Strangers Among Us: Tales of the Underdogs and Outcasts (Laksa Anthology Series: Speculative Fiction)

Recommended by Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Locus, Foreword Reviews and Quill &amp; Quire. There's a delicate balance between mental health and mental illness . . . Who are the STRANGERS AMONG US? We are your fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, friends and lovers. We staff your stores, cross your streets, and study in your schools, invisible among you. We are your outcasts and underdogs, and often, your unsung heroes. Nineteen science fiction and fantasy authors tackle the division between mental health and mental illness; how the interplay between our minds' quirks and the diverse societies and cultures we live in can set us apart, or must be concealed, or become unlikely strengths. We find troubles with Irish fay, a North Korean cosmonaut's fear of flying, an aging maid dealing with politics of revenge, a mute boy and an army of darkness, a sister reaching out at the edge of a black hole, the dog and the sleepwalker, and many more. After all, what harm can be done… AUTHORS: Kelley Armstrong, Suzanne Church, A.M. Dellamonica, Gemma Files, James Alan Gardner, Bev Geddes, Erika Holt, Tyler Keevil, Rich Larson, Derwin Mak, Mahtab Narsimhan, Sherry Peters, Ursula Pflug, Robert Runté, Lorina Stephens, Amanda Sun, Hayden Trenholm, Edward Willett, A.C. Wise Introduction by Julie E. Czerneda Praise for Strangers Among Us "Strangers Among Us . . . is important, shining a much-needed spotlight on issues that get far too little attention. A wonderful anthology, one of the major SF&amp;F books of the year. Bravo!" -- Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Quantum Night "The stories in Strangers Among Us are as varied in tone and approach as their authors. The power of the collection derives from this variety; while each story can be read in isolation, the assemblage of outsiders feels, on a whole, exultant. There is, indeed, strength in numbers, when each individual is accorded space and respect." --Quill &amp; Quire ". . . The 19 stories collected here tackle the idea of people who are other, even to themselves, as a result of mental health issues. The authors, all Canadians, take different approaches, some addressing the concept straight on, some exploring it slantwise, with characters whose differences created challenges or granted fresh insights. The excellent opener, Kelley Armstrong's "The Culling," concocts a dark, resource-starved future in which those who are deemed too unusual are culled from society. In Tyler Keevil's "The Weeds and the Wildness," a man in the grip of extreme paranoia believes malevolent gardeners are stalking his neighbors. And "The Dog and the Sleepwalker" by James Alan Gardner has a hero named "Dog" whose difference might save an entire spaceship's crew. -VERDICT Mental illness is an exciting theme for an anthology, leaving plenty of room for variety. The volume also includes an appendix of mental health resources." -- Library Journal Recommended as one of the "August 2016 Science Fiction and Fantasy Book You'll Want to Read" by Kirkus Reviews. "The writers of these stories address such varied subjects as agoraphobia, depression, schizophrenia, autism, anxiety, and addiction . . . readers who have mental illnesses may find themselves somewhere in these pages and as a result may no longer feel so alone or isolated." -- School Library Journal *2017 Alberta Book Publishing Awards winner (Speculative Fiction Book of the Year) *2017 Aurora Awards winner (Canadian SF&amp;F-- Best Related Work) *2016 Foreword INDIES Finalist (Anthologies) The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017 (ed. by John Joseph Adams &amp; Charles Yu): one honorable mention The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Fourth Annual Collection (ed. by Gardner Dozois): six honorable mentions Wilde Stories 2017: The Year's Best Gay Speculative Fiction (edited by Steve Berman): one story selected

Literature & Fiction

Files, Gemma

Willett, Edward

Sun, Amanda

Armstrong,Kelley

Forest, Susan

Law, Lucas K.

Dellamonica, A.M.

Trenholm, Hayden

Church, Suzanne

Peters, Sherry

Short Stories & Anthologies

Laksa Media Groups Inc.

A collection of 12 short stories by one of Canada's rising stars of speculative fiction. Forest takes you from death-bed wishes to the eerie regions of madness employing subtle skill and fresh prose. Nine of the stories have appeared in publications such as Asimov's, On Spec, Analog, Tesseracts Ten, Tesseracts Eleven, Tesseracts 14, and AE Science Fiction Review. Three of the stories make their debut in this collection, with an introduction by one of Canada's respected editors and experts, Mark Leslie Lefebvre.

Immunity to Strange Tales

World Literature

Five Rivers Publishing

Flights of Marigold (Addicted to Heaven)

Genre Fiction

Publishers Lunch Buzz Books 2020 selection. Recommended by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Foreword Reviews. Flights of Marigold tells an epic tale of addictions, survival, revenge, and redemption of three magiel sisters hiding in an insignificant hinterland. Can they hold on to happiness, dreams, and sisterhood when desire becomes addiction? ONE RISK, ONE CHANCE. Peace in the seven realms of Shangril: shattered. Nobility of the magiel race: broken. Lands of the High King's opponents: usurped. And Heaven may no longer be attainable .Meg and Janat Falkyn, fugitive daughters of an imperial magiel, escape to the edge of the world to take refuge with their youngest sister, Rennika. And, perhaps, to fulfill their mother's wish and restore their people's access to their Gods-by recapturing a fabled prayer stone. But to accomplish the theft, whom can they trust ? The ambitious High King's sister thirsts for power. A calculating regent enriches himself with a steam-driven textile monopoly. A charming swindler sets up an elaborate scheme. And unraveling secrets hidden in castles, alleyways, and brothels threaten to expose everything. With rebels stalking the sisters, and the High King's armies on the march, the sisters' time is up. Praise for Flights of Marigold Publishers Lunch Buzz Books 2020 selection "Forest skillfully uses her fantasy setting to spin a tale of addiction and familial loyalty."-Publishers Weekly "A definite twist to the fantasy genre is that while the logical consistency of the magic is there, the book (and series) is meant to focus on addiction and its many incarnations. It is an unusual subject choice for fantasy but one that is interesting, enjoyable, and relatable."-Library Journal "Though episodic and of epic length, the book still maintains its focus on the sisters and their goals above all else."-Foreword Reviews

Gathering of Ghosts (Addicted to Heaven)

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Fantasy

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Books by Forest, Susan