How Long 'til Black Future Month?

Stories

By: N. K. Jemisin

Narrated by: Shayna Small, Gail Nelson-Holgate, Robin Eller, Ron Butler, Kevin Stillwell, Je Nie Fleming, Jeanette Illidge

Three-time Hugo Award winner and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin challenges and delights readers with thought-provoking narratives of destruction, rebirth, and redemption that sharply examine modern society in her first collection of short fiction, which includes never-before-seen stories.

"Marvelous and wide-ranging." -- Los Angeles Times"Gorgeous" -- NPR Books"Breathtakingly imaginative and narratively bold." -- Entertainment Weekly

Spirits haunt the flooded streets of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In a parallel universe, a utopian society watches our world, trying to learn from our mistakes. A black mother in the Jim Crow South must save her daughter from a fey offering impossible promises. And in the Hugo award-nominated short story "The City Born Great," a young street kid fights to give birth to an old metropolis's soul.

Critic reviews

"The most celebrated science fiction and fantasy writer of her generation... Jemisin seems able to do just about everything."—New York Times

"Jemisin's phenomenal success has been something like an earthquake ripping through the traditional order of fantasy itself."—New York/Vulture

"The most critically acclaimed author in contemporary science fiction and fantasy."—GQ

"Jemisin's stories are discerning, thought-provoking, and beautifully crafted, showcasing a master at work."—Pen America

"Marvelous and wide-ranging."—Los Angeles Times

"One line from [Jemisin's introduction] has tattooed itself on my mind, a sort of manifesto for her ongoing work and all the fiction I love: 'Now I am bolder, and angrier, and more joyful.' I felt, after reading these stories, that I was too."—NPR Books

"N. K. Jemisin is a powerhouse of speculative fiction. So, obviously, you need to read this new short story collection."—Bustle

"Read her books-they're probably better than whatever else you were going to read next."—Literary Hub

"Jemisin is now a pillar of speculative fiction, breathtakingly imaginative and narratively bold."—Entertainment Weekly

"Nora Jemisin is a writer of uncanny gifts who is to a moral certainty one of the five best we have right now."—Sci-Fi

"Powerful and mind-expanding...Jemisin pushes boundaries, experiments with format and theme, and challenges expectations."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"[E]loquently develops a series of passionately felt themes... one of speculative fiction's most thoughtful and exciting writers."—Kirkus (starred review)

"Each of the [stories] is masterfully written and beautifully imagined, making the book difficult to put down...Anyone who appreciates Jemisin's work, speculative fiction, or simply the art of the short story shouldn't miss this collection."—BookPage

"Whether she's exploring alien life forms or political machinations, self-sacrifice or monsters in New Orleans, Jemisin's characters are boldly drawn, complex, and so engaging. This is a great gift for any long-time fan and a solid introduction to her work for the curious, and I highly recommend you grab yourself the gorgeous hardcover version."—Book Riot/Swords & Spaceships

"Jemisin... is a writer of uncanny gifts who is to a moral certainty one of the five best we have right now. ... How inadequate these brief synopses are to convey the sheet beauty to be found in these stories."—Sci-Fi

most interesting voice in science fiction/fantasy

awesome characters in a fascinating array of environments where metaphysics is stood on its head

Exceptionally Excellent! (yes, it's that good).

A grand collection of superb stories, especially the last story about haints, lizards, and a flood. I'll read it again soon. Exciting, wondrous and full of both dread and joy. Amazing characters, unique ideas, and the absolute best storytelling. Want to lose yourself over and over? These stories are the ticket to new worlds wonderfully imagined.

So Enjoyable!

I particularly enjoyed the memory story. Jemisin's detailed description of the preparation of the food and the food itself made me long for a taste. Too, it revealed meticulous research or an intimate top chef knowledge of food or both. The last story was appropriately the final one, and left me feeling quite satisfied.
Overall, well-imagined stories.

Amazing collection of short stories

The best compendium of short stories that I have ever read. I read the broken earth trilogy and also the thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemison. I love her novels. Short stories however are completely different animal. As someone who loves to read and has tried to write, I believe that short stories take the most amount of talent to write. Not only do you have to hook the reader quickly and spin very satisfying plot in a short period of time, you have to develop a depth to your characters in a very short period of time. And Ms. Jemison has shown herself to be one of the best writers in the genre today having obviously mastered the novel and the short story.

All of the short stories are wonderful. I loved many of them and liked all of them. My favorite short stories were The City Born Great which she won an award for, The Effluent Engine, The Brides of Heaven and Sinners, Saints, Dragons and Haints in the City Beneath the Still Waters Which is the last story in the collection.

Her love for New York City shines bright and strong in this collection as well as her enjoyment of New Orleans. This book is well worth your time and credit.

Some of the best stories I've ever read.

A wide variety of styles, topics, and voices.
Black Future Month IS the future or a big part of it.

Beautiful

A wonderful collection of stories, from other worlds and our own, conceived and developed by Jemisin, then excellently brought to life by a host of narrative voices.

N.K. Jemisin is Amazing!

I would like to thank N.K. Jemisin for reminding me what imagination is. She has created so many worlds in this collection it boggles the mind that they all came from the brain of one person! Her writing is smart, poetic (in many different voices) and can also be very funny. The speakers are top-notch — extremely talented at bringing all these disparate characters to life. I highly recommend this book and the Audible version in particular.

Enjoyable Appetizers

Regardless of your preferred genre, there is probably something in here for you. My favorites were the anachronistic or futuristic stories that used magical realism. Don't skip the intro either.

Absolutely fantastic!

I keep coming back to this book again and again. The wide variety of possible worlds represented in these stories have broadened my horizons and elevated my dreams.

Genius

This author is a treasure and these stories are individual jewels!

The character building, especially in these works sucks you in and holds you.