ESCAPE POD edited by Mur Lafferty & S.B. Divya – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Escape Pod by Mur Lafferty, S.B. Divya
Published by Titan Books on October 20 2020
Genres: Adult, Science fiction
Pages: 336
Format: Finished paperback
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Escape Pod the podcast celebrates fifteen years with this very strong collection of fifteen short stories that illustrate the vast imagination and high quality of science fiction today.

Anthologies are usually a mixed bag for me, but wow, I’m happy to say that Escape Pod is one of the strongest anthologies I’ve ever read. I enjoyed every single story in this collection and loved most of them, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Yes, there are quite a few heavy hitters included in this book, and you would expect their stories to be good, but still, this is quite a feat. I was unaware of the Escape Pod podcast before I read this, but now I’m going to be checking it out on a regular basis. This collection includes fifteen stories by contributors to the podcast over the past fifteen years, some of them reprints and some written just for this collection. Usually when I review anthologies, I only highlight a handful of stories that I enjoyed, but hey, it’s impossible to choose this time, so I’m going to give you a brief review of each one! (order of the stories below is random, by the way)

I also want to mention that all the stories are completely different from each other. This truly was a Godiva box of chocolates experience, where it didn’t matter which one you picked, each story had its own unique and delicious flavor. Even better, I found the overall theme of the collection to be hopeful and uplifting, which isn’t always the case in science fiction. I also enjoyed Serah Eley’s introduction, which touches on the very beginnings of the podcast and how it became what it is today.

REPORT OF DR. HOLLOWMAS ON THE INCIDENT AT JACKRABBIT FIVE by T. Kingfisher

A mostly humorous story about a veterinarian on Jackrabbit Colony giving her official statement  to a software program called I-Witness (“At Taxon, clarity is our business! ™”) after an “incident” involving a pregnant goat. This story had Kingfisher’s trademark wry humor and was a lighthearted glimpse into an interesting future.

TIGER LAWYER GETS IT RIGHT by Sarah Gailey

A mild-mannered, incompetent attorney surprises everyone during a trial when his client gives him a special gift that will allow him to win. I thought this was a weird but fun story with a nice surprise twist.

FOURTH NAIL by Mur Lafferty

I think your enjoyment of this story might hinge on whether or not you have read Lafferty’s Six Wakes. For me, I loved this! I gave Six Wakes five stars when I reviewed it several years ago, and in this story, the author brings several of those characters back and places them in a completely different—but just as dire—situation. This story has a interesting Hunger Games vibe at the end, and I honestly think the author could use this as a jumping off point for a Six Wakes sequel.

ALIEN ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS by John Scalzi

This was a lot of fun and one of the lighter stories in the bunch. It’s framed as a TV/radio show who’s host poses a new question each week to people on the street. This week’s question: What’s the most interesting encounter you’ve had with an alien animal species? Scalzi formats his story as short interviews and they are pretty hilarious!

SPACESHIP OCTOBER by Greg van Eekhout

Greg van Eekhout proves that even on a generation ship, life isn’t equal or fair. Two girls from the “poor” part of the ship make a startling discovery one day when they wander into a restricted area by mistake. The theme of the divide between rich and poor is thoughtfully and poignantly done, but the ending gives us hope and shows how resilient humans can be.

A PRINCESS OF NIGH-SPACE by Tim Pratt

I loved this one! Except for the ending, which was a little too abrupt. But still, it was very imaginative and enjoyable. A woman inherits her granny’s mansion after she dies, but discovers a couple of unsavory men—who are hiding in the basement—are threatening to kill her if she doesn’t help them out. Pratt’s writing is so good, and this multiverse tale kept me riveted. I’m so glad I already have a copy of his upcoming novel Doors of Sleep because I’m looking forward to reading more of his work.

