‘Between Worlds’: An entertaining, moving speculative fiction anthology buoyed by distinct voices

Between Worlds, a speculative fiction anthology edited by Gautam Bhatia, brings together 11 short stories that toy with the ideas of alternate modes of sustenance, technological advancements so far into the future that they seem dangerously neighbourly, while holding on to hope in the middle of this chaos.

One of the fundamental questions we often ask ourselves has to do with purpose. We yearn for certainty and answers; we long to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Speculative fiction tries to answer these questions, going one step further and challenging the norms of existence. What could be different? What could we imagine ourselves as? If we lived elsewhere than on Earth, how would we adapt? There are a lot of “what ifs” that this genre tries to answer – and does. A good speculative fiction story charts a course – a map, if you will – of our imagination into the future.

The stories

Ajay Patri’s “The Last Projectionist” sets the tone of the anthology, talking about relevance and fame through its protagonist, Jayalakshmi, a projectionist who refuses to be captured on camera. The first half of the story pulls the reader in with the word “projectionist” (which is a real profession) but the revelation in...

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