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kira_vv's review against another edition
4.0
Reviews of each short story:
The Ones Who Stay and Fight: 5/5. Beautifully written. Is a harshly enforced utopia desirable if in all other aspects it is a utopia? Is the enforcement just added to assuage the reader's worries of realism? I'm going to have to sit down and think about this story.
The City Born Great: 4/5. Jemisin later expanded this into a novel, which I started but didn't get far into. I like it better as a short story. Strong character voice.
Red Dirt Witch: 5/5. I like the mythology and how real history is incorporated.
L'Alchimista: 3.5/5. Not much plot, but lovely descriptions of food and cooking and magic.
The Effluent Engine: 5/5. It works great as a short story, but also I need an entire novel about sapphic steampunk Haitians! I want to explore more of this alternate history and these characters' adventures.
Cloud Dragon Skies: 3.5/5. Very intriguing concept of those who stay on Earth having traditional cultures and the "sky people" embracing technology at the cost of mythology. I just didn't vibe much with the plot of this one.
The Trojan Girl & Valedictorian: These two pair well together, both 4/5. The ideas and worlds were more interesting than the plot.
The Storyteller's Replacement: 2/5. I just didn't care for the subject matter, and easily predicted the twist.
The Brides of Heaven: 4/5. I like that the space colony is entirely Muslim women with varying views on their religion.
The Evaluators: 5/5. Interesting format. I love the gradual sense that something is wrong, building up to the realization of what.
Walking Awake: 4.5/5. Not the most original concept, but I like the way it's written.
The Elevator Dancer: 3/5. Nothing special, in my opinion.
Cuisine des Memoires: 4/5. A little slow, but interesting.
Stone Hunger: 4/5. I like the writing style in this one. The plot confused me at first, but I'd be interested in exploring this world more.
On the Banks of the River Lex: 4/5. Not much plot, but nice exploration of a concept.
The Narcomancer: 4.5/5. Interesting world! I think it did a much better job with its sensitive subject matter than The Storyteller's Replacement did.
Henosis: 4/5. The format of out-of-order chapters actually worked for me and wasn't too confusing.
Too Many Yesterdays, Not Enough Tomorrows: 4/5. Fun concept!
The You Train: 3.5/5. The character voice is fun and feels very familiar. Not much plot, but it's impressive how welcoming the trains feel through the narrator's voice.
Non-Zero Probabilities: 3.5/5. Interesting concept, not much plot.
Sinners, Saints, Dragons, and Haints, in the City Beneath the Still Waters: 5/5. If only a beast was really responsible for the cruelty after Hurricane Katrina. The banter with the dragon/"lizard" is fun.
The Ones Who Stay and Fight: 5/5. Beautifully written. Is a harshly enforced utopia desirable if in all other aspects it is a utopia? Is the enforcement just added to assuage the reader's worries of realism? I'm going to have to sit down and think about this story.
The City Born Great: 4/5. Jemisin later expanded this into a novel, which I started but didn't get far into. I like it better as a short story. Strong character voice.
Red Dirt Witch: 5/5. I like the mythology and how real history is incorporated.
L'Alchimista: 3.5/5. Not much plot, but lovely descriptions of food and cooking and magic.
The Effluent Engine: 5/5. It works great as a short story, but also I need an entire novel about sapphic steampunk Haitians! I want to explore more of this alternate history and these characters' adventures.
Cloud Dragon Skies: 3.5/5. Very intriguing concept of those who stay on Earth having traditional cultures and the "sky people" embracing technology at the cost of mythology. I just didn't vibe much with the plot of this one.
The Trojan Girl & Valedictorian: These two pair well together, both 4/5. The ideas and worlds were more interesting than the plot.
The Storyteller's Replacement: 2/5. I just didn't care for the subject matter, and easily predicted the twist.
The Brides of Heaven: 4/5. I like that the space colony is entirely Muslim women with varying views on their religion.
The Evaluators: 5/5. Interesting format. I love the gradual sense that something is wrong, building up to the realization of what.
Walking Awake: 4.5/5. Not the most original concept, but I like the way it's written.
The Elevator Dancer: 3/5. Nothing special, in my opinion.