JAIDEN’S WEAVER by Mary Robinette Kowal

I absolutely adored this story about how being different can make you very special indeed. Jaiden begs her parents for a teddy bear spider egg, so she can raise her own pet. But things don’t quite go as expected, and Jaiden has to improvise in order to get what she wants. Kowal’s story is uplifting and simply delightful, and she shines a positive light on disabilities by showing that perseverance can overcome many obstacles. And yes, you read that right. Teddy bear spider!

THE MACHINE THAT WOULD REWILD HUMANITY by Tobias Buckell

This story gave me a lot to think about. In the far future, humans are extinct and machines run the world. One robot works for a company that is trying to bring humans back, but not everyone agrees that should happen. I loved Buckell’s weird apocalyptic world, and I’d love to read more stories like this.

LIONS AND TIGERS AND GIRLFRIENDS by Tina Connolly

I loved this story! Set on a generation ship, a group of teens decide to add some art to their boring lives by performing The Wizard of Oz. This was so uplifting and hopeful and I loved Connolly’s sparkling prose. There is a sweet queer relationship between two of the girls, and I loved her message of enemies coming together to meet a common goal.

GIVE ME CORNBREAD OR GIVE ME DEATH by N.K. Jemisin

This is one of the shortest stories of the bunch but boy does it deliver! Jemisin’s stellar writing skills are evident in this futuristic story of violent dragons who hold sway over the human population, especially Black people because the dragons have been trained to love “dark meat.” Ugh, right? This idea is a jumping off point for a story about a group of angry women who decide to rewire the way the dragons think of them and change their fate. Once again, this imaginative story is full of hope.

CITIZENS OF ELSEWHEN by Kameron Hurley

Hurley’s trademark feminist sensibility shines through in this story about a team of time travelers who are tasked with jumping back in time in order to save women from dying in childbirth, knowing that their deaths lead to a calamitous future. This is a familiar story but you haven’t seen it done in quite this way, I’m pretty sure. I hate to sound like a broken record, but once again, I got a sense of hopefulness from this tale, even though it’s awfully bleak.

AN ADVANCED READER’S PICTURE BOOK OF COMPARATIVE COGNITION by Ken Liu

This beautifully written tale gave me chills and felt like a warm hug at the same time. Liu explores the theme of “there are many ways to say ‘I love you’” in this reflective story about a woman who is determined to travel beyond the stars, and the husband and child she leaves behind.

A CONSIDERATION OF TREES by Beth Cato

Cato’s story is a well done mash-up of science fiction and fantasy, and includes a pet “felizard” and fairies. A “xenoarbitrator” gets mixed up in a murder investigation but makes a starling discovery about her past that she wasn’t expecting. There is a lot of humor in this story, and you should read it just to meet the felizard! (Confession: I want one.)

CITY OF REFUGE by Maurice Broaddus

By far the darkest story in this collection, City of Refuge is tough to read but oh so important. In the editor’s notes, we learn that Broaddus wrote this before the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement that exploded back in June, and his story eerily echoes those events. In a horrific future where the air is barely breathable, an ex-convict who is simply trying to exist finds himself the target of a hateful parole officer. I found this story to be the only one that doesn’t seem to fit in theme-wise, mostly due to its bleakness and revenge scenario. I absolutely loved it, however, and I recommend everyone check it out.

CLOCKWORK FAGIN by Cory Doctorow

Doctorow channels Dickens in this bleak yet hysterically funny reimagining of Oliver Twist, a steampunk version that was ridiculously fun to read. The poor children of St. Agatha’s Home for the Rehabilitation of Crippled Children find their lives considerably improved when a new boy named Monty joins them. Doctorow nails Dickens’ style, and I loved the weird combination of clockwork engineering and the Victorian time period. I won’t tell you what happens, but trust me, you won’t want to miss this story!

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Fans of the podcast will enjoy seeing all these stories under one cover, and newbies will love the wide variety of subject matter and themes. All science fiction fans should add Escape Pod to your “must read” list immediately!

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.