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Nevertheless, She Persisted: Flash Fiction Project
Tor.com's science fiction and fantasy flash fiction collection originally published in 2017 inspired by the now-iconic statement, now available in Kindle format.
She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.
Three short lines, fired over social media in response to questions of why Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced on the floor of the United States Senate, for daring to read aloud the words of Coretta Scott King. As this message was transmitted across the globe, it has become a galvanizing cry for people of all genders in recognition of the struggles that women have faced throughout history.
Three short lines, which read as if they are the opening passage to an epic and ageless tale.
We have assembled this flash fiction collection featuring several of the best writers in SF/F today, including Seanan McGuire, Charlie Jane Anders, Maria Dahvana Headley, Jo Walton, Amal El-Mohtar, Catherynne M. Valente, Brooke Bolander, Alyssa Wong, Kameron Hurley, Nisi Shawl and Carrie Vaughn. Together these authors share unique visions of women inventing, playing, loving, surviving, and – of course – dreaming of themselves beyond their circumstances.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.
Three short lines, fired over social media in response to questions of why Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced on the floor of the United States Senate, for daring to read aloud the words of Coretta Scott King. As this message was transmitted across the globe, it has become a galvanizing cry for people of all genders in recognition of the struggles that women have faced throughout history.
Three short lines, which read as if they are the opening passage to an epic and ageless tale.
We have assembled this flash fiction collection featuring several of the best writers in SF/F today, including Seanan McGuire, Charlie Jane Anders, Maria Dahvana Headley, Jo Walton, Amal El-Mohtar, Catherynne M. Valente, Brooke Bolander, Alyssa Wong, Kameron Hurley, Nisi Shawl and Carrie Vaughn. Together these authors share unique visions of women inventing, playing, loving, surviving, and – of course – dreaming of themselves beyond their circumstances.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
47 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2020
226 people are currently reading
750 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
March 29, 2020
"She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."
Eleven women meditate on these pernicious, oppressive words, with grace and rage. They set their stories within imagination's deepest crevices to explain or ponder, but always to protest, the stupidity of being limited, disallowed from fully Being Yourself. Being unique, each voice will appeal to some more than others. I don't want you to think I am ungrateful for all the stories in this anthology, but the chef d'oeuvre is Nisi Shawl's perfect and timeless story of the wife's unloved twin sister...the "two mints in one" as she puts it...finding fear and freedom in the same escape.
There is no reason y'all should wait another minute to get and absorb these perfectly sized, beautifully written petits fours.
Eleven women meditate on these pernicious, oppressive words, with grace and rage. They set their stories within imagination's deepest crevices to explain or ponder, but always to protest, the stupidity of being limited, disallowed from fully Being Yourself. Being unique, each voice will appeal to some more than others. I don't want you to think I am ungrateful for all the stories in this anthology, but the chef d'oeuvre is Nisi Shawl's perfect and timeless story of the wife's unloved twin sister...the "two mints in one" as she puts it...finding fear and freedom in the same escape.
There is no reason y'all should wait another minute to get and absorb these perfectly sized, beautifully written petits fours.
March 9, 2020
She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.This book was my introduction to flash fiction. While I probably would have read this collection anyway, especially since it’s currently free to download here, it was the inclusion of a Seanan McGuire story that sealed the deal for me.
I usually find short story collections a bit hit and miss, and this quick read was at various times, ‘I love it!’, ‘It was okay’, and ‘What did I just read?!’ I’ve marked the ones I loved with 💜 and have included a short quote from each.
