This was wonderful: my first foray into Nalo Hopkinson's body of work but definitely not my last. I really enjoyed taking my time with this collection: each story invited attention and consideration, and I really appreciated the notes from the author on the developing of the stories. I would heartily recommend this to fans of scifi of Ursula le Guin variety: thoughtful, original, really inviting the reader to take the time and explore.

This is my first meeting with Nalo Hopkinson, even though shes been on my list for ages! This collection was the perfect first meeting though - the stories are imaginative and original, and I overall liked all of them. I found the small introductions to each story really fun as well, and they gave me a good impression of what kind of artist Hopkinson is. Highly recommend this collection if you also want to check out this author!

Nalo Hopkinson, a renowned Caribbean-Canadian author known for her imaginative tales, delivers a captivating collection of speculative fiction in her latest book. From cyborg pigs in a future waterworld to explorations of Caribbean folklore and climate change, Hopkinson's stories are vividly diverse and thought-provoking. While some tales resonate deeply with their powerful messages and vibrant settings, others might require a slower, more thoughtful read to fully appreciate their complexity and impact.

Nalo Hopkinson has an amazing way of writing short fiction. So many of the stories were incredibly engaging and thoughtful.I also really appreciated the introduction to every story, and how we really got to see the thought processes behind each piece. My main advice for readers is not to read this book in one sitting. Each piece is really meant to be given attention and thought about, so trying to read it all in one night doesn't let the stories sink in the way they should.
As with everything anthology, some pieces are stronger than others. My favorites were Clap Back - which was so brilliant and moving - and Inselberg which was haunting in all the best ways. Jamaica Ginger, which Hopkinson cowrote with Nisi Shawl, another amazing writer, was also so well done. San Humanite gave me goosebumps. Meanwhile, many of my less loved stories (but still liked!) were just ones that didn't feel developed enough. I really appreciated the thought and message behind Ally, for example, but felt like it could have used a little more of everything to drive the point home and make it engaging. Waving at Trains also didn't hit me as hard as some of the others. And in the forward of Propagation, Hopkinson notes that it doesn't work as well when you read it as if you listen to it, which makes me wonder if it should have been included or at least published with a link/recommendation to a recording of a live reading.
Overall though, it's a fantastic book and I would absolutely recommend it for anyone looking for thoughtful, unique, speculative fiction.

I loved the collection of short stories and that Nalo Hopkinson was able to share their culture with the reader. It had that overall voice that I was hoping for and glad I got to read this. Each story was everything that I wanted and enjoyed how everything worked with the writing.

Hopkinson is one of my literary idols and has the rare combination of both her short stories being distinctive and amazing, as well as longer forms, including novellas and novels.

When I heard that she was releasing a new collection of short stories called “Jamaica Ginger and Other Concotions,” I leapt for joy, because her short stories are often little universes onto their own.

While I won’t be reviewing each and every individual story, I would like to highlight some of them that spoke to me more than others. These included:
* “Ally” which comes with a helpful note from the author at the start that gives more context particularly as this story features a trans woman protagonist.
* “Broad Dutty Water: A Sunken Story” which I previously read and enjoyed when it first came out
* “Clap Back,” which uses very interesting narrative devices to tell the story.
* The title story, “Jamaica Ginger,” of course, which was something for an anthology celebrating Samuel R. “Chip” Delaney, who was one of Hopkinson’s instructors when she attended Clarion.
* “Repatriation”
* “Propagation”

I can't love this book in the same way as Hopkinson's previous collection, Falling In Love With Hominids. Not through any fault of the author's, but of the world's; that came out nearly a decade ago, in times a little less bleak, and my word does it show. And when I say times are tougher, I do so as a white guy, fairly straight-presenting, without much in the way of chronic health conditions - none of them luxuries Hopkinson shares. So little wonder if the mood here is more embattled, the mixture more science fiction and less fantasy, the horizons on that SF a lot closer, stories focused on survival in the coming decades instead of curators from distant eons. Not that it's a catalogue of despair, by any means: among other things this is fiction as resistance, with an eye to the spaces that can be carved out as the old order crumbles. Sometimes, especially in the shortest stories, there's a powerful sense of consolation; the one I found most moving was a working around how much is lost each time someone dies, and whether there might be a better way to memorialise them than name, numbers and platitude on a flat stone. There's also a delightfully icky new twist on that old standby of the plumber who's come to have a look at your...pipes. But for the most part the waters are rising, the authorities coming, the miracles about to be mined away. I'm not holding my breath, but I can at least daydream about another, much more upbeat Hopkinson collection a couple of decades down the line, and what that might imply.

