Scan barcode
Reviews
People of the Book: A Decade of Jewish Science Fiction & Fantasy by Rachel Swirsky, Sean Wallace
saturnserina's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
3.5
adastraperlibros's review
3.0
"I do not know if human beings are better anywhere. But I like to think, liebling, that in this sad world of ours, those who create do not destroy so often."
People of the Book, edited by Rachel Swirsky and Sean Wallace, is an anthology of twenty Jewish sci-fi and fantasy short stories from throughout the 00s, featuring such big-name authors as Neil Gaiman and Michael Chabon, as well as many new-to-me authors.
I didn't grow up hearing stories of Jewish folklore, but I'm quite interested in learning the traditional stories so I can pass them on myself. As such, my favorites in this collection were the stories involving mythical creatures like angels and demons, dragons and dybbuks. Neils Bohr and the Sleeping Dane by Jonathon Sullivan was a particular fav, a gorgeous blend of Kabbalah and particle physics.
The collection skews very fantasy heavy rather than sci-fi. That said, some stories didn't seem to be very SFF at all, or if they were it was in more of a metaphorical or metaphysical way. A couple were alternate history stories that frankly didn't make much sense. One story wasn't even discernibly Jewish to me (Neil Gaiman's, specifically. I've never been much a fan of his and this was no exception).
Overall it's a pretty mixed bag, but there are some gems to be had.
People of the Book, edited by Rachel Swirsky and Sean Wallace, is an anthology of twenty Jewish sci-fi and fantasy short stories from throughout the 00s, featuring such big-name authors as Neil Gaiman and Michael Chabon, as well as many new-to-me authors.
I didn't grow up hearing stories of Jewish folklore, but I'm quite interested in learning the traditional stories so I can pass them on myself. As such, my favorites in this collection were the stories involving mythical creatures like angels and demons, dragons and dybbuks. Neils Bohr and the Sleeping Dane by Jonathon Sullivan was a particular fav, a gorgeous blend of Kabbalah and particle physics.
The collection skews very fantasy heavy rather than sci-fi. That said, some stories didn't seem to be very SFF at all, or if they were it was in more of a metaphorical or metaphysical way. A couple were alternate history stories that frankly didn't make much sense. One story wasn't even discernibly Jewish to me (Neil Gaiman's, specifically. I've never been much a fan of his and this was no exception).
Overall it's a pretty mixed bag, but there are some gems to be had.
anastar's review against another edition
5.0
Some of these stories were lovely and heartbreaking and I had to take a few Emotion Breaks just to keep from crying. What a wonderful collection to stumble across.
jcansdale's review against another edition
3.0
An eclectic and entertaining collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories.
anna_0001's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
anlekaha's review against another edition
3.0
I loved some of these stories and disliked others. It was fun to learn about Jewish folklore like dybbuks and golems.
The stories I liked:
Burning Beard by Rachel Pollack (story from point of view of Joseph of Egypt)
The Wings of Mister Wilheim by Theodora Goss (misfits dream of escape to floating city)
Niels Bohr and the Sleeping Dane by Jonathon Sullivan (golem vs Nazis)
The Tsar's Dragon by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple (Rasputin + Lenin + Trotsky + literal dragons)
Dark Coffee, Bright Light and the Paradoxes of Omnipotence by Ben Burgis (alt universe where Israel lost the Six Day War of 1967)
Biographical Notes to 'A Discourse on the Nature of Causality, with Air-planes' by Benjamin Rosenbaum (adventure romp in alt universe)
Uncle Chaim and Aunt Rifle and the Angel by Peter S Beagle (most pleasant possession story ever)
The Muldoon by Glen Hirshberg (excellent ghost story)
Semaphore by Alex Irvine (young boy mourns brother by studying words)
I'm mad that the Neil Gaiman story had an interesting premise but ended with a totally gross/weird bestiality scene.
The stories I liked:
Burning Beard by Rachel Pollack (story from point of view of Joseph of Egypt)
The Wings of Mister Wilheim by Theodora Goss (misfits dream of escape to floating city)
Niels Bohr and the Sleeping Dane by Jonathon Sullivan (golem vs Nazis)
The Tsar's Dragon by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple (Rasputin + Lenin + Trotsky + literal dragons)
Dark Coffee, Bright Light and the Paradoxes of Omnipotence by Ben Burgis (alt universe where Israel lost the Six Day War of 1967)
Biographical Notes to 'A Discourse on the Nature of Causality, with Air-planes' by Benjamin Rosenbaum (adventure romp in alt universe)
Uncle Chaim and Aunt Rifle and the Angel by Peter S Beagle (most pleasant possession story ever)
The Muldoon by Glen Hirshberg (excellent ghost story)
Semaphore by Alex Irvine (young boy mourns brother by studying words)
I'm mad that the Neil Gaiman story had an interesting premise but ended with a totally gross/weird bestiality scene.
yozhik's review
2.5
The stories in here are just okay overall. Some are really good, like "Uncle Chaim, Aunt Rifke and the Angel." Some, like "The Problem of Susan" were just terrible. It's not the most satisfying of short story collections.
magneticcrow's review
5.0
A very solid collection. A number of the stories I'd read before, but among those were some of my all-time favorites, like Benjamin Rosenbaum's 'Biographical notes to "A Discourse on the nature of Causality, with Air-Planes" by Benjamin Rosenbaum"'. A little maudlin in places, collectively, but well worth reading.
athenalindia's review
4.0
Another collection of short stories I picked up on sale at the local comic book store during that one sale every year where such things appear. I thought Jewish science fiction sounded really interesting, and the authors on the cover sold me.
Of course, having read it, this book is mostly Jewish fantasy, folklore brought to life. There are only, if I'm remembering correctly, two science fiction stories in it. That's a little disappointing, but in general, the quality of the stories in the collection was very high. Still, there isn't more Jewish science fiction out there?
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Of course, having read it, this book is mostly Jewish fantasy, folklore brought to life. There are only, if I'm remembering correctly, two science fiction stories in it. That's a little disappointing, but in general, the quality of the stories in the collection was very high. Still, there isn't more Jewish science fiction out there?
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook