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Once Upon a Time in the Future
An engrossing collection of short stories set in the past, present and future inspired by Indian mythology
• A captivating sequence of stories that explore the culture and character of India, using as its inspiration one of the greatest works of literature and philosophy ever written – the Mahabharat.
• These stories transcend time, space, and literary genre to unveil a universal wisdom. They will appeal to connoisseurs of Mahabharat as well as to those who know nothing about Indian culture.
This collection of speculative stories offers homage to the Indian epic Mahabharat, a vast, magical and timeless literary creation. The stories alternate between mystery and fantasy, and move in time between the epic age, the present and the year 2049.
• A captivating sequence of stories that explore the culture and character of India, using as its inspiration one of the greatest works of literature and philosophy ever written – the Mahabharat.
• These stories transcend time, space, and literary genre to unveil a universal wisdom. They will appeal to connoisseurs of Mahabharat as well as to those who know nothing about Indian culture.
This collection of speculative stories offers homage to the Indian epic Mahabharat, a vast, magical and timeless literary creation. The stories alternate between mystery and fantasy, and move in time between the epic age, the present and the year 2049.
224 pages, Paperback
First published July 11, 2014
5 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
About the author
A.K. Kulshreshth
8 books77 followersA.K. Kulshreshth's short stories are published in eight countries (in litmags including Asia Literary Review and Wasafiri).
He is a member of Cernunnos (www.cernunnosbooks.com), a fiction collective dedicated to taking lesser known voices across borders. Cernunnos partnered with a Hindi Litmag, Kathadesh , to run a short story contest in Hindi. The first volume of winning entries was translated and published in 2017. Cernunnos has published translations of a rare Hindi novella (Katora Bhar Khoon), the classic Chitralekha (published in Hindi in 1934), and the first ever translation of Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu (Hindi, 1948-49, shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize (Translation), 2024).
His first novel manuscript, Lying Eyes, was longlisted for the Epigram Fiction Prize 2022. Published by Balestier Press, the novel was selected as an Editors' Choice by The Historical Novels Review.
He is a member of Cernunnos (www.cernunnosbooks.com), a fiction collective dedicated to taking lesser known voices across borders. Cernunnos partnered with a Hindi Litmag, Kathadesh , to run a short story contest in Hindi. The first volume of winning entries was translated and published in 2017. Cernunnos has published translations of a rare Hindi novella (Katora Bhar Khoon), the classic Chitralekha (published in Hindi in 1934), and the first ever translation of Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu (Hindi, 1948-49, shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize (Translation), 2024).
His first novel manuscript, Lying Eyes, was longlisted for the Epigram Fiction Prize 2022. Published by Balestier Press, the novel was selected as an Editors' Choice by The Historical Novels Review.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 16, 2015
Don’t take the title of this anthology literally. These are not mainstream sci-fi short stories, not in the conventional sense of the genre. They are imaginative reinterpretations of the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. So this slim collection of spiritual stories is an unusual mix of ancient and modern, striving to capture a moment of infinite possibility and of cultural reflection.
The tales may be a little tricky for Western readers to get a handle on, each being a modern interpretation or development of traditional Sanskrit parables. Each story is self-contained but the mythology forms an over-arching continuum of moral reflections on the notions of truth, honesty, responsibility and loyalty. If you enjoy folklore, fables and fantasy then they can be read as such, or you can search for more significant spirituality within.
Each is preceded by an overview of the original parable which inspired the modern interpretation, and these summaries can be a bit tough to digest, containing many unfamiliar names, most of whom are brothers, cousins, tribal leaders, wise men, teachers, wives or sons. It’s not exactly easy to get a grip on the relationships between them – but you don’t necessarily need to, in order to enjoy the new story which follows. Each of these either re-tells the story in a modern context, or examines it in more detail from an unusual perspective.
There’s a couple of intriguing murder investigations – one of them almost a traditional locked room mystery – and in these stories the notion of moral responsibility and of accepting consequences is more important than the nuts and bolts of who / howdunit.
There are gods and deities in these pages, gods of patience and guidance, eternally nudging people towards the right path but never forcing anyone in a particular direction.
