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Other Worlds Were Possible
Sunny and his kinfolk were content with their way of life. During the dry season, their clan lived alone. They hunted whenever they chose, gathered an array of plants, told stories, and took part in debates. In the rainy season, they united with the rest of their tribe. They formed a temporary city, feasted, held dances and played games.
They could have lived like this forever. But a strange and foreign people had ideas of their own...
Appearing out of nowhere, these aliens looked completely different. They smelled different. They even dressed differently. And they had the most peculiar set of habits.
These people did not live with the earth. They exploited the earth; imposing monocultures and intensive farming. They were not content with their lot. They were possessed by an insatiable desire to consume. And they had no sense of freedom. They were beholden to a never-ending list of outlandish concepts; things such as "Hierarchy", "Patriarchy", "Monarchy", "Monogamy", "God", "Punishments", "Ownership", "Inequality", "Money", "Work" and "Tax".
Sunny and his kinfolk faced the toughest decision in their history...
They could wage war on these imposters. But their enemies were strong. They had already killed hundreds-of-thousands of indigenous people.
They could flee. But these imperialists would surely follow. They would push them into the sea, the mountains or the desert.
Their clan needed another solution. But what could it be? Could they negotiate with this violent foe? Could they form a pact? Could they create a kind of alliance?
Sunny had no idea. But he was compelled by a duty to find out. This was his time. And he was willing to risk his life, to save the people he loved...
They could have lived like this forever. But a strange and foreign people had ideas of their own...
Appearing out of nowhere, these aliens looked completely different. They smelled different. They even dressed differently. And they had the most peculiar set of habits.
These people did not live with the earth. They exploited the earth; imposing monocultures and intensive farming. They were not content with their lot. They were possessed by an insatiable desire to consume. And they had no sense of freedom. They were beholden to a never-ending list of outlandish concepts; things such as "Hierarchy", "Patriarchy", "Monarchy", "Monogamy", "God", "Punishments", "Ownership", "Inequality", "Money", "Work" and "Tax".
Sunny and his kinfolk faced the toughest decision in their history...
They could wage war on these imposters. But their enemies were strong. They had already killed hundreds-of-thousands of indigenous people.
They could flee. But these imperialists would surely follow. They would push them into the sea, the mountains or the desert.
Their clan needed another solution. But what could it be? Could they negotiate with this violent foe? Could they form a pact? Could they create a kind of alliance?
Sunny had no idea. But he was compelled by a duty to find out. This was his time. And he was willing to risk his life, to save the people he loved...
Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2023
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170 people want to read
About the author
Joss Sheldon
9 books183 followersJoss Sheldon is a scruffy nomad, unchained free-thinker, and post-modernist radical. Born in 1982, he was raised in one of the anonymous suburbs that wrap themselves around London's beating heart. Then he escaped!
With a degree from the London School of Economics to his name, Sheldon had spells selling falafel at music festivals, being a ski-bum, and failing to turn the English Midlands into a haven of rugby league.
Then, in 2013, he stumbled upon McLeod Ganj; an Indian village which is home to thousands of angry monkeys, hundreds of Tibetan refugees, and the Dalai Lama himself. It was there that Sheldon wrote his debut novel, 'Involution & Evolution'.
Eleven years down the line, he's penned eight titles in total, including two works of non-fiction: "DEMOCRACY: A User's Guide", and his latest release, "FREEDOM: The Case For Open Borders".
With a degree from the London School of Economics to his name, Sheldon had spells selling falafel at music festivals, being a ski-bum, and failing to turn the English Midlands into a haven of rugby league.
Then, in 2013, he stumbled upon McLeod Ganj; an Indian village which is home to thousands of angry monkeys, hundreds of Tibetan refugees, and the Dalai Lama himself. It was there that Sheldon wrote his debut novel, 'Involution & Evolution'.
Eleven years down the line, he's penned eight titles in total, including two works of non-fiction: "DEMOCRACY: A User's Guide", and his latest release, "FREEDOM: The Case For Open Borders".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 1, 2023
In a Nutshell: I desperately wanted to love this book for the concept and the intention behind it, but the writing style and certain plot inclusions weren’t to my personal taste. That said, this is a thought-provoking book, and its flaws don’t stop it from offering a unique reading experience. Triggers galore!
Story Synopsis:
Where the book worked for me:
😍 The theme of the book is outstanding. It touches upon the harm colonisation has done in so many ways, but most of all, to the indigenous way of living. Their attitude towards nature, their care for animals and trees, the respect towards elders, their focus on long-term sustainability of their resources,…all are ideas that are needed today in modern living and things we ought to learn (or rather, relearn.)
😍 The way the whites misinterpreted the Bible for their personal glorification and gratification comes out very clearly. It is always irritating to see how the most innocent of Biblical verses were given the white-supremacist twist in order to boss over the natives. Similarly, the blind faith in the royalty that supposedly were God’s men on earth is also depicted well.
😍 There is a good amount of humour in the book, either stemming from Sunny’s (often sarcastic) reactions to the whites or from the tribal banter. This helps balance the serious topic.
Where the book left me with mixed feelings:
😐 The indigenous way of living wasn’t perfect, though it was definitely nature-friendly. There were some brutal elements to their life choices and some minor ways in which the imperial rules benefitted them (albeit indirectly and unwillingly.) This is glossed over entirely and the plot makes indigenous living appear flawless. I appreciate the spotlight on the native lifestyle and its benefits, but it made the overall presentation heavily lopsided, all the more as we see things only from Sunny’s pov.
😐 Sunny’s clan appears to be a composite of varied indigenous tribes: Native American, South American, African, Indian, Tibetan,… possibly even more that I couldn't figure out. This created an odd effect while reading as it was tough to visualise the tribe. Only when I started viewing the tribal identity as fantastical rather than historical could I get into the groove.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
😒 Some of the word usage seemed anomalous. Like, I am not sure if tribes would understand the concept of ‘epidemic’ or ‘consumer culture’. How could these terms be a part of their lingo? How could Sunny use words such as ‘anaesthetic’ and ‘coping mechanism’ in his thoughts? It was odd to see these concepts be a part of his lingo.
😒 The writing is a bit simplistic at times, relying more on tell than show and getting a bit repetitive. This is especially applicable when Sunny stumbles upon ‘strange” white concepts such as mortgage or clock and reveals his feelings to us.
😒 It is also not consistent in terms of Sunny’s supposedly non-existent comprehension of English. Sunny can understand only a few words of the English language when he hears the whites speak, but they are always the right words. For example, when he is listening to some white’s conversation, his understanding is portrayed something like ‘Blah blah-di-blah survey blah blah-di-blah’ or he might remember just the word ‘tuberculosis’ and not understand the rest. It was not only too convenient, but also inconsistent. For instance, there’s a scene that says Sunny confused ‘yoke’ for ‘yolk’. But if he doesn’t know English at all, how will he think of ‘yolk’ when he hears ‘yoke’?
😒 Sex has a dominant focus in the narrative. Wherever the benefits of indigenous living are mentioned, sex is mentioned. I understand that sex is a natural part of life and of course, tribals also would have their beliefs about intercourse, but the somewhat voyeuristic depiction of this wasn't to my taste. Obviously, this point comes from my personal preference of not wanting explicit sexual content in books that don’t require such scenes. Those who don’t mind lustful depictions of ardour won’t have any problem with the content.
😒 At times, the content felt highly stereotypical (even caricatural) not just of the whites but also of the natives. As this isn’t an OwnVoices work, it left me confused about much of this content to accept and with how big a pinch of salt.
The topic and aim of the book is definitely praiseworthy. If only I could find it in me to look beyond the writing inconsistencies, I might have liked this better. If you want a different kind of plot that shows the issues and impact of colonisation on hunter-gatherer communities, and you don’t mind the explicit scenes, you ought to give this a try. Read it as a work of alternate history with minor fantastical elements. At the very least, the book will make you question our urban self-serving materialistic lifestyle, and wonder what the world would have been like today without the colonists. I would not have been writing this review in English, that’s for sure.
