to bump the rating down by much, since the stories I enjoyed I really enjoyed.
A few of the stand-outs for me:
- The screwfly solution by James Tiptree, Jr. (Alice Bradley Sheldon) : possibly my favourite story of them all; loved the hauntingly slow reveal of the plot via the epistolary format, it worked incredibly well for the horror/sci-fi blend the author was going for; amazing closing line.
- The evening and the morning and the night by Octavia E. Butler : tied for first place; Butler's writing immerses you in the narrative instantly, throwing you in a believably horrifying world without drowing you in exposition.
- The palm tree bandit by Nnedi Okorafor : short and sweet, an extremely pleasant read; features one of my favourite tropes, (view spoiler) but for real this time.
- Gestella by Susan Palwick : I loved and hated this story; this story slaps you in the face with the first paragraph and knocks you out clean with the last; read at your own risk.
- The glass bottle trick by Nalo Hopkinson : (view spoiler) set against the world of Jamaican folklore; loved how the dialogue was written in such a way that the characters' accent/dialect was clearly defined yet still perfectly understandable by
someome not immersed in the culture (like me).
- Home by the sea by Elisabeth Vonaburg : very Blade Runner-y, but not derivative, retaining its own flavour throughout; very vivid and "alive" characters, closing the anthology with a bang!
Also good: The forbidden words of Margaret A. (L. Timmel Duchamp), The grammarian's five daughters (Eleanor Arnason), Northern chess (Tanith Lee), Sur (Ursula K. Le Guin), Thirteen ways of looking at space/time (Catherynne M. Valente)
There are a few weaker stories in the bunch, but overall I can't really find it in me to bump the rating down by much, since the stories I enjoyed I really enjoyed.
A few of the stand-outs for me:
- The screwfly solution by James Tiptree, Jr. (Alice Bradley Sheldon) : possibly my favourite story of them all; loved the hauntingly slow reveal of the plot via the epistolary format, it worked incredibly well for the horror/sci-fi blend the author was going for; amazing closing line.
- The evening and the morning and the night by Octavia E. Butler : tied for first place; Butler's writing immerses you in the narrative instantly, throwing you in a believably horrifying world without drowing you in exposition.
- The palm tree bandit by Nnedi Okorafor : short and sweet, an extremely pleasant read; features one of my favourite tropes, (view spoiler) but for real this time.
- Gestella by Susan Palwick : I loved and hated this story; this story slaps you in the face with the first paragraph and knocks you out clean with the last; read at your own risk.
- The glass bottle trick by Nalo Hopkinson : (view spoiler) set against the world of Jamaican folklore; loved how the dialogue was written in such a way that the characters' accent/dialect was clearly defined yet still perfectly understandable by
someome not immersed in the culture (like me).
- Home by the sea by Elisabeth Vonaburg : very Blade Runner-y, but not derivative, retaining its own flavour throughout; very vivid and "alive" characters, closing the anthology with a bang!
Also good: The forbidden words of Margaret A. (L. Timmel Duchamp), The grammarian's five daughters (Eleanor Arnason), Northern chess (Tanith Lee), Sur (Ursula K. Le Guin), Thirteen ways of looking at space/time (Catherynne M. Valente)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death and Misogyny
coffinfinite's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A wonderful collection of short stories, most of which are nothing short of excellent. It is difficult to critically assess twenty-nine separate stories, so I shall instead list my favourites. I found the best story to be Gestella by Susan Palwick, the conclusion of which had such a powerful emotional impact that I cried.
The Forbidden Words of Margaret A by L. Timmel Duchamp
The Palm Tree Bandit by Nnedi Okorafor
The Grammarian’s Five Daughters by Eleanor Arnason
The Glass Bottle Trick by Nalo Hopkinson
The Screwfly Solution by James Tiptree, Jr
The Evening and the Morning and the Night by Octavia E. Butler
The Men Who Live In Trees by Kelly Barnhill
The Fall River Axe Murders by Angela Carter
When It Changed by Joanna Russ
Boys by Carol Emshwiller
Stable Strategies for Middle Management by Eileen Gunn
Aunts by Karin Tidbeck
The Forbidden Words of Margaret A by L. Timmel Duchamp
The Palm Tree Bandit by Nnedi Okorafor
The Grammarian’s Five Daughters by Eleanor Arnason
The Glass Bottle Trick by Nalo Hopkinson
The Screwfly Solution by James Tiptree, Jr
The Evening and the Morning and the Night by Octavia E. Butler
The Men Who Live In Trees by Kelly Barnhill
The Fall River Axe Murders by Angela Carter
When It Changed by Joanna Russ
Boys by Carol Emshwiller
Stable Strategies for Middle Management by Eileen Gunn
Aunts by Karin Tidbeck
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
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