There are some big names in here (Nnedi Okorafor, Neil Gaiman) and some that I love but may not be so famous (Amal El-Mohtar, Claire North, Saad Z. Hossain), but for me the standout stories were by authors I hadn’t previously encountered. “Reap” by Sami Shah is written from the viewpoint of a drone operator who is surveilling the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and who begins to witness some freaky supernatural goings-on. It’s brilliant, combining frightening djinn behavior with the weird disconnection of war at a distance, and the feeling of being under threat by forces you can’t comprehend. I’d give second place to “The Congregation” by Kamila Shamsie, a gorgeous and spiritual piece about longing and brotherhood. Honorable mention to “Duende 2077” by Jamal Mahjoub, in which an exorcist is called to visit a haunted spaceship. Mostly a strong collection, put together in a way that started out whimsical and got really creepy towards the end.
Tag: author-monica byrne
The Actual Star, by Monica Byrne
A super ambitious book, following three reincarnated groups of characters through three different timelines (Ancient Maya, present day, and post-climate-apocalypse future). Really impressive worldbuilding and character development. I did bog down a little though when it came to the MANY various terms and genders invented for the future, and I also got tripped up by the incorporation of Belize creole. I don’t mind a little Spanish thrown in here and there, but if I have to slow down and mouth the words several times over in order to understand what’s being said, I feel like it gets in the way of the story even if it does add verisimilitude/authenticity. Also, the ending was appropriate to the story, but it didn’t really wrap anything up for me, and left a few too many loose ends for the reader.