3 stars.
My thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Rebel Books, and NetGalley for the DRC of “Other Worlds Were Possible”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Trigger Warnings: I don’t know where to begin! Imagine everything horrible related to white supremacist and colonial attitudes, and it’s present in the book. Definitely not for the younger reading crowd, and absolutely not for the sensitive of heart.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
Sunny is a member of the Eagle clan, an indigenous tribe in an unknown place. The tribe have always lived by the laws of nature and are completely satisfied by their way of living. However, when a strange-looking “albino” people begin to take over their forest, their food, and even their lifestyle, Sunny and his clan face a tough decision: follow the outsiders’ diktats in order to save themselves, or protest to save their way of living.
The story comes to us in the limited third person pov of Sunny.
Where the book worked for me:
😍 The theme of the book is outstanding. It touches upon the harm colonisation has done in so many ways, but most of all, to the indigenous way of living. Their attitude towards nature, their care for animals and trees, the respect towards elders, their focus on long-term sustainability of their resources,…all are ideas that are needed today in modern living and things we ought to learn (or rather, relearn.)
😍 The way the whites misinterpreted the Bible for their personal glorification and gratification comes out very clearly. It is always irritating to see how the most innocent of Biblical verses were given the white-supremacist twist in order to boss over the natives. Similarly, the blind faith in the royalty that supposedly were God’s men on earth is also depicted well.
😍 There is a good amount of humour in the book, either stemming from Sunny’s (often sarcastic) reactions to the whites or from the tribal banter. This helps balance the serious topic.
Where the book left me with mixed feelings:
😐 The indigenous way of living wasn’t perfect, though it was definitely nature-friendly. There were some brutal elements to their life choices and some minor ways in which the imperial rules benefitted them (albeit indirectly and unwillingly.) This is glossed over entirely and the plot makes indigenous living appear flawless. I appreciate the spotlight on the native lifestyle and its benefits, but it made the overall presentation heavily lopsided, all the more as we see things only from Sunny’s pov.
😐 Sunny’s clan appears to be a composite of varied indigenous tribes: Native American, South American, African, Indian, Tibetan,… possibly even more that I couldn't figure out. This created an odd effect while reading as it was tough to visualise the tribe. Only when I started viewing the tribal identity as fantastical rather than historical could I get into the groove.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
😒 Some of the word usage seemed anomalous. Like, I am not sure if tribes would understand the concept of ‘epidemic’ or ‘consumer culture’. How could these terms be a part of their lingo? How could Sunny use words such as ‘anaesthetic’ and ‘coping mechanism’ in his thoughts? It was odd to see these concepts be a part of his lingo.
😒 The writing is a bit simplistic at times, relying more on tell than show and getting a bit repetitive. This is especially applicable when Sunny stumbles upon ‘strange” white concepts such as mortgage or clock and reveals his feelings to us.
😒 It is also not consistent in terms of Sunny’s supposedly non-existent comprehension of English. Sunny can understand only a few words of the English language when he hears the whites speak, but they are always the right words. For example, when he is listening to some white’s conversation, his understanding is portrayed something like ‘Blah blah-di-blah survey blah blah-di-blah’ or he might remember just the word ‘tuberculosis’ and not understand the rest. It was not only too convenient, but also inconsistent. For instance, there’s a scene that says Sunny confused ‘yoke’ for ‘yolk’. But if he doesn’t know English at all, how will he think of ‘yolk’ when he hears ‘yoke’?
😒 Sex has a dominant focus in the narrative. Wherever the benefits of indigenous living are mentioned, sex is mentioned. I understand that sex is a natural part of life and of course, tribals also would have their beliefs about intercourse, but the somewhat voyeuristic depiction of this wasn't to my taste. Obviously, this point comes from my personal preference of not wanting explicit sexual content in books that don’t require such scenes. Those who don’t mind lustful depictions of ardour won’t have any problem with the content.
😒 At times, the content felt highly stereotypical (even caricatural) not just of the whites but also of the natives. As this isn’t an OwnVoices work, it left me confused about much of this content to accept and with how big a pinch of salt.
The topic and aim of the book is definitely praiseworthy. If only I could find it in me to look beyond the writing inconsistencies, I might have liked this better. If you want a different kind of plot that shows the issues and impact of colonisation on hunter-gatherer communities, and you don’t mind the explicit scenes, you ought to give this a try. Read it as a work of alternate history with minor fantastical elements. At the very least, the book will make you question our urban self-serving materialistic lifestyle, and wonder what the world would have been like today without the colonists. I would not have been writing this review in English, that’s for sure.
3 stars.
My thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, Rebel Books, and NetGalley for the DRC of “Other Worlds Were Possible”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Trigger Warnings: I don’t know where to begin! Imagine everything horrible related to white supremacist and colonial attitudes, and it’s present in the book. Definitely not for the younger reading crowd, and absolutely not for the sensitive of heart.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
August 28, 2023
Colonialism is bad. In the year of our Lord 2023, there is no shortage of books from formerly-colonized countries addressing exactly this subject. Many of these books are nuanced, thoughtful, and grapple with the scars left by colonialism. At least one of them (Things Fall Apart) is regularly assigned in high school classrooms. Rather than engage with any of this literature, the author of Other Worlds Were Possible has decided to make his own colonialism parable based on, presumably, exactly three twitter screenshots ultimately sourced from racist 19th century anthropologists. Also possibly a Google search for wise indigenous sayings written on Shutterstock landscape backgrounds.
Despite its purported desire to be anti-colonialist and anti-racist, this book is somehow more racist than your average upper-class British colonialist setting out to colonize the savages. This is possibly the most racist book we’ve ever experienced. Also sexist, homophobic, etc.
HIGHLIGHTS
Joss Sheldon clearly thinks of indigenous people as an indifferentiable, homogenous group of people (who all live in harmony with nature!), rather than as many unique cultures.
This is, hands-down, the most racist element of the book. The indigenous people in this book seem to live in every ecosystem on earth, eat food from every continent (Bamboo, bananas, yams, pumpkins, coconuts, cassava, turmeric, clove basil, papaya, aloe vera, cinnamon, cardamom, tobacco, to name just a few. THESE DON’T EVEN GROW IN THE SAME CLIMATE.), and yet somehow have no specific culture. They have no unique dishes and no clothing specific to them. This is because it’s supposed to be an “allegory”, but conflating many different indigenous groups with each other is at the heart of a massive amount of racism. Making it an allegory isn’t an excuse. Also, we get great sayings like “the tip of the buffalo’s tusk” (buffalos don’t have tusks!) and (I kid you not) “there are two wolves inside of you”. I dread knowing exactly what made the author think these phrases were appropriate to use.
BAD SCIENCE
- Somehow, Sunny’s clan has such good microbiomes that they don’t have to brush their teeth and don’t get cancer, allergies, or diabetes. The last three of these things, you might note, have only the most tenuous of connections with bacteria.
- Someone is happy that many of her children have died… for the sake of The Ecosystem.
- Sunny and his clan think about ecology in a 21st-century Western framework. No pre-contact indigenous person, however in touch with nature they’re supposed to be, would have talked constantly about “ecosystems”.
OUR NARRATOR IS AN IDIOT, AND ALSO OMNISCIENT
- Sunny is dumb as hell. He does not understand a single thing about the practices of the clan HE GREW UP IN. What was he doing his whole life? Yet somehow, he references (in what seems to be HIS narration) Machiavelli and the Buddha, and can use the Latin alphabet.
DIVERSITY WINS!
- Sunny is too codependent on his lover Hope, so when she has sex with other men, he decides to cope by walking around and apparently looking so horny that some guy takes pity on him and has gay sex with him. Sunny does not really enjoy it and some of it is very clearly nonconsensual, but this is not a problem because it ends with Sunny feeling “sexy, fabulous, and queer”. (How does he know what queerness is??) Again – we do not use this world lightly – this is homophobic.