The result is a charming collection – perhaps not to be read in one go, but taken slowly, a story at a time, over a couple of weeks. The writing is easy to access, not without considerable wit and occasional satirical comment, so these are easy to enjoy.
There's more thoughts about this book at:
https://murdermayhemandmore.wordpress...
A thought-provoking collection. Something rather unusual; an anthology to stimulate the spirit as well as the intellect. Definitely recommended for any with an interest in Eastern philosophy.
8/10
The tales may be a little tricky for Western readers to get a handle on, each being a modern interpretation or development of traditional Sanskrit parables. Each story is self-contained but the mythology forms an over-arching continuum of moral reflections on the notions of truth, honesty, responsibility and loyalty. If you enjoy folklore, fables and fantasy then they can be read as such, or you can search for more significant spirituality within.
Each is preceded by an overview of the original parable which inspired the modern interpretation, and these summaries can be a bit tough to digest, containing many unfamiliar names, most of whom are brothers, cousins, tribal leaders, wise men, teachers, wives or sons. It’s not exactly easy to get a grip on the relationships between them – but you don’t necessarily need to, in order to enjoy the new story which follows. Each of these either re-tells the story in a modern context, or examines it in more detail from an unusual perspective.
There’s a couple of intriguing murder investigations – one of them almost a traditional locked room mystery – and in these stories the notion of moral responsibility and of accepting consequences is more important than the nuts and bolts of who / howdunit.
There are gods and deities in these pages, gods of patience and guidance, eternally nudging people towards the right path but never forcing anyone in a particular direction.
The result is a charming collection – perhaps not to be read in one go, but taken slowly, a story at a time, over a couple of weeks. The writing is easy to access, not without considerable wit and occasional satirical comment, so these are easy to enjoy.
There's more thoughts about this book at:
https://murdermayhemandmore.wordpress...
A thought-provoking collection. Something rather unusual; an anthology to stimulate the spirit as well as the intellect. Definitely recommended for any with an interest in Eastern philosophy.
8/10
November 11, 2014
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
The concept behind this book was a really intriguing one, but I did struggle a bit to connect to the characters.
It was interesting to see the legends detailed at the start of each story and see how they fit in with the stories that were detailed. I didn't feel like enough detail was given about the characters for me to properly care about what happened to them.
It was interesting to see some aspects of the culture in this book, but there were words used in the original language... which, considering a book set in another country is one you just assume would use that language, always seems pointless. (It's a bit like having random Japanese words in a story that's written in English but set in Japan).
I found the second storyline to be quite intriguing. It was good to see how the whole sins and repentance thing was dealt with... and that one of the characters still clung so much to the fact that he was right, he refused to learn the lesson he was being taught.
I couldn't really get into the mysteries, to be honest. A lot of them just involved talking/sensing things without said things being indicated. The only possible exception was Honor... and that didn't really seem to have a proper ending.
The last story was interesting, but I felt that the ending didn't really work too well.
I did like the correlation and connections between the stories. If I could have connected to the characters more, I'm sure I would have enjoyed the book better.
(This review may contain spoilers).
The concept behind this book was a really intriguing one, but I did struggle a bit to connect to the characters.
It was interesting to see the legends detailed at the start of each story and see how they fit in with the stories that were detailed. I didn't feel like enough detail was given about the characters for me to properly care about what happened to them.
It was interesting to see some aspects of the culture in this book, but there were words used in the original language... which, considering a book set in another country is one you just assume would use that language, always seems pointless. (It's a bit like having random Japanese words in a story that's written in English but set in Japan).
I found the second storyline to be quite intriguing. It was good to see how the whole sins and repentance thing was dealt with... and that one of the characters still clung so much to the fact that he was right, he refused to learn the lesson he was being taught.
I couldn't really get into the mysteries, to be honest. A lot of them just involved talking/sensing things without said things being indicated. The only possible exception was Honor... and that didn't really seem to have a proper ending.
The last story was interesting, but I felt that the ending didn't really work too well.
I did like the correlation and connections between the stories. If I could have connected to the characters more, I'm sure I would have enjoyed the book better.
