This book literally made me cry.
It made me cry as an aspiring writer, because N.K. Jemisin’s writing is just so beautiful.
The sheer scale of each short story was breathtaking. Her craft takes you on such a distinctive journey that no one story is the same, or leaves the same impression.
It was a complete delight to read about black characters that are nuanced and inhabit worlds and societies as captivating main voices.
It is the kind of writing that is all at once, soft, clear, searing and challenging. Each world is incredibly crafted and N.K. Jemisin’s attention to detail makes each short story a joy to read.
However, my five top stories from the collection are:
The City Born Great
A story about how the city of New York is intertwined with the fate and ability of young homeless man.
Red Dirt Witch
A story about magic and the struggle for black freedom.
Walking Awake
Sadie’s struggle against a system of oppression and the power of dreams.
L’Alchimista
A story about a chef, a magician and the alchemy of food.
Sinners, Saints, Dragons, and Haints, in the City, Beneath the Still Waters
We follow Tookie as he survives a rising flood in New Orleans and the unlikely friendship he makes with a strange creature as they face an evil that comes with the storm.
If you are looking for a collection of short stories about a wide range of black characters, worlds, tones, and emotional intensity, this book is for you.
Thank you N.K. Jemisin for this rich tapestry of perspectives. How you interject ourselves into the future and different worlds. It means so much to see myself in fantasy and science fiction; and that we we are in fact, a part of the future.
Writing, Reading, Living 