Cuisine des Memoires: 4/5. A little slow, but interesting.
Stone Hunger: 4/5. I like the writing style in this one. The plot confused me at first, but I'd be interested in exploring this world more.
On the Banks of the River Lex: 4/5. Not much plot, but nice exploration of a concept.
The Narcomancer: 4.5/5. Interesting world! I think it did a much better job with its sensitive subject matter than The Storyteller's Replacement did.
Henosis: 4/5. The format of out-of-order chapters actually worked for me and wasn't too confusing.
Too Many Yesterdays, Not Enough Tomorrows: 4/5. Fun concept!
The You Train: 3.5/5. The character voice is fun and feels very familiar. Not much plot, but it's impressive how welcoming the trains feel through the narrator's voice.
Non-Zero Probabilities: 3.5/5. Interesting concept, not much plot.
Sinners, Saints, Dragons, and Haints, in the City Beneath the Still Waters: 5/5. If only a beast was really responsible for the cruelty after Hurricane Katrina. The banter with the dragon/"lizard" is fun.
kaitkimmha's review against another edition
5.0
All of these stories are amazing. I could read every one of them again and be just as entranced as the first time.
cellardoor10's review against another edition
5.0
I have some higher requirements for short stories to earn 5 stars, since I sometimes struggle with the medium - struggle to get invested, struggle with the frequently used "gotcha" ending that I often am confused by. I struggle to follow the changes in setting and narrator, etc.
That said, this collection is fantastic. If you want to imagine about 6 different ways New York City could look, read this. If you want to see how African and Caribbean faiths and deities can integrate into futurism, sci-fi, and fantasy, read this. If you want to be moved by poignant stories, small gestures, large sacrifices, and the tension of connection and isolation, read this. If you've ever wanted your cooking to have magical powers, read this.
The only caveat - if you're going to read the Broken Earth Trilogy, I recommend reading at least Fifth Season before this, as one of the short stories is set during that book, and you will get more out of it if you've read that book first. I read it several years ago and struggled to remember some of the connections that were hinted at but slightly less obvious.
I had read one of them before, "Walking Awake" about "Masters" who take over the bodies of human youths. I think it was in a separate short story collection (many authors), but it is a powerful one, even again.
I think my favorite was Effluent Engine, for the adorable f/f romance of two incredibly smart, fierce, dedicated women. But there were a lot of standout stories.
Definitely recommend!
That said, this collection is fantastic. If you want to imagine about 6 different ways New York City could look, read this. If you want to see how African and Caribbean faiths and deities can integrate into futurism, sci-fi, and fantasy, read this. If you want to be moved by poignant stories, small gestures, large sacrifices, and the tension of connection and isolation, read this. If you've ever wanted your cooking to have magical powers, read this.
The only caveat - if you're going to read the Broken Earth Trilogy, I recommend reading at least Fifth Season before this, as one of the short stories is set during that book, and you will get more out of it if you've read that book first. I read it several years ago and struggled to remember some of the connections that were hinted at but slightly less obvious.
I had read one of them before, "Walking Awake" about "Masters" who take over the bodies of human youths. I think it was in a separate short story collection (many authors), but it is a powerful one, even again.
I think my favorite was Effluent Engine, for the adorable f/f romance of two incredibly smart, fierce, dedicated women. But there were a lot of standout stories.
Definitely recommend!
natixii's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? N/A
4.75
kfaileru's review against another edition
i am a mood reader. i plan to return to the book and finish it.
jvperkins's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
iamleighbot's review against another edition
4.0
Some of these stories were a little uninteresting but the majority are AMAZING and even the 'less good' ones couldn't be called 'bad'. For sure, Red Dirt Witch and The Storyteller's Replacement are my favorites - with many, many close ones behind like The You Train and The Elevator Dancer (I think the shortest one)
bbganooj's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
wow just loved loved!! a bit biased towards Jemisin, but her stories were amazing and so well written and compact, it felt like i wanted more but was satisfied. specific mention goes to the engine story, the one about new orleans, the two stories about cooking, the story about NY, and the story about the world that Fifth Season is based on.