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Improbable Botany
Edited by Gary Dalkin. Wayward, $8.99 e-book (263p) ISBN 978-1-99977-151-5
Commissioned by the Wayward design collective to explore “what excites and intrigues us about the future—the limitless potential of the biophilic city,” this unfocused anthology clings to outmoded science fiction and horror formulas without realizing that mission. Nine U.K. authors and one American offer broadly plant-themed but rarely futurist short fiction. The stronger stories are rich with atmosphere: Ken MacLeod’s “The Bicycle-Frame Tree Plantation Manager’s Redundancy” exudes melancholy dignity; Stephen Palmer’s irrepressible “You Bringers of Oxygen” grafts revolutionary politics and predatory architecture onto a shimmering version of London; Tricia Sullivan’s poetic “Who Lived in a Tree” measures aging slowly in a fast world sincerely and seriously. Weaker entries merely plug plants into standard technological narratives—Justina Robson’s woman-shaped fruits in “Strange Fruit” are undifferentiated from sexbots—or lapse into characters explaining the story idea, as in Simon Morden’s “Shine” and Eric Brown’s Lovecraftian “The Ice Garden.” The lineup, meanwhile, shows only cursory efforts at diversity: the near parity of gender only highlights the similarities of the many white perspectives. These futures break little new ground but will appeal to readers who enjoy riffs more than paradigm shifts. (BookLife)

Reviewed by Publishers Weekly on 03/01/2019

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