Sisters of the Revolution

August 17, 2015
The VanderMeers (The Time Traveler's Almanac) have produced a well-curated and gorgeously edited selection of speculative feminist stories, including classics from the 1970s and â80s as well as recent work by currently prominent writers. The stories, arranged thematically, flow into and bounce off of one another in a thought-provoking, dramatic arrangement that displays each piece in its best possible light. Highlights include James Tiptree Jr.'s "The Screwfly Solution," a terrifying exploration of femicide; Hiromi Goto's "Tales from the Breast," a darkly funny look at a nursing mother pushed to her limit; Angela Carter's "The Fall River Axe Murders," which builds and removes sympathy for Lizzie Borden in equal measure; and Rose Lemberg's "Seven Losses of Na Re," a meditation on memory and totalitarianism. There are no truly weak pieces, but Tanith Lee's "Northern Chess" doesn't rise beyond its conventional sword-and-sorcery trappings, and today's readers will cringe at the attitude towards transsexuality in Pamela Sargent's "Fears" and the employment of gender-shifting and androgyny as an attribute of evil in several older stories. Otherwise, this collection is a generous celebration of work both by and about women.

Starred review from June 1, 2015
The feminist superstars of science fiction, fantasy, and horror dismantle and reassemble gender's many implications and iterations in the newest anthology edited by the VanderMeers (The Time Traveler's Almanac, 2014, etc.). There is probably no better time for this anthology to emerge, as the SF/F world is rocked by a clash over the value of diverse voices. While the original dates of publication of these stories range from the 1970s to the current decade, and include both stalwarts of their respective genres and relative newcomers, they all feel fresh as ever. Touching on issues from surveillance, misogyny, and marriage to queerness, family dynamics, and gender fluidity, it's hard to say if this anthology's aggressive relevance is encouraging or depressing-that feminism remains at the cutting edge of contemporary problems or that the same ideas turned over by writers as long as four decades ago continue to haunt society unaltered. Either way, these stories, coming from a variety of genres, subgenres, and nonrealist traditions, are timeless and breathtaking in scope and power. L. Timmel Duchamp's "The Forbidden Words of Margaret A.," about a woman whose words are so dangerous her free speech has been rescinded in the Constitution, will crackle and spark given the current discussion about government overreach. Nalo Hopkinson's "The Glass Bottle Trick" is a gorgeous retelling of Bluebeard and an exploration of domestic violence. Susan Palwick's "Gestella," about a werewolf who marries a human man, is a chilling reminder of the banality of evil; and there is probably no way to top the enduring horror of James Tiptree Jr.'s "The Screwfly Solution." In the introduction, the editors mention that anthologies of this type can never be truly complete-the canon is always expanding through time, discovery, and translation-but this book will undeniably become part of the ongoing conversation. A necessary, well-curated anthology that shows the singular political power of speculative fiction.

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July 1, 2015
Highlighting changes in speculative writing and in feminism since the 1970s, award-winning literary couple Ann and Jeff VanderMeer offer a collection of sf, fantasy, and horror writing from 29 women writers, both famous and newcomers. This is the first of several planned anthologies to acquaint readers with the variety of women writers. Among the writers and the perspectives they present are L. Timmel Duchamp with a tale of a woman imprisoned for speaking out, Leonora Carrington in an examination of physical beauty, Kit Reed with a story on the complexities of motherhood, Kelly Eskridge in a gender-bending theater story, Nalo Hopkinson through a tale of a woman trapped in her husband's secret, and Octavia Butler with a tale of disease and stigma. Among the other authors are Angela Carter, Angelica Gorodischer, Hiromi Goto, Nnedi Okorafor, Vandana Singh, and James Tiptree Jr. This fascinating collection illustrates how writing trends from new-wave sf and feminist speculative fiction reflect changes in culture and in perspectives on women and feminism. It also provides a valuable primer on women writers in the sf, fantasy, and horror genres.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)