Synopsis:
Nowhereville: Weird Is Other People is an anthology of urban weird fiction. These are stories of the city, of people interacting with the complexities that are other people. These 19 short stories explore the genre of weird fiction, tales not quite fantasy and not quite science fiction, tales blurring the lines between genres. These are the strange stories of the strange decisions we make and the strange ways the city affects us.
And there’s an amazing cast of authors:
Nuzo Onoh | Maura McHugh | P. Djèlí Clark | Evan J. Peterson | S.P. Miskowski | Craig Laurance Gidney | Lynda E. Rucker | Tariro Ndoro | D.A. Xiaolin Spires | Mike Allen | Jeffrey Thomas | Erica L. Satifka | Kathe Koja | Leah Bobet | Ramsey Campbell | Wole Talabi | Stephen Graham Jones | R.B. Lemberg | Cody Goodfellow
Gather together enough people and strange things happen. That’s just fact. It’s inevitable really. Just try keeping them apart. Impossible. They just keep clamoring and fiddling and getting into everything and strangeing up the place. Can’t say why. You just learn to accept it. Even to thrill at it. The ups, the downs, the everchanging nature of it all. It’s unpredictable; it’s exhausting; and it’s fascinating.
Edition:
E-ARC
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary advanced reader e-book of Nowhereville via Net Galley. This does not affect my review in any way.
My Thoughts:
What is Nowhereville?
The Stories:
Walk Softly, Softly by Nuzo Onoh
Abusive men meet their match in a shadow woman who punishes them in a most fitting way.
Y by Maura McHugh
A young woman follows all the signs leading her to coastal Ireland where she learns the truth about herself.
Night Doctors by P. Djèlí Clark
A man seeks out the terrible truth about the Night Doctors in the American South. I think this one was my favorite piece in the collection. It’s really, really good.
The Chemical Bride by Evan J. Peterson
A washed up actress gets a chance at a comeback in an avant garde theater production based on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Patio Wing Monsters by S.P. Miskowski
A girl in a recovery center for people suffering from emotional disturbances is confronted by her greatest fear.
Underglaze by Craig Laurance Gidney
A woman is given some very strange plates by a very strange woman at an Estate Sale.
The Vestige by Lynda E. Rucker
A man on his way to meet his estranged cousin in Maldova discovers that nothing is quite as he thought.
The Cure by Tariro Ndoro
A very tall woman discovers that her power does not lie in society’s valuation of her appearance.
Kleinsche Fläche of Four-Dimensional Redolence by D. A. Xiaolin Spires
A strange perfume bottle changes a woman’s entire outlook on life.
Nolens Volens by Mike Allen
A translator must escape a death curse that was foisted upon her.
Vertices by Jeffrey Thomas
A woman is confronted by her internalized racism while living on a rapidly changing planet.
Like Fleas on a Tired Dog’s Back by Erica L. Satifka
An orphaned young woman moves her younger brother into a monolith designed to keep its residents safe from a planet in constant topographic turmoil, but things aren’t what they seem.
Urb Civ by Kathe Koja
A young man tries to infiltrate a band of rebels in a futuristic hellscape, but quickly discovers the consequences of his actions.
Over/Under by Leah Bobet
A woman attempts to find her troubled sister when she goes on a bender. This story was a particular favorite of mine.
A Name for Every Home by Ramsey Campbell
A new mail carrier meets with trouble on his inaugural delivery run.
Tends to Zero by Wole Talabi
The city of Lagos will do whatever is necessary to protect itself.
My Lying-Down Smiley Face by Stephen Graham Jones
A woman sneaks her late mother’s tumor from the hospital, intending to use it to not only find some closure, but also in a last-ditch effort at recompense for a poor relationship with the woman. SGJ has such a unique ability to write terrible, beautiful, highly affecting stories. This is one of them.
Luriberg-That-Was by R. B. Lemberg
A man has the chance to change history if only he can manage.
The Sister City by Cody Goodfellow
Set in Portland, a man on the hunt for his missing partner must give up everything in order to discover where he has gone.
Overall Rating:
The stories in Nowhereville were all pretty good. There wasn’t one among them that I just didn’t like, which is pretty rare in a collections. There’s always one that I just don’t get into at all – but not here!
Nowhereville: Weird is Other People Edited by Scott Gable Broken Eye Books ISBN: 9781940372488 Published: December 17, 2019 Format: E-book, Trade Paperback, Hardcover 302 Pages Publisher's Website
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