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yevolem's review against another edition
3.0
The subtitle is somewhat misleading. Maybe half of these twenty-three stories could reasonably be called SFF. Speculative fiction would be more accurate. All of the stories are Asian influenced. The influences are Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Filipino, Sri Lankan, Indian, and Turkish. Social justice was the focus for several of the stories. Several of the Ok stories were close to being Enjoyable, but I had problems with each of them that were a bit too much.
Spirit of Wine - Tony Pi
A spirit of Wine possess two sworn brothers and causes mischief. Ideogram-play follows.
Meh
The dataSultan of Streets and Stars - Jeremy Szal
A dataSultan (programmer) is hired to steal the newest djinn (AI). Naturally it doesn't go planned.
Meh
Weaving Silk - Amanda Sun
Two children in Tokyo struggle to survive following a catastrophic earthquake.
Meh
Vanilla Rice - Angela Yuriko Smith
A pregnant woman of asian descent in a western country has fully internalized white beauty standards and purchases a chip that will change the phenotype of her daughter so that she will not have to suffer the indignity of not being white.
Blah
Looking Up - S. B. Divya
A woman with a physical disability who has a traumatic past and is estranged from her family has been selected for a one-way mission to Mars. All that's left is telling everyone goodbye then going on her way.
Ok
A Star Is Born - Miki Dare
This is about the interment of Japanese-Canadians. It's about the racism and oppression that non-whites have endured in Canada, whose evils are similar to those of the United States, though overshadowed by the severity of the latter due to population size and factors. I'm not sure what to make of the narrative, mostly as to whether it is what it says it is or not.
Blah
My Left Hand - Ruhan Zhao
A scientist visits a palmreader who warns him of disaster, but what does l matter when there's science to do, and who believes that nonsense anyway, ha ha.
I didn't enjoy this as much as I otherwise would because I don't have sufficient Chinese cultural knowledge to turn what seem to be the implications into definite conclusions.
Meh
DNR - Gabriela Lee
A doctor living in the Philippine Protectorate on Mars spends most of her time on autopsies and extracting the final memories of the deceased from their visual cortex to present to the bereaved.
Ok
A Visitation for the Spirit Festival - Diana Xin
A mother who thought she'd never return to China does so to convince her daughter that her activism is too dangerous. The mother carries with her the ghosts of her past.
Meh
Rose's Arm - D. Jim
In racist steampunk Canada, a teenage girl's mother has died and her father is no longer able to provide due to anti-Japanese sentiment. A white doctor has offered to solve her problems, though his help would come at a great personal cost to her.
Meh
Back to Myan - Regina Kanyu Wang, translated by Shaoyan Hu
Kaya is a refugee saved by the Union. She returns to her desolate homeworld where her merfolk people once lived and discovers the truth, which dispels all the false narratives that were put upon her.
Meh
Meridian - Karin Lowachee
A four year old boy watches his family be killed by space pirates and his station be wrecked. He's picked up by scavengers, but they don't know how to raise such a traumatized child. The years pass by, but the memories don't fade.
Ok
Joseon Fringe - Pamela Q. Fernandes
A historical fantasy about how hangul and much else was developed by King Sejong and Jang Young Sil. It's also about hoping changing the past will fix the present.
Meh
Wintry Hearts of Those Who Rise - Minsoo Kang
The heir to a grand estate seeks an inheritance denied to him by father's second wife through legal maneuvering and deceit. His scholar friend decides to beat her at her own game.
Ok
Udātta Śloka? - Deepak Bharathan
A mythological origin story for a major Hindu deity.
Meh
Crash - Melissa Yuan-Innes
The colonists of the lunar colony escaped Earth and want nothing to do with it. A crashed space vessel threatens to upend their established balance.
Ok
Memoriam - Priya Sridhar
A robotictist has created a replica of his deceased father and everyone is worried for him, scared of what he's done, or both.
Ok
The Observer Effect - E. C. Myers
After a school shooting in California, a disabled Chinese woman wants to know why her co-worker, who is a superhero, didn't do anything about it. Superheroes are common in this world, as are supervillians. Thus ensues a conversation about racism against Asians, the importance of representation, and what it truly means to be a superhero.
Ok
Decision - Joyce Chng
A young woman from a race of mythical spider people who eat humans decides it's time to leave the family nest.
