Book Recommendations Nordic Visions Nordic Visions Provides a Unique Overview of Contemporary Nordic SF‚ Fantasy‚ and Horror A recent anthology celebrates a broad range of short stories‚ from ghost stories to fairy tales to alien planets By Rowdy Geirsson | Published on April 11‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Nordic Visions is an anthology of speculative fiction stories written by Nordic authors and edited by Margrt Helgadttir. Released by Solaris Books in the fall of 2023‚ the books sixteen short stories are drawn from all of the Nordic nations and the Faroe Islands‚ an autonomous territory of Denmark. Taken as a whole‚ the anthology presents a compelling cross-section of original sci-fi‚ fantasy‚ and horror originating in a part of the world best known internationally for crime fiction and childrens books.Helgadttirs introduction provides an informative overview of Nordic speculative fiction as a whole and positions the genre within the broader context of the Nordic literary tradition‚ while also delineating some of the cultural and historical differences found in each of the countries comprising the region. The short stories themselves are organized by country and they cover a wide range of themesreaders will encounter ghosts‚ far-flung planets‚ dystopian societies‚ mythological characters‚ fairy tale enchantments‚ and more. While covering a broad range‚ the selection of stories leans a bit heavier towards science fiction than fantasy‚ and some entries are‚ naturally‚ stronger than others (as is generally the case with any collection or anthology). Buy the Book Nordic Visions edited by Margrt Helgadttir The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction Buy Book Nordic Visions edited by Margrt Helgadttir The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget Nonetheless‚ Nordic Visions provides an excellent introduction to writers of speculative fiction from a region that tends to be overlooked in the genre. Most of the authors featured have also written full-length novels‚ many of which have been translated into English. A short bio of each author is provided at the end of the book‚ which serves as a useful guide for anyone who might wish to check out more of the selected authors other works. And if youre interested in seeking out longer works of Nordic speculative fiction‚ be sure to also check out my earlier piece on Exploring Nordic Speculative Fiction in Five Novels.Without further ado‚ heres an overview of some of the many highlights found in Nordic VisionsShe by John Ajvide LindqvistA very clever little story that opens the anthology after Helgadttirs introduction. Written by the only author in the collection to have made a bit of a splash in English language literature (Lindqvist is the author of Let the Right One In)‚ She is essentially a ghost story centered around the haunting of a new house built by a married couple in Sweden. As tends to be Lindqvists habit‚ he subverts the usual tropes of his chosen genre‚ in this instance by connecting the narrative to the horrors of World War II and shining some light on the darker side of modern Swedish history in the process.Sing by Karin TidbeckSing is a futuristic story set on the former mining planet of Kiruna (anyone familiar with Sweden should appreciate the name) thats dominated by a parasitic ecosystem. The story follows the companionship of Aino‚ an outcast tailor‚ and Petr‚ a temporary visitor to Ainos tiny village. Petr cant communicate in the planets native singing language and as he digs deeper into how he might learn it‚ the disturbing nature of the planets ecosystem is revealed. Sing originally appeared on Reactor (then Tor.com) in 2013 and can be read here.The Cormorant by Tone AlmhjellThe Cormorant is Nordic Visions ode to the fairy tale‚ and is in fact based on one from the early 20th century by Regine Normann‚ who was something of a Norwegian Hans Christian Andersen (thus the tale is a modern age original story rather than a Grimm Brothers- or Asbjrnsen/Moe-style record of a much older one). The Cormorant follows a mother and daughter who live apart in isolation from the rest of their coastal village until an innocent but pivotal act triggers a chain reaction that upends their lives. A thickening sense of mystery propels the story forward towards a very effective‚ magical‚ and somewhat unsettling conclusion.A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has an Answer by Johanna SinisaloJohanna Sinisalo‚ the author of Troll: A Love Story and the original story behind the film Iron Sky‚ is a highly original sci-fi writer and A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has an Answer is no exception. This story is set in a future with very few wilderness areas remaining and focuses on a single character who is responsible for using advanced electronics to study the behavior of birds but of course‚ things dont go quite as they should. This one is very compelling and ends on a wonderfully twisted note of cynicism.The Wings That Slice the Sky by Emmi ItrantaThe Wings That Slice the Sky is a splendid little retelling of The Kalevala‚ the Finnish national epic and primary source of Finnish mythology. It starts with a description of the painting The Defense of the Sampo by Akseli Gallen-Kallela‚ which visually depicts Louhi‚ the storys first-person narrator‚ as she is typically portrayed: a wicked‚ winged monster. The following pages then proceed to tell Louhis side of the story. The Wings That Slice the Sky is basically Finlands answer to Genevieve Gornichecs retelling of Norse mythology in The Witchs Heart‚ only provided in short story form rather than a full-length novel.[end-mark]The post &;lt;i&;gt;Nordic Visions&;lt;/i&;gt; Provides a Unique Overview of Contemporary Nordic SF‚ Fantasy‚ and Horror appeared first on Reactor.