This is a VERY mixed anthology. I liked some of the stories very much; others not at all. Some of the stories are hopeful. Some of the stories are bleak. Some of the stories are SF set in the very near future, some are set in the far future, and some seem to be set in a completely different world altogether. CW in very many of these stories for racism and homophobia. I did not call that out individually because it's so prevalent throughout, though it is handled in very different ways in the various stories. I am glad I read this, but man did I get bogged down in the middle by the depressive nature of some of the stories.

(SIDE NOTE: I did not end the anthology with the final story. I read that final story out of order because I wanted to save McGuire’s story for last. THIS WAS THE BEST IDEA I HAD WHEN IT CAME TO THIS ANTHOLOGY. McGuire's story is a much more hopeful and uplifting way to end the anthology than the actual final story would have been. I feel that bookending the collection with Anders at the start and McGuire at the end is the way it should have been arranged.)

Quick notes on each of the stories:

"The Bookstore at the End of America" by Charlie Jane Anders ~ I can't say I'm surprised to see "America vs. California" in this anthology opener. I really like the idea of a bookstore being the place where two separate and radically different groups could come together, though the situation that the bookstore is set into didn't seem to be the focus.The focus seemed to be the bridging of the two different mentalities, and it was a great, hopeful way to start the book.

"Our Aim Is Not to Die" by A. Merc Rustad ~ Very powerful story about what life might be like if it became illegal to be anything other than "The Ideal Citizen." Ideal meaning neurotypical straight white male. (Though some women were allowed, as long as they acted like proper women, including wanting marriage and children.) And everyone was terminally online, to the point where you would be fined for not posting on social media. I liked this one enough to go buy the author's short story collection immediately upon finishing it.

"The Wall" by Lizz Huerta ~ While this idea was interesting, it didn't seem to fit the anthology (so far) to me. To start with, there was talk of healing magic when neither of the other stories so far has had fantasy elements. Then also, I think it was set in Mexico... even though the US was used as a plot point it didn't seem (to me) to be about the US (per the title of the anthology). I liked the premise of what to do with soldiers who have had their free will taken away (sometimes voluntarily) but ultimately this story didn't hold my interest.

"Read After Burning" by Maria Dahvana Headley ~ A neat story, but one that touches on war and verges on body horror. (I think it isn't more of either only because the MC is a child when the main action takes place and the focus is elsewhere.) This falls nicely into the category of stories about how powerful words can be. I don't want to be this kind of Librarian, though.

"Chapter 5: Disruption and Continuity [excerpted]" by Malka Older ~ Neat concept, but Older captured the feel of an academic paper so well that I lost interest.

"It Was Saturday Night, I Guess That Makes It All Right" by Sam J. Miller ~ This felt bleak, and very focused on sex. I wanted to enjoy it more than I did.

"Attachment Disorder" by Tananarive Due ~ This one's a dystopian. I'm not sure I actually understood what was happening, though I did like the characters.

"By His Bootstraps" by Ashok K. Banker ~ This one was amusing, but it also felt a little mean, and I think I would have liked it better without that aspect. I agree with the sentiment, though. I also appreciated that this was one of the few so far that has felt hopeful and not like a dystopian.

"Riverbed" by Omar El Akkad ~ I was just depressed by this one.

"What Maya Found There" by Daniel José Older ~ This one, where a scientist takes big risks to avoid her research falling into the wrong hands (read: government control) feels both like one of the most realistic and the least realistic. (Most: government likes to control science if it can. Least: the bio-mods this is about seem far-fetched, thankfully.) I enjoyed it, though it felt like only a piece of a much larger story.

"The Referendum" by Lesley Nneka Arimah ~ I'm not a fan of this one. While I'm not saying it couldn't happen (I don't want it to be possible, but the world is weird) this version of the present (though it was "near future" when it was written) where the civil rights act has been overturned and Black people can't own guns is just too bleak for me to like it. Even the writing style felt bleak. Quite likely that was intentional, but I didn't like it.

"Calendar Girls" by Justina Ireland ~ I enjoyed this story of rebellion in a future version of our world where contraception has been made illegal. (Side note: it's also very bleak in subject matter, but the way it's written didn't feel as bleak as the prior story to me.) Going into more detail would give spoilers, and I think it's best to approach this story without knowing much about it.

"The Synapse Will Free Us from Ourselves" by Violet Allen ~ This is another story that it's best to read without knowing anything about it. I will say that I really enjoyed the reveals that come along the way, and I greatly enjoyed reading this one. Highly recommended!