- There are people with disabilities! And a transgender woman! Who aren’t excluded! Do we get to know anything about them? No. We just need to know that Sunny’s clan is #woke.
Sunny’s clan is egalitarian and matriarchal. Naturally this means women will be treated as normal people and well-rounded characters… right? Right??
- While one-off female characters do things such as hunt and make decisions (wow!), the female characters who show up multiple times, who have such names as Hope and Kitten, are either Sunny’s relatives who despair at his stupidity and bad decisions, or (in Hope’s case) his lover who has lots of badly-written sex with him.
ADDENDUM: Things Joss Sheldon has heard of, once, and now has to include. This is a mostly-complete list.
- Griots
- “There are two wolves”
- Ghost dance
- Having different social structures in different seasons
- Shaming the meat
- Overkill, the ecological concept
- Spirit animals
- Microbiomes
(This review written in collaboration with my (amazing) girlfriend, whom this book has also been inflicted upon)
Despite its purported desire to be anti-colonialist and anti-racist, this book is somehow more racist than your average upper-class British colonialist setting out to colonize the savages. This is possibly the most racist book we’ve ever experienced. Also sexist, homophobic, etc.
HIGHLIGHTS
Joss Sheldon clearly thinks of indigenous people as an indifferentiable, homogenous group of people (who all live in harmony with nature!), rather than as many unique cultures.
This is, hands-down, the most racist element of the book. The indigenous people in this book seem to live in every ecosystem on earth, eat food from every continent (Bamboo, bananas, yams, pumpkins, coconuts, cassava, turmeric, clove basil, papaya, aloe vera, cinnamon, cardamom, tobacco, to name just a few. THESE DON’T EVEN GROW IN THE SAME CLIMATE.), and yet somehow have no specific culture. They have no unique dishes and no clothing specific to them. This is because it’s supposed to be an “allegory”, but conflating many different indigenous groups with each other is at the heart of a massive amount of racism. Making it an allegory isn’t an excuse. Also, we get great sayings like “the tip of the buffalo’s tusk” (buffalos don’t have tusks!) and (I kid you not) “there are two wolves inside of you”. I dread knowing exactly what made the author think these phrases were appropriate to use.
BAD SCIENCE
- Somehow, Sunny’s clan has such good microbiomes that they don’t have to brush their teeth and don’t get cancer, allergies, or diabetes. The last three of these things, you might note, have only the most tenuous of connections with bacteria.
- Someone is happy that many of her children have died… for the sake of The Ecosystem.
- Sunny and his clan think about ecology in a 21st-century Western framework. No pre-contact indigenous person, however in touch with nature they’re supposed to be, would have talked constantly about “ecosystems”.
OUR NARRATOR IS AN IDIOT, AND ALSO OMNISCIENT
- Sunny is dumb as hell. He does not understand a single thing about the practices of the clan HE GREW UP IN. What was he doing his whole life? Yet somehow, he references (in what seems to be HIS narration) Machiavelli and the Buddha, and can use the Latin alphabet.
DIVERSITY WINS!
- Sunny is too codependent on his lover Hope, so when she has sex with other men, he decides to cope by walking around and apparently looking so horny that some guy takes pity on him and has gay sex with him. Sunny does not really enjoy it and some of it is very clearly nonconsensual, but this is not a problem because it ends with Sunny feeling “sexy, fabulous, and queer”. (How does he know what queerness is??) Again – we do not use this world lightly – this is homophobic.
- There are people with disabilities! And a transgender woman! Who aren’t excluded! Do we get to know anything about them? No. We just need to know that Sunny’s clan is #woke.
Sunny’s clan is egalitarian and matriarchal. Naturally this means women will be treated as normal people and well-rounded characters… right? Right??
- While one-off female characters do things such as hunt and make decisions (wow!), the female characters who show up multiple times, who have such names as Hope and Kitten, are either Sunny’s relatives who despair at his stupidity and bad decisions, or (in Hope’s case) his lover who has lots of badly-written sex with him.
ADDENDUM: Things Joss Sheldon has heard of, once, and now has to include. This is a mostly-complete list.
- Griots
- “There are two wolves”
- Ghost dance
- Having different social structures in different seasons
- Shaming the meat
- Overkill, the ecological concept
- Spirit animals
- Microbiomes
(This review written in collaboration with my (amazing) girlfriend, whom this book has also been inflicted upon)
February 8, 2024
Joss Sheldon has a history of addressing important social issues in his fiction. His novel, Little Voice, explored society’s expectations of normality and the pressure to conform. His next book Money, Power, Love tackled the ‘nature versus nurture’ debate and exposed the excesses of capitalism. Individutopia presented a dystopian vision of a world in which there really is no such thing as society; in which people don’t collaborate, they only compete.
In this latest book, he dramatises the adverse effects of European imperialism on the lives of one clan living in an undisclosed location, possibly Africa (although the events that unfold could equally apply to the experiences of Aboriginal people or Native Americans). Although the time period is not specified, it’s probably the nineteenth century because of the ‘innovations’ the imperialists bring. The book has a strong enviromental message.
The Eagle Clan, of which Sunny is a member, follow a communal way of life, cooking and eating together each evening. Decisions are reached collectively following debate by all members of the clan. There is sexual freedom; monogamy is neither required nor even encouraged. Each member contributes what they can according to their skillset. Children have no formal education but learn and acquire skills through observation and experience, such as which plants are safe to eat and which are not. Although elders are respected for their wisdom, there is no hierarchy. Humility is lauded, so much so that anyone displaying pride in their own achievements is vilified. They have no concept of ownership of property and live off the land, never taking more than they need. They have no need to measure time, living from event to event and following the changing seasons.
When white imperialists (referred to by the clan as ‘Wogies’) arrive intent on colonising the land and exploiting its natural resources, the traditional lifestyle – and freedom – of Sunny’s clan is threatened, along with the environment in which they live. Initially the clan feel sorry for the Wogies who seem so ill-suited to their new surroundings. But as time goes on, Sunny and his kinfolk are shocked at seeing people chained together working vast fields of crops. They witness ancient forests, whose varied species have supported different flora and fauna, chopped down and replanted with a single species, forests which were also the clan’s sacred spaces. Their lives are threatened too with the arrival of diseases to which they have no natural immunity.
Alongside the imperialists come missionaries eager to convert the ‘pagan’ tribes to Christianity so that they might enter paradise. But, as one of the clan replies, ‘We’re already in paradise. Look around you! We’re surrounded by the people we love. We have a wonderful community, all the food we can eat, and all the time in the world. We have art, walks, conversations, stories, sport, music and sex.’
If the author does rather hammer home the anti-colonialism message, the story is leavened with humour. We witness the absurdity of the imperialists’ attempts to explain – and justify – concepts such as ownership, taxation and profit to people who have never had any need of those things. Sunny makes an engaging protagonist, initially tempted by the things offered by the Wogies but gradually realising the threat they pose and bravely attempting to do something about it. Unfortunately, history tells us he is doomed to failure.
Like all the author’s books, Other Worlds Were Possible is full of interesting ideas and definitely challenges the notion of what constitutes ‘progress’, portraying in stark terms the destructive impact of human activity on the environment. ‘Money this, money that. Only when they’ve cut down the last tree, poisoned the last river, and caught the last fish, will they realise they cannot eat their money.’
In this latest book, he dramatises the adverse effects of European imperialism on the lives of one clan living in an undisclosed location, possibly Africa (although the events that unfold could equally apply to the experiences of Aboriginal people or Native Americans). Although the time period is not specified, it’s probably the nineteenth century because of the ‘innovations’ the imperialists bring. The book has a strong enviromental message.
The Eagle Clan, of which Sunny is a member, follow a communal way of life, cooking and eating together each evening. Decisions are reached collectively following debate by all members of the clan. There is sexual freedom; monogamy is neither required nor even encouraged. Each member contributes what they can according to their skillset. Children have no formal education but learn and acquire skills through observation and experience, such as which plants are safe to eat and which are not. Although elders are respected for their wisdom, there is no hierarchy. Humility is lauded, so much so that anyone displaying pride in their own achievements is vilified. They have no concept of ownership of property and live off the land, never taking more than they need. They have no need to measure time, living from event to event and following the changing seasons.
