Nordic Visions: The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction - Book Review

Nordic Visions: The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction by Margrét Helgadóttir (Editor)

Publication Date: 10th October 2023

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Short Stories, Multi-Author Anthology 

4 Stars 

One Liner: Intriguing, creative, and entertaining 

Nordic Visions is a collection of speculative fiction written by famous authors from the region. The editor’s note emphasizes that the stories aren’t necessarily set in the region but only belong to the Nordic authors. Also, the focus is on ‘speculative fiction’ and not ‘Nordic fiction’. This helps in having the right expectations from the book. 

I could enjoy the stories as they are without wondering why many of them have nothing to do with their native land. The collection is categorized based on countries. This doesn’t add anything except to bring a better structure to the anthology. 

As always, I rate each story, accompanied by a short review. Only 4 out of 16 stories fall below the 4-star mark. Each story is distinctive, but they have common themes like technological domination, a blend of science and mythology, nature, etc. 

I read one or two stories per day and wrote the reviews soon after reading. These haven’t been edited (except for grammar) to retain the initial impressions. 

Sweden

She by John Ajvide Lindqvist (Translated by Marlaine Delargy) – 4 Stars 

The narrator and his wife Alice spend their earnings rebuilding an old home. They are excited for a new beginning. However, someone else also seems to have moved in with them. But who is she? What does she want? The story is divided into three nights for the present track, with the past woven in between. The narration is slow-paced but atmospheric and suits the plot. The clues are artfully scattered and provide enough detail to connect the dots. The ending is open, though. 

Lost and Found by Maria Haskins – 4 Stars 

So this is set in the future on an unnamed planet with loads of sand. The story comes in the limited third-person of two characters. While the plot, as such, is vague, the writing has a haunting beauty to it. The recurring use of wind creates a kind of melancholic melody (something I didn’t know was possible in sci-fi). However, a couple of lines in the second person broke my focus. 

Sing by Karin Tidbeck – 4 Stars 

This is set in a possible colony in a dystopian future with artificial satellites as moons. Aino is a tailor who meets Petr, a biologist studying lichen’s growth in the region. He is fascinated with the locals (and Aino) while she longs for something else. The story comes from Aino’s first-person POV and weaves between the present and past. I’m still not sure about the setting, but whatever is provided works to imagine it to an extent. It’s a story of longing for acceptance. 

Denmark

The False Fisherman by Kaspar Colling Nielsen (Translated by Olivia Lasky) – 3.5 Stars 

Written in the third person, we get the story of a 40+ man who decides to become a fisherman. It has less to do with fishing but everything to do with being a fisherman. How this changes his life is the story. The writing is distant and almost without emotion, which suits the MC’s arc. This feels more like a metaphorical tale with deeper meanings. 

Heather Country by Jakob Drud – 3.5 Stars 

Set in a dystopian world, we have people using pig shit as fertilizer for fuel. The NeuroClan, with not-so-human accountants, rules the region with a super tight fist. The narrator and a biologist are sent to investigate the case, which becomes two cases. What’s the connection? What will happen? The premise is definitely creative, but the use of well-known tropes dim the enjoyment. Some readers will love this one. 

The Traveller Girl by Lene Kaaberbøl – 4 Stars 

Jovin knows he’ll become the owner of Hasalin when he marries Siri next year. His life seems sorted until he meets a traveler girl, Zara. The villagers hate Travelers, and things escalate. However, Jovin might learn a few lessons in the process. The story comes from Jovin’s third-person POV. The narration and execution are simple, elevating the content and unsaid to take over. The ending is the icing on the cake.  

The Faroe Islands

The Abyss by Rakel Helmsdal (Translated by Marita Thomsen) – 2 Stars 

Umm… this is a first-person narration of a person hanging upside down on an endless iron bar. What happens when they decide to let go? How are they? What is their destination? I’m not sure what this story is about. My first impression was that on the Hanged Man from Tarot Cards. Let’s say the ending also seems to align with it. Otherwise, this went over my head. Thankfully, it was a short piece. 

Iceland

The Dreamgiver by Johann Thorsson – 4.5 Stars 

Oh, this is good! A real short story narrated in the first-person by a dad who wants to protect his son from nightmares. The setting is eerie. The writing has a weariness that matches the character’s situation. The core storyline is very simple, but the execution enhances it. 

Hamraborg Babylon by Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson (Translated by Quentin Bates) – 4 Stars 

A woman walks into the mysterious Hamraborg city on a mission. The place is creepy, strange, and almost impossible to escape. But what does she want? Does she succeed? Written in a detached third-person POV, this one gave me strong Neverwhere (by Neil Gaiman) vibes. The ending is almost anti-climatic, but looks like that’s the intention. 

Norway

As You Wish by Tor Åge Bringsværd (Translated by Olivia Lasky) – 4 Stars

Written in the second-person POV, this story is set in dystopian mines underground. The story feels disjointed in the beginning, but things fall into place soon. The execution and narration make this a worthy read. It’s almost like a mind game. 

The Cormorant by Tone Almhjell – 4.5 Stars 

Set on an island and narrated by a girl raised by a single mother, this is the story of loneliness, despair, and the struggle for belongingness. The setting is atmospheric, with the icy sea wind adding tinges of darkness to the plot. It does seem like a metaphorical tale, but it does work as a regular tale (with an open ending). The writing is beautiful. 

The Day Jonas Shadowed His Dad by Thore Hansen (Translated by Olivia Lasky) – 3.5 Stars 

This is MG fiction! Needless to say, I was surprised to find a light and cute story in the book. Written in Jonas’ third-person POV, it’s the story of what happens when the kid follows his dad to know where he works. The content is vibrant and full of light, but the story as such feels a little too simple. There’s a lot of detail and description, but the plot is thin. The ending is good, though.

A Lion Roars in Longyearbyen by Margrét Helgadóttir – 4.5 Stars 

Oh, this is beautiful! Set in a distant future, it’s the story of a missing celebrity lion, Levi. Told from the third-person POV of multiple characters, the story reveals itself in layers and ends on a bittersweet note. It’s heartfelt and beautiful. 

Finland

A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has an Answer by Johanna Sinisalo – 5 Stars 

Set in the future (2042), the story deals with a person using an advanced virtual avatar to gather data from an AI Box in a forest. He details his experience of the process and what happens when he finds a bird’s nest on the Box. The second half of the story is wonderful. The message is delivered without any preaching or drama. One of the best stories in the book. 

Elegy for a Young Elk by Hannu Rajaniemi – 4 Stars 

Well! What do I say? It’s a strange story with a strange setting. But Kosonen is as human as he can get. Otso, the talking bear is another highlight. But what makes the story tick is the last quarter, especially the ending. Heartwarming! A highly imaginative premise with the right touch of humanity. 

The Wings that Slice the Sky by Emmi Itäranta – 4.5 Stars 

This is a retelling of the Finnish National Epic, Kalevala, told from Louhi’s first-person POV. It’s a proper mythological fantasy with drama, emotions, betrayal, greed, revenge, sorcery, etc. The writing is strong and makes the story come alive on the pages. I read a quick summary of a version of the original from Wiki and would like to read a fuller version someday. Can’t say whether the story does justice to the epic, though it does use the core elements (from what I’ve found). 

To summarize, Nordic Visions is an intriguing, entertaining, and thought-provoking collection of speculative fiction by writers from the Nordic region. Check out the book to see which stories you’ll enjoy. 

The author bios are at the end of the book, and naturally, I added a few books to my TBR after going through the list! 

Thank you, NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing (Solaris), for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #NordicVisions