Our Faces, Radiant Sisters, Our Faces Full of Light! by Kameron Hurley 💜
They came to extinguish light, and hope. She was here to remind them they wouldn’t do it unchallenged.God Product by Alyssa Wong
Caroline hated having been chosen by a small god, whose presence was so quiet that most people forgot she was there.Alchemy by Carrie Vaughn 💜
(“You’ll never find what you’re looking for,” they told her. “Nevertheless,” she replied.)Persephone by Seanan McGuire 💜
I wasn’t supposed to see that. I don’t believe anyone was supposed to see that.Margot and Rosalind by Charlie Jane Anders
“Plus you start to ask questions, and the worst thing about questions is that sometimes, they have answers.”Astronaut by Maria Dahvana Headley 💜
Miss Baker was on a mission to defy gravity.More Than Nothing by Nisi Shawl
“But you ain’t gonna lemme keep you from doin magic. Is you?”The Last of the Minotaur Wives by Brooke Bolander
Once you’ve been in the light for awhile, Blue finds, it’s hard as hell to willingly walk back into darkness.The Jump Rope Rhyme by Jo Walton
She was warned, and explained at, and patronizedAnabasis by Amal El-Mohtar
But persisted still, against their lies,
For you, the future, she in the past
Persisted, to make things good at last.
A warning is the same as a threat. Television teaches this. Is that a threat / call it a warning. Call it by a different name, and it changes.The Ordinary Woman and the Unquiet Emperor by Catherynne M. Valente
When he was a young man, the Unquiet Emperor had banned questions, inquiries, curiosities, rhetoric, and finally question marks entirely, for such things were surely the source of all the mistrust and isolation in modern society.I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.
May 20, 2020
Are you tired hearing me saying 'this story collection is uneven' or the variation of that? Well, get ready coz here comes another one.
Just kidding. Wait, no I am not. There are some I truly enjoyed, like the ones by Maria Dalvana Headley and Catherynne Valente, but some stories my brain just could not process.
Glad I read this finally, thanks to the buddies at the Worlds Beyond the Margins group who let me nominate it for our weekly short story (which apparently could include a novelette, yay). I had it for two years in my shelf.
Nevertheless, keep persisting in reading this collection! It comes for free and only took 15 minutes or so.
Just kidding. Wait, no I am not. There are some I truly enjoyed, like the ones by Maria Dalvana Headley and Catherynne Valente, but some stories my brain just could not process.
Glad I read this finally, thanks to the buddies at the Worlds Beyond the Margins group who let me nominate it for our weekly short story (which apparently could include a novelette, yay). I had it for two years in my shelf.
Nevertheless, keep persisting in reading this collection! It comes for free and only took 15 minutes or so.
August 4, 2020
Read for International Women's Day!
Flash fiction is something special. It is so extremely short, the words that are put into them must be powerful enough to carry an entire story. For me, it was the first such collection I read, and I had some troubles to feel the stories because of their length.
Mind you - I am someone who actively had to learn how to read novellas and short stories because I always used to think they were way too short. Flash fiction is just taking it to the next level.
This collection is all about powerful women, and all stories are built around "Nevertheless, she persisted." Concept great of course, but stories too short to really stand out.
Flash fiction is something special. It is so extremely short, the words that are put into them must be powerful enough to carry an entire story. For me, it was the first such collection I read, and I had some troubles to feel the stories because of their length.
Mind you - I am someone who actively had to learn how to read novellas and short stories because I always used to think they were way too short. Flash fiction is just taking it to the next level.
This collection is all about powerful women, and all stories are built around "Nevertheless, she persisted." Concept great of course, but stories too short to really stand out.
June 10, 2020
Kameron Hurley - Our Faces, Radiant Sisters, Our Faces Full of Light! (4 stars)
Alyssa Wong - God Product (3 stars)
Carrie Vaughn - Alchemy (3 stars)
Seanan McGuire - Persephone (4 stars)
Charlie Jane Anders - Margot and Rosalind (2 stars)
Maria Dahvana Headley - Astronaut (3 stars)
Nisi Shawl - More Than Nothing (3 stars)
Brooke Bolander - The Last of the Minotaur Wives (5 stars)
Jo Walton - The Jump Rope Rhyme (3 stars)
Amal El-Mohtar - Anabasis (3 stars)
Catherynne M. Valente - The Ordinary Woman and the Unquiet Emperor (4 stars)
Alyssa Wong - God Product (3 stars)
Carrie Vaughn - Alchemy (3 stars)
Seanan McGuire - Persephone (4 stars)
Charlie Jane Anders - Margot and Rosalind (2 stars)
Maria Dahvana Headley - Astronaut (3 stars)
Nisi Shawl - More Than Nothing (3 stars)
Brooke Bolander - The Last of the Minotaur Wives (5 stars)
Jo Walton - The Jump Rope Rhyme (3 stars)
Amal El-Mohtar - Anabasis (3 stars)
Catherynne M. Valente - The Ordinary Woman and the Unquiet Emperor (4 stars)
March 10, 2020
My first encounter with flash fiction.
