Tag: SFF

For the Love of Books #29

With cool blue skies and frost on the horizon, I’m warming up with a deep dive into SFF collections; short stories that spin the unexpected, pack a punch and make you think, all while flexing the bounds of imagination. I bring you two titles by two extraordinarily inspiring authors…

Danged Black Thing; by Eugen Bacon

Eugen Bacon is an exceptional writer and I was honoured to receive a review copy of Danged Black Thing ahead of its much-anticipated release. Traversing the west and Africa, this unique collection of shorts is both dreamlike and lyrical, while delivered with the sharpness of cut glass. It is speculative and mythical inexplicably wrapped in the mundane.

It begins with Simbiyu, amid the colours of forest laced with the sweet scent of crushed guavas and the intermittent whiff of soured yams. Childhood against a rural backdrop brought alive on the page is told in textured layers of family amid the brusque contrast of loss. A boy longing for the comfort of his once pillow-soft mother, forges his way in the world, winning a scholarship that will take him to Australia. But roots cannot be shaken, and while the heady colours of home are a welcome memory, shadows of the past tighten their embrace. When the story came to an end, I found myself wanting to stay, to know more of the character that had revealed worlds in just a few pages.

This is a remarkable collection of voices exploring migration, gender and class, patriarchy and womanhood; a collection that pushes the boundaries of creativity and science, delving into family, love and loss across time and space, speaking to the future with detailed imaginings of a landscape filled with warnings to heed, and questions about what it means to be human. And that is just the first two stories.

There are tales of revenge, aliens and fantastical beasts, explorations touching each phase of life, drawing on the power of ancestors, tradition, and vivid descriptions of both modern and fantastical worlds. The prose is soaked in truth, empathy and invention, transporting you deep into physical place and breathless mental imaginings. Each word leaves you hanging in this collection that feels like a colourful celebration of life, complete with flaws, scars, magic and beauty.

Bloodchild; by Octavia Butler

Bloodchild is an innovative collection of shorts, inventive parables to the contemporary world, small in size and huge in reach. In true Octavia Butler style, the protagonists are strong and complex, and the themes astute and challenging to the status quo. The collection begins with Bloodchild, the story of a colony of humans in an extrasolar world, forced to make startling accommodations with their hosts. A perfectly weird, unsettling and memorable story that asks the question, what would you be prepared to accommodate to pay the rent?

Another story, The Evening and the Morning and the Night, explores life with a disease that causes the sufferer to feel trapped and imprisoned within their own flesh. In a world with woefully inadequate institutions and devastating consequences, the question is raised: what can we do, what can we become, what are we in relation to undeniable genetics?

Rooted in the mundane, shining a light on the bleak, brought to life with inventive experimentation, the stories transcend through alien invasions that give a whole new meaning to community, moments of tenderness shining in an apocalypse, to the big question – what would you do if you met God? Plus two essays which give great insight into the author’s journey as a writer, and her resulting advice to those of us following in her footsteps. A thought-provoking read. Highly recommend.

What are you reading?

 

Happy New Year 2024!

As New Year’s Eve turns dark outside, the storm is raging. Batten down the hatches, grateful for a moment of peace to reflect on the year gone by. 2023 has been a busy year for writing, starting with a chance to guest blog with the esteemed fantasy author, Sarah Ash. It’s the second time I’ve been lucky enough to be invited, and for anyone who has yet to read from this author, I can highly recommend visiting her many titles. Songspinners, has been one of my favourite reads of the year: the intriguing tale of Orial, a girl navigating the labyrinth of the Undercity to practice the art she has taught herself, the art of music that is her magic; in a world that is dark, evocative and beautifully drawn, a place of musical telepathy, faeries, dragonflies, and mystical reservoirs await…

Book conventions and festivals from Birmingham to the New Forest, to the Hartland Peninsula of Devon, to the city of Kansas, USA via the wonders of zoom from my writing room were all highlights. With readings and panels, it is wonderful to share, to discuss, to learn, to inspire, and be inspired. And there are lots more creative ventures to look forward to in 2024. I look forward to sharing more as news unfolds.