When white imperialists (referred to by the clan as ‘Wogies’) arrive intent on colonising the land and exploiting its natural resources, the traditional lifestyle – and freedom – of Sunny’s clan is threatened, along with the environment in which they live. Initially the clan feel sorry for the Wogies who seem so ill-suited to their new surroundings. But as time goes on, Sunny and his kinfolk are shocked at seeing people chained together working vast fields of crops. They witness ancient forests, whose varied species have supported different flora and fauna, chopped down and replanted with a single species, forests which were also the clan’s sacred spaces. Their lives are threatened too with the arrival of diseases to which they have no natural immunity.
Alongside the imperialists come missionaries eager to convert the ‘pagan’ tribes to Christianity so that they might enter paradise. But, as one of the clan replies, ‘We’re already in paradise. Look around you! We’re surrounded by the people we love. We have a wonderful community, all the food we can eat, and all the time in the world. We have art, walks, conversations, stories, sport, music and sex.’
If the author does rather hammer home the anti-colonialism message, the story is leavened with humour. We witness the absurdity of the imperialists’ attempts to explain – and justify – concepts such as ownership, taxation and profit to people who have never had any need of those things. Sunny makes an engaging protagonist, initially tempted by the things offered by the Wogies but gradually realising the threat they pose and bravely attempting to do something about it. Unfortunately, history tells us he is doomed to failure.
Like all the author’s books, Other Worlds Were Possible is full of interesting ideas and definitely challenges the notion of what constitutes ‘progress’, portraying in stark terms the destructive impact of human activity on the environment. ‘Money this, money that. Only when they’ve cut down the last tree, poisoned the last river, and caught the last fish, will they realise they cannot eat their money.’
January 30, 2023
Potentially set in Central and/or South America, the book waffles between Apocalypto and Perelandra with a rousing Braveheart finish. Perelandra comes to mind not because the priest makes a compelling argument for Christianity but because all the reasons given for capitalism, banking, real estate, political strati, etc. make no more sense than Weston’s arguments to the Venusian queen. In their natural state, the clans believe in sharing, equal rights (including for the LGBTQ community and the physically disadvantaged), working with nature instead of against it, etc. The hippies tried to reinstate this way of life in their communes. The modern world wiped them out. Interestingly enough, the whites are called Wogs - a perjorative generally used nowadays by whites when speaking of POC.
March 15, 2023
I've beta read this book when it was still in the works, and it was an amazing experience. Seeing its final form is a great pleasure. Joss told a great story in a beautiful and very insightful way.
The characters were written carefully and with clear purposes, and the culture he brings to light is truly immersive.
This book was designed to provoke thought and force the reader to face uncomfortable truths.
The characters were written carefully and with clear purposes, and the culture he brings to light is truly immersive.
This book was designed to provoke thought and force the reader to face uncomfortable truths.
Read
September 27, 2023Other 'Worlds Were Possible' is a disruptive book that takes a bold swipe at the unhealthy norms that are prevalent in today's society. Among the concepts being challenged are sexual taboos and the conventional views regarding marriage, property ownership, and exploitation of ecosystems.
Sheldon is all show and no tell criticism is framed as a chronicle of the day-to-day activities of an egalitarian tribe of hunter-gatherer natives who lived with the land in a state of nature but end up being displaced and enslaved by pale-skinned foreigners (named Wogies) who exploited Mother Nature to an alarming degree.
Going through the chronicle, the reader gets to view the concepts of marriage, money, work, taxes, mortgage, and bureaucracy from the perspective of someone to whom these ideas are new and foreign. As someone who was born and bred in a society that normalises these concepts, seeing them othered served to get me thinking.
If the whole book were to be considered to be a shaggy dog story, the mortal engagement (mortgage) discussion on pages 164-171, the 'Moralising Tax' discussion on pages 223-230 and the discussion around the benefits and demands of Christianity (pages 109-114) are worth the price of admission.
What it all boils down to is that once the cruel and insatiable Wogies showed up on the scene, it was Hobson's choice for the natives: "If you fight them, they'll kill you. If you welcome them, they'll force you to adopt their [unsustainable consumerist] ways." They will force you to play by their rules.
Seeing as 'Mr Slave in Invisible Chains' is still a slave, 'futility of life' was my takeaway. Just to cite on example: page 171 tells us that Songbird submitted herself to the oppression to stop them taking her daughter, but on page 222 we find that the girl had been taken anyway. Songbird's efforts were futile. The book has a very unsatisfying ending as the valiant efforts of our main character, Sunny/Sunshine, also come to naught.
Though unsatisfying, the book's ending is, however, true to life. The answer to page 176's "Did a diplomatic solution even exist?" is a clear no.
The book is nevertheless a vehicle that can help the reader to take a step back and look at how some of the practices that our society considers normal would appear to an independent observer.
Please note that the sexual adventures of the bisexual Sunny are described in minute detail on pages 35, 44, 88-89 and 138. Pages 177-178 describe a gang rape that Sunny witnessed but was powerless to stop. Sunny relates this last event to his tribe on page 198. Pages 92 and 105 contain further reflections regarding the gay sex.
I can understand how some of these scenes can be said to have been essential to the plot. By integrating these scenes in the narrative, I think the author was trying to paint a picture where sex is considered a normal part of life that has no stigma or shame associated with it. The quotes on page 5 did speak of "the myth of normal", and did indicate that my assumptions were going to be challenged — I however was not expecting to find myself reading such graphic detail when I picked up this read.
That [and a couple of plot holes] aside, the book has some interesting turns of phrase going for it, and as well some humour, some folk wisdom, and even some folk remedies.
A couple of small niggles:
*It may be just me, but I got lost in the page 97 descriptions that seem to be explaining the tribe/clan distinction. Presenting the information as a diagram may have been helpful.
*I don't mind that the book chapters are of uneven length, I do mind that the book had no Table of Contents.
Ultimately, I think that the 'Other Worlds Were Possible' aim was not realised. The author was honest enough to not portray the hunter-gatherer existence as being idyllic:
• we see the high infant mortality.
• we see the natives sometimes going for days without meat due to failure to capture game for one reason or another (pg 24, pg 206).
• the tribe had to contend with rival tribes (pg 120).
• page 100 tells us that sistren would sometimes kill each other over cheating in what were supposed to be friendly games (e.g. a bead-exchange game called patolli).
• we are told of control methods that saw tribe members being punished through death or through mandated periods of exile if they violated the tribe's rules. One 'exiled brother' (called Hunter) took it badly and later exacted his revenge on the clan despite that the punishment he had been given had been justified.
• we are told that these punishments (e.g. the pg 103 caning) sometimes extended to the wrongdoer's close family, who would be exiled for failing to control their relative — which sounds unfair to me. Some people are just... narcissistic, why should any individual have to suffer punishment just because they happen to be related to one such?
• the description "He had no say in the proceedings; no option but to surrender himself to the process, for the overall good of the hunt," (pg 101) makes our protagonist sound like an unwilling participant. I did like that his anguish over his first kill is recorded (pg 249), the same for the paralysis as caused by a "bolt of empathy" that came over Sunny when during 'the big hunt' he made eye contact with one of the antelope that the clan were collectively trying to drive off a cliff (pg 102 - 104).
• While I question the feasibility of managing to drive 300 antelope off a cliff [what do I know about antelope?], I think that the page 105 idea that a cool dark cavern located in a savannah region could serve as a kind of refrigerator to stave off the decay of the antelope carcasses captured in that big hunt, and preserve that meat for any appreciable period [page 104 says that the slaughtered antelope were "enough to feed them for twenty or thirty days"], is just preposterous.
The Wogies were wrong to perform acts of genocide against the natives, wrong to enslave the natives, wrong to destroy their culture, wrong to colonise the land then over-exploit it in order to cater to their consumer culture; BUT, at its best, the natives' hunter-gatherer lifestyle was by no means a picnic.
