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Stories of Hope and Wonder
A treasury of quality stories. All proceeds from the sale of this digital anthology are being donated to support NHS staff and other healthcare workers. 53 stories, 253,000 words of fiction, including several pieces that are original to this volume, featuring some of the finest writers of science fiction, literary fiction, fantasy, horror, and more.
599 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2020
12 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Ian Whates
122 books81 followersIan Whates lives in a comfortable home down a quiet cul-de-sac in an idyllic Cambridgeshire village, which he shares with his partner Helen and their pets – Honey the golden cocker spaniel, Calvin the tailless black cat and Inky the goldfish (sadly, Binky died a few years ago).
Ian’s earliest memories of science fiction are fragmented. He remembers loving Dr Who from an early age and other TV shows such as Lost in Space and Star Trek, but a defining moment came when he heard a radio adaptation of John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids. From that moment on he was hooked and became a frequent haunter of the local library, voraciously devouring the contents of their SF section.
This early love of science fiction manifested most tellingly during his school days, when he produced an SF murder mystery as homework after being set the essay title “The Language of Shakespeare”, much to the bemusement of his English teacher.
Ian’s first published stories appeared in the late 1980s in small press magazines such as Dream and New Moon Quarterly, after which he took a break from writing in order to research his chosen fields of science fiction and fantasy. In other words, he read copious amounts of both. Clearly the research was extensive, because he published nothing further for some seventeen years. In the early 2000s he made the decision to pursue writing seriously, joining the Northampton SF Writers Group in 2004 after being introduced to its chairman, Ian Watson.
In 2006 he started submitting stories again, and has subsequently been surprised at how many otherwise eminently sensible people have chosen to publish him. A couple have even appeared in the science journal Nature, and one, “The Gift of Joy”, even found its way onto the five-strong shortlist for best short story in the British Science Fiction Association Awards. And it didn’t come last! Ironically, the award was actually won by Ken MacLeod’s “Lighting Out”, a piece Ian had commissioned, edited and published in the NewCon Press anthology disLOCATIONS (2007).
In 2006 Ian launched independent publisher NewCon Press, quite by accident (buy him a pint sometime and he’ll tell you about it). Through NewCon he has been privileged to publish original stories from some of the biggest names in genre fiction, as well as provide debuts to some genuinely talented newcomers. The books, their covers and contents have racked up an impressive array of credits – four BSFA Awards, one BSF Award to date, inclusion in ‘Year’s Best’ anthologies and recommendations and honourable mentions from the likes of Gardner Dozios and Locus magazine.
In addition to his publishing and writing, Ian is currently a director of both the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) and the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA), editing Matrix, the online news and media reviews magazine, for the latter.
His first two completed novels are both due to appear in early 2010: City of Dreams and Nightmare via Harper Collins’ imprint Angry Robot, and The Noise Within from Rebellion imprint Solaris, with sequels to follow. When not pinching himself to make sure this is all really happening, Ian is currently beavering away at the sequels… honest!
Ian’s earliest memories of science fiction are fragmented. He remembers loving Dr Who from an early age and other TV shows such as Lost in Space and Star Trek, but a defining moment came when he heard a radio adaptation of John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids. From that moment on he was hooked and became a frequent haunter of the local library, voraciously devouring the contents of their SF section.
This early love of science fiction manifested most tellingly during his school days, when he produced an SF murder mystery as homework after being set the essay title “The Language of Shakespeare”, much to the bemusement of his English teacher.
Ian’s first published stories appeared in the late 1980s in small press magazines such as Dream and New Moon Quarterly, after which he took a break from writing in order to research his chosen fields of science fiction and fantasy. In other words, he read copious amounts of both. Clearly the research was extensive, because he published nothing further for some seventeen years. In the early 2000s he made the decision to pursue writing seriously, joining the Northampton SF Writers Group in 2004 after being introduced to its chairman, Ian Watson.
In 2006 he started submitting stories again, and has subsequently been surprised at how many otherwise eminently sensible people have chosen to publish him. A couple have even appeared in the science journal Nature, and one, “The Gift of Joy”, even found its way onto the five-strong shortlist for best short story in the British Science Fiction Association Awards. And it didn’t come last! Ironically, the award was actually won by Ken MacLeod’s “Lighting Out”, a piece Ian had commissioned, edited and published in the NewCon Press anthology disLOCATIONS (2007).