For now, in the lull between Xmas and New Year, in between blustering gales and rain, it was lovely to catch a few snatches of dry clear skies to enjoy a moment of the outdoors around home, and nature, for a breath of fresh air before it’s back to work. Between the lakes of Stover, with afternoon sun, fluffy clouds, scenic forest, gorgeous lakes, poetry, wood carvings, curious squirrels, hungry ducks, and a woodpecker…

 

To the fresh sea air of South Devon, and Teignmouth’s old port, and beaches crammed with colourful boats with stories to tell…

To the bright lights of Torquay to feast on this year’s bay of lights, where more wild seas await, crashing to and fro towards Xmas trees and festive Torbay palms looking especially jazzy.

And back home, where a sleepy cat awaits, and another good read beckons.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, peaceful New Year, 2024!

 

For the Love of Books #28

The last day of November, and we wake to a fine drizzle of snow. I imagine it will be fleeting, but it’s cold, and the perfect time to cosy up with a good read. I have two titles, inspired by the atmosphere that snow, mist, winter weather can bring. I’m not thinking jolly season’s greetings, more like the bleak atmosphere of separation, and unease. I’m late for Halloween, but the first title brings a malevolent spirit into a snowy scape…

Dark Matter: A Ghost Story; by Michelle Paver

Jack Miller never intended to join the Arctic mission, but despite himself he heads to the islands halfway between Norway and the Pole. The expedition team are to study Arctic Biology and ice dynamics, and carry out a meteorological survey. It’s a mission meant to last a year, but the Arctic wilderness has a dark history. Stories told from the time when the Arctic islands became part of Norway in 1925, tell of lethal accidents and marauding bears, men going mad from the dark and loneliness, shooting themselves, walking off cliffs for no reason. One expedition group in the early days refused to leave their cabin, out of terror of the deadness beyond, a terror reportedly not rooted in some phobic disorder. Now, the terrifying events in Gruhuken are about to be relived, and recorded in Jack’s diary, beginning 7th January 1937.

A malevolent spirit walks this icy wilderness, and the bleak surrounds provide a perfect backdrop. It’s easy to feel like prey in the face of polar bears with dirty brown pelts stained by blood and blubber, but not so easy to shake the feeling of being hunted. Dining on reindeer and an eclectic mix of tinned food, offers little comfort, and after a series of events, Jack finds himself alone except for the huskies. The rising feel of impending doom is well drawn, subtle and engaging in a foreboding environment, and Jack is soon left to consider whether writing will exorcise his demons, or whether speaking about it will just invoke them?  Either way, the spirit wants Gruhuken, and Jack Miller is standing in its way.

Central to the story is the question: Is it the dark people fear, or what lurks in it? It’s a question which drives the narrative, bringing an intriguing balance of unsettling apprehension, fated unease, and a lingering dread, teasing, tangible, yet never quite in reach.

The Fox; by Solveig Palsdottir

What do you do when your arrival means the world, when your presence is so symbolic, you simply must not leave?

Guogeir Fransson, hoping to put professional tragedy and personal turmoil behind him, leaves the Reykjavik police force for a dead end job in a small town in eastern Iceland. His detective instincts are triggered when a foreign woman arrives into this tight-knit community, and suddenly disappears soon after. The trail takes him to a remote farmhouse where an elderly woman and her son live with a sinister past.

Sajee, from Sri Lanka, arrives in Hofn to take up work in her aunt’s beauty salon. But it seems the job does not exist. Help from a friendly stranger takes her to the farm of Selma and her son, Isak. They offer board, lodgings and the promise of pay for cleaning and help around the place. It seems like a practical solution to Sajee’s problem, but it is an offer wrapped in mystery. Sajee’s vulnerability is clear. From Sri Lanka’s chaotic district of Colombo, growing up she was left alone with a violent father, finding sanctuary at the local beauty shop among cheerful women, until the shop was forced to close. Postcards from her aunt, who had travelled to Iceland before her, were the hope she had clung to. Now she was alone and illiterate in a strange land. And Selma’s eyes were watching, too closely. What familiarity did she see in the young woman that drew her so tightly? Was it Sajee’s cleft lip that she discretely attempted to conceal? Was it illusion?