"O.1" by Gabby Rivera ~ Much more hopeful than I had anticipated given how it started. It was a little odd to swap POVs this many times (4 I think?) during a short story but it worked in the end. ~ CW: pregnancy, mention of suicide and plague

"The Blindfold" by Tobias S. Buckell ~ Given the issues with racism in America right now, and the discrepancy between how white and Black people are treated by police officers and the courts, this story hits way too close to home for comfort. However, it was really well written and I enjoyed it even though the subject matter was uncomfortable in how plausible it is. Nicely done.

"No Algorithms in the World" by Hugh Howey ~ I really liked this one. I think it's probably the most plausible future so far of all the stories I've read here. It also doesn't feel like the focus on the "future" part of this anthology, even though it also is... this is a father-son connection that could happen at any time and place, with a variety of different things at the center of the generation gap. One of my favorites so far.

"Esperanto" by Jamie Ford ~ Neat study in contrast between a digital reality world where everyone is the same, and the real world with all its differences. This could have been written using “I don’t see color (aka race)” as a prompt, but it also touches on our reliance on tech.

"ROME" by G. Willow Wilson ~ The climate change aspect of this story is sadly too possible. I hope that the rest of it isn’t likely, but pessimism says it is. Well-written, but depressing story.

"Give Me Cornbread or Give Me Death" by N. K. Jemisin ~ Fun and good story, but it feels like neither science fiction or the US. It feels like fantasy set on an unspecific dystopian world that is similar to Earth but not. I liked it, but I’m not sure it fits the anthology’s theme. It feels like it would fit a dragon anthology better… but it’s one of the few hopeful stories in this collection, and I’m here for that.

"Good News Bad News" by Charles Yu ~ I think this might be my favorite story in the collection. It’s both hopeful and realistic and yet blatantly a science fiction future. Being written as a series of newspaper articles (newspapers still existing being perhaps the least plausible part of the story) it manages to show some depressing bits without feeling depressing… but the main part of the story is fleshed out enough with dialogue that it still feels hopeful.

"What You Sow" by Kai Cheng Thom ~ I didn’t like this one. It is a bit of body horror, a bit monster story, a bit gross, and with nearly entirely all toxic relationships… and it doesn’t fit the tone or theme of the anthology to me. Not my kind of story.

"A History of Barbed Wire" by Daniel H. Wilson ~ I suppose this story is as bleak as a lot of them, but it’s told in a way that feels different. This one is set on a future Cherokee reservation in an America that no longer takes care of any of its non-wealthy citizens. Instead of trying to sneak into the US from Mexico, people are trying to sneak into the rez from the US. I enjoyed this one.

"The Sun in Exile" by Catherynne M. Valente ~ This was amusing, but yet not all at once. There didn’t seem to be much resolution to the plot, if there was a plot at all. I think Valente’s work just isn’t for me; I’m generally indifferent to it at best. (As I am with this story.)

"Harmony" by Seanan McGuire ~ I am very glad that I read this one out of order and read it last. It was the perfect counterpart to the first story in the anthology, the perfect way to end the collection. The basic premise going into the story is that the world has legislated tolerance... but that doesn't mean that humans have changed at all or that it's easy for "others" to fit in. From that it sounds depressing, but this story is absolutely the opposite of depressing. It is one of the most uplifting stories in the anthology, and I enjoyed every moment I spent reading it.

"Now Wait for This Week" by Alice Sola Kim ~ Time loop stories are one of my weaknesses… I don’t always like them, but I always want to. I didn’t like this one, and I also feel it was a bad choice to end the collection with. While (I think) the time loop is resolved at the end, the story leaves the reader with no sense of resolution—which is a hard enough sell for a solo short story, but even more of a letdown when it’s the final impression for the whole anthology. ( )

When I bought this book, the seller said she thought it contained the best stories of the year, and I have to agree with her opinion. It's an extraordinarily strong collection. Given the theme of the anthology, I was expecting it to be fairly bleak. Instead I found the stories to be uplifting and hopeful. Gorgeous and highly recommended. ( )

I am so in love with the book. It's at turns hopeful, sad, amazing, and thoughtful. I highly recommend the audio book - the different narrators really compound the different voices of the stories. Must read! ( )