I wasn't sure if this shorter than short format would be for me, but I was surprised how aptly the authors built their stories proceeding from the lines "She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted." in various ways.
My favourites have to be the contributions from Maria Dahvana Headley, Alyssa Wong and Jo Walton.
A short collection that is well worth the read - and it is free, so no reason not to give it a try.
I wasn't sure if this shorter than short format would be for me, but I was surprised how aptly the authors built their stories proceeding from the lines "She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted." in various ways.
My favourites have to be the contributions from Maria Dahvana Headley, Alyssa Wong and Jo Walton.
A short collection that is well worth the read - and it is free, so no reason not to give it a try.
March 14, 2020
That was definitely fun, the only one I did not like was the one by Jo Walton. Poetry, yuck! :)
April 5, 2020
"She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nonetheless, she persisted."
This is a really good opening line for a story. Heck, it can be a really good opening line for a couple of stories. For the greater part of 11 very short stories, though... it gets to be a bit much.
To be clear: I'm not blaming the authors themselves here. Some of the stories are rather nice. But the prompt itself draws too much attention to the whole point of the book, until it's a bit like being hit over the head repeatedly with the same feminist point.
There are some worlds built here, and the authors have different styles, so I guess that's nice, but I feel like this collection is flawed from its conception.
This is a really good opening line for a story. Heck, it can be a really good opening line for a couple of stories. For the greater part of 11 very short stories, though... it gets to be a bit much.
To be clear: I'm not blaming the authors themselves here. Some of the stories are rather nice. But the prompt itself draws too much attention to the whole point of the book, until it's a bit like being hit over the head repeatedly with the same feminist point.
There are some worlds built here, and the authors have different styles, so I guess that's nice, but I feel like this collection is flawed from its conception.
March 17, 2020
Worth picking up for the excellent group of authors all giving a flash fiction take on "Nevertheless, she persisted." And, it's free.
March 19, 2020
Each story starts with:
She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.
Eleven wonderful short stories that made me think and smile.
She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.
Eleven wonderful short stories that made me think and smile.
March 8, 2020
"She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."
Apartir de ese fragmento las autoras tienen que desarrollar una pequeña pieza de ficción corta. Desde dioses hasta cerebros hyperdesarollados, desde relatos de género hasta incluso un poema, esta pequeña antología que edita de forma gratuita Tor es un claro ejemplo de la calidad asombrosa de muchas autoras de la ficción fantástica.
Ya llevan dos años con esta iniciativa, y sinceramente espero que sigan haciéndolo muchos años más.
Apartir de ese fragmento las autoras tienen que desarrollar una pequeña pieza de ficción corta. Desde dioses hasta cerebros hyperdesarollados, desde relatos de género hasta incluso un poema, esta pequeña antología que edita de forma gratuita Tor es un claro ejemplo de la calidad asombrosa de muchas autoras de la ficción fantástica.
Ya llevan dos años con esta iniciativa, y sinceramente espero que sigan haciéndolo muchos años más.
