Recensori in anteprimaAliya Whiteley

Aliya Whiteley’s fiction has been shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the John W. Campbell, BFS, BSFA, Shirley Jackson, James Tiptree Jr and Saboteur awards.

“When I read Whiteley's short stories I think of Japanese netsuke - magnificent miniatures, perfect in every detail. This latest collection stirs echoes of Franz Kafka, Angela Carter, Ursula LeGuin. I don't know any higher praise than that.” – M.R. Carey

A new collection from one of the most exciting voices in genre fiction. Nineteen stories, eleven of them original to this collection, all themed on travel, be it a desperate need to be somewhere else or a burning desire to escape what is left behind.

Contents:

• Early Bird
• Drive or be Driven
• Luisa Opines
• Cold Trade
• The Emblem of Daydreams
• Your Hero
• Wrapped
• The Librarian
• A Possible Location For Eagles
• Fernie
• Ongoing
• A Million Moving Parts
• Streamers
• Pack Your Coat
• Multiply
• Rich Growth
• Beast
• Something From the Garden
• At Night, The Road

“Rich Growth”… keeps the focus on transformation and the lines between people and the natural world. Here gardeners use their own blood and energy to grow vines up to precious gemflowers… and the story explores the grief and freedom that comes along with that.” – Locus

‘Luisa Opines’ is a real oddity, part fairy tale, part satirical comment on social/marketing surveys that attempt to mould our preferences… The story is quirky and surreal, and concludes with a great line that signals Luisa’s refusal to accept certainty.” – IZ Digital

“The Artisan’s crew are the Galaxy’s best traders and have come to trade with the giants, a large species of sea creature that has never responded to anything in the past… an unusual tale that kept most of its cards hidden until the end. It was an entertaining story that just managed to keep on the correct side of the confusion/mystery boundary.” –Tangent online reviewing “Cold Trade”.

Editor Donna Scott has scoured magazines, anthologies, webzines and obscure genre corners to discover the very best science fiction stories by British and British-based authors published during 2021. Two dozen stories, varying greatly in subject matter and style, from superb technological mystery to conflict on very alien worlds, from sweet, sad stories symptomatic of the tense times we have lived through to tales optimistic for better times to come, and even a dash of wry humour here and there for good measure.

Donna Scott is a director and recent chair of the BSFA, as well as being a distinguished poet, writer, and stand-up comedian. Donna is also a free-lance editor who has worked behind the scenes for a number of major publishers over the course of several years.

Contents

Introduction – Donna Scott

Distribution – Paul Cornell

Stealthcare – Liz Williams

Down and Out Under the Tannhauser Gate – David Gullen

Me Two – Keith Brooke and Eric Brown

The Andraiad – Tim Major

Bloodbirds – Martin Sketchley

Going Home – Martin Westlake

Okamoto’s Lens – A.N. Myers

Love in the Age of Operator Errors – Ryan Vance

Stone of Sorrow – Peter Sutton

Henrietta – T.H. Dray

A History of Food Additives in 22nd Century Britain – Emma Levin

The Trip – Michael Crouch

The Ghosts of Trees – Fiona Moore

The Opaque Mirror of Your Face – Russell Hemmell

More Sea Creatures to See – Aliya Whiteley

The End of All Our Exploring – Gary Couzens

How Does My Garden Grow? – David Cleden

Girls’ Night Out – Teika Marija Smits

Bar Hopping for Astronauts – Leo X. Robertson

In Aeturnus – Phillip Irving

A Spark in a Flask – Emma Johanna Puranen

A Pall of Moondust – Nick Wood

About the Authors

Acknowledgements