My verdict is that both lifestyles are not viable: the Wogies' consumerism and overexploitation is inhumane & unsustainable, while the natives' hunter-gatherer lifestyle as presented, was far from ideal.
We do need to note that going back in time is quite literally not an option. The virulent Wogies are here, and they have no plans of leaving anytime soon. "Only when they've cut down the last tree, poisoned the last river, and caught the last fish; will they realise they cannot eat their money."
I commend Joss Sheldon for being brave enough to write this book. I came away from the reading with mixed feelings, but the book certainly helped to start a conversation.
Sheldon is all show and no tell criticism is framed as a chronicle of the day-to-day activities of an egalitarian tribe of hunter-gatherer natives who lived with the land in a state of nature but end up being displaced and enslaved by pale-skinned foreigners (named Wogies) who exploited Mother Nature to an alarming degree.
Going through the chronicle, the reader gets to view the concepts of marriage, money, work, taxes, mortgage, and bureaucracy from the perspective of someone to whom these ideas are new and foreign. As someone who was born and bred in a society that normalises these concepts, seeing them othered served to get me thinking.
If the whole book were to be considered to be a shaggy dog story, the mortal engagement (mortgage) discussion on pages 164-171, the 'Moralising Tax' discussion on pages 223-230 and the discussion around the benefits and demands of Christianity (pages 109-114) are worth the price of admission.
What it all boils down to is that once the cruel and insatiable Wogies showed up on the scene, it was Hobson's choice for the natives: "If you fight them, they'll kill you. If you welcome them, they'll force you to adopt their [unsustainable consumerist] ways." They will force you to play by their rules.
Seeing as 'Mr Slave in Invisible Chains' is still a slave, 'futility of life' was my takeaway. Just to cite on example: page 171 tells us that Songbird submitted herself to the oppression to stop them taking her daughter, but on page 222 we find that the girl had been taken anyway. Songbird's efforts were futile. The book has a very unsatisfying ending as the valiant efforts of our main character, Sunny/Sunshine, also come to naught.
Though unsatisfying, the book's ending is, however, true to life. The answer to page 176's "Did a diplomatic solution even exist?" is a clear no.
The book is nevertheless a vehicle that can help the reader to take a step back and look at how some of the practices that our society considers normal would appear to an independent observer.
Please note that the sexual adventures of the bisexual Sunny are described in minute detail on pages 35, 44, 88-89 and 138. Pages 177-178 describe a gang rape that Sunny witnessed but was powerless to stop. Sunny relates this last event to his tribe on page 198. Pages 92 and 105 contain further reflections regarding the gay sex.
I can understand how some of these scenes can be said to have been essential to the plot. By integrating these scenes in the narrative, I think the author was trying to paint a picture where sex is considered a normal part of life that has no stigma or shame associated with it. The quotes on page 5 did speak of "the myth of normal", and did indicate that my assumptions were going to be challenged — I however was not expecting to find myself reading such graphic detail when I picked up this read.
That [and a couple of plot holes] aside, the book has some interesting turns of phrase going for it, and as well some humour, some folk wisdom, and even some folk remedies.
A couple of small niggles:
*It may be just me, but I got lost in the page 97 descriptions that seem to be explaining the tribe/clan distinction. Presenting the information as a diagram may have been helpful.
*I don't mind that the book chapters are of uneven length, I do mind that the book had no Table of Contents.
Ultimately, I think that the 'Other Worlds Were Possible' aim was not realised. The author was honest enough to not portray the hunter-gatherer existence as being idyllic:
• we see the high infant mortality.
• we see the natives sometimes going for days without meat due to failure to capture game for one reason or another (pg 24, pg 206).
• the tribe had to contend with rival tribes (pg 120).
• page 100 tells us that sistren would sometimes kill each other over cheating in what were supposed to be friendly games (e.g. a bead-exchange game called patolli).
• we are told of control methods that saw tribe members being punished through death or through mandated periods of exile if they violated the tribe's rules. One 'exiled brother' (called Hunter) took it badly and later exacted his revenge on the clan despite that the punishment he had been given had been justified.
• we are told that these punishments (e.g. the pg 103 caning) sometimes extended to the wrongdoer's close family, who would be exiled for failing to control their relative — which sounds unfair to me. Some people are just... narcissistic, why should any individual have to suffer punishment just because they happen to be related to one such?
• the description "He had no say in the proceedings; no option but to surrender himself to the process, for the overall good of the hunt," (pg 101) makes our protagonist sound like an unwilling participant. I did like that his anguish over his first kill is recorded (pg 249), the same for the paralysis as caused by a "bolt of empathy" that came over Sunny when during 'the big hunt' he made eye contact with one of the antelope that the clan were collectively trying to drive off a cliff (pg 102 - 104).
• While I question the feasibility of managing to drive 300 antelope off a cliff [what do I know about antelope?], I think that the page 105 idea that a cool dark cavern located in a savannah region could serve as a kind of refrigerator to stave off the decay of the antelope carcasses captured in that big hunt, and preserve that meat for any appreciable period [page 104 says that the slaughtered antelope were "enough to feed them for twenty or thirty days"], is just preposterous.
The Wogies were wrong to perform acts of genocide against the natives, wrong to enslave the natives, wrong to destroy their culture, wrong to colonise the land then over-exploit it in order to cater to their consumer culture; BUT, at its best, the natives' hunter-gatherer lifestyle was by no means a picnic.
My verdict is that both lifestyles are not viable: the Wogies' consumerism and overexploitation is inhumane & unsustainable, while the natives' hunter-gatherer lifestyle as presented, was far from ideal.
We do need to note that going back in time is quite literally not an option. The virulent Wogies are here, and they have no plans of leaving anytime soon. "Only when they've cut down the last tree, poisoned the last river, and caught the last fish; will they realise they cannot eat their money."
I commend Joss Sheldon for being brave enough to write this book. I came away from the reading with mixed feelings, but the book certainly helped to start a conversation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2023
The book begins with a peaceful, idyllic existence that respects nature. The tribe is governed by representatives who do their best to be fair and democratic. With echoes of the Clan of Cave Bear, we learn the sexual habits of the group, which do not include guilt or shame as members do what feels good and natural.
They do their best to get along with other clans in the area. The primary conflict is once Father Ralph and his minions come with their judgments, savage talk, Bibles, God, social rules, payment schemes, guilt, and threats of eternal damnation.
Colonialism brings trinket bribery that results in Christian conversion. All the beliefs the tribal people held close, such as their relationship with nature, are lost to the new religion that protects them from eternal damnation.
A social pecking order of believers, in the light against those in the darkness, begins to emerge as Sheldon slowly weaves a story all too familiar. European beliefs, prejudices, violence, and decease trample on indigenous people across America and the world. The reader can't help but reflect on the clan's system from its beginnings and grieve for its destruction.
A well-thought tale told through the eyes of a good-hearted tribesman who wants to get along and not offend anyone. Unfortunately, slavery and death begin to make their presence known as those representing God and King gaining power over the natives; highly recommended.
They do their best to get along with other clans in the area. The primary conflict is once Father Ralph and his minions come with their judgments, savage talk, Bibles, God, social rules, payment schemes, guilt, and threats of eternal damnation.
Colonialism brings trinket bribery that results in Christian conversion. All the beliefs the tribal people held close, such as their relationship with nature, are lost to the new religion that protects them from eternal damnation.
A social pecking order of believers, in the light against those in the darkness, begins to emerge as Sheldon slowly weaves a story all too familiar. European beliefs, prejudices, violence, and decease trample on indigenous people across America and the world. The reader can't help but reflect on the clan's system from its beginnings and grieve for its destruction.
A well-thought tale told through the eyes of a good-hearted tribesman who wants to get along and not offend anyone. Unfortunately, slavery and death begin to make their presence known as those representing God and King gaining power over the natives; highly recommended.
