Three-time Hugo Award winner and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin challenges and delights readers with thought-provoking narratives of destruction, rebirth, and redemption that sharply examine modern society in her first collection of short fiction, which includes never-before-seen stories.
"Marvelous and wide-ranging." -- Los Angeles Times"Gorgeous" -- NPR Books"Breathtakingly imaginative and narratively bold." -- Entertainment Weekly
Spirits haunt the flooded streets of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In a parallel universe, a utopian society watches our world, trying to learn from our mistakes. A black mother in the Jim Crow South must save her daughter from a fey offering impossible promises. And in the Hugo award-nominated short story "The City Born Great," a young street kid fights to give birth to an old metropolis's soul.
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"A brilliant example of how we in the present are making the future with our actions and how the future may exist in our past... What is also evident in this short story collection is that Ms. Jemisin can write anything. Her prose, sometimes pulsing, encourages you to read at different tempos as if she is conducting an orchestra. Slow moving tension and suspense make you fearful, but then entices you into reading the next sentence. Lush descriptive passages conjure cinematic vistas."
— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Jemisin is a powerhouse of speculative fiction. So, obviously, you need to read this new short story collection.”
— Bustle“A stellar cast of seven narrators takes turns performing this collection of shorter pieces by science-fiction novelist Jemisin. Each narrator drills down to the core of the story, developing believable accents and highlighting the characters’ personalities. Listeners will be impressed with how complete each story feels, almost as if this were a collection of novellas…This outstanding audiobook is the season’s must-listen title. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile“This collection of short stories…eloquently develops a series of passionately felt themes.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Powerful and mind-expanding stories…An excellent introduction for those unfamiliar with her work.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)The most celebrated science fiction and fantasy writer of her generation... Jemisin seems able to do just about everything.
— New York TimesJemisin's phenomenal success has been something like an earthquake ripping through the traditional order of fantasy itself.
— New York/VultureThe most critically acclaimed author in contemporary science fiction and fantasy.
— GQJemisin's stories are discerning, thought-provoking, and beautifully crafted, showcasing a master at work.
— Pen AmericaMarvelous and wide-ranging.
— Los Angeles TimesOne line from [Jemisin's introduction] has tattooed itself on my mind, a sort of manifesto for her ongoing work and all the fiction I love: 'Now I am bolder, and angrier, and more joyful.' I felt, after reading these stories, that I was too.
— NPR BooksN. K. Jemisin is a powerhouse of speculative fiction. So, obviously, you need to read this new short story collection.
— BustleRead her books-they're probably better than whatever else you were going to read next.
— Literary HubJemisin is now a pillar of speculative fiction, breathtakingly imaginative and narratively bold.
— Entertainment WeeklyNora Jemisin is a writer of uncanny gifts who is to a moral certainty one of the five best we have right now.
— Sci-FiPowerful and mind-expanding...Jemisin pushes boundaries, experiments with format and theme, and challenges expectations.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)[E]loquently develops a series of passionately felt themes... one of speculative fiction's most thoughtful and exciting writers.
— Kirkus (starred review)Each of the [stories] is masterfully written and beautifully imagined, making the book difficult to put down...Anyone who appreciates Jemisin's work, speculative fiction, or simply the art of the short story shouldn't miss this collection.
— BookPageWhether she's exploring alien life forms or political machinations, self-sacrifice or monsters in New Orleans, Jemisin's characters are boldly drawn, complex, and so engaging. This is a great gift for any long-time fan and a solid introduction to her work for the curious, and I highly recommend you grab yourself the gorgeous hardcover version.
— Book Riot/Swords & SpaceshipsJemisin... is a writer of uncanny gifts who is to a moral certainty one of the five best we have right now. ... How inadequate these brief synopses are to convey the sheet beauty to be found in these stories.
— Sci-FiThere are so many things in How Long 'Til Black Future Month-from firebirds to Megacops, from truffles to hurricanes, from utopias (maybe) to civil rights marches-that it's impossible to describe. Except to say that every single story here is riveting, provocative, and remarkable. An extraordinary story collection from an extraordinary writer!
— Connie Willis, Hugo and Nebula Award winnerEnergizing in the way the best science fiction aims to be, forcing readers to look back on the 'real' world with new and eager eyes.
— Shelf Awareness (starred review)Established fans of Jemisin's work and general fantasy and sf readers alike should check out this collection of diverse and exciting new speculative fiction.
— BooklistThese stories are wonderful. In worlds both invariably cruel and brilliantly imagined, heroism thrives in the margins.
— Nicky Drayden, author of The Prey of GodsJemisin's body of work already spans an extraordinary and "astonishing terrain. Science fiction and fantasy have always been the genres of my heart, and Jemisin is an absolute master. Like Ursula K. Le Guin, she is a visionary who shows us our world by remaking it in stories.
— Kelly LinkThe true breadth of [Jemisin's] talent ... comes through to grand effect in her first collection of short fiction... Jemisin is an essential voice in modern-day SFF.
— B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy BlogN. K. Jemisin is an American author who has won three consecutive Hugo Awards for Best Novel. Her work has also won the Nebula, Locus, and Goodreads Choice awards. She is a reviewer for the New York Times Book Review, and she has been an instructor for the Clarion and Clarion West writing workshops.
Kevin Stillwell is an actor, voice talent, and Earphones Award-winning audiobook narrator. His film and television credits include Looper and Drop Dead Diva.
Robin Ray Eller is an audiobook narrator whose readings include Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer and Black Like Us, an anthology. She has also worked extensively as an actress, singer, and dancer.
Ron Butler is a Los Angeles–based actor, Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator, and voice artist with over a hundred film and television credits. Most kids will recognize him from the three seasons he spent on Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP. He works regularly as a commercial and animation voice-over artist and has voiced a wide variety of audiobooks. He is a member of the Atlantic Theater Company and an Independent Filmmaker Project Award winner for his work in the HBO film Everyday People.
Robin Eller is a narrator, actress, singer, and dance educator. She has appeared on stage, in films, and on such television programs as The Bernie Mac Show, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Young and the Restless, and General Hospital, as well as numerous commercials. As a dancer, she has traveled the world with the legendary James Brown.
Shayna Small is an actress, singer, and educator based in New York, where she received her BFA in Drama from the Juilliard School. She has worked across a variety of media including theater, film and tv, music and voice-over.