Read
September 9, 2014I enjoyed the thread of the same basic emotions and how as it goes through different time periods how the characters change, but the basic tenets remain the same throughout time.
December 10, 2014
Once Upon a Time in the Future is a fantastic narrative, connecting extracts from the Epic Mahabharat to contemporary stories. It is clever writing at it's best, although one needs to be a bit familiar with Mahabharat stories and characters, to be fully able to appreciate the parallel. Kulshreshth adds the required elements of suspense and intrigue to make the stories compelling and make you wanting for more....Highly recommended.
September 15, 2014
I was'nt expecting much from this book, and that's what I got.
Shorts stories, alot of names. Hard to get into this book.
Probably some people used to indians stories will like this book, but for me, it's been an ok book. Tanks for the giveaway and good reading to others.
**Recieved from Goodreads First Reader Giveaway.
Shorts stories, alot of names. Hard to get into this book.
Probably some people used to indians stories will like this book, but for me, it's been an ok book. Tanks for the giveaway and good reading to others.
**Recieved from Goodreads First Reader Giveaway.
December 9, 2014
Having had the good fortune of having read some of Mr. Kulsreshth's short stories earlier, I found this book familiar. He treads on his familiar ground of "the epic today", and wraps intrigue, suspense, carnal tension and plain old philosphy of life around it.
This is not a racy thriller. But I think the reader, having finished this book, will feel enriched.
This is not a racy thriller. But I think the reader, having finished this book, will feel enriched.
Read
December 27, 2014left unread
January 15, 2019
Kulshreshth's Once Upon a Time in the Future is a collection of short stories that makes new tales from the classic epic of Indian myth, The Mahabharata, putting a unique spin on the rivalries between the Pandav and Kaurav brothers. The intro gives part of the classic tale, and each story is prefaced by an abbreviated version of the particular part it reinvents. These stories range from the past to present day. There are five stories in total, each of a pretty good length. These below are my favourite.
‘The Examination’ was hilarious. A group of businessmen are out at a lodge in the forest, drinking, and each goes out to pee in a lake. Too bad the spirit of the lake takes offense. Dharam Raj is the only one who listens, and the spirit lady proceeds to question him. If he answers her questions satisfactorily, she'll release the others from the slumber she's put them in. Raj succeeds and passes out, only to be woken in the morning by the others. They don't believe his encounter, but he finds subtle proof that it was real.
'Honour’ was set in a more ancient time, though not mythic. It follows Karn, who is close to King Duryodhan, and is commissioned to find the murderer of an ambassador found brutally murdered in a locked room. This was a very Holmsian story, with elements of Laura John Rowland's Inspector Ichiro series.
Overall the stories were okay. They were either translated, or English isn't the author's first language. This didn't make much of a difference to me, personally. It does mean phrasing was sometimes unusual. The author certainly knew their stuff regarding the original epic. I really liked that stories and information on the classic myth cycle are included. Recommended for those who enjoy mythology and myth reinvention stories.
***Many thanks to Netgalley and Cameron Publicity for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
‘The Examination’ was hilarious. A group of businessmen are out at a lodge in the forest, drinking, and each goes out to pee in a lake. Too bad the spirit of the lake takes offense. Dharam Raj is the only one who listens, and the spirit lady proceeds to question him. If he answers her questions satisfactorily, she'll release the others from the slumber she's put them in. Raj succeeds and passes out, only to be woken in the morning by the others. They don't believe his encounter, but he finds subtle proof that it was real.
'Honour’ was set in a more ancient time, though not mythic. It follows Karn, who is close to King Duryodhan, and is commissioned to find the murderer of an ambassador found brutally murdered in a locked room. This was a very Holmsian story, with elements of Laura John Rowland's Inspector Ichiro series.
Overall the stories were okay. They were either translated, or English isn't the author's first language. This didn't make much of a difference to me, personally. It does mean phrasing was sometimes unusual. The author certainly knew their stuff regarding the original epic. I really liked that stories and information on the classic myth cycle are included. Recommended for those who enjoy mythology and myth reinvention stories.
***Many thanks to Netgalley and Cameron Publicity for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews