#ReadShortStories highlighting colonialism and other things (91 to 95)

In this batch there's three more stories from Not So Stories, raging against colonialism in their own ways, and a couple of randoms, including one that's a spin off from a YA series that I read the first book of in 2012. The Not So Stories stories are all a bit emotionally heavy so I expect I will continue to intersperse them with miscellaneous stories. Stay tuned.


Queen by Joseph E. Cole — A story about slavery and human cruelty. Not exactly an enjoyable read but not a bad story either. It didn’t particularly grab me but it was still told in an evocative way (and I think I spotted several references to “Just So Stories”. Source: Not So Stories edited by David Thomas Moore

Utopia, LOL? by Jamie Wahls — This story was silly and fun but also serious. In a post-singularity future, a cryogenic-frozen man is reintroduced to society by an easily distracted tour guide. Not perfect, but I liked it. Source: http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/utopia-lol/

The Department of Alterations by Gennifer Albin — Set in the same world as a YA series I read the first book of several years ago. I haven’t got around to finishing the series even though I love liked the first book (Crewel) enough to track down books 2 and 3 from the US. This story was a little confusing with the world building quite hazy in my mind. The emotional impact was still there, however. Source: https://www.tor.com/2012/09/27/the-department-of-alterations/

Best Beloved by Wayne Santos — A Singaporean guardian of the living against the dead has taken up with a British official while still finding time for her duties. Until those duties become more difficult and she learns more of what the British are up to. A powerful story of love and devastation. Source: Not So Stories edited by David Thomas Moore

The Man Who Played With the Crab by Adiwijaya Iskandar — A father and daughter come across a westerner killing animals and demanding to be taken to their sacred crab so that he can kill it. A story that’s about as positive as possible, given colonial history. Source: Not So Stories edited by David Thomas Moore