January 30, 2023
The book commences with a description of a society living in harmony and respecting nature; led by leaders who are evenhanded. There is no guilt or shame in even the most intimate activities. In this it was almost like the garden in Bereshith (Genesis.) Not exactly, but subtle overtones.
There are other societies and they get along. There appears to be no tribalism. That is until someone appears spouting judgement, calling people savages, forcing their ideas of religion and spirituality on others, foisting a need for payments and guilt, and fear.
This is almost a study in where humanity has gone wrong over the last million or so years.
I wouldn't call this novel anti-Christian or anti-Muslim or whatever...but it demonstrates the absolute worst that can happen when an organized religion that has started from it's true source decides to colonize and spread "The Word" to other areas who are doing a much better job living as The Creator intended.
I highly recommend this one. It will make you think, question, and think some more. It is also a well written and enjoyable read.
There are other societies and they get along. There appears to be no tribalism. That is until someone appears spouting judgement, calling people savages, forcing their ideas of religion and spirituality on others, foisting a need for payments and guilt, and fear.
This is almost a study in where humanity has gone wrong over the last million or so years.
I wouldn't call this novel anti-Christian or anti-Muslim or whatever...but it demonstrates the absolute worst that can happen when an organized religion that has started from it's true source decides to colonize and spread "The Word" to other areas who are doing a much better job living as The Creator intended.
I highly recommend this one. It will make you think, question, and think some more. It is also a well written and enjoyable read.
February 11, 2023
Thought provoking book
The book "Other worlds were possible" written by "Joss Sheldon" is quite profound and thought provoking.
As you start reading the first chapter, you can figure out, a peaceful tribe living happily as they have developed profound connection with the nature. They seem to celebrate every single reason for their existence. They always try their best to maintain harmony among the other tribes of their area.
The conflict begins when father Ralph steps in talking about Bible, God and rules in regards to social and ethical life. This begins to result in Christian conversation & also trinket bribery.
The father Ralph makes them believe that their rituals and daily living without ethics can lead to eternal damnation.
This slowly begins to destroy raw culture and natural touch which the people had with the nature. Slavery also sets in the name of civilization.
This book is magnificently penned and I I would recommend this book to all my friends, family and followers on social media.
The book "Other worlds were possible" written by "Joss Sheldon" is quite profound and thought provoking.
As you start reading the first chapter, you can figure out, a peaceful tribe living happily as they have developed profound connection with the nature. They seem to celebrate every single reason for their existence. They always try their best to maintain harmony among the other tribes of their area.
The conflict begins when father Ralph steps in talking about Bible, God and rules in regards to social and ethical life. This begins to result in Christian conversation & also trinket bribery.
The father Ralph makes them believe that their rituals and daily living without ethics can lead to eternal damnation.
This slowly begins to destroy raw culture and natural touch which the people had with the nature. Slavery also sets in the name of civilization.
This book is magnificently penned and I I would recommend this book to all my friends, family and followers on social media.
February 2, 2023
I am giving five stars because of the subject material. The writing was a little hard to read, as it was stilted. However, this type of storytelling by this type of genre can be that way. There were parts that were hard to read. History can be that way, yet it should be read by everyone who lives in the US. I felt empathy for the characters in the story, and I wished I could help them. It is an important read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 8, 2023
A thought-provoking story with dark undertones, it demonstrates differences between two groups of people when they collide.
I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Booksprout, Hidden Gems Books, and author.
I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Booksprout, Hidden Gems Books, and author.
January 16, 2023
Joss Sheldon’s latest novel, “Other Worlds Were Possible” traces the coming of age of Sunny, a young member of the Eagle clan who, along with his kinsfolk, lived a blissful existence: Hunting only when they needed to, gathering enough plants to feed their families, telling stories, and engaging in spirited conversation. But, when a band of strangers (referred to as the Wogies) appear out of nowhere, adamant on implementing a new set of “outlandish” ideals driven by an insatiable desire to consume, Sunny and his clan are faced with the most difficult decision they have ever had to make: wage war on this new threat, who are armed with mechanical weapons and have killed hundreds of thousands of indigenous people; try to form some kind of alliance – but at what cost? – or flee, constantly looking over their shoulders in the knowledge that the imperialists won’t give up the chase.
Sheldon’s coming of age story delivers some sorely needed closure on the consequences of colonisation and how so many of society’s actions and customs are to blame for the climate crisis, so much hatred in the world, the extinction of so many species, and a long list of etceteras.
Whenever Sunny encounters members of the aforementioned new culture who share radically diverse ideals, he struggles to find a balance between his melancholy for the past and his enthusiasm for what the future might promise.
This uncertain and innocent protagonist provides the perfect springboard for countless pertinent life lessons on humility, empathy, envy, pride, arrogance and so much more as the reader follows Sunny on his quest to fathom out the reasoning behind the imperialists’ ideals. In the process, Sonny’s constant encounters with various “Wogies” bring some shockingly revelatory meditations on brutal truths such as the reasons why wars occur time and time again; the implications of socially imposed monogamy on humans; and the implications of an endless list of “unfathomable” concepts such as monarchy, religion, work, money and taxation. Something that stands out particularly throughout the book is the fact that it is the indigenous tribe that shows far more empathy and a willingness to at least reason with and try to understand the rationale behind these new ideals that the inhabitants of the New World are imposing on each new territory they invade. And this sense of humility and empathy is one that pervades the book from beginning to end, reminding readers that, in our consumer-driven world, where arrogance all too often comes through success, constructive criticism (not to be confused with hatred and hatemongering) is the key to keeping humility firmly in place.
Ultimately, “Other Worlds Were Possible” reminds us that the joys of simpler times – when virtues like hospitality and empathy were a reflex – might be behind us but even though there’s no taming the winds of progress, there are still so many things we can do to protect ourselves from their thrust.
Sheldon’s coming of age story delivers some sorely needed closure on the consequences of colonisation and how so many of society’s actions and customs are to blame for the climate crisis, so much hatred in the world, the extinction of so many species, and a long list of etceteras.
Whenever Sunny encounters members of the aforementioned new culture who share radically diverse ideals, he struggles to find a balance between his melancholy for the past and his enthusiasm for what the future might promise.
This uncertain and innocent protagonist provides the perfect springboard for countless pertinent life lessons on humility, empathy, envy, pride, arrogance and so much more as the reader follows Sunny on his quest to fathom out the reasoning behind the imperialists’ ideals. In the process, Sonny’s constant encounters with various “Wogies” bring some shockingly revelatory meditations on brutal truths such as the reasons why wars occur time and time again; the implications of socially imposed monogamy on humans; and the implications of an endless list of “unfathomable” concepts such as monarchy, religion, work, money and taxation. Something that stands out particularly throughout the book is the fact that it is the indigenous tribe that shows far more empathy and a willingness to at least reason with and try to understand the rationale behind these new ideals that the inhabitants of the New World are imposing on each new territory they invade. And this sense of humility and empathy is one that pervades the book from beginning to end, reminding readers that, in our consumer-driven world, where arrogance all too often comes through success, constructive criticism (not to be confused with hatred and hatemongering) is the key to keeping humility firmly in place.
Ultimately, “Other Worlds Were Possible” reminds us that the joys of simpler times – when virtues like hospitality and empathy were a reflex – might be behind us but even though there’s no taming the winds of progress, there are still so many things we can do to protect ourselves from their thrust.
May 16, 2025
NOTE: I received a free eBook copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers (January 2023).
"Other Worlds Were Possible" is the story of an adolescent Indigenous boy named Sunny Eagle who encounters a group of strangers who change the course of his life and his tribe's history forever. The title is drawn from Sunny's observations about the strangers, who he feels fail to acknowledge that there is more than one way to organize a society. Meant as an indictment against the forced colonization of Indigenous peoples across the globe, Sheldon's novel falls short of expectations. In an attempt to universalize the themes of conflict and change that pervade the book, Sheldon amalgamates traits and customs associated with Indigenous peoples into the native tribes of this story. Yet for anyone at all familiar with world history, this strategy backfires, creating a group of people whose identifying characteristics are flattened and stereotyped, even infantilized. Curiously, Sheldon's tribes do not practice any sort of religion, the only spiritual compass consisting of a loose assortment of Aesop-like morality tales. The fact that they seem stuck in survival mode, living only for the next carnivorous supper, is demeaning. It is also somewhat disturbing how Sheldon characterizes sexual practices amongst the tribe: Encounters are presented graphically, with little to no build-up or resolution, jarring the flow of the narrative.