The characters were well-drawn and entirely believable. The backdrop to the story is cloaked in mystery and folklore that I found completely compelling. The dead are in the family plot, but the hidden people, tall, dignified, with unlimited senses and a higher consciousness dwell in mountain cliffs. They help people in trouble, spirit problems away, but when wronged, revenge is bitter. Victims have been known to go up in a puff of smoke, or be driven mad. The farm skirts a harbour town where shipwrecks mean people are forced to watch husbands and brothers drown, a place of depression and alcoholism, where people go off the rails. As the layers of mystery unfold, I was absorbed by the world and the unexpected, unfurling of sinister events. A read made more chilling by its relatability, as we are taken down the path of unwittingly losing power; how our own insecurities can trap us, how trust can be fatal.

What are you reading?

 

Representation and Belonging in SFF

It’s been a busy couple of weeks, firstly taking part in this year’s World Fantasy Convention all the way to Kansas from the comfort of my writing room, because there’s no place like home.

With fabulous authors from all over the globe, reading and speaking on a great range of panels, there’s much to inspire, to share and collaborate. For my part it was a pleasure to sit in on the Magical Healing and Disability Aids in Fantasy panel, discussing representation of disability in the genres, and exploring the added creative options that magic and the fantastical can bring. Thankfully representation of diverse abilities is improving. A recent cinema trip introduced me to the character, Joshua in the film, The Creator, a wonderfully layered character, a double amputee with seriously fancy prosthetics in this world of AI. Still, his disability is kept visible, representation organically woven into the character arc of a hero.

It got me thinking about the book, Noor, by Nnedi Okorafor. Noor is the main character, a young woman born with significant disabilities, further disabled in a car crash as a teen. The story is her journey into cybernetics, rebuilding herself in unique ways, focused on the aim of wanting to move through the world on her own terms. And it’s a wonderful read, as is Broken Places and Outer Places, Nnedi Okorafor’s auto-biographical novella.

Empowered characters pushing back against the ableist view that disability needs to be fixed or cured in order to live a fulfilling life. Professor Xavier didn’t need a cure, and neither did Bran Stark on his journey from childhood underdog to all-powerful three-eyed raven. Just a few more recommendations to add to the conversation:

And last weekend, from Kansas to the New Forest here in the UK, where I joined my lovely publishers for the Play on Words Festival at the wonderfully colourful Forest Arts Centre.

Friday was a gorgeous evening of readings, and among other wonderful authors I was delighted to read from The Warder, a world of gifts and curses, animism and magic, where characters are inextricably bonded, against a backdrop of mysterious dragon mythology. Saturday saw a day of inventive workshops, including one on the subject of young adult fiction, facilitated by myself and Victoria L. Humphreys, author of Not the Work of An Ordinary Boy. What content is too mature for teens? What ways can we approach tough content in books that are inclusive to the younger reader? There’s not much you can’t tackle, it just depends on approach, and, done right, what a wonderful resource books can be, creating space to process difficult stuff, share stories, harbour that all-important sense of belonging. And there’s just so many great YA books out there, too many to name, but here are a few favourites:

      

In the midst of a storm, I was lucky to catch a blue sky and have a moment to contemplate the power of stories, to reflect, give space, inspire, and offer that sense of belonging.

What are you reading?

A Season of SFF

The start of a busy week, following a busy bookish weekend, at a time of year I’ve come to think of as convention season. Saturday saw a day trip to Bristol, for this year’s BristolCon, and what a wonderful day! A great time was had in the dealer’s room, and in particular in our corner of the room alongside inspiring authors and innovative small presses. The lovely Josie Jaffrey, author of The Wolf and the Water, was a pleasure to chat to, as was Max Turner, writer and producer of the diverse press, A Coup of Owls. And of course it was a pleasure to meet and talk with readers at my own book table.

