Reviews

A People's Future of the United States: Speculative Fiction from 25 Extraordinary Writers, by John Joseph Adams, Victor LaValle

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mojostdennis's review

4.0

I feel like I say this about every short story collection I read, but: this was somewhat hit or miss. The good stories were REALLY good, the bad stories were meh. One was REALLY bad.

My favorite kind of speculative fiction is dystopian fiction. I love it for the same reasons I love satire and non-fiction books about the dark side of the economy and technology.

The intent here is to play on Howard Zinn’s People’s History but to cast that marginalized point of view toward the future.

These 25 stories go beyond a bleak rendering of a dehumanizing future. Most of them include, not a promise, but a suggestion of something better peeking over the horizon.

The collection included cyberpunk, time loop weirdness, Afro- and Indigenous-Futurism, racist robots, genetically engendered dragons, et cetera. Almost every one of the stories was completely engrossing and compelling.

libram's review

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3.0

A bit discouraging (but not surprising) that this is a mostly dystopian collection.

Favourite stories:
“Riverbed” by Omar El Akkad, “It was Saturday Night, I Guess That Makes It All Right” by Sam J. Miller, “Give Me Cornbread or Give Me Death” by N.K. Jemisin and “Good News, Bad News” by Charles Yu were all fantastic.

Stories that make me want to read more by the author:
“The Wall” by Lizz Huerta, “The Referendum” by Lesley Nneka Arimah, "The Synapse Will Free Us from Ourselves” by Violet Allen, “The Blindfold” by Tobias S. Buckell, and "A History of Barbed Wire" by Daniel H. Wilson.

laughatlantis's review

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

Fantastic writing in this collection of speculative fiction. I expect some of this will stay with me for a long time!

yeller's review

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5.0

This is definitely a who's who of incredible established or up and coming speculative fiction authors. These stories are all equally incredible and I couldn't choose a favorite if I tried. They all explore very different themes. It's definitely worth a read.

liorallen's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

hannahbananali's review

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4.0

“This book is dedicated to the folks who would not be erased”

25 authors, 25 speculative stories — all of which challenge the oppression of today and dare to dream of the vision of tomorrow. Like just how AWESOME does this sound?! And the title!! A People’s FUTURE of the United States!!

I went in with high hopes buuuuut I found this anthology to be just a bit uneven. You’d have stories that were absolutely fantastic, but they’d be followed by stories that fell a bit flat. Now can we really expect a zip zap perfect anthology? No! 25 authors = 25 opportunities to not like a writing style. My advice? Go in blind. Enjoy the stories, savor the genius, relish the diversity. Because the direction, the intention, the cohesive whole of it all was outstanding. All in all, a wonderful last read of 2019!

Faves:
- The Bookstore at the End of America by Charlie Jane Anders
- By His Bootstraps by Ahok K. Banker
- Give Me Cornbread or Give Me Death by N.K. Jemisin
- What We Sow by Kai Cheng Thom
- Now Wait for This Week by Alice Sola Kim