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A review by littoral
Jewel Box: Stories by E. Lily Yu
4.0
JEWEL BOX is a delightful genre-spanning collection of 22 short stories. The collection is aptly-named, reminiscent of a variety box of chocolates, all speculative in some way but spanning science fiction, fantasy, and folklore/mythology, which leaves the impression of the entire collection of the whole as timeless and thought-provoking.
While most short story collections, especially with so many stories, are apt to be uneven, I was hard-pressed to find stories in JEWEL BOX that were hard to get through. The collection is ordered nicely with stories of varying lengths and genres, so it is very readable from cover to cover. Favorites in this collection included:
THE CARTOGRAPHER WASPS AND THE ANARCHIST BEES - an imaginative story of two cousin civilizations of insects in a strange symbiotic relationship.
ILSE, WHO SAW CLEARLY - a folktale journey of a girl in search of sight for her village.
THE URASHIMA EFFECT - a science fiction tale about a man traveling further than humankind has dared before, and the nature of human relationships.
BRAID OF DAYS AND WAKE OF NIGHTS - a surreal reflection on death and dying, with an ending that seals the deal.
THE EVE OF THE PLANET OF YS - a science fiction apocalyptic tale of survival and choosing one's own family.
COURTSHIP DISPLAYS OF THE AMERICAN BIRDER - a charming brief interlude, a character study between two strangers.
Recommended for fans of Ted Chiang. This will be a favorite book from 2023 for me. Thanks to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC.
While most short story collections, especially with so many stories, are apt to be uneven, I was hard-pressed to find stories in JEWEL BOX that were hard to get through. The collection is ordered nicely with stories of varying lengths and genres, so it is very readable from cover to cover. Favorites in this collection included:
THE CARTOGRAPHER WASPS AND THE ANARCHIST BEES - an imaginative story of two cousin civilizations of insects in a strange symbiotic relationship.
ILSE, WHO SAW CLEARLY - a folktale journey of a girl in search of sight for her village.
THE URASHIMA EFFECT - a science fiction tale about a man traveling further than humankind has dared before, and the nature of human relationships.
BRAID OF DAYS AND WAKE OF NIGHTS - a surreal reflection on death and dying, with an ending that seals the deal.
THE EVE OF THE PLANET OF YS - a science fiction apocalyptic tale of survival and choosing one's own family.
COURTSHIP DISPLAYS OF THE AMERICAN BIRDER - a charming brief interlude, a character study between two strangers.
Recommended for fans of Ted Chiang. This will be a favorite book from 2023 for me. Thanks to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC.