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Summary
Summary
Philip K. Dick Award finalist
Washington Post Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2018
Abbey Mei Otis's short stories are contemporary fiction at its strongest: taking apart the supposed equality that is clearly just not there, putting humans under an alien microscope, putting humans under government control, putting kids from the moon into a small beach town and then the putting the rest of the town under the microscope as they react in ways we ope they would, and then, of course, in ways we'd hope they don't. Otis has long been fascinated in using strange situations to explore dynamics of power, oppression, and grief, and the twelve stories collected here are at once a striking indictment of the present and a powerful warning about the future.
"After I read this book, I woke up with bumpy, reddish growths along my spine. They burst, releasing marvels: aliens, robots, prefab houses, vinyl, chainlink, styrofoam, star stuff, tales from the edge of eviction, so many new worlds. Alien Virus Love Disaster is a super-intelligent infection. Let Abbey Mei Otis give you some lumps."
-- Sofia Samatar, author of Tender
Author Notes
Abbey Mei Otis is a writer and teaching artist who lives in Washington, DC. She is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and received her MFA from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas. Her work has been published in Tin House, Strange Horizons, Tor.com, Barrelhouse, Gargoyle, and Story Quarterly, among other places.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this peculiar but pleasing collection, Otis (Sweetheart) shares 12 offbeat yet arguably ordinary perspectives on extraordinary events. Wild things happen, but in these works, that's just the way life is, and no one really reacts to the strangeness. The dystopian tale of a sex robot fallen from the sky into the care of a clutch of street urchins in "If You Could Be God of Anything" is as familiar in its portrayal of off-putting, invasive human nature as it is alarming in its brutality. "Moonkids" depicts the darkly complex future of humanity's first children born on the moon, who are ejected from it when they failed to meet the satellite society's standard of intellectual perfection. "Ultimate Housekeeping Megathrill 4" portrays a desperately miserable woman whose favorite escapist video game is simply about having enough time, energy, and resources to care for her family. The remainder of the collection is rife with depictions of physical invasion, transformation, and destruction-some successfully told, some less so. Though a mixed bag in terms of execution, there is plenty for devoted fans of speculative fiction to enjoy. Agent: Kristina Moore, Wylie Agency. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Otis' debut story collection explores a variety of bizarre worlds, ranging from grim possible near futures to mysterious alternate presents. Many of the stories share an emphasis on physicality and embodiment, whether it be bodies distorted by alien environments or artifacts or people thrown into their own bodies through suffering at other, human hands. Her deft and enthralling writing handles science fiction, fantasy, and everything in between with aplomb. Standouts include Moonkids, which follows the abandoned children of a lunar colony dealing with the physical and emotional weight of life on Earth; Blood, Blood, where two friends engage in bloody fights for the curious attention of disembodied voyeuristic aliens; Alien Virus Love Disaster, in which a mysterious industrial accident causes a small community to break out in large, smooth lumps that seem loaded with possibility; and If You Lived Here You'd Be Evicted by Now, where in order to secure one's home a family must either gruesomely kill a beloved nurturer or find some rare and even stranger alternative. Otis' debut is highly recommended for anyone interested in weird fiction, sf, or just a breathtaking reading experience.--Alan Keep Copyright 2018 Booklist