Thank you NetGalley for this book.

Diving into "Nordic Visions" feels like embarking on a thrilling adventure across Nordic realms of imagination. Each story in this collection is like a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. What makes this anthology so special is its mix of genres and styles. Whether you prefer tales of magic and mystery or futuristic visions, there's something here for everyone to enjoy. Each story is a little gem, waiting to be unearthed and cherished. One particularly cool aspect of the book is how it's divided into stories from each country.

Amazing collection from a place we don't often get a peek into from the US! The cover drew me in enough to buy a hard copy, and I love the infusion of folklore with the contemporary a lot of these authors used. Definitely give this one a try if you want to branch out of American lit!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback

I'm a huge fan of nordic literature but have recently realized that only a very few of the titles I read are speculative fiction so I was overjoyed when I found out about this collection.

I really like that the selection was curated carefully to cover a wide variety of genres and have at least one story from each country of the region. However, I think the balance tilts a bit toward science fiction. Which is not a problem for me or a surprise if you know the nordic SFF scene a bit, but might be useful to mention because it is in odds with the cover art. Otherwise astounding and aesthetically pleasing, the cover rather suggests a selection of nordic mythology-based stories with a lot of nature themes, and overall rather suggests fantasy than sci-fi in my opinion, which might surprise or even disappoint a few readers.

With all that said, natural themes still appear a lot in this collection but rather in stories that had at least some climate fiction in them. The editor's story "A Lion Roars in Longyearbyen" and Johanna Sinisalo's "A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has an Answer" both revolved heavily around climate fiction themes and these were actually some of my favourites. And I really liked the ideas and the swamp-agricultural setting behind the otherwise generic biopunk noir story "Heather Country".

As expected with anthologies, my reading experience had its ups and downs and the approach, execution or writing style of most of the stories were not my cup of tea to be honest. I'm not a fan of short stories with very open or vague endings and though the ideas of most of the stories were very unique and the execution great otherwise, the conclusion of these stories felt lacking for me.
However, the last section of the book with the Finnish stories proved to be my favourite part, and I also enjoyed some stories with open-endings like the first one, "She" the concept of which is quite disturbing but I still liked it very much.

Though I didn't enjoy all of the stories as much as I had hoped I would, in the end the unique atmosphere and excellent ideas in this selection makes this quite a memorable experience.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC.

If you enjoy speculative fiction that offers a fresh perspective and a touch of Nordic mystique, "Nordic Visions" promises to be a fascinating and diverse collection that showcases the best of Nordic speculative storytelling.

It took me a while to finish this -- as I've started to notice most anthology books do, since it's far too easy to put them down after finishing one of the stories collected within and dive headfirst into a different book or, you know whatever hyper-fixation you're nursing that week. I think it was published long before I finally reviewed the ARC. I've never read anything that focused on Nordic authors before -- I've read books about norse mythology, but that's about as close as I'd gotten before.

As is typical with an anthology, some of these stories really resonated with me, and some I didn't care for. Overall, though, I'm giving it 4 stars for introducing me to a ton of new voices and storytelling that I'd not experienced before. Particular kudos to 'She', the entire Norway section, and 'The Dreamgiver'

This was....fine. some stories inevitably better than other but seemingly so disjointed and no proper titles half the time I didn't realize a new story was starting.

Thank you to net galley for the chance to read and review this book

As someone who’s never really read much Nordic literature outside of the thriller/crime genre I quite enjoyed this anthology. It didn’t provide any 5 star short stories for me but I’d recommend it to anyone looking to delve into Nordic lit or even just looking for a new anthology

5860412
Joseph's reviewDec 23, 2023 · edit
really liked it

Nordic Visions: The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction provides what it promises on the cover. I mean, I can’t say whether this is the “best” of Nordic speculative fiction, but Margrét Helgadóttir has certainly sourced some good stories here, most of them by Nordic authors who are not very well known in English. She also contributes one of the works.

The term “speculative” fiction is used broadly and the anthology straddles various genres – sci-fi, horror, weird fiction, fabulist fiction – to name but a few. The anthology starts off with “She” by John Ajvide Lidqvist. Lidqvist’s brand of horror often ventures into the weird, but here he delivers a powerful, yet fairly conventional ghost story. Indeed, “She” is not very indicative of the rest of the fiction on offer, which rarely conforms to traditional “horror”, and more often than not inhabits a post-apocalyptic future of forbidding urban spaces and dangerous rural expanses. If I were to identify what, to me, makes this a collection of “Nordic” stories – apart, obviously, from the provenance of the featured authors – it is the way in which the landscape itself creates a feeling of danger and dread. Some stories also reveal their “Nordic” influence through their references to Scandinavian folklore – what comes to mind, particularly, is 'The Wings that Slice the Sky' by Emmi Itäranta.