May 28, 2020
These three phrases have become famous for all the wrong reasons. The quietest of war cries or maybe just a cry of futility for daring to be a woman in the toxically sexist world of American politics. So to commemorate the Sisyphean labors of Elizabeth Warren and the like Tor.com decided to create this mini anthology with a message, comprising a number of best female genre authors working today offering their take on the feminist message featuring those three famous phrases. Much like any attempt for a woman to get elected into a position of proper power in the US, it’s brief. Only 47 pages. And, although uniformly well intentioned and infinitely qualified, slightly uneven quality wise. But at least reading this book isn’t nearly as frustrating as watching the attempted political ascendancies of women fizzle out and come to nothing. In fact, it’s a pretty entertaining read with many recognizable names. I kind of thought flash fiction was shorter than this, one or two pages instead of several, but that’s neither here nor there. It’s just a weird length to tell a story. Though everyone managed. I really loved the Astronaut story, that one was by far by favorite and alone worth reading the entire thing. Plus this book was free and only took about 30 minutes to get through. Sad (meant to be optimistic and inspiring, but when you get right down to it...sad) cause. Fun read.
September 27, 2023
This collection was full of serious ups and downs, but since this is a flash fiction collection it didn't really hurt that much. I really loved a few pieces Astronaut especially, but the trusted authors I already knew largely failed here... Either way this was fun spontaneous read! I'm not angry about this...
Our Faces, Radiant Sisters, Our Faces Are Full of Light! by Kameron Hurley ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The problem with this one is that you need to read James Tiptree Jr.'s Your Faces, O My Sisters! Your Faces Filled of Light! first to fully grasp what this short-story is reacting to. I didn't care for it that much the first time, on this re-read I was kind of blown away, but... is it a good piece of fiction if it can't stand on its own?
God Product by Alyssa Wong ⭐⭐
Interesting worldbuilding, but I didn't care for the story.
Alchemy by Carrie Vaughn ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I absolutely fell in love with the writing style of this one and so I'm definitely going to check up some more of Vaughn's work! The last word kind of... ruined is a too strong a word, but the last word is the reason why this isn't a five star. Not kidding...
Persephone by Seanan McGuire ⭐
Nope... I feel bad for giving this one star, because it's not offending or xphobic, or anything like that but. I didn't like the story and I had to re-read the beginning because the writing got me confused and... just what was the point of this?
Margot and Rosalind by Charlie Jane Anders ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another new to me author and I thought this was pretty great! I felt as if I was looking through a small window into a whole new existing world. I didn't understand things, but they seemed to make sense together. Also, very funny and a sort of ambiguous ending, so... this was a win! I will be checking out this author's work as well...
Astronaut by Maria Dahvana Headley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Was absolutely brilliant and shows that you can pull off a twist in flash-fiction too! Definitely looking out for more of this author's work...
More than Nothing by Nisi Shawl ⭐⭐⭐
A bit meh for me... but I don't think the short-story is bad necessarily. There were some fun aspects for sure.
The Last of the Minotaur Wives by Brooke Bolander ⭐⭐⭐
This was a re-read for me and... you know, not bad but when you know what Brooke Bolander is capable of? I guess the flash fiction format just didn't work very well for me here, I have too many questions...
The Jump Rope Rhyme by Jo Walton ⭐⭐⭐
I liked the gist of this, but I didn't enjoy it very much as a poem. I'm also glad I finally read something by Jo Walton, she is an author I'm on the lookout for!
Anabasis by Amal El-Mohtar ⭐⭐⭐⭐,5
I loved the idea of shapeshifters how it's presented here. This short-story was really creative and metaphorical and I was here for that. However, there was one theme-line in the story that I didn't get and I feel like that really took out of my enjoinment. Not quite a five star read then...
The Ordinary Woman and the Unquiet Emperor by Catherynne M. Valente ⭐⭐
Nope... I'm not sure what it was supposed to be about and I didn't like this 🤷🏽♀️
(Kind off) BRed at WBtM: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Our Faces, Radiant Sisters, Our Faces Are Full of Light! by Kameron Hurley ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The problem with this one is that you need to read James Tiptree Jr.'s Your Faces, O My Sisters! Your Faces Filled of Light! first to fully grasp what this short-story is reacting to. I didn't care for it that much the first time, on this re-read I was kind of blown away, but... is it a good piece of fiction if it can't stand on its own?
