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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
A great collection of dystopian tales featuring cultural diverse characters. Something that is often missing from teen fiction.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This anthology is filled with dystopian futures, time travelers, an organic hybrid structure kilometers in size that we live in oh and the Dalai Lama in a data cube.
It's a fascinating and engaging selection of short stories from a diverse range of authors, all of which have tales to tell that will make you think. Hard to select a few favourites but I would go for: the Last Day, Freshee's Frogurt, Uncertainty Principle, Pattern Recognition, Good Girl and A Pocket Full of Dharma.
Enjoy!
It's a fascinating and engaging selection of short stories from a diverse range of authors, all of which have tales to tell that will make you think. Hard to select a few favourites but I would go for: the Last Day, Freshee's Frogurt, Uncertainty Principle, Pattern Recognition, Good Girl and A Pocket Full of Dharma.
Enjoy!
The Last Day, Good Girl, Blue Skies (which was a lot like Jay Kristoff's book, Stormdancer) and Uncertainty Principle (the idea was so unique, and I think the author should totally expand her story into a full book) were my favorites.
Loved the stories from different narrators!!!
Wow! What a strong collection. A few felt like great concepts that really needed more space to breathe, but I think that's difficult to avoid in a short form dystopia.
I was initially a little turned off by the first two stories, which are incredibly gruesome, but none of the other were nearly as grisly. I particularly loved the stories by K Tempest Bradford, Malinda Lo, Cindy Pon and Rajan Khanna. Ursula K Le Guin's was saved for last, with good reason. It was amazing. I know this makes me a terrible queer nerd, but this is the first thing by her I've ever read. I suppose I have vague memories of Catwings.
I feel like this book has not gotten as much love as it should because it's hard to tell from the cover and summary what exactly it's about. It is collection of short stories set in dystopian worlds with diverse protagonists. It is an awesome showcase of dystopian fiction by and about people of color.
It should also be noted that part of the proceeds go to the Octavia Butler Memorial Scholarship, which extends important opportunities to writers of color. I got this at the library, but I might go out and buy a copy for myself!
I was initially a little turned off by the first two stories, which are incredibly gruesome
Spoiler
and seemed to be playing into the trope of people of color sacrificing themselves to save othersI feel like this book has not gotten as much love as it should because it's hard to tell from the cover and summary what exactly it's about. It is collection of short stories set in dystopian worlds with diverse protagonists. It is an awesome showcase of dystopian fiction by and about people of color.
It should also be noted that part of the proceeds go to the Octavia Butler Memorial Scholarship, which extends important opportunities to writers of color. I got this at the library, but I might go out and buy a copy for myself!
Diverse Energies is a collection of sci-fi short stories that focuses on diversity. The characters of these stories are not the usual white faces of science fiction, and I found the change refreshing. I remember the first time read Orson Scott Card's collection of Mormon-based sci-fi short stories, and how I felt that finally someone had written stories in which I could recognize myself. It is the hope of the editors of this collection that children of diverse and mixed heritages will see themselves in these stories. Readers will find familiar authors among this collection, such as Ursula Le Guin and Paolo Bacigalupi. The stories are varied in theme, ranging from dystopian to time travel to alien worlds. I truly did enjoy reading sci fi set in Asian countries--what a refreshing change! Overall, I feel this book is a must have for both public and school libraries as a valuable addition to any collection.
Honestly, bleak.
But the last story? [b:Solitude|23637384|Solitude|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558940322l/23637384._SX50_.jpg|43241987] by Ursula K. Le Guin?
Worth reading all the other stories to get to her.
Master. I want to read more. Immediately.
But the last story? [b:Solitude|23637384|Solitude|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558940322l/23637384._SX50_.jpg|43241987] by Ursula K. Le Guin?
Worth reading all the other stories to get to her.
Master. I want to read more. Immediately.
I was excited to get my hands on Diverse Energies. Dystopia is an area of young adult literature that has been flourishing over the past few years especially following the release of The Hunger Games, but there is still a need for more works featuring protagonists from diverse backgrounds. To spell it out more clearly, it would be great to see more young adult dystopias with protagonists that are something other than straight white teens. With Diverse Energies, the editors and contributors were hoping to help fill this need and create change in the landscape of young adult science fiction.
Before the stories begin, readers find a quote from John F. Kennedy: “The wave of the future is not the conquest of the world by a single dogmatic creed but the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men.” This demonstrates the spirit of this book. There is a high value placed on diversity. The stories shared here reveal the strength and beauty of that diversity even in the midst of chaos.
Dystopian stories typically have a corrupt entity taking unfair advantage of the masses often after war or another apocalyptic event. Since that is a fairly standard storyline, I was wondering how unique these short stories could be. It turns out that the voices were distinct and each one has a different storyline with its own particular flavor. There are stories of war, rebellious robots, child slavery, extreme economic disparity, time travel, among others.
Most of the stories manage to end with a bit of hope, but like many dystopians, they are all pretty bleak so they do tug on emotions. In the very first story by Ellen Oh, the pain took me by surprise. I didn’t expect so much intensity right away. These authors meant business. The very next story, Freshee’s Frogurt by Daniel H. Wilson, is told in a lighter tone though the subject matter is also intense. I appreciated hearing the stories told in radically different ways.
An anthology for me is like an appetizer sampler. The variety almost ensures that there will be something to appeal to everyone. Also, there isn’t such a large investment required of the reader when stories are so brief. I was happy to meet some new authors through this book and will be seeking out more of their works.
Recommendation: Dystopian fans buy it now and even if you aren’t a dystopian fan, I would recommend you read it soon. The worlds and characters are rich and it is amazing to see what the authors have imagined into being within just a few pages.
Original review posted at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2013/11/book-review-diverse-energies/
Before the stories begin, readers find a quote from John F. Kennedy: “The wave of the future is not the conquest of the world by a single dogmatic creed but the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men.” This demonstrates the spirit of this book. There is a high value placed on diversity. The stories shared here reveal the strength and beauty of that diversity even in the midst of chaos.
Dystopian stories typically have a corrupt entity taking unfair advantage of the masses often after war or another apocalyptic event. Since that is a fairly standard storyline, I was wondering how unique these short stories could be. It turns out that the voices were distinct and each one has a different storyline with its own particular flavor. There are stories of war, rebellious robots, child slavery, extreme economic disparity, time travel, among others.
Most of the stories manage to end with a bit of hope, but like many dystopians, they are all pretty bleak so they do tug on emotions. In the very first story by Ellen Oh, the pain took me by surprise. I didn’t expect so much intensity right away. These authors meant business. The very next story, Freshee’s Frogurt by Daniel H. Wilson, is told in a lighter tone though the subject matter is also intense. I appreciated hearing the stories told in radically different ways.
An anthology for me is like an appetizer sampler. The variety almost ensures that there will be something to appeal to everyone. Also, there isn’t such a large investment required of the reader when stories are so brief. I was happy to meet some new authors through this book and will be seeking out more of their works.
Recommendation: Dystopian fans buy it now and even if you aren’t a dystopian fan, I would recommend you read it soon. The worlds and characters are rich and it is amazing to see what the authors have imagined into being within just a few pages.
Original review posted at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2013/11/book-review-diverse-energies/
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated