I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of Margaret Killjoy's forthcoming We Won't Be Here Tomorrow and Other Stories. I'm a fan of her work and have read a few of her books and also enjoy her podcasts. I had mixed hopes for this as I expected it to be decent while also remembering that most short story collections are a mixed bag. That said, I really enjoyed this entire book. If I hadn't had so much going on, I would have finished it in days.
The stories in this book span many genres, including scifi, fantasy, speculative fiction, and horror. Killjoy does a decent job creating immersive stories from each of these inspirations. There was one fantasy story near the end that wasn't my bag, but fantasy- especially the ye olde timey kind- tends to bore me in general. However, there are several other fantasy-like stories in the book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Many stories begin with an interesting and real historical factoid that MK then builds a story from, which makes them feel all the more real. There is also plenty of LGBTQ love, friendship, and tenderness that is par for the course and was well executed. There is always something special about someone who can create Queer worlds believably with all of their glory and flaws.
Margaret's writing continues to capture topics and to create thought provoking imagery without beating you over the head with trauma or excessive and boring discourse. She has a way of exploring radical topics and using fiction in a way that does them justice while also being enjoyable to read. In the acknowledgments, Killjoy credits Ursula K Leguin for giving her the permission to write as her contribution to the revolution (even though she does much more than this as well.) I have said before that I think this plays a larger role in collective liberation than one may think. Being that we are constantly bombarded with harmful messages through much of popular fictional media and advertising, having something that combats that while also being enjoyable and entertaining is key. None of us wants to sit there all day arguing about or watching footage of the horrors of the world. This give us leisure activity that also keeps the revolution kicking around in our psyche. That's my favorite kind of fiction.
I highly recommend this anthology. It's not just for those in the anti-authoritarian left sphere, but I imagine it will find a special place in the hearts of those who call that sphere home.
This was also posted to my goodreads.
