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Walking the Clouds: An Anthology of Indigenous Science Fiction (Sun Tracks) Paperback – March 1, 2012

by Grace L. Dillon (Editor)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 82 ratings
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In this first-ever anthology of Indigenous science fiction Grace Dillon collects some of the finest examples of the craft with contributions by Native American, First Nations, Aboriginal Australian, and New Zealand Maori authors. The collection includes seminal authors such as Gerald Vizenor, historically important contributions often categorized as "magical realism" by authors like Leslie Marmon Silko and Sherman Alexie, and authors more recognizable to science fiction fans like William Sanders and Stephen Graham Jones. Dillon's engaging introduction situates the pieces in the larger context of science fiction and its conventions.

Organized by sub-genre, the book starts with Native slipstream, stories infused with time travel, alternate realities and alternative history like Vizenor's "Custer on the Slipstream." Next up are stories about contact with other beings featuring, among others, an excerpt from Gerry William's The Black Ship. Dillon includes stories that highlight Indigenous science like a piece from Archie Weller's Land of the Golden Clouds, asserting that one of the roles of Native science fiction is to disentangle that science from notions of "primitive" knowledge and myth. The fourth section calls out stories of apocalypse like William Sanders' "When This World Is All on Fire" and a piece from Zainab Amadahy's The Moons of Palmares. The anthology closes with examples of biskaabiiyang, or "returning to ourselves," bringing together stories like Eden Robinson's "Terminal Avenue" and a piece from Robert Sullivan's Star Waka.

An essential book for readers and students of both Native literature and science fiction, Walking the Clouds is an invaluable collection. It brings together not only great examples of Native science fiction from an internationally-known cast of authors, but Dillon's insightful scholarship sheds new light on the traditions of imagining an Indigenous future.

 
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of Arizona Press
  4. Publication date
    March 1, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780816529827
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0816529827
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Dillon’s superb anthology, the first devoted to indigenous SF, highlights long-overlooked authors alongside better-known figures such as Nalo Hopkinson and Leslie Marmon Silko. Every piece is a perspective twister and a thought inducer built on solid storytelling from ancient and newer traditions, and the anthology will encourage readers to further investigate indigenous speculative works.”—Publishers Weekly

“Dillon’s anthology not only offers an innovative study of comparative literature but also delivers an excellent example of how to compose such a compilation for those who might follow her lead into this brave new world of Indigenous literary genre.”—Studies in American Indian Literatures

“A highly compelling and outstanding anthology, which fills a long-standing gap in the science fiction criticism.”—Foundation: The International Review of Science Fiction

“Dillon speaks powerfully from her position as an indigenous teacher and scholar, and in doing so, provides a strong yet nuanced analysis of a rich variety of indigenous science fiction.”—Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts
 
“Though I’m not usually a fan of anthologies compiled by race, sex, etc., this book is so good that I’m happy to have these stories collected together however it came about. Don’t read this because they’re stories by Native American writers. Read them because they’re damn good stories by damn good writers.”—Charles de Lint

“Walking the Clouds offers a history and shows the state of the art of science fiction from the other side--from the Indigenous and the colonized, the dispossessed and the genocided. It shows that it is long past time for the genre to uncircle the wagons and attend to those who have already survived the apocalypse.”—Dr. Mark Bould, founding co-editor of Science Fiction Film and Television Journal
 
 


 

Book Description

A groundbreaking anthology of international science fiction writings.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0816529825
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Arizona Press; First Edition (March 1, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780816529827
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0816529827
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 16 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 82 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
82 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Go!
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2021
Verified Purchase
After reading this book I’ve done a deeper dive into ISF, reading some of these excerpted works in full format. While intriguing as unaccompanied stories/excerpts, the pieces are deeply enhanced by Dillon’s background work.

Reading this book seriously changed my mind about many preconceptions I was socialized with about Indigenous culture. And Vizenor’s concept of survivance has helped me move on. I’m even a little bit hopeful about the past, present, and future.
One person found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars The best anthology on the subject. Period.
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
The stories broadened my understanding of serious science fiction.
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Patrick Cook
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding anthology!
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2020
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Loved the definitive stories in this volume.
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Darlene
5.0 out of 5 stars Great price
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2019
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Great price. I needed it for school. Saved $40 by purchasing through Amazon
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M. Duke
4.0 out of 5 stars Indigenous ScFii has a flavour of its own, honed by colonial experiences and history
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book is a sampler of the riches of Indigenous SciFi. Once intrigued by some of the excerpts, I feel sure people will want to go on and read the whole books from which they arise.
Grace Dillon and Gerald Vizenor are towering figures, and worth reading in any form.
2 people found this helpful
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Mack
5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant and the only anthology of its kind i know ...
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2015
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brilliant and the only anthology of its kind i know of. using in my freshman geography class at Colorado College. beautiful collection!
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Handdrummer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2016
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essential
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Dan Clore
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Science Fiction That Broadens the Scope of the Genre
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2016
Not just a science fiction anthology on a particular theme, as the editor used her expertise in Science Fiction Studies and Indigenous Nations Studies to take a cross-disciplinary approach that allowed her to put together a selection of first-rate science fiction (or science fictional) short stories and novel excerpts whose theme broadens the scope of the genre.

The authors come from various Indigenous backgrounds (Native American, First Nations, Aboriginal, Maori, sometimes intersecting with African, just as Indigenous Futurism intersects with Afro-Futurism), but the book is not simply a selection of SF stories by writers from a particular group "identity", or even simply informed by the social position that comes with that background (though such "Skin thinking" is one theme of the volume, but not just between Indigenous peoples and Eurowestern colonizers but in a network of relations between different tribes, nonhumans, post-cyberpunk neotribalists, etc).

Above all, this is an anthology of work informed by the authors' multi-cultural perspectives, of science fiction informed by Indigenous models of reality and Indigenous narrative techniques. In some cases, the Indigenous SF included actually anticipates mainstream SF. For example, a form now recognizable as Native Slipstream, based on cultural models similar to scientific models of non-linear time, the multiverse, alternative histories, etc., not only anticipates the mainstream SF subgenre slipstream, the first example here, Gerald Vizenor's "Custer on the Slipstream", includes the word in its title.

The anthology is divided into five sections: The Native Slipstream; Contact; Indigenous Science and Sustainability; Native Apocalypse; and Biskaabiiyang, "Returning to Ourselves", but most of the selections could fit in more than one category.

The one major criticism I have is that two-thirds of the selections are novel excerpts, but I trust the editor's decision based on her knowledge of the material, and actually didn't really mind much in this case. Several excerpts definitely make me think I want to read the whole novel, such as the piece from Nalo Hopkinson's Midnight Robber.
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Kidd
5.0 out of 5 stars Boundary expanding
Reviewed in Canada on March 7, 2022
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This is a collection of unique Indigenous stories which challenge traditional views.
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Rcl
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in Canada on June 11, 2012
Verified Purchase
If you like sic fi, read this. If you like short stories, read this. If you like first nations lot, read this.
One person found this helpful
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