Many didn't understand that someone had to fight the monsters.
God Product by Alyssa Wong ⭐⭐
Interesting worldbuilding, but I didn't care for the story.
Alchemy by Carrie Vaughn ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I absolutely fell in love with the writing style of this one and so I'm definitely going to check up some more of Vaughn's work! The last word kind of... ruined is a too strong a word, but the last word is the reason why this isn't a five star. Not kidding...
She had patience. The patience of stones worn away by wind and water, of continents creeping into one another to create mountains, of crystals growing in dark places. The patience of a planet caught in orbit around a sun that would last ten billion years before burning it all back to stardust.
Persephone by Seanan McGuire ⭐
Nope... I feel bad for giving this one star, because it's not offending or xphobic, or anything like that but. I didn't like the story and I had to re-read the beginning because the writing got me confused and... just what was the point of this?
Margot and Rosalind by Charlie Jane Anders ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another new to me author and I thought this was pretty great! I felt as if I was looking through a small window into a whole new existing world. I didn't understand things, but they seemed to make sense together. Also, very funny and a sort of ambiguous ending, so... this was a win! I will be checking out this author's work as well...
The doorbell rings as she's giving the brain its nutrient bath. The Hyperbrain likes it when she scritches behind its temporal lobe, like a cat...
Astronaut by Maria Dahvana Headley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Was absolutely brilliant and shows that you can pull off a twist in flash-fiction too! Definitely looking out for more of this author's work...
More than Nothing by Nisi Shawl ⭐⭐⭐
A bit meh for me... but I don't think the short-story is bad necessarily. There were some fun aspects for sure.
The Last of the Minotaur Wives by Brooke Bolander ⭐⭐⭐
This was a re-read for me and... you know, not bad but when you know what Brooke Bolander is capable of? I guess the flash fiction format just didn't work very well for me here, I have too many questions...
The Jump Rope Rhyme by Jo Walton ⭐⭐⭐
I liked the gist of this, but I didn't enjoy it very much as a poem. I'm also glad I finally read something by Jo Walton, she is an author I'm on the lookout for!
Anabasis by Amal El-Mohtar ⭐⭐⭐⭐,5
I loved the idea of shapeshifters how it's presented here. This short-story was really creative and metaphorical and I was here for that. However, there was one theme-line in the story that I didn't get and I feel like that really took out of my enjoinment. Not quite a five star read then...
The Ordinary Woman and the Unquiet Emperor by Catherynne M. Valente ⭐⭐
Nope... I'm not sure what it was supposed to be about and I didn't like this 🤷🏽♀️
(Kind off) BRed at WBtM: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
March 21, 2020
"She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's patronising admonishment of Senator Elizabeth Warren in 2017.
In honour of International Women's Day, Nevertheless She Persisted: Flash Fiction Project is a free flash fiction (under 2,000 words) collection from Tor.com inspired by McConnell's description of Elizabeth Warren. It contains the following:
“Our Faces, Radiant Sisters, Our Faces Are Full of Light!” by Kameron Hurley
“God Product” by Alyssa Wong
“Alchemy” by Carrie Vaughn
“Persephone” by Seanan McGuire
“Margot and Rosalind” by Charlie Jane Anders
“Astronaut” by Maria Dahvana Headley
“More than Nothing” by Nisi Shawl
“The Last of the Minotaur Wives” by Brooke Bolander
“The Jump Rope Rhyme” by Jo Walton
“Anabasis” by Amal El-Mohtar
“The Ordinary Woman and the Unquiet Emperor” by Catherynne M. Valente
These tales depict the defiance, bravery and the curiosity of women, who don't necessarily meet happy endings, even if they'd succeeded in the pursuit of their (sometimes destructive) goals.