I am a little dismayed by how many of these stories are greatly dystopian, or rather, I'm a little dismayed by the fact when they were asked to write speculative fiction about the future, the ideas all came out dystopian, even if there was a lot of breaking-through-the-dystopia hope. BUT I did enjoy most of the stories in this collection, which is a way higher amount than I normally get for a short story collection. There were a ton of really interesting ideas floating around here. ( )

This anthology boasts of some amazing authors and I just couldn't resist from requesting it as soon as I heard about it the first time. And what a thought provoking, sometimes infuriating and sometimes hopeful collection of stories this is. Right from the Foreword by Victor LaValle, we get an insight into how powerful representation is, how important it is to fight for the rights of the marginalized and and resistance can start from even just one person. These stories will move you, make you angry and tear up, will terrify you and will probably light a fire under all of us to fight for everyone's rights in our own way so that we don't let many of these dystopian futures become possible.

As with any short story anthology, there are some brilliant tales here and some which I didn't understand, but someone else might find them relevant. The book didn't start off strong for me, but the middle portion has some of my favorites including the ones by Ashok Banker, Omar El Akkad, Justina Ireland, Gabby Rivera and a few others. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone, this is an important book and I promise that you will find something in it that will resonate with you.

Below are my reviews for the individual stories:

The Bookstore at the end of America - Charlie Jane Anders

This story features an America where California is now a separate country with the former being a very religious, probably fascist place while the latter feels like a technocracy. During the time when wars break out for the sake of water resources, Molly still tries to maintain her bookstore at the border catering to both regions, and trying very hard to toe the middle ground for the sake of her daughter. This is a story about the power of books (both good ones and the propaganda) and how a good discussion about books might just quiet a heated argument between angry people on both sides.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Our Aim is Not to Die - A. Merc Rustad

This world scared the hell out of me because anyone who is not the “Ideal” (straight, white, male) is discriminated against or being autistic and non-binary like our MC is literally illegal and people have to perform daily approved actions to prove their patriotism. Sua’s horrible predicament is captured so realistically that it terrified me too and the worst part is that this world seemed entirely plausible.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Wall - Lizz Huerta

This story feels like a metaphor to the wall that our politicians so want to build at the southern border and what consequences it might lead to. Although I’m not sure I understood the world here.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

Read after Burning - Maria Dahvana Headley

Another story about the power of words and books but I think it was too meta for me to understand.

Rating: ⭐️

Disruption and Continuity - Malka Older

This is sort of like a report written in the future about activism and it’s affect on society, especially after it’s realized that the political system is ineffective. I thought the format this is written in was inventive, but I was also slightly confused.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

It was Saturday Night, I Guess that Makes it Alright - Sam J. Miller

This is a story about powerlessness and trying to free ourselves from it and desiring to do more, to resist, to take back some power.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Attachment Disorder - Tananarive Due

A story about a mother wanting to protect her child, while trying to remain unattached. It’s heartbreaking to see a mother having to choose between life in a cage but with protection vs freedom that might not keep them alive long. I thought this struggle was depicted in a very gut wrenching manner.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

By his Bootstraps - Ashok K. Banker

This story is pure wish fulfillment for every single person who is fed up with the current government’s preposterous antics. I won’t say anything except just go and read this one.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Riverbed - Omar El Akkad

A woman returns to the US almost half a century later after she suffered through imprisonment in Muslim internment camps. This story realistically depicts how survivors must actually feel when they see monuments and memorials erected at the places where they suffered so much injustices, while the attitudes of the people haven’t changed much. This is another story where the world seemed entirely plausible and too damn scary.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What Maya Found There - Daniel José Older

I was surprised to see the current administration referenced here. The story of a future where bioengineering projects are being used for create the President’s private army and how some scientists are trying to stop them. Definitely depicts the dichotomy of a government that only believes in the science that’s useful for their purposes.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Referendum - Lesley Nneka Arimah

Another scary world where all Black people have been designated wards of state, millions deported and a referendum on the ballot to reestablish slavery. And the small steps that led to this state are described which seem quite possible in our near future and it terrified me. However, there is Black Resistance and that means, there is hope. Very well written from the perspective of a mother and wife, struggling with her choices and trying to do her part.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Calendar Girls - Justina Ireland

A Handmaid’s Tale-esque America where abortion/contraception is outlawed, marriage age is as low as 12 for girls and women’s rights activists are considered terrorists. In a very unlikely turn of events, the senator responsible for all the “moral” laws needs a contraband contraceptive selling woman to help his teenage daughter get an abortion. It just shows that just like the present day, men who make laws to police women’s bodies never want the same to be applied to their own.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Synapse Will Free Us From Ourselves - Violet Allen

This story features a very high tech version of a gay conversion therapy institute, where the subjects are made to feel shame and hate themselves without knowing why, so that they will stop living out and proud. The way it’s described is chilling because it’s quite similar to the rhetoric we hear even now - “we don’t have a problem with gay people, just their lifestyle choices.” - and it just shows however much support people show outside, changing discriminatory attitudes is not easy.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

O.1 - Gabby Rivera

The plague called Imbalance wiped out more than 40% of the population and made many others infertile - but this bacterium only affected those people full of white supremacist and capitalist greed. This story follows a queer couple of color, one of them non binary, on their journey to give birth to the first child in a decade - away from the eyes of the Federation and all the people who believe they owe this child to everyone. It’s really a beautifully written story of love and compassion.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Blindfold - Tobias S. Buckell

This story had some amazing commentary on the privilege of being white passing, the still existing racial prejudices in this particular future (however much people try to deny it) and how steps are being taken to try to ensure a fair judicial process for people of all races and ethnicities. It’s written in second person but was quite easy to read and is definitely a very important tale to tell.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

No Algorithms in the World - Hugh Howey

A fascinating story about a world that mostly runs on automation and people have universal basic income to survive. This clearly depicts the generational struggle between a father and son, the older not ready to accept the new reality and the younger wanting the chance to explore. I loved how this mirrors our present conflicts with our parents and elders.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Esperanto - Jamie Ford

A story of how people who live in a technologically altered reality will react when all their alterations are stripped away and they are given a glimpse into their true reality. It’s a wonderful tale which tells us that diversity is beautiful.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ROME - G. Willow Wilson

This story takes place in a future Seattle where there is no infrastructure anymore due to tax abolition, and a group of students have no choice but to write their midterms even when there is a fire breakout nearby and no firefighters. I’m not sure I fully understood the point of this story, maybe that sometimes the choices that we think are best in the short term could have long term disastrous consequences.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Give me Cornbread, or Give me Death - N. K. Jemisin

What imagination Jemisin has. A story about the government trying to recreate the ten plagues to destroy the population of color, the second one of which utilizes dragons. And the resistance tries to win over the dragons by stealthily feeding them tasty spicy food. I was both horrified at the tyranny of the oppressors and delighted at the ingenuity of the women in the resistance. A brave tale of fighting back in any way possible.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Good News Bad News - Charles Yu

Taking place in the next millennium, this story is told through various news stories detailing the technological breakthroughs and challenges of the day - from racist robots to refugee resettlement on the moon to bots voting on legislations to pharma companies trying to make pills to reduce intolerance and mansplaining - I thought the was a very hilarious and imaginative read. However, even in this world which has finally reached 100% income equality for women and females outnumber males in executive positions, women are still harassed at the workplace by male subordinates. Some things never change.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What You Sow - Kai Cheng Thom

I can’t really explain this story but I think it’s a mirror to a woman’s struggle to always remain calm and composed and non confrontational, to keep the peace, until she realizes she has other options and she should take back her voice and power.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

A History of Barbed Wire - Daniel H. Wilson

Cherokee Nation is a separate country, divided by a wall in this story. However, the land outside the wall has become corrupt and greedy and people ready to give up everything to illegally enter the Indian country. It just shows that sometimes what we wish for won’t turn out the exact way.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Sun in Exile - Catherynne M. Valente

An extreme example of what a cult leader can do - convince the adoring masses of the exact opposite of reality. The people are so utterly devoted to their leader that they believe they are in an ice age when they are actually dying of an extreme heat wave. Another story that veers too close to our own reality. Excellent writing!!!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Harmony - Seanan McGuire

The author correctly says in the story that tolerance can be demanded and legislated but not guaranteed because haters are always gonna hate. This is the story of a bisexual/lesbian couple figuring out that their actual dream for life is different from the one they have been told to have, and they decide to take matters into their own hands and create a home for everyone, however different they maybe from the norm.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now Wait for This Week - Alice Sola Kim

This story could be a metaphor to women being violated in various forms by men all the time, but their voices are never heard and the men are never punished and the cycle continues. However, the story did confuse me a lot and it’s too long and I can’t be sure that I understood it correctly.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5 ( )