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suncani's review
4.0
Really good mix of stories, set in some interesting time periods. I think my favourites were S. Lynn – “Ffydd (Faith) and L.S. Johnson – “Marigolds”
mxsunny's review
5.0
This was an excellent anthology. Just about every story was thrumming with creative energy. I am going to buy this immediately.
Aw man I wrote this long review and then goodreads ate it. Ugh.
Just. I. Love. This. Book.
Aw man I wrote this long review and then goodreads ate it. Ugh.
Just. I. Love. This. Book.
virginiaduan's review
4.0
It had taken me a really long time to read because quite frankly, a lot of the stories are super creepy and full of dread. But I tell you, it is good to see people of color in stories. Good and right. So glad for this book.
leonicka's review
5.0
Beauty of #LongHidden is that it's a prism; some faces are windows, some are mirrors, others are portals. The faces shift for each reader.
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[Full Review]
rivqa's review
4.0
A collection of wonderful stories that meet a thematic sweet spot: specific enough to feel cohesive, but wide enough to give sufficient variety. Although not every story was for me (which is perfectly OK for any anthology), more than enough will resonate with me for a long time.
coolcurrybooks's review
3.0
Long Hidden is a speculative fiction anthology focusing on the those marginalized by history – people of color, queer people, disabled people, women, ect. The stories are set in different periods and locals throughout Earth’s history, and all of them involve some fantastical element.
Long Hidden was of fairly average quality when it came to short story collections. There’s a number of stories I liked, a lot that left me cold, and a few that I struggled with. I doubt it will take long for me to forget the vast majority of the stories in Long Hidden. The one exception is my favorite story of the collection, Ken Liu’s “Knotting Grass, Holding Ring,” a dark tale of two women struggling to survive as their city is invaded. For all its brutality, “Knotting Grass, Holding Ring” also managed to create some beauty.
“Free Jim’s Mine” by Tananrive Due is a very well constructed story of a runaway slave in the American South and her Cherokee husband. I’ll admit that I was apathetic for most of the story, but the twist at the end adds some intriguing layers to this tale.
There were actually a large number of other stories also set in the US or Canada, twelve in total out of twenty-seven stories. There were also five more stories set in Western Europe, giving the overall collection a greater focus on the West than I expected. While other stories did range across Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia, I would have preferred for them to make up a greater segment of the collection.
Other stories I enjoyed include “The Colts” by Benjamin Parzybok, where executed Hungarian peasants rise from the grave. “A Wedding in Hungry Days” by Nicolette Barischoff tells of the marriage between a lonely dead girl and a lonely living boy in rural China. “Each Part Without Mercy” by Meg Jayanth is set in India during 1746 and follows a girl whose dreams lend themselves to an unusual purpose. “Diyu” by Robert William Iveniuk adds a bit of science fiction to the collection with a Buddhist monk working on a railroad in Canada having an alien encounter.
The only story I skipped was “Jooni” by Emba Banton. I read the first few pages but wasn’t feeling it. There were only a couple of other stories that I actually disliked. “Ffydd (Faith)” by S. Lynn was confusing and meandering, and I don’t understand why it was included in the first place. “Marigolds” by L. S. Johnson was mentioned on the back cover, and I was excited for it going in. A f/f romance in revolutionary France! Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The speculative element didn’t seem well thought out, I didn’t buy the connection between the two women, and I was put off by what I interpreted as an attempt at a love spell.
I was excited about the inclusion of interior illustrations, but I found most of those to be disappointing as well. But at least the cover art is gorgeous. I do want to note that I hated the formatting of the paperback copy I read. There were practically no margins, and it made it very difficult to read. If you’re going to read this collection, I’d suggest trying to get an ebook copy instead.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Long Hidden was of fairly average quality when it came to short story collections. There’s a number of stories I liked, a lot that left me cold, and a few that I struggled with. I doubt it will take long for me to forget the vast majority of the stories in Long Hidden. The one exception is my favorite story of the collection, Ken Liu’s “Knotting Grass, Holding Ring,” a dark tale of two women struggling to survive as their city is invaded. For all its brutality, “Knotting Grass, Holding Ring” also managed to create some beauty.
“Free Jim’s Mine” by Tananrive Due is a very well constructed story of a runaway slave in the American South and her Cherokee husband. I’ll admit that I was apathetic for most of the story, but the twist at the end adds some intriguing layers to this tale.
There were actually a large number of other stories also set in the US or Canada, twelve in total out of twenty-seven stories. There were also five more stories set in Western Europe, giving the overall collection a greater focus on the West than I expected. While other stories did range across Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia, I would have preferred for them to make up a greater segment of the collection.
Other stories I enjoyed include “The Colts” by Benjamin Parzybok, where executed Hungarian peasants rise from the grave. “A Wedding in Hungry Days” by Nicolette Barischoff tells of the marriage between a lonely dead girl and a lonely living boy in rural China. “Each Part Without Mercy” by Meg Jayanth is set in India during 1746 and follows a girl whose dreams lend themselves to an unusual purpose. “Diyu” by Robert William Iveniuk adds a bit of science fiction to the collection with a Buddhist monk working on a railroad in Canada having an alien encounter.