The book opens with Hurley's Buffy character, perfectly setting the tone for the rest of the stories. Wong's 'God Product' is a moral tale warning that you don't know what you've got until it's gone. 'Alchemy' is the pursuit of scientific truth in the face of derision. The exploitation of 'Persephone' sparked the desire to read more based on this story. The surprising revelatory ending of 'Astronaut' reflecting the real-life history of a particular female. 'The Last of the Minotaur Wives' was another Buffy-like character in an escape room-esque adventure in ancient Greek myth, and is another tale I'd like to read more on. Valente's Ordinary Woman living in a dystopian world created and governed by the unsatisfied and unloved Unquiet Emperor choosing unknown destruction over the status quo.
Although I liked the vignettes I've described above, I couldn't always fully grasp what was going on. Sometimes being vague works, especially if you make a revelation at the end a.k.a. 'Astronaut', but sometimes it doesn't.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's patronising admonishment of Senator Elizabeth Warren in 2017.
In honour of International Women's Day, Nevertheless She Persisted: Flash Fiction Project is a free flash fiction (under 2,000 words) collection from Tor.com inspired by McConnell's description of Elizabeth Warren. It contains the following:
“Our Faces, Radiant Sisters, Our Faces Are Full of Light!” by Kameron Hurley
“God Product” by Alyssa Wong
“Alchemy” by Carrie Vaughn
“Persephone” by Seanan McGuire
“Margot and Rosalind” by Charlie Jane Anders
“Astronaut” by Maria Dahvana Headley
“More than Nothing” by Nisi Shawl
“The Last of the Minotaur Wives” by Brooke Bolander
“The Jump Rope Rhyme” by Jo Walton
“Anabasis” by Amal El-Mohtar
“The Ordinary Woman and the Unquiet Emperor” by Catherynne M. Valente
These tales depict the defiance, bravery and the curiosity of women, who don't necessarily meet happy endings, even if they'd succeeded in the pursuit of their (sometimes destructive) goals.
The book opens with Hurley's Buffy character, perfectly setting the tone for the rest of the stories. Wong's 'God Product' is a moral tale warning that you don't know what you've got until it's gone. 'Alchemy' is the pursuit of scientific truth in the face of derision. The exploitation of 'Persephone' sparked the desire to read more based on this story. The surprising revelatory ending of 'Astronaut' reflecting the real-life history of a particular female. 'The Last of the Minotaur Wives' was another Buffy-like character in an escape room-esque adventure in ancient Greek myth, and is another tale I'd like to read more on. Valente's Ordinary Woman living in a dystopian world created and governed by the unsatisfied and unloved Unquiet Emperor choosing unknown destruction over the status quo.
Although I liked the vignettes I've described above, I couldn't always fully grasp what was going on. Sometimes being vague works, especially if you make a revelation at the end a.k.a. 'Astronaut', but sometimes it doesn't.
March 19, 2020
4.5 stars.
Favorites:
"Our Faces, Radiant Sisters, Our Faces Are Full of Light!": The imagery in this was surprisingly strong and vivid. I immediately imagined it illustrated in the style of/occurring in the worlds of Evan Dahm or Shaun Tan. 4.5 stars.
"Persephone": Very sad and sweet. 4 stars.
"Astronaut": Where do I send money to see a tv show made about Miss Baker? This was unique and nerdy and adorable and badass. 4.5 stars.
"The Last of the Minotaur Wives": The whole premise of this has such potential as a whole novel(la). 4 stars.
"The Ordinary Woman and the Unquiet Emperor": O Ms. Valente, how do you write in a Boschian-painting style so well, so truely, so matter of factly, blatantly, harshly melancholically hopeful?? 4.5 stars.
Favorites:
"Our Faces, Radiant Sisters, Our Faces Are Full of Light!": The imagery in this was surprisingly strong and vivid. I immediately imagined it illustrated in the style of/occurring in the worlds of Evan Dahm or Shaun Tan. 4.5 stars.
"Persephone": Very sad and sweet. 4 stars.
"Astronaut": Where do I send money to see a tv show made about Miss Baker? This was unique and nerdy and adorable and badass. 4.5 stars.