There was chance to give a reading to a roomful of fantasy lovers, swept away with Wanda’s hawk flight over the grasslands of Shendi, from The Warder, Book 2 of Blood Gift Chronicles. And it was great to take part in a panel that kicked off the day, answering that all-important question, how to turn an idea into a novel, or novella, or short story for that matter. It reminded me of my humble beginnings, living in a bedsit that was a beautiful, creative space, with a door that was covered in post-it notes scribbled with characters, settings, scenes, plots… notes that frequently got moved around, repositioned, added to, until a story was slowly taking shape. That story turned into Return of the Mantra, many, many drafts later.

Into this week and I’m looking forward to the coming weekend spent tucked up in my writing room for the four day online convention that is World Fantasy Con, live all the way from Kansas, a place that inspires the word, story. With authors from around the world, I love the international feel, and look forward to taking part in the programme, discussing representation, and in particular, disability.

For now, a moment to savour my current read, The Green Man’s Heir by Juliet E. McKenna, a simply magical read with a whole new contemporary feel to the folklore of Dryads.

What are you reading?

Wishing everyone a great week ahead…

Stories, Writing and Comic Fun

A busy weekend gone by at Comic Con, surrounded by stories old and new that have inspired through the ages, demonstrated by those who fully embrace the characters they love, with impressive cosplay and fun encounters. The craftmanship and animatronics is always awe inspiring, from clockwork owls, giant centaurs, a transformer or two, many more, and of course, Darth Vadar and his army of storm troopers. The Star Wars franchise is always a favourite of mine, not least because the time span of the series demonstrates the progress made for equality. The evolution of female characters is a subject in its own right, but oh, I do love Rey – maybe one day I will see her make an appearance there… In the meantime…

It was of course also great to discover new readers, and to chat with those who have read or are reading my own Blood Gift Chronicles. Accompanied by my artwork, and self-made props, it was great to be able to offer more immersion into my world, from the crystal mines of Shendi and the lost mountain lions, through the changing landscapes and the faces of those who carry us through, to tales of dragons, and real-life colonies of flying lizards. The geography and wildlife that inhabits the various land and waterscapes is as real in my mind’s eye as a blackbird’s song, and it’s lovely to share that vision with others. This is what stories are made of.

And of course some readers are writers, and with a fair few years under my belt, with various ups and downs along the way, I’m always happy share, to inspire, and of course in turn be inspired. And so for any budding writers out there, a few points that came up in conversation amid comic fun:

Find your routine, your groove, your working motivators whether that’s allocated time or word counts, and Just Write. Procrastination is the enemy. Talking about writing is not writing. Wanting to be a writer is not writing. Just write. Don’t get caught in edits, just get the story down. Beware of rabbit holes, maintain perspective, you’re the writer not a player, so Just Write. Writing is rewriting is rewriting… that’s how you build, that’s how you discover, that’s how you finish… And then you start all over again. Just Write. If you’re looking for an easy way through, you’ll be disappointed: there is no easy way, there’s just you. Are you a writer? Then Just Write.

Have a wonderful week…

FantasyCon 2023

A thoughtful pause following a recent trip to Birmingham for FantasyCon 2023. And another great convention exploring the depth and breadth of this fascinating genre. With such a diverse range of books and authors represented, perspectives gave illuminating insights and reflective interpretations on life and the stories they inspire.

As an author focused on creating colourful worlds filled with flora, fauna and a touch of magic, woven into plots that reflect and inspire, told by characters across a range of complexities, it was great to join in with some panel discussions.

Feminism in fantasy is an ongoing conversation, challenging gender stereotypes and subverting expectation, exploring the intersections, and discussing the range of ways stories can reflect the past and the present, and imagine futures to warn, foretell and/or inspire. It’s a discussion that inevitably leads to differing perspectives and motivations stemming from our own uniqueness, but for me there is one immutable truth: without diverse representation in the authors, we can expect no representation in the characters, and that without widespread cultural representation, the conversation falls flat. Feminism is of course not a monolith. And there’s such a wealth of work out there, spanning the globe. Personal favourite authors include Nnedi Okorafor, Eugen Bacon, Nghi Vo, N.K. Jemison, Gabriela Houston, Rivers Solomon… A couple of personal highlights from the convention: meeting Guest of Honour, Tasha Suri, whose work I love. And having breakfast with the wonderful Juliet McKenna, sharing fascinating conversation on all things representation. Not to mention spying the lovely Joanne Harris, who forever leaves the taste of Chocolat.

