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A review by jenniferlewyauthor
Many Worlds: Or, the Simulacra by Cadwell Turnbull, Josh Eure
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
✨Reality-bending sci-fi stories? Yes please! ✨
Before we get into these stories, let’s talk about the Mandela Effect. You know, the theory that the reality we live in is just one of many copies, and people shift in between these versions without realizing it. Imagine one day you wake up and your favorite childhood show never existed or a famous quote from a movie is suddenly different.
(Remember Jiffy peanut butter? The Berenstein Bears? “Luke, I am your father”? Evidently, those never existed. It was always Jif, Berenstain Bears, and “No, I am your father.” There are dozens of examples like this. I KNOW.)
"Many Worlds" takes this concept and runs with it. The collection explores the idea of alternate realities and the possibility of our existence being a sophisticated illusion. Definitely my cup of tea. I was intrigued enough to pick this up even though I don’t usually gravitate to short stories.
Each story in this collection explores the Mandela Effect (or as the editors call it, the Simulacrum) in its own way, some more explicitly than others. We're talking about humans turning into sentient algae, and worlds where continents are misplaced.
I found myself savoring the collection like a fine meal—each one unique and thought-provoking. Some were fun to read, some were cerebral and cool, and many of the stories made me look up and go “wow” after finishing.
I especially loved the experimental flourishes: the little symbol that’s used as an ornamental break but also appears in a story; the way one author creates a moment so vivid it only requires a page or so of narrative; the mysterious Appendix F at the beginning of the collection.
Reading "Many Worlds" felt like diving into a pool of mind-bending ideas and emerging with new perspectives on reality. The collection asks, "Are we living in a simulation? How would we even know?"
And… “What would you DO about it if we were?”
Love that the collection is published by Radix Media, a NY-based, worker-owned organization that prioritizes marginalized communities.
If you're into sci-fi and love exploring alternate realities, I recommend diving into "Many Worlds" and letting it whisk you away on a journey through the multiverse. ✌️⚡️😵💫
Do you remember Jiffy??
Before we get into these stories, let’s talk about the Mandela Effect. You know, the theory that the reality we live in is just one of many copies, and people shift in between these versions without realizing it. Imagine one day you wake up and your favorite childhood show never existed or a famous quote from a movie is suddenly different.
(Remember Jiffy peanut butter? The Berenstein Bears? “Luke, I am your father”? Evidently, those never existed. It was always Jif, Berenstain Bears, and “No, I am your father.” There are dozens of examples like this. I KNOW.)
"Many Worlds" takes this concept and runs with it. The collection explores the idea of alternate realities and the possibility of our existence being a sophisticated illusion. Definitely my cup of tea. I was intrigued enough to pick this up even though I don’t usually gravitate to short stories.
Each story in this collection explores the Mandela Effect (or as the editors call it, the Simulacrum) in its own way, some more explicitly than others. We're talking about humans turning into sentient algae, and worlds where continents are misplaced.
I found myself savoring the collection like a fine meal—each one unique and thought-provoking. Some were fun to read, some were cerebral and cool, and many of the stories made me look up and go “wow” after finishing.
I especially loved the experimental flourishes: the little symbol that’s used as an ornamental break but also appears in a story; the way one author creates a moment so vivid it only requires a page or so of narrative; the mysterious Appendix F at the beginning of the collection.
Reading "Many Worlds" felt like diving into a pool of mind-bending ideas and emerging with new perspectives on reality. The collection asks, "Are we living in a simulation? How would we even know?"
And… “What would you DO about it if we were?”
Love that the collection is published by Radix Media, a NY-based, worker-owned organization that prioritizes marginalized communities.
If you're into sci-fi and love exploring alternate realities, I recommend diving into "Many Worlds" and letting it whisk you away on a journey through the multiverse. ✌️⚡️😵💫
Do you remember Jiffy??