"The Last of the Minotaur Wives": The whole premise of this has such potential as a whole novel(la). 4 stars.
"The Ordinary Woman and the Unquiet Emperor": O Ms. Valente, how do you write in a Boschian-painting style so well, so truely, so matter of factly, blatantly, harshly melancholically hopeful?? 4.5 stars.
May 5, 2020
3,5/5. I'm not the biggest fan of flash fiction. I like short story, but flash ones are too short, not even time to pitch a concept or an idea, just a blink, a flash of a scene and you move on. So even if not a fan, I have to say that this particular anthology offer an amazing variety of fiction from an outstanding cast of authors, look at the list, this is quite impressive, so if you love flash fiction, or just want to have a small taste of some author and see which one you want to read more from, this might be a good place. And guest what, all the author are female so even the feminist should be please! (that's a joke please don't get offended!) (that's also a joke, second degree... might be better to stop right here.)
March 8, 2023
I think I liked the idea of this book better than the execution. Every story is just a couple pages long but it’s really hard to develop a story that way. It’s all based on what Mitch McConnell said about Elizabeth Warren’s silencing on the American senate floor. “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted” so every story is based around that line. Some stories are 5 stars, especially the last one of the book, but there’s a number that just don’t work for me.
freebies
March 5, 2020This free flash fiction collection will be available to download on the 8th of March (or you can just preorder it now!)
Read
March 5, 2020Short, sharp, often sad but always defiant pieces from three years back, now collected. If only they'd become any less relevant in the meantime.
March 10, 2020
Sorry. Most flash and very short fiction that I enjoy knows how to focus, to get the job done and get out. These tended to try to build worlds, to set up a suggestion for a story of at least novella length... far too much was suggested and the point itself was rather lost.
Still, for free and for about 20 actual pp of text, give it a shot yourself.
Still, for free and for about 20 actual pp of text, give it a shot yourself.
April 24, 2020
Flash fiction is always a risky read, because the restriction on length is a challenge most authors cannot meet well. And with the added restriction of being themed on a longer than average quote, I wasn't expecting impressive stories.
With the possible exception of Jo Walton's poem, there is not a story here. There are ideas, there are the bones of stories, excerpts, references to longer stories. Interesting reading, but not recommended. (but I would be interested in reworkings of some of these, either with the rest of the meat pared off, or with enough words to truly make a story)
With the possible exception of Jo Walton's poem, there is not a story here. There are ideas, there are the bones of stories, excerpts, references to longer stories. Interesting reading, but not recommended. (but I would be interested in reworkings of some of these, either with the rest of the meat pared off, or with enough words to truly make a story)
May 22, 2020
A quick read (as one would expect) but a fascinating one - collected together there are so many ways that three-sentence phrase can describe women taking action. I really enjoyed it!
December 1, 2023
Oh wow. I think I love flash fiction now. I’m most definitely in love with the story by Amal El-Mohtar in this collection, I mean, HOW DOES SHE DO THAT, the story is four ebook pages long (on my app/reader), and it’s AMAZING!?!!? Ten stars!!!
The collection was like the end product of a cool writing class assignment, resulting in eleven stories, each one a perfect bite-sized thing you can just pop into your brain and savour. Needless to say, the tones and themes of these were equally great and poignant, considering the selection of authors etc. All the stories derived from and included the three famous lines by Elizabeth Warren, and I loved to see how differently they each came out/what they turned into on the other side of these fantastic writers’ imaginations.
Some of these miniature stories were quite brutal, others hopeful or wistful, quite a few rather eccentric. My favourites besides the one by El-Mohtar were probably those by Alyssa Wong, Seanan McGuire, Charlie Jane Anders, and Maria Dahvana Headley. Even though I’d give the rest varyingly 2–3 stars, applauds to all of these for packing such intensity and meaning in literally just a few paragraphs!