Meh
Moon Halves - Anne Carly Abad
The forests of Barangay Mangangasu are filled with spirits. It's time for the hunting rite to determine a new chieftan.
Ok
The Bridge of Dangerous Longings - Rati Mehrotra
A young girl wants to wants to cross the bridge that no one has survived crossing since it was built. All is shrouded in mist, but the gruesome death that befalls crossers is in full view. Life isn't going so well for her though.
Ok
Old Souls - Fonda Lee
A woman who remembers all of her past lives, seven currently, meets an immortal woman who asks of her a favor.
Ok
The Orphans of Nilaveli - Naru Dames Sundar
Nearly seventy years have passed since the end of the Sri Lankan civil war. Tamils remain discriminated against by the Sinhalese who literally aren't able to see them any longer due to their implants erasing them from sight. Even so, following a catastrophic earthquake two Tamil orphans are adopted by a Sinhalese family. Their lives take drastically different paths.
Ok
Spirit of Wine - Tony Pi
A spirit of Wine possess two sworn brothers and causes mischief. Ideogram-play follows.
Meh
The dataSultan of Streets and Stars - Jeremy Szal
A dataSultan (programmer) is hired to steal the newest djinn (AI). Naturally it doesn't go planned.
Meh
Weaving Silk - Amanda Sun
Two children in Tokyo struggle to survive following a catastrophic earthquake.
Meh
Vanilla Rice - Angela Yuriko Smith
A pregnant woman of asian descent in a western country has fully internalized white beauty standards and purchases a chip that will change the phenotype of her daughter so that she will not have to suffer the indignity of not being white.
Blah
Looking Up - S. B. Divya
A woman with a physical disability who has a traumatic past and is estranged from her family has been selected for a one-way mission to Mars. All that's left is telling everyone goodbye then going on her way.
Ok
A Star Is Born - Miki Dare
This is about the interment of Japanese-Canadians. It's about the racism and oppression that non-whites have endured in Canada, whose evils are similar to those of the United States, though overshadowed by the severity of the latter due to population size and factors. I'm not sure what to make of the narrative, mostly as to whether it is what it says it is or not.
Blah
My Left Hand - Ruhan Zhao
A scientist visits a palmreader who warns him of disaster, but what does l matter when there's science to do, and who believes that nonsense anyway, ha ha.
I didn't enjoy this as much as I otherwise would because I don't have sufficient Chinese cultural knowledge to turn what seem to be the implications into definite conclusions.
Meh
DNR - Gabriela Lee
A doctor living in the Philippine Protectorate on Mars spends most of her time on autopsies and extracting the final memories of the deceased from their visual cortex to present to the bereaved.
Ok
A Visitation for the Spirit Festival - Diana Xin
A mother who thought she'd never return to China does so to convince her daughter that her activism is too dangerous. The mother carries with her the ghosts of her past.
Meh
Rose's Arm - D. Jim
In racist steampunk Canada, a teenage girl's mother has died and her father is no longer able to provide due to anti-Japanese sentiment. A white doctor has offered to solve her problems, though his help would come at a great personal cost to her.
Meh
Back to Myan - Regina Kanyu Wang, translated by Shaoyan Hu
Kaya is a refugee saved by the Union. She returns to her desolate homeworld where her merfolk people once lived and discovers the truth, which dispels all the false narratives that were put upon her.
Meh
Meridian - Karin Lowachee
A four year old boy watches his family be killed by space pirates and his station be wrecked. He's picked up by scavengers, but they don't know how to raise such a traumatized child. The years pass by, but the memories don't fade.
Ok
Joseon Fringe - Pamela Q. Fernandes
A historical fantasy about how hangul and much else was developed by King Sejong and Jang Young Sil. It's also about hoping changing the past will fix the present.
Meh
Wintry Hearts of Those Who Rise - Minsoo Kang
The heir to a grand estate seeks an inheritance denied to him by father's second wife through legal maneuvering and deceit. His scholar friend decides to beat her at her own game.
Ok
Udātta Śloka? - Deepak Bharathan
A mythological origin story for a major Hindu deity.
Meh
Crash - Melissa Yuan-Innes
The colonists of the lunar colony escaped Earth and want nothing to do with it. A crashed space vessel threatens to upend their established balance.
Ok
Memoriam - Priya Sridhar
A robotictist has created a replica of his deceased father and everyone is worried for him, scared of what he's done, or both.
