An interesting mix, some of them quite odd. My favorites were "Unathi Battles the Black Hairballs and "Ghost Girl." Opinions may vary. ( )

http://speculiction.blogspot.com/2020/07/review-of-slipping-by-lauren-beukes.htm... ( )

It takes a bit of time to work your way into this collection of short stories (and a few non-fiction pieces at the end). I really didn't know anything about the author when I started, but it soon became clear that South Africa was at the center of almost everything here, and it gives these stories a background and flavor that really sets them apart. When combined with Beukes engaging style and seemingly limitless imagination--SciFi, horror, more conventional fiction, or combinations of genres--it makes for a unique reading experience. Some stories appeal more than others, but there really isn't a dud here. To pick out favorites would be a disservice to other readers. Let me just say that these stories will take you to a different world, whether its somewhere in South Africa or outer space, and you will marvel at the time you spend there. ( )

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

This is my fourth Beukes and I was thrilled to get the ARC, not merely because the author is fantastic with mixing genres, being as solid in hard SF and mystery as she is in wonderfully evocative and detailed and interesting prose set within South Africa.

Not that South Africa is as important to the story as the recurring themes of con games and violence against women. The themes of identity and image and body mods are also extremely prevalent, too.

But she also evokes wonderful and interesting flavors for her settings, too, bringing out some of the most interesting and sharp details like all of the best writers I've ever read. She is completely conscious of the issues of South Africa, but she's just as evocative about the alien worlds featuring the problem of slime molds, the kind of world that makes cyborgs, or even a meme'd out inner-world. :)

She's weird, and I love weird. Everyone should be reading this author and start tracking her wonderful talent with characters. That's where she shines the most. :) ( )

Could zombies be a viable replacement for slave labour? Asking for a certain electronics company. And most clothing manufacturers.

Slipping is an interesting collection of writing from the brain of Lauren Beukes. From enhanced athletes to bored ghosts, these stories display Lauren's spec-fic interests. There are also a few essays at the end of the collection, one of which explains the personal inspiration behind The Shining Girls; an essay well worth reading.

I met Lauren at a writers' festival where she was running a workshop on, surprise surprise, writing. I really enjoyed reading the aforementioned The Shining Girls as it was a highly enjoyable mix of crime and spec-fic. So I was looking forward to reading this collection. As with any collection of previously published works, there are highs and lows. For me the highs outweighed the lows, with Slipping, The Green, and Ghost Girl being amongst my favourites. I think the strengths of this collection come from the South African cultural influence to Lauren's writing, which gives far more grittiness to the bleak sci-fi stories than you usually see.

If you're a spec-fic fan, or a fan of Lauren's writing - and how could you not be? - then you will find some compelling stories in this collection.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. ( )