Harare Review of Books

First published in September 2022.

Genre: Non-fiction anthology.

Interstellar Flight Press is a small press specialising in SFF. Interstellar Flight Magazine is their compilation highlighting authors and creators, and this is their third issue. In this anthology are original articles, reviews, and interviews with various writers and poets on process and inspiration.

In the first section, there are two essays I particularly enjoyed:

• Futurism in the Land of the Future: Finding Solace in Chinese Science Fiction by Elyse Ribbons. I love to read about non-Western approaches to science and technology, because they are our future.
• True Crime is a Feminist Hobby: Studying the History of Crime Helps Us Understand Violence Against Women by Holly Lyn Walrath, which helped me understand something I’ve always been puzzled by—why so many enjoy consuming content (books, podcasts, films, etc) about crimes against women.

In reviews:

• Manjula Padmanabhan’s Feminist Dystopian Science Fiction: How Contemporary Indian SFF tackles Complex Issues by Anushmita Mohanty was a great read on Indian SFF, something I’m lacking exposure to, and am adding to my reading list;
• Rhapsody in Blue Bodies: “Primitive” Desire in Runy Dixon’s Ice Planet Barbarians, by Laura Diaz De Arce—my favourite read in the entire anthology—blew me away, and gave me much to add to my thoughts about the Other in SFF as a reflection of real-world White-as-default.

In all, this is a great read around SFF craft and vision, and well worth your time, whether you’re a fan or a creator.

Thank you to Interstellar Flight Press and to NetGalley for this ARC.