The lack of meaningful connection to real-world antecedents results in an overly simplistic tale where the outcome is predictable and assured. One feels as if the entire book is a tense trudge to the finish, a deterministic story consisting only of pawns being moved into place. Any edifying messages that could be gleaned from this novel are overshadowed by an unspectacular writing style that almost condescends to its readers. In all, the promising premise of "Other Worlds Were Possible" never materializes.
"Other Worlds Were Possible" is the story of an adolescent Indigenous boy named Sunny Eagle who encounters a group of strangers who change the course of his life and his tribe's history forever. The title is drawn from Sunny's observations about the strangers, who he feels fail to acknowledge that there is more than one way to organize a society. Meant as an indictment against the forced colonization of Indigenous peoples across the globe, Sheldon's novel falls short of expectations. In an attempt to universalize the themes of conflict and change that pervade the book, Sheldon amalgamates traits and customs associated with Indigenous peoples into the native tribes of this story. Yet for anyone at all familiar with world history, this strategy backfires, creating a group of people whose identifying characteristics are flattened and stereotyped, even infantilized. Curiously, Sheldon's tribes do not practice any sort of religion, the only spiritual compass consisting of a loose assortment of Aesop-like morality tales. The fact that they seem stuck in survival mode, living only for the next carnivorous supper, is demeaning. It is also somewhat disturbing how Sheldon characterizes sexual practices amongst the tribe: Encounters are presented graphically, with little to no build-up or resolution, jarring the flow of the narrative.
The lack of meaningful connection to real-world antecedents results in an overly simplistic tale where the outcome is predictable and assured. One feels as if the entire book is a tense trudge to the finish, a deterministic story consisting only of pawns being moved into place. Any edifying messages that could be gleaned from this novel are overshadowed by an unspectacular writing style that almost condescends to its readers. In all, the promising premise of "Other Worlds Were Possible" never materializes.
January 21, 2023
Thank you to booksirens for a copy of this book for my review.
The book starts with a story when clans roamed the earth and lived with nature. It follows Sunny, a boy who grows with the story and belongs to the Eagle clan. They lived by two seasons. One to hunt, gather plants, and share stories; the other is when all the clans came together as a tribe enjoyed each other and danced and played games. It was a time when there was empathy and humility between people.
However the world moves on and the tribe is visited by colonist people who have horses and guns. They inform them that they should live with God, and be monogamous. As the tribe tries to grasp these ideals the list Of imperialist ideas grow with punishment, inequality, work, taxes and the list goes on.
Clearly to the tribe and Sunny who tries to lead, do not understand these concepts and realize they are in danger. The discussions begin so do they run, fight, try to form an alliance?
The book reminds you that the ancestors such as these are history. It provides examples of the lack of environment care.
The book provides examples of life’s lesson for envy, pride, arrogance and the willingness of those who came before us to reason and understand the new world.
I recommend the book to those who are interested in history of those who came before us and the drive of the new world on how to try and make it better.
The book starts with a story when clans roamed the earth and lived with nature. It follows Sunny, a boy who grows with the story and belongs to the Eagle clan. They lived by two seasons. One to hunt, gather plants, and share stories; the other is when all the clans came together as a tribe enjoyed each other and danced and played games. It was a time when there was empathy and humility between people.
However the world moves on and the tribe is visited by colonist people who have horses and guns. They inform them that they should live with God, and be monogamous. As the tribe tries to grasp these ideals the list Of imperialist ideas grow with punishment, inequality, work, taxes and the list goes on.
Clearly to the tribe and Sunny who tries to lead, do not understand these concepts and realize they are in danger. The discussions begin so do they run, fight, try to form an alliance?
The book reminds you that the ancestors such as these are history. It provides examples of the lack of environment care.
The book provides examples of life’s lesson for envy, pride, arrogance and the willingness of those who came before us to reason and understand the new world.
I recommend the book to those who are interested in history of those who came before us and the drive of the new world on how to try and make it better.
February 11, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 2.5 stars rounded up. This book is one that I can look back on and appreciate the authors intent while also recognizing that the delivery was not one that I appreciated. The start of this book was definitely a little slow, I guess I was waiting for the excitement to get started. I did find it interesting though to learn about the customs of the main group of people in this book. But, the introduction of the character Hunter and the revelation about his relationship with the main character definitely got the book moving a bit. But, the weirdness of this book continued to be forever persevering throughout this novel. And though at times that made this book incredibly hard to get fully into and made it a slow process for me to complete it. I did like how many different types of characters there were, but I didn’t really connect to any of them in the way that I prefer to when reading this book. Even at the end, when usually something like that something happening to any character mentioned at least a few times, much less one mentioned frequently would have made me feel some way instead of feeling nothing at all. I’m glad I gave this book a try, but at times the strangeness, though it did seem intentional, of both the main group of characters and the new people who were taking their land made it a book that I personally wouldn’t pick up again.
April 18, 2024
Joss Sheldon's "Other Worlds Were Possible" takes you on a journey to a world where Sunny and his community live in harmony with nature, cherishing their customs and way of life. However, their tranquility is disrupted when outsiders arrive with a desire for consumption that jeopardizes everything they hold dear. Their resources and traditions are in peril. How can they protect what matters most?
Sheldon's story depicts the clash between beliefs and the encroaching forces of imperialism, vividly showcasing the differences in perspectives and lifestyles. As Sunny grapples with the danger, readers are urged to confront the harsh truths of colonization, environmental harm, and cultural suppression.
Sheldon skillfully weaves moments of levity into the narrative to add lightness without losing its impact. Through twists and challenges, Sheldon encourages readers to reflect on the battle against oppression and the pursuit of self-determination.
While some parts may stretch credibility, the core message resonates strongly, offering an exploration of issues through a historical context. "Other Worlds Were Possible" reminds us of the enduring strength of cultures and their ongoing struggle for justice in an evolving world.
I received a digital copy of the book from BookSirens & the author. This review is my honest opinion.
Sheldon's story depicts the clash between beliefs and the encroaching forces of imperialism, vividly showcasing the differences in perspectives and lifestyles. As Sunny grapples with the danger, readers are urged to confront the harsh truths of colonization, environmental harm, and cultural suppression.
Sheldon skillfully weaves moments of levity into the narrative to add lightness without losing its impact. Through twists and challenges, Sheldon encourages readers to reflect on the battle against oppression and the pursuit of self-determination.
While some parts may stretch credibility, the core message resonates strongly, offering an exploration of issues through a historical context. "Other Worlds Were Possible" reminds us of the enduring strength of cultures and their ongoing struggle for justice in an evolving world.
I received a digital copy of the book from BookSirens & the author. This review is my honest opinion.
January 31, 2023
A Thought Provoking Read!
Other Worlds were Possible by Joss Sheldon, a story with a Stone Age atmosphere, that follows Sunny, a young man who is part of the Eagle Clan, a clan among many, that is built on egalitarianism and a respect for Mother Nature. Sunny stumbles upon the “Wogies”, a clan that carries guns and live in houses with “a lot of stuff. “ The Eagle Clan has to decide if they want to be like the Wogies. The following is a quote from the story that sums up the conflict: “They kill us. They enslave us or we come to an arrangement.”
This isn’t the type of book I usually read but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a great allegory of how our colonization and modernization has destroyed the aspects of humans that were originally innocent and connected to the earth. The story is full of bits of wisdom throughout showing how we should treat our fellow humans and our environment. One of my favorite quotes from the book that reiterates this: “Every life that’s lived is a story. Some people like to tell theirs. Others prefer to keep theirs to themselves. But behind every action, there’s another action. Behind every character, there’s a lifetime of tales; tragedies and comedies alike.” Highly recommended!
