DARK MATTER, edited by Sheree R. Thomas
A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora
Aspect/Time Warner - July 2000
ISBN: 0446-52583-9 - Hardcover / Trade Paperback
Science Fiction / Fantasy / Anthology / African-American
Contemporary of Future with one historical
Mild to explicit language, violence, sexual content

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Reviewed by Jo Rogers

DARK MATTER is an anthology of short stories and essays written by talented men and women who happen to be black. The characters, while not all black people, are predominantly black. The works span over a century. The oldest was written in 1887, and was a fascinating tale, "The Goophered Grapevine," which drew on the wealth of magic embodied in the practice of voodoo. The newest works all had a date of 2000, and ranged from hard science fiction to fantasy.

The stories, twenty-nine in all, with six essays, are written by a number of different authors, Samuel Delany, Octavia Butler, Ishmael Reed, Jewelle Gomez, to name only a few. They cover a huge variety of topics from vampires to aliens to social issues, and all with a unique perspective. Derrick Bell's "Space Traders" covers a story that could be expanded on until it covers every race in the world.

There were two or three, such as "Butta's Backyard Barbecue," that were written in a dialect that still leaves me wondering what I read. But for the most part, I found the tales interesting, the characters realistic and the viewpoint unique. I will read more work by these authors when I can find it, and sincerely hope that readers of all races will seek out these talented authors' work and read it. Only when we truly understand each other will our prejudices die and true unity begin.

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