A Foreword Book of the Day Parade Best New Book Releases "Each story in Jamaica Ginger surprises and delights. Nalo Hopkinson repeatedly draws on wild magic to examine human experiences so familiar that the tales feel like they''re shaped from collective memories." --Emily Pohl-Weary, author of Not Your Ordinary Wolf Girl and How to Be Found [STARRED REVIEW] "Obliterating the boundary between science and folk knowledge, this collection of 15 speculative shorts from SFWA Grandmaster Hopkinson ( Blackheart Man ) rewards and challenges readers in equal measure. In the beautifully multilayered ''Clap Back,'' an artist uses nanotechnology and bacterial reproduction to reclaim racist memorabilia. The cheerfully gruesome ''Inselberg,'' follows vacationers on an unexpected island tour, narrated in patois by their guide. In the title story, cowritten with Nisi Shawl, a young woman transcends the path laid out for her in an alternate version of post-emancipation New Orleans. Hopkinson''s singular voice shines throughout these thought-provoking flights of imagination. In centering the historically marginal experiences of Black and queer workers, islanders, mothers, the old and the very young, she articulates the prevalent fears and concerns of those communities, including sea level rise, the distribution of power, and degradations of industry.
Complete with contextual notes from the author and a loving foreword from Nisi Shawl, this is a joyous celebration of Hopkinson''s abiding legacy as a titan of both speculative fiction and Caribbean literature. -- Publishers Weekly "This carefully curated collection is a tapestry of Nalo''s mastery and truly displays what a master of the form can do." --John Jennings, New York Times bestselling author and Hugo Award-winning comics creator [STARRED REVIEW] "A commanding short story collection, Caribbean Canadian Nalo Hopkinson''s Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions blends ecological awareness, cultural heritage, and fantastical happenings. Climate change is a recurring theme: there are diseased, parched landscapes and ravaging floods. Many of the characters are resourceful women of color who are determined to improve their troubled environments; they summon remarkable scientific, technological, and mechanical abilities to heal others and solve problems. Enriched with a marrow of emotion, the short stories of Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions move beyond bleak dystopian landscapes into a curious universe marked by damage and possibility." -- Foreword 5/5 Stars. "Nalo Hopkinson is one of the most influential and essential speculative fiction authors currently writing.
The stories in this collection prove why." -- San Francisco Book Review "In the engaging Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions , the reader takes a journey both through story and the art of writing, as Hopkinson ( Blackheart Man , 2024) shares the genesis of each tale in the story''s introduction. Most stories reflect the author''s Caribbean heritage and were previously published in various anthologies and magazines, but are collected together here for the first time. ''Covenant'' provides hope for a world affected by climate change by showing what humanity can build when we work together, while the disturbing ''Inselberg'' shows what happens when the waters rise unchecked. In ''Ally,'' a funeral brings together a trans woman and her friend, who might just be haunted by more than bad memories. The creepy ''Clap Back'' ensures that the story of the African diaspora will be told, across all types of mediums. And the title story, cowritten with Nisi Shawl, mixes steampunk, Pullman porters, and a deadly drink into an adventure-filled romp. This is only scratching the surface of this wildly inventive collection, perfect for fans of Karen Lord, Tobias S.
Buckell, and Tananarive Due." -- Booklist "Hopkinson''s language carries you to revelation and joy. Characters you''ve been lusting after do tricks with your mind. These dazzling stories will reacquaint you with your spirits!" --Andrea Hairston, author of Archangels of Funk Sitting with Nalo Hopkinson''s Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions is the rapturous experience of a child peering into a kaleidoscope for the first time." --Kimberly Bain, writer and critic "It''s with pleasure I can say this is another varied set with which she shows a talent for making strange and thought-provoking tales with concerns including Western and Caribbean cultures, gender, climate change and adaptation and resilience." -- Too Many Fantasy Books "A mélange of stories that spins together roots, dreams, and powerful tales the way only Nalo can. It''s easy to get lost in the verses and images that drip from the page. A must read.
" --Tobias Buckell, author of A Stranger in the Citadel "Hopkinson throws a bowling ball down the middle of the genre. She strikes and strikes and strikes again." -- Green Man Review 5/5 Stars. "A Caribbean/Canadian author, (who also spent time in Trinidad and Guyana), Nalo offers up stories of beauty and wonder, often with an environmental slant." -- Chars Horror Corner "Hopkinson is incredible." --MI Book Reviews "A true grandmaster. This collection of marvelous, delicious concoctions is a joy to read." -- Mondo Ernesto "Hopkinson throws a bowling ball down the middle of the genre.
She strikes and strikes and strikes again." -- Green Man Review "This collection was a treat." -- Booklover''s Boudoir Praise for Nalo Hopkinson "A major talent." --Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves "One of the best fantasy authors working today." -- io9 "An exciting new voice in our literature." -- Edmonton Journal "Like Samuel R. Delany and Octavia E. Butler, [Hopkinson] forces us to consider how inequities of race, gender, class and power might be played out in a dystopian future.
" -- The News Magazine of Black America "Hopkinson''s stories dazzle" -- NPR Books "Caribbean science fiction? Nalo Hopkinson is staking her claim as one of its most notable authors." -- Caribbean Travel and Life "Hopkinson''s prose is a distinct pleasure to read: richly sensual, with high-voltage erotic content and gorgeous details." -- SCIFI.com.