(Netgalley ARC)

I really appreciated the chance to read this book early! I've only read one other book by Nalo Hopkinson, and this collection made me want to read more of her work. I especially liked her story introductions, which gave lovely insight into her process and some background on each piece. Overall I admired these stores more than I loved them, but they were extremely well crafted and I'm very glad I read this collection.

Highlights for me:
- Clap Back
- Pocket Universe
- Inselberg
- Waving At Trains

Thank you to Nalo Hopkinson, Tachyon, and NetGalley for generously providing an ARC for review.

I had encountered some of Nalo Hopkinson's stories before starting this collection, and admired them. So it's with pleasure I can say this is another varied set with which she shows a talent for making strange and thought-provoking tales with concerns including Western and Caribbean cultures, gender, climate change and adaptation and resilience. And cute swimming pigs!

'Broad Dutty Water' is one of the longest and strongest stories. Jacquee is a young female member of a 'taz', an ocean farming cooperative created after a catastrophic climactic flooding process, the Inundation, that has affected the local Caribbean environment. She has received a new 'wetware' cybernetic implant which allows her to bond with and control machines like her ultralight flying craft. Her unpreparedness with the implant is partly what causes her plane to crash on an isolated island, where she must fend for herself. While there, she discovers miraculous 'blob stuff' in a lagoon which may hold the key to preserving endangered species in the face of climate doom. But it is the engaging language and interaction of Jacquee and the other characters in the story which is the most enjoyable.

In 'Jamaica Ginger, we get a 'teslapunk' tale about another young female protagonist in a setting that resembles early 20th century America with many of its racial attitudes. But the usual steampunk cliches are flipped on their head, as the main characters are now poor, disadvantaged people of colour. Plaquette is at the mercy of a master in his workshop, creating mechanical servants or 'Georges', despite that fact that she is the real talent behind his inventions. It's a well-crafted tale with an ending involving a departure to her own personal freedom.

Things take a darkly humourous tone with 'Inselburg', which is an often funny narration by a future Caribbean native tour guide. During his imaginary tour ride, he also relates startling details about dire flooding and an environment that is surviving despite ecological poisoning and disaster. There are also some wicked jabs about foreign tourists and a stark lack of compassion by the guide, as he passes on his cheeky, deadpan way. 'Repatriation' is another related story, in which local Caribbean couple must deal with their own feelings when taking part in a tourist cruise, finding that all the serving people of their own background. But it ends with another burst of hope for the future against climate change.

It might be just my own preference, but the fantasy tale 'San Humanite' is my favourite. It is really just all about a general feeling and aesthetic, which really worked for me. It has the best weird atmosphere in any story this side of H.P Lovecraft. Also 'Whimper' is another tale with a surreal tone, but this time a nightmare.

I would say the parts of this collection that worked best for me were the author's energetic use of Caribbean vernacular, a grasp that is very convincing, at least to an outsider. There's a wide variety in the stories, from slice-of-life ('Waving at Trains'), to blisteringly fast microfiction, to eerie interactions with mysterious creatures ('Child Moon'). Hopkinson's focus on rising sea levels and their effects on island nations is a worthy one. However, her sometimes angry stories may not be for every one - despite how historically racially justified they may be. 'Clap Back' is a story that will get almost reader feeling indignant, and a viciously sly satire focused at the use of the people of developing countries in Western marketing and fashion. However, I was left wishing there was a bit more balance in the racial approaches in some of the stories.

The author has a great way of telling tales, regardless, and it's clear she has things that are important to tell.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)