In 2006 Ian launched independent publisher NewCon Press, quite by accident (buy him a pint sometime and he’ll tell you about it). Through NewCon he has been privileged to publish original stories from some of the biggest names in genre fiction, as well as provide debuts to some genuinely talented newcomers. The books, their covers and contents have racked up an impressive array of credits – four BSFA Awards, one BSF Award to date, inclusion in ‘Year’s Best’ anthologies and recommendations and honourable mentions from the likes of Gardner Dozios and Locus magazine.
In addition to his publishing and writing, Ian is currently a director of both the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) and the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA), editing Matrix, the online news and media reviews magazine, for the latter.
His first two completed novels are both due to appear in early 2010: City of Dreams and Nightmare via Harper Collins’ imprint Angry Robot, and The Noise Within from Rebellion imprint Solaris, with sequels to follow. When not pinching himself to make sure this is all really happening, Ian is currently beavering away at the sequels… honest!
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February 12, 2021My story, During The Dance is in here, along with a bazillion others - all monies go the fight against Covid-19.
The editor tells me that the £3,250 raised from the anthology's sales has been donated to pandemic-related health charities.
The editor tells me that the £3,250 raised from the anthology's sales has been donated to pandemic-related health charities.
November 3, 2020
It pains me a bit to give this such a low score. The cause it is raising money for is definitely worth it, and if you want something in exchange for the donation this is not a bad way to get something. The stories themselves are a mixed bag - there are some gems in there so this is not really a criticism of any individual stories, and always with a short story collection, YMMV depending on your tastes. My main issue is one of how the stories gel together. The themes and styles jump around a lot in here. There is not any real cohesiveness to the whole. The stories are usually on the cleverer side, but the constant twists and ending flips make it exhausting.
This is a collection to dip in and out of. I struggled somewhat - I am a fast and prolific reader but this has taken me several months of small doses in between other reads to get through.
There are good stories in this and the cause is worth the money, but this is not a cohesive collection and needs to be split into more manageable bite-sized chunks
This is a collection to dip in and out of. I struggled somewhat - I am a fast and prolific reader but this has taken me several months of small doses in between other reads to get through.
There are good stories in this and the cause is worth the money, but this is not a cohesive collection and needs to be split into more manageable bite-sized chunks
June 6, 2020
This whopping collection of 53 stories is just over a quarter of a million words long, and explores the genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror and all the mash-ups in between. It was published to raise money for the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is the first good reason to buy it. The second is that it’s a genuinely great collection.
Proper anthologies aren’t just a bunch of stories lumped together, they are selected and assembled with great care to bring out resonances between the narratives, enrich each one, and make the reader feel they are immersed in something special. This is almost a masterclass in how to do it right.
I won’t list and analyse every story, because that would take ages and I’d rather you read the book. I also won’t pick out favourites, because all the stories are worthy of your attention. This small publisher has amassed working relationships with some of the best writers in the field, and is in a unique position to assemble such a collection.
Despite being incredibly varied, the tales have elements in common. One is their readability. This word is often misused, and indeed it is the first time I’ve employed it in a review – but then these are unusual times. I’ve done so because the casual browser may think that science fiction, fantasy or horror are not for them. Stop! Scroll back. Think again. These are accessible stories. For all their invention and strangeness, they will be enjoyed by people who might not usually buy a collection like this one. There are twists and shocks, odd machines and strange words, but also stories that would be just at home in a litfic collection.
There’s very little swearing or erotica, although there is much tenderness, so this would be fine for a younger reader. The stories are nearly all Earth-based. There are no space battles, only a few aliens, and not much violence – certainly no more than the average Harry Potter book. There are robots and elves, but they are rendered with such humanity you care as deeply about them as you do the inspired, mournful or demented human cast that populates the rest of the tales. This is an ideal volume to either dip into or devour obsessively – indeed, it is the perfect lockdown read.
However, as science fiction and reality change places with such frequency we seem to be living in a conceptual strobe effect, it’s worth considering the title of this volume. Hope is a no-brainer – there’s nothing wrong with believing in it, even when things are this bleak. Wonder is a bit trickier; in science fiction, it’s often associated with glorious vistas of the cosmic sublime. Here though it’s at the heart of these stories, which are informed by the power of love.
