A collection of two thought-provoking science fiction short stories from the pen of British Science Fiction Association award-winner and Nebula and Hugo Award finalist Aliette de Bodard. Scattered Among Strange Worlds tackles issues of emigration, diaspora and loss of cultural values; and the threads of family that bind us strongly, even across the void of space...
"Scattered Along the River of Heaven": Zhiying and Anshi were once comrades in arms, the driving forces behind a revolution that led to the foreign colonisers withdrawing from Felicity Station. But what happens after the revolution is won, and the only enemies left are within your own ranks?
"Exodus Tides": The child of a mermaid and a human, Emilie has always known herself to be different. Growing up in Paris, in a post-apocalyptic country radically transformed by the mass arrival of mermaids as refugees, she has always yearned to return to the sea--the lost, unattainable country devastated by the Dark King and his cohorts. But sometimes, wishes can be granted in the most perilous manner...
Reviews:
On "Scattered Along the River of Heaven"
"One of the best stories of the year to date... This is a politically and psychological subtle story, quite intense, and bleakly lyrical in places – it reminds me of Ursula K. Le Guin’s ‘‘The Day Before the Revolution’’, a high compliment, but de Bodard puts a cultural spin all her own on it." Gardner Dozois, Locus
"A beautiful, powerful piece that I strongly recommend. (...) the three generations of women at the center of the story form a moving emotional core. I suspect that every reader will read this and get a different 'message' out of it, as should be the case with the best kind of fiction. " Ken Liu, Nebula-Award winning author of "The Paper Menagerie"
"the author’s breadth is impressive. (...) It should say something that I’ve spent as much time on a short story as I have on entire trilogies..." Two Dudes in an Attic, http://twodudesff.wordpress.com/
On Aliette de Bodard
""Bodard is probably my favorite female fantasy writer in the field today. Her prose is rich, but never overdone. Her explanations are seamless within the story, with nary an infodump in sight. Her worldbuilding stands above ninety percent of the field where worldbuilding is an essential. Her characters are deep and reflect on the world they live in. "
"Aliette de Bodard is one of a handful of writers who keep me reading short fiction (along with Cat Valente, Jason Sanford, Lavie Tidhar, and Ted Chiang)."
Adam Callaway, Sensawunda
http://adamcallaway.blogspot.com
"Vivid imagery, flowing prose, and natural dialogue are at the heart of de Bodard’s writing. One of the most original storytellers out there..", Gabrielle Gantz, The Faster Times
"... so clever and multi-layered, it feels like it belongs in Dangerous Visions." Charlie Jane Anders, io9, on "Immersion"
"Scattered Along the River of Heaven": Zhiying and Anshi were once comrades in arms, the driving forces behind a revolution that led to the foreign colonisers withdrawing from Felicity Station. But what happens after the revolution is won, and the only enemies left are within your own ranks?
"Exodus Tides": The child of a mermaid and a human, Emilie has always known herself to be different. Growing up in Paris, in a post-apocalyptic country radically transformed by the mass arrival of mermaids as refugees, she has always yearned to return to the sea--the lost, unattainable country devastated by the Dark King and his cohorts. But sometimes, wishes can be granted in the most perilous manner...
Reviews:
On "Scattered Along the River of Heaven"
"One of the best stories of the year to date... This is a politically and psychological subtle story, quite intense, and bleakly lyrical in places – it reminds me of Ursula K. Le Guin’s ‘‘The Day Before the Revolution’’, a high compliment, but de Bodard puts a cultural spin all her own on it." Gardner Dozois, Locus
"A beautiful, powerful piece that I strongly recommend. (...) the three generations of women at the center of the story form a moving emotional core. I suspect that every reader will read this and get a different 'message' out of it, as should be the case with the best kind of fiction. " Ken Liu, Nebula-Award winning author of "The Paper Menagerie"
"the author’s breadth is impressive. (...) It should say something that I’ve spent as much time on a short story as I have on entire trilogies..." Two Dudes in an Attic, http://twodudesff.wordpress.com/
On Aliette de Bodard
""Bodard is probably my favorite female fantasy writer in the field today. Her prose is rich, but never overdone. Her explanations are seamless within the story, with nary an infodump in sight. Her worldbuilding stands above ninety percent of the field where worldbuilding is an essential. Her characters are deep and reflect on the world they live in. "
"Aliette de Bodard is one of a handful of writers who keep me reading short fiction (along with Cat Valente, Jason Sanford, Lavie Tidhar, and Ted Chiang)."
Adam Callaway, Sensawunda
http://adamcallaway.blogspot.com
"Vivid imagery, flowing prose, and natural dialogue are at the heart of de Bodard’s writing. One of the most original storytellers out there..", Gabrielle Gantz, The Faster Times
"... so clever and multi-layered, it feels like it belongs in Dangerous Visions." Charlie Jane Anders, io9, on "Immersion"
