Scan barcode
A review by sammystarbuck
ФантАstika: Almanac of Bulgarian Speculative Fiction by Khristo Poshtakov, Vladimir Poleganov, Vesela Flamburari, Elena Pavlova, Kalin Nikolov, Atanas P. Slavov, Emil Valev, Maria Velcheva, Magdalena Godalcheva, Johan Vladimir, Peter Stanimirov, Stefan Lefterov, Radoslav Genchev, Kalin M. Nenov, Nikolay Svetlev, Genoveva Detelinova, Margarita Stoyancheva, Val Todorov, Zlat Thorn, Krasimira Stoeva, Lights amidst Shadows, Dimitar Yankov, Svetoslav Todorov, Valentin D. Ivanov, Aleksandar Karapanchev, Drake Vato, Mari Paskalev, Zdravka Evtimova, Ivan Popov, Georgi Markov, Svetoslav Nikolov, Lora Petrova, Nikolay Tellalov, Yancho Cholakov, Kate Danailova, Plamen Semkov, Ivaylo G. Ivanov, Velko Miloev, Dimo Milanov, Maria Popova, Vasil Ivanov, Rossena Petkova, Georgi Malinov, Lyubomir P. Nikolov, Polina Petkova
4.0
I was given the opportunity to read an ARC of this collection, and on the whole very much enjoyed it. Much like any other collection, not every story worked as well for me personally as others, but on the whole, I found this a fun read, with some fresh styles and perspectives, which gave it a little more interest for me.
Some highlights:
Three tales of a very windy town - This story is cute and whimsical, and I could immediately picture this as a movie directed by Wes Anderson (it really suits his style)!
Virgil and the Water - Once I got into the rhythm of this, I absolutely loved it. A perfect blend of ancient history and sci-fi.
To Wake a Dragon Girl - An excerpt, and the one I would most like to continue reading.
Love in the time of Con Crud - This one made me laugh (been there, done that!).
Orpheus Descends into Hell - Another enjoyable excerpt I would continue reading.
The Dragon and the Orange Juice - Probably the stand-out of the collection for me. Outstanding world-building for such a short piece, and the pacing is excellent too.
The film-thin Bound - An evocative short. I want to know what happened before and how this situation came to be.
A Small Step - A fun twist on the Moon landing conspiracies that made me laugh.
Mindster - Another fun one that put me in mind of Heinlein's [b:I Will Fear No Evil|175325|I Will Fear No Evil|Robert A. Heinlein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1303411477l/175325._SY75_.jpg|45662]. It was definitely a fun note to end the fictional section on.
All in all a fun read for anyone willing to spend some time exploring different styles and ideas from your average "westernised" sci-fi and fantasy.
Some highlights:
Three tales of a very windy town - This story is cute and whimsical, and I could immediately picture this as a movie directed by Wes Anderson (it really suits his style)!
Virgil and the Water - Once I got into the rhythm of this, I absolutely loved it. A perfect blend of ancient history and sci-fi.
To Wake a Dragon Girl - An excerpt, and the one I would most like to continue reading.
Love in the time of Con Crud - This one made me laugh (been there, done that!).
Orpheus Descends into Hell - Another enjoyable excerpt I would continue reading.
The Dragon and the Orange Juice - Probably the stand-out of the collection for me. Outstanding world-building for such a short piece, and the pacing is excellent too.
The film-thin Bound - An evocative short. I want to know what happened before and how this situation came to be.
A Small Step - A fun twist on the Moon landing conspiracies that made me laugh.
Mindster - Another fun one that put me in mind of Heinlein's [b:I Will Fear No Evil|175325|I Will Fear No Evil|Robert A. Heinlein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1303411477l/175325._SY75_.jpg|45662]
Spoiler
(probably because of the two minds in one body idea)All in all a fun read for anyone willing to spend some time exploring different styles and ideas from your average "westernised" sci-fi and fantasy.