Other Worlds were Possible by Joss Sheldon, a story with a Stone Age atmosphere, that follows Sunny, a young man who is part of the Eagle Clan, a clan among many, that is built on egalitarianism and a respect for Mother Nature. Sunny stumbles upon the “Wogies”, a clan that carries guns and live in houses with “a lot of stuff. “ The Eagle Clan has to decide if they want to be like the Wogies. The following is a quote from the story that sums up the conflict: “They kill us. They enslave us or we come to an arrangement.”
This isn’t the type of book I usually read but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a great allegory of how our colonization and modernization has destroyed the aspects of humans that were originally innocent and connected to the earth. The story is full of bits of wisdom throughout showing how we should treat our fellow humans and our environment. One of my favorite quotes from the book that reiterates this: “Every life that’s lived is a story. Some people like to tell theirs. Others prefer to keep theirs to themselves. But behind every action, there’s another action. Behind every character, there’s a lifetime of tales; tragedies and comedies alike.” Highly recommended!
December 17, 2022
I love thought-provoking works of literary fiction, especially when they pull me out of my comfort zone. Eloquently written, Other Worlds Were Possible poses many questions about society as we know it today.
The book follows Sunny, a member of the Eagle Clan, as he's confronted with outsiders infiltrating their homeland. These people bring foreign ideas; money, religion, hierarchy, and so on. Sunny questions these things, trying to understand them while also trying to make strangers understand the beliefs of the clan. Could there be war?
Joss Sheldon is a strong and unabashed writer able to flow effortlessly from dialogue to a more introspective style. This is a book that makes you think. Though I can't say I see eye to eye on some of the viewpoints, I appreciate the way they were presented and articulated. I certainly haven't read anything quite like this before.
A huge thanks to the author for inviting me to read and review a free digital ARC through BookSirens!
The book follows Sunny, a member of the Eagle Clan, as he's confronted with outsiders infiltrating their homeland. These people bring foreign ideas; money, religion, hierarchy, and so on. Sunny questions these things, trying to understand them while also trying to make strangers understand the beliefs of the clan. Could there be war?
Joss Sheldon is a strong and unabashed writer able to flow effortlessly from dialogue to a more introspective style. This is a book that makes you think. Though I can't say I see eye to eye on some of the viewpoints, I appreciate the way they were presented and articulated. I certainly haven't read anything quite like this before.
A huge thanks to the author for inviting me to read and review a free digital ARC through BookSirens!
May 6, 2024
I always enjoy books written by Joss and although his reviews attract students of literature and philosophy which themselves are worthy of a read, I like the personal experience.
Easy to read. So you get to read thought provoking work which is accessible, you can think without trying to figure out the use or meaning of a choice of word. Like a great comedian Joss let that all play out in your own head.
When he introduced the alien it was so well written I felt like I was encountering an extra terrestrial.
The same with the concepts and word play for. Modern times much in the way of Deadwood language. Choosing words that would have been in parlance then or for them would have done little to provoke. A well managed device to keep my social conscious pricked and sympathy at a minimum that these people in an unknown continent at an unknown time had their awareness. This stopped you looking for inaccuracies and focussed you in on clash of worldviews.
A critique of progress over people and you really get a chance to shine a light on your own musings at what happened to get where we are and what is civilised.
Thank you.
Easy to read. So you get to read thought provoking work which is accessible, you can think without trying to figure out the use or meaning of a choice of word. Like a great comedian Joss let that all play out in your own head.
When he introduced the alien it was so well written I felt like I was encountering an extra terrestrial.
The same with the concepts and word play for. Modern times much in the way of Deadwood language. Choosing words that would have been in parlance then or for them would have done little to provoke. A well managed device to keep my social conscious pricked and sympathy at a minimum that these people in an unknown continent at an unknown time had their awareness. This stopped you looking for inaccuracies and focussed you in on clash of worldviews.
A critique of progress over people and you really get a chance to shine a light on your own musings at what happened to get where we are and what is civilised.
Thank you.
March 16, 2023
I received an ARC from library thing in return for this review. I don't know what it is like to be a fish, breathing water. Sheldon describes what it is like to live as an aborigine, completely at home in a society and way of life that is completely alien to me, yet completely normal to them. Much like describing what it is to live a life as a fish, from a fish's view point. Sunny, the main character, learns many of the coming of age lessons a young man must go through. As the book progresses, the slavers come with their completely alien way of life, and Sheldon is very articulate in describing this culture clash from the point of view of the aborigine. I am in awe of how well he did it.
January 30, 2023
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Other Worlds Were Possible
from Paul A Lynch on January 30, 2023
Beautiful masterpiece
A vivid novel that is thrilling. As a first time reader from this author, I must commend him for penning such a wonderful written work. The literary devices used were good and the pace of the story was amazing.
Other Worlds Were Possible
from Paul A Lynch on January 30, 2023
Beautiful masterpiece
A vivid novel that is thrilling. As a first time reader from this author, I must commend him for penning such a wonderful written work. The literary devices used were good and the pace of the story was amazing.
March 9, 2023
I do like Joss Sheldon's anti-capitalist, democratic attitude very much, as I completely agree with most of his messages. His recent book is also great if you read it as an allegory. The characters are very one-dimensional and symbolic, and the tone turns schoolmasterly in parts.
December 1, 2024
I almost returned this. The writing isn't great, it's too on the nose, and it often reads as if it was written by Reddit.
However, it did improve a bit as it went. It probably rates two stars rather than three since I'm not likely to recommend it to anyone, but it wasn't horrible in the end.
However, it did improve a bit as it went. It probably rates two stars rather than three since I'm not likely to recommend it to anyone, but it wasn't horrible in the end.
August 1, 2023
This is a good book but not really for me.
July 8, 2024
1 star - did not finish
Started strong enough but the main character cannot possibly be as dumb as he is written and it just devolved from there. Time is short, don't read shitty books.
Started strong enough but the main character cannot possibly be as dumb as he is written and it just devolved from there. Time is short, don't read shitty books.
August 23, 2024
Exploring colonisation from the point of view of the indigenous population shines a greatly needed light on the horrors of our own past. This is a must read!
January 12, 2023
In Other Worlds Were Possible, we view the world through Sunny, as his clan’s land and way of life are forever changed by colonization. We get the chance to see what their way of life was like, and how our civilization could have been. Makes you take a look at what is important and the values we have as a society.
I definitely recommend reading this unique story, it will give you insight to how our society should look at the values we have and how we should learn from history and the mistakes of the past.
I definitely recommend reading this unique story, it will give you insight to how our society should look at the values we have and how we should learn from history and the mistakes of the past.
March 18, 2024
This book sends a great message and shows you the perspective of Indigenous people that were invaded and colonised. I wasn’t a huge fan of the way the author writes, but the ending definitely brought it all together and it allowed me to feel a little better about the book itself. A lot of the text seemed “childlike” and hard to get into, but I was determined to read it as I have an interest in politics, history etc and advocating for minorities and those that are oppressed. I’m not sure I’d recommended this book to anyone unless they felt similarly about these kinds of things. I’m glad I read it, but it’s definitely not a favourite. Huge props to the author for putting this message across in somehow a very fictional, but very real way. I don’t hate this book, and it was worth the read. This book truly says, fuck capitalism, the patriarchy, the monarchy and everything else on the white power agenda.
September 26, 2023
Really wanted to like this….it had a great concept and I was really excited to dive in, especially after seeing the high reviews in here but I’m sad to say I couldn’t even finish it. I got a little over half way through and then just couldn’t bring myself to pick it back up.
August 15, 2024
The author is conveying an important message "other worlds are possible" and to look at the world through the prism of one's own culture and life experiences can mask or blind one to important truths. But oh dear, the author's style is childish, naive, laboured and full of implausible situations.
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