Dark Matter

"Overall, a decent volume. Many good writers, but I personally didn't care for most of the stories. I wouldn't re-read or recommend anything that I gave less than a 4. The standouts were: “The Comet” by W.E.B. Du Bois; “Black No More” (excerpt) by George Schuyler; “Like Daughter” by Tananarive Due; “Aye, and Gomorrah...” by Samuel R. Delany; “The Evening and the Morning and the Night” by Octavia E. Butler; “At Life’s Limits” by Kiini Ibura Salaam; and “Racism and Science Fiction” by Samuel R. Delany.<br/><br/>“Sister Lilith” by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers - 2/5; well-written. Didn't like the story.<br/><br/>“The Comet” by W.E.B. Du Bois - 5/5; so so good. A must-read.<br/><br/>“Chicago 1927” by Jewelle Gomez - 3.5/5; well-written, story was interesting.<br/><br/>“Black No More” (excerpt) by George Schuyler - 4/5; so interesting. I'd like to read the novel someday.<br/><br/>“separation anxieties” by Evie Shockley - 3/5; not believable but interesting.<br/><br/>“Tasting Songs” by Leone Ross - 1/5; didn't like at all. I guess she has magical hyperhidrosis?<br/><br/>“Can You Wear My Eyes” - 2/5; didn't do anything for me. writing was ok.<br/><br/>“Like Daughter” by Tananarive Due - 4/5; confusing at first, but I liked it. <br/><br/>“Greedy Choke Puppy” by Nalo Hopkinson - 3/5; well-written, but didn't really like it. <br/><br/>“Rhythm Travel” by Amiri Baraka - 1/5; nope. <br/><br/>“Buddy Bolden” - 3.5/5; hard to follow, I'd have like to listen to it. <br/><br/>“Aye, and Gomorrah...” by Samuel R. Delany - 4/5; really interesting. So different from anything else I've read and I can see how he made a name for himself.<br/><br/>“Ganger (Ball Lightning)” by Nalo Hopkinson - 2/5; meh. Not my cup of tea.<br/><br/>“The Becoming” by Akua Lezli Hope - 2/5; writing was interesting but overall forgettable. <br/><br/>“The Goophered Grapevine” by Charles W. Chesnutt - 2.5/5; hard to read because most of it is written in a heavily accented dialect. Story was good though.<br/><br/>“The Evening and the Morning and the Night” by Octavia E. Butler - 4/5; so interesting. A lot going on, but she makes it work.<br/><br/>“Twice, at Once, Separated by Linda Addison” - 3.5/5; well-written. Liked it. <br/><br/>“Gimmile's Songs” by Charles R Saunders - 3.5/5; well-written. Kind of fun. <br/><br/>“At the Huts of Ajala” by Nisi Shawl - 3.5/5; good. <br/><br/>“The Woman in the Wall” by Steven Barnes - 2.5/5; a comment on the atrocities of war mongers in Africa. Well-written, but not for me.<br/><br/>“Ark of Bones” by Henry Dumas - 3.5/5; good. <br/><br/>“Butta's Backyard Barbecue” by Tony Medina - 2/5; fine. <br/> <br/>Future Christmas” by Ishmael Reed - 2/5; fine. <br/><br/>“At Life’s Limits” by Kiini Ibura Salaam - 4/5; I like this one. Fun read. <br/><br/>“The African Origins of UFOs” by Anthony Joseph – DNF; unreadable.<br/><br/>“The Astral Visitor Delta Blues” by Robert Fleming - 3/5; well-written but forgettable. <br/><br/>“The Space Traders” by Derrick Bell – DNF; one of the worst-written things I’ve ever tried to read. Author cannot write and the story was so transparently just a political message.<br/><br/>“The Pretended” by Darryl A. Smith - 3/5; well-written. Fine story. <br/><br/>“Hussy Strutt” by Ama Patterson - 3/5; interesting. <br/><br/>“Racism and Science Fiction” by Samuel R. Delany - 5/5; an incredible essay that everyone who reads SF should read.<br/><br/>“Why Blacks Should Read (and Write) Science Fiction” by Charles R. Saunders - 4/5; really good.<br/><br/>“Black to the Future by Walter Mosley” - 4/5; really good.<br/><br/>“Yet Do I Wonder” by Paul D. Miller a.k.a. DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid - 2/5; okay.<br/><br/>“The Monophobic Response” by Octavia E. Butler - 4/5; brief, but excellent."