Another panel highlight was on the subject of nature and ecology, a conversation that only tipped the surface on all the weird and wonderful wild life. Where do we draw our inspiration from? My work encompasses traditional inspiration in the form of fire-breathing dragons, as well as invention: a magical hybrid that readers of my first book, Return of the Mantra, would recognise; and the hybrids of Book 2, The Warder, trapped in that in-between place. There’s a danger of going with something too familiar, tired tropes can make for dull reading. Which is why my dragons are my own unique take, derived from the storyline, inextricably linked to their human counterpart. Their creation and subsequent properties are fully fitting with the environment, their biology is as clear to me as the long-toed monkey in the sacred forest of my first book. Book 3, my work in progress is the origin story of their creation, and leads us to the water dragons, or at least my own new take. Magic, the world, and all that lives there, has to make sense to its own rules, to the plotlines, and, to a greater or less degree, to science. Magic might give some colourful flexibility, but I look for immutable truths. Writers know way more about their worlds than whatever makes the page, and the same is true for me with my wildlife. The camouflage properties of dragons may not be explained in the story, but biology has explained it to me, and so I know, I know, that my dragons can be as real as a blackbird’s song.

I found a lot of connectivity in the discussions I was involved in: worlds built around nature and magic, overturning patriarchal systems of control and returning to our roots, strands of magic and the individuals they are gifted to… Characterisation is dependent on perspectives, and once we understand how those perspectives can fit together, there is no telling what might be accomplished. My characters save themselves, save each other, and work to unpick damaging systems of control. They have magical gifts which connect them to the land and each other. And in my reading, I shared insight into the three leading characters of Book 2, The Warder, revealing gifts that unchecked, could leave them disconnected, but with knowledge, can lead to magical ends.

Last but not least, I’ll leave you with a few sights of Birmingham, spots of nature that gave a wonderful breath of fresh air…

For the Love of Books #27

Stopping by to share a love of books, and this time a look at fantastical creatures. There are so many great titles to choose from, but I’ve gone for three, each with a unique flavour…

The Mermaid of Black Conch; by Monique Roffey

In the Black Conch waters, one mile off Murder Bay, David Baptiste meets Aycayia:

“…long, long ago I don’t know the time, only that they called up a huracan, to take me far away, seal up my legs inside a tail.’

And from that day, whenever the leatherbacks arrive, he knows she will soon appear. No woman can compare to his mermaid, leaving a heart of sorrow to drown in a bottle of rum, while he finds the words to write the story down. She was an interruption in the middle of God’s act of creation, cursed by women to seal her sex inside a big tail, to keep her away from their men. And when the Americans caught her, David Baptiste is left feeling the sorrow of believing it was his fault.

Set on an imaginary Caribbean island, this is a wonderfully textured, layered read that pulls on all the senses. Tantalising in its entanglement of the mythical blended with visceral realism of everyday life. The place was brought to life, the love between man and mermaid felt as real a blackbird’s song, and the story arc weaving between past and present brought reflections of life’s loves, losses and desires into sharp focus. A lively, colourful, triumphant treat of a book. Needless to say, I adored it.

The Invisible Library; by Genevieve Cogman

The Invisible Library is a fun read, that overall has the feel of game playing within the realms of story-telling, with rules and payoffs to magic along the ride. The story stars Irene, a professional spy for the mysterious library, harvesting fiction from different realities. She is a character who is sure of herself, content and confident in her chosen profession, courageous in her various assignments to alternate worlds. The latest assignment is to an alternative London to retrieve a dangerous book, along with her assistant, Kai. But nothing is as it seems in chaotic alternate worlds.

I enjoyed the characterisation, and representation of an older woman unflinching in adventure, and courageous in the face of, well, anything. It was also a refreshing dynamic to see her play an older role model to the young man Kai. Fae creatures of chaos and magic await, an infestation of vampires, werewolves and technology working in weird ways, and Irene is soon on the run from gargoyles and hellhounds, only to stumble upon steampunk creatures to delight the imagination of any reader – creatures that also extend to the idea of the monster inside us. But what exactly is the sinister character laying in wait…?

