‘The Blaft Book of Anti-Caste SF’ is every bit is as radical as you think

I love it when the promise in an anthology’s preface is fulfilled. Co-editor RT Samuel writes that the entries in The Blaft Book of Anti-Caste SF – edited by Samuel, Rakesh Khanna, and Rashmi Ruth Devadasan – “range from philosophical slipstream to multi-format space adventures, alien horizons and reworked mythologies, cyborgs, demons, and world(s) yet-to-come […] race through alternate histories, weaving in and out of improbable futures, mystical dimensions and terraformed planets, taking an axe to what we think we know about the world and letting the light impossible seep into the cracks.” Speculative fiction is an umbrella term for fiction that imagines alternate realities. By virtue of definition, spec-fic creates the scope for challenging contemporary society’s first principles: gender, nation-state, caste etc. So, the idea of anti-caste SF is brimming with possibilities. At least, 15 out of 32 entries, which cover short stories, poetry, and graphic narratives, are between very good and great.

Reviewing an anthology, especially one with so much range, comes with its challenges. Obviously, not all the picks will be up to the mark. When the idea is to be inclusive first, the quality of storytelling isn’t always going to be fantastic.

A bazaar of ideas

I’ll start with the two stories I enjoyed the...

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