Harare Review of Books

295 pages.

First published Apr. 18, 2023 (Apex Book Company)

Sci-fi anthology.

This is my favourite kind of science fiction, sci-fi the way I love it: futuristic and realistic, warmly human, and full of diversity. Caribbean-born author Tobias S. Buckell’s collection is full of the weird and wonderful—from a girl on the moon with her robotic dog, to a rover waiting for humans on Io, worldships, space elevators, sentient starships, Independence Day-style invasions (of a sort), space cats, and more.

Buckell explores “race” and caste, gender, relationships across the stars, alien minds, childhood, and, most memorably, empire and colonialism, in a story where a white man is one of the last artefacts of Western civ, and is an exhibition in a museum.

There are author notes included to explain the genesis of each story, which is interesting for budding writers. Buckell is prolific, and works with many other authors, which no doubt is one of the reasons for his success. I am also delighted with his non-Eurocentric worldview, which comes across in these stories.

This is an excellent collection, and showcases why Buckell has won so many awards. I can’t pick a favourite; this is the work of an amazing writer. Buckell’s stories are immersive, and full of intelligence and humour. Even if you’re not a sci-fi fan, this collection is accessible, and so much fun to read. I will be re-reading it many times.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Apex Book Company for the ARC.

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