Theoretical Dragon Anatomy; by Isabelle V. Busch

Is it true that dragons wholly belong in the mythical beast category, are they truly fictional, or are they formed from fragmented fact? Theoretical Dragon Anatomy is a biology manual, innovative in ecological thinking, problem solving, theorising, and containing intriguing and beautiful artwork to further illustrate the hugely absorbing information. With scutes and sensory pores shared with swimming alligators, wing structure akin to their pterosaur ancestors, a cardiovascular system resembling that of a bird, not to mention a digestive system with crops akin to their avian friends, and embryology that draws lines to lizards, snakes, chickens, crocodiles and bats… I can honestly say that dragons have never felt so familiar, a fact I have thoroughly enjoyed discovering. Oh, and did someone mention a flamme gland… yes, all wrapped up with some dragon pyrotechnics…

What are you reading?

Reach of Fantasy

Starting the day with thoughts of turbulence. Mid-August and it’s blustery out there, grey, drizzly, a far cry from summer, and a world away from the heat wave of last year. It feels like a bizarre contradiction to the devasting heat and wildfires that have ravaged so many places around the world with an ever-continuing climate crisis. Plus the thought that life is unpredictable, and so we move, alter course, expand, hopefully – themes shared in recent poetry, and in art. And they are themes that are blossoming, mushrooming, expanding in my current work-in-progress novel, Blood Gift Chronicles Book 3. Since Book 2 I have allowed myself the time to pause, to take a breath, to see the way for characters old and new, and they spoke back. I’m listening, allowing them their rightful space, their authenticity, their power and potential. Spanning both time and space, their journeys are huge, but human.

Fantasy takes us on a flight,

Fantasy allows us to ground,

Fantasy gives us space to grow,

Fantasy reveals colour tone.

As the writer I was waiting for that deeper shade, that revealing essence. Once found, the words flow. Until the unpredictability of life calls for a pause. This week the garden was calling, or more specifically a bench, and so I’ve been elbow deep in DIY. Monday is just around the corner, and a woman called Ze awaits, for me to write her through the next phase. (Smile.) Her journey is complex, universal. But the higher the mountain we climb, the further we can see. Or at least it’s true for Ze, since she has lived, loved, and lost. And when everything is lost, there is everything to gain…

On a personal note, an ability to expand can involve changing your mind. And I recently changed my mind about a thought I was holding onto, the thought that a book is best read direct from pages held in your hands. And while I still think this is true, especially for a writer who works on screen, there are definite benefits to ebooks and so I relented. Now I’m excited to think that if ever I’m away, I will have a library with me, and for titles only published as ebooks, they will no longer be out of my reach.

My current read is The Book of Yokai: Mysterious creatures of Japanese Folklore. Mysterious sounds… something watching in the dark… creatures from the in between… – stuff that might keep you up at night, or in Mia’s case, lull you to sleep…

Have a great weekend!

For the Love of Books #26

If ever I needed a reminder of the heights of great worldbuilding, this collection, from one of our great SFF pioneers, Ursula Le Guin, offers a masterclass. Eight short stories and novellas bring us worlds near and far, those travelling between worlds, and shifting perspectives from outwards to inwards with thought-provoking poignancy.

The Birthday of the World; by Ursula Le Guin

To give you a sneak peek into the inner workings…

The Birthday of the World

The Birthday of the World is considered to be the time the sun stands over Mount Kanaghadwa, when people count themselves a year older, although the rituals and ceremonies are no longer remembered. In a society struggling with their concept of god, the narrator reflects on their own beliefs, rituals and ceremonies, layering a world where gods dance and die, and wild dragons fly. But with wars at the borders, lands have grown too large and the existence of God itself is threatened. The world must die so that God may live, and so the narrator is left pondering the identity of God itself.

