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A review by pastathief
Bloodchildren: Stories by the Octavia E. Butler Scholars by Nisi Shawl
4.0
I initially bought this book because the purchase (only $8.01) supported a good cause (the Octavia E. Butler scholarship). That it might be an okay read was kind of gravy.
Fortunately, it turned out to not only be okay, but to be mostly very good. Like any short story anthology, there are some winner and some duds (and which one you consider to be in each category is likely to vary from person to person). I felt that a few of the stories were exceedingly rough. However, a larger number of the stories were so fresh and original that they inspired that kind of truly excited feeling you get when you come across a whole new literary love. Even when the stories touched on almost-too-well-worn tropes such as a viral apocalypse, they tended to breathe new life into them and offer new perspectives where I had almost started to think there were none still to be found.
I do think that the ordering of the stories could have been better. I feel like the best works were mostly front-loaded, and that that meant that my interest and enjoyment diminished during the parts of the book where it needed the most bolstering or where my attention was most bound to wander.
In most respects, though, this was an excellent read. Combine that with a very moderate price and the money going to a great cause, and you simply can't go wrong.
Fortunately, it turned out to not only be okay, but to be mostly very good. Like any short story anthology, there are some winner and some duds (and which one you consider to be in each category is likely to vary from person to person). I felt that a few of the stories were exceedingly rough. However, a larger number of the stories were so fresh and original that they inspired that kind of truly excited feeling you get when you come across a whole new literary love. Even when the stories touched on almost-too-well-worn tropes such as a viral apocalypse, they tended to breathe new life into them and offer new perspectives where I had almost started to think there were none still to be found.
I do think that the ordering of the stories could have been better. I feel like the best works were mostly front-loaded, and that that meant that my interest and enjoyment diminished during the parts of the book where it needed the most bolstering or where my attention was most bound to wander.
In most respects, though, this was an excellent read. Combine that with a very moderate price and the money going to a great cause, and you simply can't go wrong.