The collection was like the end product of a cool writing class assignment, resulting in eleven stories, each one a perfect bite-sized thing you can just pop into your brain and savour. Needless to say, the tones and themes of these were equally great and poignant, considering the selection of authors etc. All the stories derived from and included the three famous lines by Elizabeth Warren, and I loved to see how differently they each came out/what they turned into on the other side of these fantastic writers’ imaginations.
Some of these miniature stories were quite brutal, others hopeful or wistful, quite a few rather eccentric. My favourites besides the one by El-Mohtar were probably those by Alyssa Wong, Seanan McGuire, Charlie Jane Anders, and Maria Dahvana Headley. Even though I’d give the rest varyingly 2–3 stars, applauds to all of these for packing such intensity and meaning in literally just a few paragraphs!
August 11, 2020
This was a neat idea for a flash fiction collection - a set of short stories and poetry centred around a politically infamous phrase said of Elizabeth Warren - "She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted." All the stories feature that phrasing and interpret it in different directions.
The most amazing thing about this collection, though? The authors! What an incredible, all-star collection of writers of both the present and future of the sci-fi and fantasy community. Reading through the table of contents felt like looking at my recent reads and TBR pile.
The most amazing thing about this collection, though? The authors! What an incredible, all-star collection of writers of both the present and future of the sci-fi and fantasy community. Reading through the table of contents felt like looking at my recent reads and TBR pile.
April 10, 2021
13 Autorinnen verfassen eine Kurzgeschichte zu dem Satz "Nevertheless, She Persisted".
Für meinen Geschmack waren die Kurzgeschichten zu kurz und außer Amal El-Mohtars Geschichte haben mir die anderen nicht gefallen.
Was ich auch erstaunlich fand, dass ich von den Autorinnen nur Seanan McGuire bereits kenne.
Von Catherynne M. Valente habe ich zwar mal was gehört, aber noch nichts gelesen.
Und all die anderen 11 Autorinnen sind mir vollkommen unbekannt, obwohl diese bereits für ihre Werke in irgendeiner Form nominiert waren.
Da gilt wohl einiges aufzuholen. :)
Für meinen Geschmack waren die Kurzgeschichten zu kurz und außer Amal El-Mohtars Geschichte haben mir die anderen nicht gefallen.
Was ich auch erstaunlich fand, dass ich von den Autorinnen nur Seanan McGuire bereits kenne.
Von Catherynne M. Valente habe ich zwar mal was gehört, aber noch nichts gelesen.
Und all die anderen 11 Autorinnen sind mir vollkommen unbekannt, obwohl diese bereits für ihre Werke in irgendeiner Form nominiert waren.
Da gilt wohl einiges aufzuholen. :)
March 22, 2020
Super interesting mix of flash fiction by different authors all imagined around “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.” I loved how imaginative all the stories were and I was surprised that they managed to be so complex even though they were so short. My personal favorites are The Jump Tope Rhyme by Jo Walton and Anabasis by Amal El-Mohtar, I’m sure I will revisit them many times going forward.
October 8, 2022
Cool idea, just okay execution. I like flash fiction and it's neat to give those famous lines to a bunch of well-known female sff authors and ask them to write something short based on it. But it's also quite hard to write a very short story that truly grabs you, and so most of the pieces here are just ...okay.
What I liked:
The Minotaur Brides by Brooke Bolander
Anabasis by Amal El-Mohtar
What I liked:
The Minotaur Brides by Brooke Bolander
Anabasis by Amal El-Mohtar
March 10, 2020
Excellent collection
of short stories each of which takes off from the opening quote in different directions. Very imaginative and very recommendable.
of short stories each of which takes off from the opening quote in different directions. Very imaginative and very recommendable.
March 14, 2020
Strong 4.5 stars, particularly for Astronaut by Maria Dahvana Headley and The Ordinary Woman and the Unquiet Emperor by Catherynne M. Valente.
June 24, 2024
She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.
Flash fiction from eleven of fantasy and science fiction's modern greats adding a new dimension to this profound statement.
Flash fiction from eleven of fantasy and science fiction's modern greats adding a new dimension to this profound statement.
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