Old Music and the Slave Women

Esdan, a chief intelligence officer, ends up on a clandestine mission during a civil war. Intercepted by government forces, he is imprisoned on a large slave estate, where his perspective becomes increasingly limited. In a brutal world, this is a story of survival, and hopeful endeavour in the coming revolution. Will the rebellion reach them? From humiliating violence, to muddy waters of human inequity in supposed liberation, to the failings of world construct to deliver utopia, it is in the bonds between slaves that kindness and comfort is found, and where the heart of the story lies.

Paradise Lost

On a multi-generational voyage to a potentially habitable planet, Liu Hsing and Nova Luis are members of the fifth generation born on the space ship. Many are excited by the idea of discovery, a planet to explore and send information back to the human species. But some people, especially the older generation, subscribe to the religion of Bliss – the state of a blissful journey, with no end. For them, Bliss is the only reason to stay alive. Liu and Nova are faced with followers of the religious cult who question if living on a planet is such a joy. There are also environmental themes, highlighting the challenge of making change, and the overall question of what is natural and what is not. An interesting read, fascinating in its construct, and thought-provoking in the themes of isolation, religion and utopia.

Solitude

Solitude is told by the narrator, as she reflects on her experiences growing up on Eleven-Soro. Her mother was an Observer, whose work involved settling among the native people of Eleven Soro, to learn about this complex alien world. Cultural differences between mother and daughter eventually drive them apart. Where the mother shuns the alien culture, the narrator adopts it as her own, wanting to grow her soul and experience what it means to be  a person of that culture. It is a theme reflective of generational confusion, complicated by outside influence. It is also an interesting use of perspective, approaching the culture of Eleven-Soro from a colonised mindset, yet entirely shifting perspective onto a young woman who becomes part of it. Cultural norms are highlighted, which require societies of modest population, driven by a desire for solitude and the social norm being introverts, perhaps essentially selecting for autism. In true style of Ursula Le Guin, subverted expectations are delivered with ease, which illuminate and surprise, in this creative and thought-provoking world.

The Matter of Seggri

Set in the dystopian society of Seggri, the story is written as a first contact report on the ship’s log of the Wandership. The captain describes a complex society which demonstrates gender as a social construct. Gender expectation is subverted and replaced with inventive roles. The impact of colonialism is also questioned, with consideration given to a society destabilised by outside contact. Previous colonial interference messed with chromosomes, which now results in there being sixteen women for every one man. In the present day, men have all the privilege and women have all the power. Given the opportunity, would men cling to their privileged status or demand freedom, and would women resist giving up their power? Would the sexual system break down?

Unchosen Love

In a world textured with colour, legend and mystery, a polygamous society is structured around family units called sedoretu. Hadri has been chosen to join one such family, after a man seeks out his affections. Homosexual and heterosexual coupling is commonplace, and various aspects of relationships are explored, including the more insidious coercive control.

‘Being unhappy in a room is worse than being unhappy outdoors.’

It is following one mysterious encounter that Hadri comes to realise his true feelings. It is a startling discovery, not least for himself, and brings with it a tantalising coming-of-age feel.

Mountain Ways

This story continues with the themes from Unchosen Love, with society structured around the same sedoretu units. Two women fall in love outside of convention, but over time they conform and strive to form a sedoretu. Through it we see the cost of compromise, the bitterness of conformity and restriction, a stark contrast to two previously independent souls. It was an intriguing and illuminating play on character, that also undoubtedly left a bitter taste. There was also an interesting interplay with the natural world, challenging the concept of ownership. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of environmental equity.

Coming of Age in Karhide

Set on the fictional planet of Gethen, a place where adults have no fixed gender identity, the story follows Sov Thade Tage em Ereb, a teenager living in a large communal home in the Karhidish city of Rer. As Sov experiences biological changes, it is clear they are ready for kemmer, held in a communal Kemmerhouse for those sexually receptive. Any children conceived in the Kemmerhouse are raised in the communal home, the hearth. Sov and their friend, both ready for kemmer, express fears that being in kemmer is dehumanizing, being seen as a sex machine. And so Sov’s coming of age story is told, of changing bodies and sexuality that was utterly relatable, as well as a meaningful alternative look into gender identity in a place where, quite simply, love is love.

What are you reading?