Ok
The Observer Effect - E. C. Myers
After a school shooting in California, a disabled Chinese woman wants to know why her co-worker, who is a superhero, didn't do anything about it. Superheroes are common in this world, as are supervillians. Thus ensues a conversation about racism against Asians, the importance of representation, and what it truly means to be a superhero.
Ok
Decision - Joyce Chng
A young woman from a race of mythical spider people who eat humans decides it's time to leave the family nest.
Meh
Moon Halves - Anne Carly Abad
The forests of Barangay Mangangasu are filled with spirits. It's time for the hunting rite to determine a new chieftan.
Ok
The Bridge of Dangerous Longings - Rati Mehrotra
A young girl wants to wants to cross the bridge that no one has survived crossing since it was built. All is shrouded in mist, but the gruesome death that befalls crossers is in full view. Life isn't going so well for her though.
Ok
Old Souls - Fonda Lee
A woman who remembers all of her past lives, seven currently, meets an immortal woman who asks of her a favor.
Ok
The Orphans of Nilaveli - Naru Dames Sundar
Nearly seventy years have passed since the end of the Sri Lankan civil war. Tamils remain discriminated against by the Sinhalese who literally aren't able to see them any longer due to their implants erasing them from sight. Even so, following a catastrophic earthquake two Tamil orphans are adopted by a Sinhalese family. Their lives take drastically different paths.
Ok
pauladamswrites's review against another edition
One thing I have been seeking is more science fiction from Asian authors. I also adore short stories To find all of this in one collection was like hitting a gold mine. This collection contains well-written, interesting, and unique stories. It was a wonderful tome to add to my own collection.
ddmgembala's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
stardustrohrig's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
3.0
“Where the Stars Rise” is an anthology of Asian science fiction and fantasy. I love the variety of these twenty-three stories, encompassing many different Asian flavors, as well as many different varieties of science fiction and fantasy. Here you will find characters who are male, female, young, old, human and inhuman. There are characters with disabilities, characters of different ethnicities, robots, djinns, ghosts, mermaids, and superheroes.
As is almost inevitable in such a broad-ranging anthology, not every story appealed to me, but by and large I enjoyed this. My personal favorite was Karin Lowachee’s “Meridian,” a strong, dark tale with a haunting end. I’ve had Lowachee’s first novel waiting on my to-read shelves for a few years, and now I’ll be promoting it in the ranks. I also particularly liked Minsoo Kang’s chilling “Wintry Hearts of Those Who Rise,” Fonda Lee’s story about choices and possibilities, “Old Souls,” and Naru Dames Sundar’s brief but effective “The Orphans of Nilaveli.”
As is almost inevitable in such a broad-ranging anthology, not every story appealed to me, but by and large I enjoyed this. My personal favorite was Karin Lowachee’s “Meridian,” a strong, dark tale with a haunting end. I’ve had Lowachee’s first novel waiting on my to-read shelves for a few years, and now I’ll be promoting it in the ranks. I also particularly liked Minsoo Kang’s chilling “Wintry Hearts of Those Who Rise,” Fonda Lee’s story about choices and possibilities, “Old Souls,” and Naru Dames Sundar’s brief but effective “The Orphans of Nilaveli.”
dude_watchin_with_the_brontes's review against another edition
4.0
I hadn't heard of most of these authors coming in, except for Tony Pi (and as usual, Pi does not disappoint!) And now I have a whole new set of authors to read!
Lots of variation, from superheroes to high fantasy to space travel. Some stories are just fun, some are more introspective. In some stories, race and gender play a big role, while in others, they are not even mentioned.
Overall, a solid compilation. I would recommend to all fans of speculative fiction!
Lots of variation, from superheroes to high fantasy to space travel. Some stories are just fun, some are more introspective. In some stories, race and gender play a big role, while in others, they are not even mentioned.
Overall, a solid compilation. I would recommend to all fans of speculative fiction!
pelargonia's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
First published on my blog: Nonstop Reader
I can be fairly clueless.
I love anthologies and picked this one solely on the basis of its cover. I was not aware until I started reading the introduction (yes, I read the introduction and you should also) that it was a collection of Asian SF & fantasy.
Second background tidbit: I have been involved in fandom in one form or another for over 40 years until I mostly passed the baton on to my three minions (two females and a male).
This means, as a female heavily involved in fandom in the late 60's through the 00's, I've been marginalized, patted on the head, straight up disdained, called names, and worse. Some of the nastiness came from my 'peers' in non-fandom of course, but a discouragingly large amount came from other fans. Generally caucasian, nearly universally male. You grow a tough skin, you move on (or quit).
Fast forward to the time period between 2000 and the present day. Non-white-non-male fans and authors seemed more welcome to the dialogue and to bring N-W-N-M voices to the chorus. Things seemed to be going ticketty-boo. Then the backlash. There always seems to be a backlash. Puppygate, calling out Social Justice Warriors, etc etc.
For people who will read the description and think 'Where the Stars Rise is not for me'. Or 'these authors' voices are not speaking to things which concern me', this is a collection of well written (in some cases transcendent) stories which speak to our common existence. They're not all perfect of course, but all of them are worthwhile.
As stated on the cover, this is a collection of 23 short works written by Asian authors. As with all anthologies, it's a mixed lot. They're all in the 3-5 star range, well weighted to the upper 4 star range. There are some truly standout pieces; Memoriam by Priya Sridhar, Back to Myan by Regina Kanyu Wang, and The dataSultan of Streets and Stars, by Jeremy Szal were amazing for me. There are many more well written stories included, but just these three alone are worth the price of the anthology.
Why is it important to read and expose oneself to other voices and other ideas? It's precisely because our strength is in our diversity. Unity and understanding can only come from growth. What other people have to say is vitally important and if we're going to live together on this planet and not die together, we desperately need to stop marginalizing one another.
Four stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.
I can be fairly clueless.
I love anthologies and picked this one solely on the basis of its cover. I was not aware until I started reading the introduction (yes, I read the introduction and you should also) that it was a collection of Asian SF & fantasy.
Second background tidbit: I have been involved in fandom in one form or another for over 40 years until I mostly passed the baton on to my three minions (two females and a male).
This means, as a female heavily involved in fandom in the late 60's through the 00's, I've been marginalized, patted on the head, straight up disdained, called names, and worse. Some of the nastiness came from my 'peers' in non-fandom of course, but a discouragingly large amount came from other fans. Generally caucasian, nearly universally male. You grow a tough skin, you move on (or quit).
Fast forward to the time period between 2000 and the present day. Non-white-non-male fans and authors seemed more welcome to the dialogue and to bring N-W-N-M voices to the chorus. Things seemed to be going ticketty-boo. Then the backlash. There always seems to be a backlash. Puppygate, calling out Social Justice Warriors, etc etc.
For people who will read the description and think 'Where the Stars Rise is not for me'. Or 'these authors' voices are not speaking to things which concern me', this is a collection of well written (in some cases transcendent) stories which speak to our common existence. They're not all perfect of course, but all of them are worthwhile.
As stated on the cover, this is a collection of 23 short works written by Asian authors. As with all anthologies, it's a mixed lot. They're all in the 3-5 star range, well weighted to the upper 4 star range. There are some truly standout pieces; Memoriam by Priya Sridhar, Back to Myan by Regina Kanyu Wang, and The dataSultan of Streets and Stars, by Jeremy Szal were amazing for me. There are many more well written stories included, but just these three alone are worth the price of the anthology.
Why is it important to read and expose oneself to other voices and other ideas? It's precisely because our strength is in our diversity. Unity and understanding can only come from growth. What other people have to say is vitally important and if we're going to live together on this planet and not die together, we desperately need to stop marginalizing one another.
Four stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher.
alexperc_92's review against another edition
4.0
I received an e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of the few times a publisher on NetGalley granted my wish! And this anthology was an adventure, though space and regions where every part of the human psyche was covered. From lovers and drug dealers to revenge and politics this book has a gorgeous cast, amazing authors who I am going to check too (since I know only Amanda Sun!) and a glorious representation of the Asian culture, even through the spectrum of the sci-fi genre!
Truly recommended!
This was one of the few times a publisher on NetGalley granted my wish! And this anthology was an adventure, though space and regions where every part of the human psyche was covered. From lovers and drug dealers to revenge and politics this book has a gorgeous cast, amazing authors who I am going to check too (since I know only Amanda Sun!) and a glorious representation of the Asian culture, even through the spectrum of the sci-fi genre!
Truly recommended!
serranok's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0