Please buy this book and write your own review to ensure it gets the attention it deserves.
Proper anthologies aren’t just a bunch of stories lumped together, they are selected and assembled with great care to bring out resonances between the narratives, enrich each one, and make the reader feel they are immersed in something special. This is almost a masterclass in how to do it right.
I won’t list and analyse every story, because that would take ages and I’d rather you read the book. I also won’t pick out favourites, because all the stories are worthy of your attention. This small publisher has amassed working relationships with some of the best writers in the field, and is in a unique position to assemble such a collection.
Despite being incredibly varied, the tales have elements in common. One is their readability. This word is often misused, and indeed it is the first time I’ve employed it in a review – but then these are unusual times. I’ve done so because the casual browser may think that science fiction, fantasy or horror are not for them. Stop! Scroll back. Think again. These are accessible stories. For all their invention and strangeness, they will be enjoyed by people who might not usually buy a collection like this one. There are twists and shocks, odd machines and strange words, but also stories that would be just at home in a litfic collection.
There’s very little swearing or erotica, although there is much tenderness, so this would be fine for a younger reader. The stories are nearly all Earth-based. There are no space battles, only a few aliens, and not much violence – certainly no more than the average Harry Potter book. There are robots and elves, but they are rendered with such humanity you care as deeply about them as you do the inspired, mournful or demented human cast that populates the rest of the tales. This is an ideal volume to either dip into or devour obsessively – indeed, it is the perfect lockdown read.
However, as science fiction and reality change places with such frequency we seem to be living in a conceptual strobe effect, it’s worth considering the title of this volume. Hope is a no-brainer – there’s nothing wrong with believing in it, even when things are this bleak. Wonder is a bit trickier; in science fiction, it’s often associated with glorious vistas of the cosmic sublime. Here though it’s at the heart of these stories, which are informed by the power of love.
Please buy this book and write your own review to ensure it gets the attention it deserves.
January 1, 2021
This collection follows in the footsteps of Flotation Device: A Charity Anthology in being pulled together quickly near the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in order to raise money for the NHS in the UK. Floatation Device was the local effort of the Glasgow SF Writers' Circle, while this was edited by Ian Whates of NewCon Press so has access to a much larger range of writers. There are over fifty stories here, comprising nearly a quarter of a million words. In all that, there are bound to be some that work better for an individual taste than others.
There are stories from across genres: lit-fic, SF, fantasy, horror and more. I'm not really a horror fan so those didn't really work for me, but there were more than enough others to make up for it. There are stories from well-known names including Stephen Baxter, Christopher Priest, Tade Thomson, Lauren Beukes, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Peter F. Hamilton and many, many more. It's hard to pick out individual stories in such a large collection, read over so long, but I really enjoyed Tchaikovsky's Wars of Worldcraft (the pun in the title along endeared it to me) and Ian McDonald's An Eligible Boy, set in the same world as his novel River of Gods.
So if a story doesn't work for you, just move on, it's not not like you're short on choice. And it's for a good cause.
There are stories from across genres: lit-fic, SF, fantasy, horror and more. I'm not really a horror fan so those didn't really work for me, but there were more than enough others to make up for it. There are stories from well-known names including Stephen Baxter, Christopher Priest, Tade Thomson, Lauren Beukes, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Peter F. Hamilton and many, many more. It's hard to pick out individual stories in such a large collection, read over so long, but I really enjoyed Tchaikovsky's Wars of Worldcraft (the pun in the title along endeared it to me) and Ian McDonald's An Eligible Boy, set in the same world as his novel River of Gods.
So if a story doesn't work for you, just move on, it's not not like you're short on choice. And it's for a good cause.
September 3, 2020
Wow, a really chunky anthology! A collection to take your time over - so many stories, it feels unfair to pick out highlights though some of the stories have really stayed with me. Great to discover authors I haven't read before along with others I've already enjoyed. Def can recommend this as a read. Plus it's for a great cause :-)
Want to read
May 12, 2020Here's author Ken MacLeods advert for the new book. He has a piece there too:
http://kenmacleod.blogspot.com/2020/0...
Worthy cause!
http://kenmacleod.blogspot.com/2020/0...
Worthy cause!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews