The first-ever anthology of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander speculative fiction – written, curated, edited and designed by blackfellas, for blackfellas and about blackfellas. In these stories, ‘this all come back’: all those things that have been taken from us, that we collectively mourn the loss of, or attempt to recover and revive, as well as those that we thought we’d gotten rid of, that are always returning to haunt and hound us.
Some writers summon ancestral spirits from the past, while others look straight down the barrel of potential futures, which always end up curving back around to hold us from behind. Dazzling, imaginative and unsettling, This All Come Back Now centres and celebrates communities and culture. It’s a love letter to kin and country, to memory and future-thinking.
Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:
Previewing this anthology was an absolute privilege. It is a weird and wonderful, thought-provoking collection of a fascinating range of stories, featuring both ancient lore and futuristic technology in scenarios designed to make us wonder “what if?” And I sure DID wonder – many times! Several of the featured authors deal evocatively, yet sensitively with the deep and continued effects of colonisation on both the land and its traditional owners. My personal favourite was “Water” by Ellen van Neerven, a sensual exploration of an inter-species relationship. I have since discovered that this is an abridged version of a previously published novella, so am looking out for that now. Highly recommended for anyone looking for something more meaningful than escapist “popcorn for the brain”. Thank you. Heidi, VIC, 5 Stars
A wonderful collection of First Nations fiction – the many different, brilliant, at times thought provoking stories really drew me in and kept me wanting to read more and more. Very well written with beautifully descriptive language which I love! I think this is a brilliant anthology and am very appreciative of the heart and soul that went into each and every story which collectively creates a masterpiece. Bianca, NSW, 5 Stars
I really liked this collection. It managed to be both quite unlike anything that I had read before and also feel familiar. The familiar was in some of the places, the emotions and the quality of the writing. It is described as speculative fiction and (once I had googled it to work out what speculative fiction is) I think this is the unfamiliar and favourite aspect of these stories. I am still trying to understand what the difference is from magical realism, but if like me you like a bit of magical realism, you will find something to like in this collection. Interestingly, the editor argues in the introduction that all First Nations writers experience speculative fiction as realism. This collection really had me from the introduction that described a collection of short stories as a mixed tape, I used to love putting these together and then writing out the sleeve in micro writing. Like any good mixed tape, the experience of reading all the different stories ranges from entertaining, funny, thought provoking to nostalgic and unsettling. Rebecca, QLD, 5 Stars
Wow. Incredible writing from some brilliant First Nations writers. I haven’t read anything like this before. Jacaranda Street by Jasmin McGaughey was my favourite short story. Hooked on the first line, I devoured it and it was over all too quickly – yet it has stuck with me. Evelyn Araluen writes with such beauty, Muyum, A Transgression was absolutely mesmerising. I’ll definitely be seeking more work from some of these writers. Lauren, QLD, 5 Stars
This All Come Back Now is an anthology of First Nations speculative fiction. It says so on the wonderful cover. A cover I can’t stop gazing into. Each time I look I see a new figure, or a new planet. It’s mesmerising. As are the stories themselves. I’ve never heard the genre “Speculative Fiction” before, and assumed it would be the “what ifs” style of story. And it is, but also the “what is and always has been”. There are recurring themes of time, land and family. There are ghost stories, fantasy, surrealism, magical realism and good old Sci Fi, with aliens. Something for everyone. Each tale has sprung from the heart of Australia, a place that has been creating stories forever. 5 stars for me. Daniella, QLD, 5 Stars
This was a quite brilliant collection of speculative fiction (mostly short stories but some excerpts from novels) by indigenous Australian writers. There was a variety of themes and styles, some science fiction, some ghost or spirit stories, some horror, and some much harder to classify, for the most part extremely enjoyable (as with all anthologies there’s always a story or two that doesn’t hit the mark, with this reader anyway, and there were couple I didn’t really understand or didn’t get what the author was trying to say). My favourite stories were ‘Snake of Light’ by Loki Liddle, ‘Your Own Aborigine’ by Adam Thompson, ‘Myth This!’ By Lisa Fuller and ‘When From’, a brilliant time travel story by Merryana Salem. An excellent read. Janelle, NSW, 5 Stars
As a complete newcomer to speculative fiction I had very little idea of what to expect from This All Come Back Now. Mykaela Saunders’ introduction was incredibly useful. Not only did it give the stories as well as the book overall context, it also gave a really good explanation and description of this type of writing. I found some of the short stories contained in the book fascinating and they gave me an increased level of understanding of First Nations peoples, their myths and legends, and the connection to country. I found some of them a little less easy to access, but even those more challenging ones took me on a journey and exposed me to new things. And the beauty of the short story is if you don’t completely connect with a story there’s a new one starting up soon! I will most definitely follow up on some of the authors contained in this book, as I’d love to read more of their works. I’m so glad that this book introduced me to such a rich variety of First Nations authors. Kate, VIC, 4 Stars
This is the first-ever anthology of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander speculative fiction. And it is quite a fascinating collection of stories. If, like me, you have had only a small introduction to Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander history and their fascinating storytelling then I cannot emphasise enough the value of this book. A beautifully put together snippet of First Nations writing combining ancestral spirits, futuristic tellings, and a history rich in its beauty and belief. The introduction by Mykaela sets out to explain the importance of this collection. A mixed tape of historical and current significance that will continue to educate me and which has given me more amazing Australian authors to look out for. Ali, TAS, 4 Stars
I enjoyed reading this beautiful book celebrating First Nations culture and communities and shall share it with friends. A wonderful anthology of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. A collection of short stories and novellas covering a variety of genres. Thank you to Better Reading for the opportunity to preview this book. Nicky, QLD, 4 Stars
This collection gave a stunning voice to the land, and all the beauty in the cultures that are so deeply connected to it. Each of these stories had so much heart, even in the varying genres that made up this collection. Mykaela Saunders explains in the overture that they pieced together this collection much like one would piece together a mixtape or playlist: there’s a clear beginning, middle, and ending. The writers chosen to make a contribution to this anthology of First Nations speculative fiction were each talented in their own right, and each explored similar themes of family, connection to land and culture, love, horror and all of the things have been, will be, and could have been in this country. Particular stories that stand out are those by Loki Liddle, Adam Thompson, John Morrisey, Merryana Salem and Ellen van Neerven, almost all of whom have a backlog of writing that I will undoubtedly be reading from. This was such a gorgeous collection I was given the privilege to read from, and I will recommend this to anyone willing to expand their reading tastes! Kobi, VIC, 4 Stars
A collection of speculative fiction written by, for, and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – you had me at hello! The opening story written by current Stella Prize winner Evelyn Araluen sets this book up to be like nothing you have read before. Her prose is deep, rhythmic, and washes you along in the cadence she dictates with her words. I immediately knew this book would be a powerful read. There are some crackingly good authors in this curated work, many who I have not had the pleasure of reading before. I loved the father-son crabbing story by Kalem Murray – a story of devils, ancestors and folklore. And Merryana Salem’s time travel tale, ‘When from’ is totally engrossing. This book is a gift of Blak stories to the wider world. The writing is at once unique and brand new and at times also feels like an ancient retelling of stories. There is intrigue, and spirits, horror in parts and I definitely felt unsettled at times. This book stretched my thinking and my understanding of the world, and I’m so grateful for that gift. I hope this is just the beginning of something new in fiction. Tamsin, TAS, 4 Stars
I was excited to receive This All Come Back Now as I am currently studying Indigenous Australian studies at Uni. This collection of short stories by First Nations Australians contained many different genres and some very enjoyable and unusual stories. Definitely a mixed bag! Thanks to BR for my preview copy. Sharah, QLD, 3 Stars
This All Come Back Now is a fascinating collection of speculative fiction with a variety of themes and writing styles. There were a few stories that didn’t resonate with me and I found that I was questioning what the purpose was but overall this was an excellent read. Susan, NSW, 3 Stars
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