The only story I skipped was “Jooni” by Emba Banton. I read the first few pages but wasn’t feeling it. There were only a couple of other stories that I actually disliked. “Ffydd (Faith)” by S. Lynn was confusing and meandering, and I don’t understand why it was included in the first place. “Marigolds” by L. S. Johnson was mentioned on the back cover, and I was excited for it going in. A f/f romance in revolutionary France! Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The speculative element didn’t seem well thought out, I didn’t buy the connection between the two women, and I was put off by what I interpreted as an attempt at a love spell.
I was excited about the inclusion of interior illustrations, but I found most of those to be disappointing as well. But at least the cover art is gorgeous. I do want to note that I hated the formatting of the paperback copy I read. There were practically no margins, and it made it very difficult to read. If you’re going to read this collection, I’d suggest trying to get an ebook copy instead.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
andreablythe's review
5.0
I received this book as a reward for supporting the kickstarter project that made it possible. "Most written chronicles of history, and most speculative stories, put rulers, conquerors, and invaders front and center," the editors wrote in the project description. "People with less power, money, or status—enslaved people, indigenous people, people of color, queer people, laborers, women, people with disabilities, the very young and very old, and religious minorities, among others—are relegated to the margins."
Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History provides alternative narratives, presenting the stories of people that the history books usually ignore. A wide ranging variety of voices populate this excellent collection of stories, offered alongside an individual black and white illustrations, also in a variety of styles. The stories are anchored in time and place, with the date and setting noted at the top of each one, this connection with real-world history makes these stories of the fantastic more believable. There was not a single one in this collection that I didn't like and, for me, the stories ranged from good to utterly fantastic. Below are a few of my personal favorites.
In "Free Jim's Mine" by Tananarive Due escaped slave Lottie and her Cherokee husband are running for freedom. Along the way they seek out her Uncle Jim for help in their escape, but they find out that Uncle Jim's help has a price.
As I'm a sucker for great Baba Yaga story, I had to fall in love with "Across the Seam" by Sunny Moraine. The gritty setting of a coal mining town on the verge of a strike suits the story well. (Moraine has a great blog post about how the story ties in her own family history.)
"Angela and the Scar" by Michael Janairo was a bloody and yet delightful story about a girl and her kapfre (a cigar smoking trickster fairy that lives in the trees) aiding in the fight against the white strangers in the Philippines.
"Perhaps the best tales are only half-told," writes Benjamin Parzybok in "The Colts," a story of the undead that was surprisingly human, haunting, and unexpected.
"Nine" by Kima Jones tells the story of three women and their young boy, who live and work in a lodge and tavern that serves people of color outside of town. This story socked me in the gut in the best of ways.
"It's War" by Nnedi Okorafor is a tale of a girl who can fly, set in 1929 Nigeria. Such a lovely story with so many feels.
"Medu" by Lisa Bolekaja is a magical hair story, about a young girl and her dad as cattle herders in the Wild West. I love seeing alternative visions of the west, in which the focus is on more that the great white cowboy. So damn cool!
Nicolette Barischoff's "A Wedding in Hungry Days", which is the sweet story of a young, lonely ghost who weds a young, lonely boy. So good, it made me cry. The story is paired with this gorgeous illustration by Eric Orchard.
Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History provides alternative narratives, presenting the stories of people that the history books usually ignore. A wide ranging variety of voices populate this excellent collection of stories, offered alongside an individual black and white illustrations, also in a variety of styles. The stories are anchored in time and place, with the date and setting noted at the top of each one, this connection with real-world history makes these stories of the fantastic more believable. There was not a single one in this collection that I didn't like and, for me, the stories ranged from good to utterly fantastic. Below are a few of my personal favorites.
In "Free Jim's Mine" by Tananarive Due escaped slave Lottie and her Cherokee husband are running for freedom. Along the way they seek out her Uncle Jim for help in their escape, but they find out that Uncle Jim's help has a price.
As I'm a sucker for great Baba Yaga story, I had to fall in love with "Across the Seam" by Sunny Moraine. The gritty setting of a coal mining town on the verge of a strike suits the story well. (Moraine has a great blog post about how the story ties in her own family history.)
"Angela and the Scar" by Michael Janairo was a bloody and yet delightful story about a girl and her kapfre (a cigar smoking trickster fairy that lives in the trees) aiding in the fight against the white strangers in the Philippines.
"Perhaps the best tales are only half-told," writes Benjamin Parzybok in "The Colts," a story of the undead that was surprisingly human, haunting, and unexpected.
"Nine" by Kima Jones tells the story of three women and their young boy, who live and work in a lodge and tavern that serves people of color outside of town. This story socked me in the gut in the best of ways.
"It's War" by Nnedi Okorafor is a tale of a girl who can fly, set in 1929 Nigeria. Such a lovely story with so many feels.
"Medu" by Lisa Bolekaja is a magical hair story, about a young girl and her dad as cattle herders in the Wild West. I love seeing alternative visions of the west, in which the focus is on more that the great white cowboy. So damn cool!
Nicolette Barischoff's "A Wedding in Hungry Days", which is the sweet story of a young, lonely ghost who weds a young, lonely boy. So good, it made me cry. The story is paired with this gorgeous illustration by Eric Orchard.