Epiphany 2.0

Interview with me on Knitwitch’s Sci-Fi and Fantasy Zone podcast! Hear nice stuff I said about myself!

From Quasar Dragon, on “Cloud Dragon Skies”:

Reminiscent of several Ursula Le Guin stories, “Cloud Dragon Skies” is both enjoyable and intriguing.

From Tangent Online’s Nicole McClain, on “Bittersweet”:

Jemisin crafts a world that is both familiar—a la the inhospitable mining locales found in The Crystal Singer series by Anne McCaffrey—and not…. But the story is aptly named, and the characters and world building are well-done.

From the Carl Brandon Society’s 2006 Awards and Recommended Reading List, for “Cloud Dragon Skies”:

Jemison’s deft handling of the protagonist’s voice and her inner conflicts perfectly filter the larger issues of technology vs. natural order, and the consequences of humanity’s choices in this battle. Though dealing with broader concepts, the story never loses sight of the personal struggle and ramifications on an individual level, and provides a beautifully wrought conclusion to the dilemma with a melancholic weight that truly gives life to this unique character.

From Locus’s Rich Horton, on “The Narcomancer”:

The new online magazine Helix offers a particularly good third issue. Among several strong stories I’ll mention particularly… “The Narcomancer,” by N.K. Jemisin, a fairly traditionally shaped story, very well done, about a man who brings peace to those who need it by easing their way to death — at considerable personal cost, which cost is revealed as he is sent to “heal” a family torn by internal strife (rivalry between an older and younger wife) and by external strife (mysterious bandits).

From Tangent Online’s Carole Ann Moleti, on “The Narcomancer”:

There is an underlying sense of yin and yang—the blending of the female and male aspects of every human being—with an allusion to bisexuality. The unpleasant topics of rape, sexual abuse, euthanasia, and capital punishment are swathed inside the poetry and philosophy of this world. I saw allusions to Wicca, Buddhism, and other religious teachings in this beautifully written, gentle story, effecting a fantastic journey to a discovery of higher truths and the role of spirituality along the path.

From The Speculative Literature Foundation, judge Tiffany Jonas, in the writeup of the 2004 Travel Grant Award, on “L’Alchimista”:

[N. K. Jemisin]’s story sample was the standout. With a cultural and culinary emphasis reminiscent of Joanne Harris (Chocolat, Five Quarters of an Orange), the characters jump off the page, and the reader can nearly taste the garlic and onion, the seared meat, and the pappardelle.