The New Voices of Fantasy

Starred review from June 12, 2017
This excellent anthology showcases up-and-coming speculative fiction writers, many of whom have received award nominations and critical attention to support their status as future influencers of the genre. The anthology opens with Alyssa Wong’s Nebula-winning “Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers,” a gripping story of creatures who walk among humans and feed on ugliness. The stories vary in tone: Amal El-Mohtar’s “Wing” is lyrical, A.C. Wise’s “The Practical Witch’s Guide to Acquiring Real Estate” is gently humorous, and Carmen Maria Machado’s “The Husband Stitch” is haunting. Some, such as E. Lily Yu’s beautiful “The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees,” eschew the well-worn Western setting that is the English-language-fantasy default; others, such as Brooke Bolander’s “Tornado’s Siren,” thoughtfully embrace their American and European settings. Fantasy legend Beagle and Tachyon publisher Weisman have provided a valuable snapshot of SF/F’s newest generation of writers.

Starred review from June 15, 2017
A companion piece of sorts to Beagle's critically acclaimed anthology, The Secret History of Fantasy (2010)--a collection of stories that transcended the conventions and cliches of contemporary fantasy--Beagle and Weisman's latest contains 19 comparable stories from some of the genre's most innovative and exciting new voices.Although most of the authors included here may not be household names like the ones in the earlier collection (which featured works from Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Octavia E. Butler, among others), the quality of the stories is undeniable. Also undeniable is the impressive diversity of storylines, which range from the whimsy of Ben Loory's "The Duck," about a bird who falls hopelessly in love with a rock, to the horror of Carmen Maria Machado's Nebula Award-nominated "The Husband Stitch," a darkly lyrical and deeply disturbing look at a woman with a penchant for storytelling whose life becomes a twisted tale. E. Lily Yu's "The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees" is particularly memorable. A political fable that works on multiple levels, it chronicles a conflict between a nest of imperialistic wasps and a colony of peaceful bees. A few young bees begin questioning the violent new world order and plot rebellion. Other standout selections include "Tornado's Siren" by Brooke Bolander, a love story featuring a tornado and a girl, and Alyssa Wong's Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winning "Hungry Daughters and Starving Mothers," which puts an innovative twist on the vampire mythos with a story about a young woman who, after realizing she can find sustenance consuming people's thoughts, becomes addicted to eating the darkest. While all 19 pieces are exceptional, the anthology's title is a bit of a misnomer; some stories were originally published as far back as 2012. A stellar anthology that proves not only that fantasy is alive and well, but that it will be for years to come.

COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2017

Fantasy fiction has come to the forefront over the last decade, as new writers begin to voice their imaginative ideas. This anthology highlights 19 promising and breakthrough authors of the past five years. Max Gladstone ("Craft Sequence" series) conceives of a vampire as a father in "A Kiss with Teeth." Nebula Award winner Amal El-Mohtar shares a story, a book, and a secret in "Wing." Sofia Samatar (A Stranger in Olondria) writes a tale of love, loss, and life in "Selkie Stories Are for Losers." Lesser-knowns include Ben Loory ("The Duck") and Adam Ehrlich Sachs ("The Philosophers"). VERDICT These tales will bring joy to both new and seasoned readers of fantasy.--KC

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2017
This collection brings together stories that, according to coeditors Beagle and Weisman, represent the new and evolving possibilities for fantasy writing, particularly the sort of more literary fantasy that exists between the boundaries of genre and mainstream fiction. The authors range from slightly more established names, such as Sofia Samatar, to authors like Alyssa Wong or E. Lily Yu, whose work so far is only available in magazines or anthologies such as this one. All of the stories here are well worth a read, with each one presenting a different way in which authors are exploring and redefining the fantasy genre. Highlights of the anthology include Wong's Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers, a story of a familial thirst for the ugliest thoughts and desires; Yu's The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees, a story that explores politics and war in an insect world; and other stories ranging from brief fable-like pieces to longer stories, such as Usman T. Malik's exploration of the ways a secret history of a family unlocks the even more hidden history of the universe. This anthology represents some of the most exciting and interesting work in the fantasy field today, and anyone interested in the genre should read it immediately.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)