For STARBURST, Jennie Bailey enjoys Lauren Beukes’ debut collection SLIPPING: STORIES, ESSAYS, & OTHER WRITING.

SLIPPING is a
dizzying array of stories, a “greatest hits” from a prolific and
imaginative writer.  There’s a mash of scenarios and genres from
alternative histories to Manga, cyberpunk to feminist fairy tale.
It’s kick-ass speculative fiction with brains and heart.

While the short
stories outbalance the non-fiction pieces, Beukes’s journalism has
a zippy, thoughtful, and compelling style to it. Her passion for
social justice shines through in her articles about South Africa and
women. (I defy you not to get all the feelings when you read the
letter to her five-year-old daughter.) This section also demonstrates
underlying themes that inform MOXYLAND, ZOO CITY, THE SHINING GIRLS,
and recent novel BROKEN MONSTERS. For budding writers this will give
you a valuable insight into the writing process; you can see how
non-fiction seeps into fiction and how short stories can be developed
into longer pieces. (If you’re inspired you should definitely slip
on the muse-skin gloves from the opening story and try typing!)

Beukes’ writing is
incomparable, however, if you haven’t read her work and love
writers like Jeff Noon (VURT, AUTOMATED ALICE), William Gibson
(NEUROMANCER) mixed with the unflinching ballsiness of writers like
Emma Jane Unsworth (ANIMALS) then you’ll absolutely love Lauren
Beukes.

Richard Kadrey,
author of the SANDMAN SLIM series and THE EVERYTHING BOX, praises the collection.

Lauren Beukes is one
of the most talented writers working today. Moving from witty to sad
to horrifying, she makes it all seem effortless. We’re lucky to
finally have her short work in one place.

For more information about SLIPPING: STORIES, ESSAYS, & OTHER WRITING, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Clara Bacou

Design by Elizabeth Story