Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I think a short story collection can sometimes be a great introduction to an intriguing author. This was my first Hopkinson book. She is fascinating and a bit "freaky" (freaky as in weird and as in Rick James "Super Freak"). This was a book of short stories ranging from Caribbean folklore, to horror to science fiction. Her stories are sensuous, seductive and yeah a bit salacious as well. She is a gifted storyteller with a command of language many people would appreciate. (view spoiler)[

Riding the Red - short, rather strange take on Little Red Riding Hood. Some assertion that grandma and the wolf are two sides of the same coin. 3 stars

Money Tree - Great story. A little Caribbean folklore about greed and evolution and destiny. 4 Stars

Something to Hitch Meat To - A strange tale about a young man looking to change his life. Steeped in magical realism, this one was odd. 2.5 stars.

Snake - Disturbed man gets his due at the beaks/wings of birds. Horror story. Subject matter was a bit too much for me (child molester). 1 Star

Under Glass - Hopkinson doeth bring the strange, This was a bizarre tale where glass shards make storms and are part of the weather and kill. A dystopian tale that is unclear whether it was scifi or fantasy. I like the way she writes. very vivid, but I definitely am confused by many of her stories. 3 Stars.

The Glass Bottle Trick- A magical realism story about a controlling self loathing man and his young bride who is expecting. 4 Stars

Slow Cold Chick - Well Hopkinson is definitely out of the box. Her tales are tilted/obtuse. This one was about the embodiment of anger and annoyances and unfilled desires coming to life in the form of a chick hatched from the last edible ingredient for cornbread she was making. Obviously allegorical and strangely entertaining. 4.5 Stars

Fisherman - an odd choice for this collection because it had no fantasy, sci fi or folklore elements. It was just erotic. Basically lesbian porn, but Hopkinson is a very good storyteller. 3.5 Stars

Tan Tan and Dry Bone - Back to some folklore. This tale is more horror than fantasy but lots of folktale elements. Hopkinson has a way of taking ordinary people and putting them in extraordinary situations. 4.5 Stars

Greedy Choke Puppy - A Trinidadian inspired folktale version entities that ingest the life force of people and of the spectre of death. 5 Stars

A Habit of Waste - This one had a more sci fi element than the other stories. A little bit about being comfortable with who you are. I liked it 4.5 Stars

And the Lilies Them a Blow - a reminder that signs of death (lilies) doesn't always portent death of the body. It could be an indication of the end of a dead-end path in life. 4 Stars

Whose Upward Flight I Love - A great example of flash fiction, the title is almost as long as the story. Nice sci fi piece about flying trees and the roots they left behind. Liked it 4.5 Stars

Ganger (Ball Lightning)- futuristic sex toy runs amok teaching a couple to be intimate without accoutrements. Seriously. And it was a good story... 5 Stars

Precious - a folktale about a woman who spit treasure from her mouth when she talked after being put under a spell. It made her wealthy but miserable. She broke the spell eventually by learning to value herself beyond the treasure. 4 Stars (hide spoiler)]

The selection did contain a few stories that I did not like or worse, but on the whole this was an enjoyable read. One theme in several stories was that no good deed goes unpunished until the characters acknowledge their inherent value. A bit of subversive empowerment if you ask me. There is definitely more Hopkinson in my future.

4 Stars

Edited to add: Read the dead tree version from my personal library