by Kij Johnson
First published 2019
Professor Vellitt Boe stands before her classroom at Ulthar Women's College when she receives devastating news. Her most promising student has abandoned everything to run away with a dreamer from the waking world. Vellitt must leave the safety of her academic life and venture into dangerous territory to bring the girl back. This collection presents five novellas selected by editor Jonathan Strahan. Ellen Klages draws from film noir and screwball comedy to craft Passing Strange, set in San Francisco's unique landscape. Caitlín R. Kiernan delivers Lovecraftian horror in Agents of Dreamland. Gwyneth Jones creates an action-adventure tale in Proof of Concept, where a far future Earth survives on blind hope. Ian McDonald explores love across vast distances in the science fiction story Time Was. Each novella comes from an award-winning author, offering readers distinct voices and genres within one volume.
Genres: science-fiction, literary-fiction, adventure, fantasy, horror, academia
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Ulthar, San Francisco
Period: Far Future
562 pages · Kindle Edition · Tordotcom