The anthology includes a helpful collection of biographies of the featured authors.

https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2023/12/nordic-visions-speculative-fiction-margret-helgadottir.html

With a penchant for all things Nordic, reading an anthology of stories from the Nordic countries was a no-brainer. Even though I'm a big reader of Scandinavian crime fiction, I've never read any speculative fiction from these countries. The closest would be the John Ajvide Lindqvist horror Let the Right Ones In and even though he features here as well these stories are world apart from what I'm used.

Even though I appreciated the creativity that went into these 16 stories I have to admit the one I enjoyed most was one set mostly in a recognisable reality, Margret Helgadottir's touching one about Levi, an escaped lion. John Ajvide Linqvist's story of a house haunted by a tortured Jewish girl also sent chills down my spine. Emmi Itaranta's version of the Finnish national epic Kalevala.

Nonetheless these stories, much like their crime fiction counterparts deal with the same topics, whether it's social or political commentary of concerns about the environment. Readers who are more brave in their genre choices will certainly might appreciate these stories and other readers will be introduced to new authors previously unknown to them.

This was a somewhat uneven collection, but enjoyable on the whole. I was disappointed by the note from the editor about how they were not able to include Indigenous and First Nations peoples (no reasons given), but this anthology includes stories from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. There are ghosts, strange girls, cruel men, absent and magical fathers, endless bars, and the epic Kalevala.

From Sweden: She (John Ajvide Lindqvist, tr. Marlaine Delargy) is the creepiest haunted house story I’ve ever read, with Nazis. Sing (Karin Tidbeck), a love story, was so pretty I could cry. I’ve only ever read short fiction from Tidbeck, and have always been left wanting more. Denmark: The False Fisherman (Kaspar Colling Nielsen, tr. Olivia Lasky) made me laugh so much, because I feel like I’m a false birder, sometimes, collecting all of the accoutrements and never really being the thing. Heather Country (Jakob Drud) was full of rural spookiness and modified humans. I also enjoyed The Traveller Girl (Lene Kaaberbøl), although it didn’t feel all that speculative.

The Abyss (Rakel Helmsdal, tr. Marita Thomsen) is The Faroe Islands’ entry, and is kind of depressing, but reminds me of those stories of staircases into the sky. From Iceland, The Dreamgiver (Johann Thorsson) is a chilling story about the essential work of dreamcatchers. Norway: I wanted so much more of Tone Almhjell’s The Cormorant, because why was the girl’s mother so incredibly dark? It also made me think about dark lands to the North. So did A Lion Roars in Longyearbyen (Margrét Helgadóttir): could lions really survive all the way up there? The assassin was cool, and I loved the ending, too. Finally, from Finland: A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has An Answer (Johanna Sinisalo) has me listening to birds and wondering what they’re saying to each other.

Collections like this feel like they are an insight into the mythology of an area, and although Margrét Helgadóttir is at pains in the introduction to remind us about the differences between Nordic countries, this collection is so cohesive that it feels like it’s about the commonalities. Well worth reading.

Thank you to Rebellion Publishing and to NetGalley for access.

This chilling anthology plunges you into the heart of Nordic darkness, where folklore blends with technology, nature clashes with humanity, and the line between reality and nightmare blurs in the harsh light of the northern sun. Though some stories may be hit and miss, and cultural nuances might get lost in translation, this anthology offers a captivating journey through the haunting voices and unique landscape of Nordic speculative fiction, a must-read for the intrepid explorer of the strange and unsettling.

Many book lovers (myself included) like to switch to darker reads when the nights start to draw in: closing the shutters and snuggling under a blanket with a gothic horror or gripping thriller is, in my opinion, the finest way to enjoy winter evenings. So an anthology of speculative fiction – and Nordic speculative fiction at that – makes the perfect selection box to whet your appetite for the months ahead. For those not yet used to the delights of speculative fiction, this could be a life-changing experience: as the editor’s introductory essay says, speculative fiction challenges you to “think outside the box, to step off the usual path… to create new possibilities in our minds.” This is a collection of the finest speculative writing from the Nordic countries, some of which make their debut in English, and contains dark dystopias, spine-tingling horrors and deeply unsettling tales that would be ideally suited to being hurriedly whispered beside a fading campfire in the depths of the Nordic primaeval forests, where you’re not entirely sure who – or what – might be listening. From the off, this collection is absolutely terrifying (new-build owners in particular should beware the very first tale) and may make you hurl your copy across the room, or consider freezing it so it can’t hurt you any more, a la Joey from Friends: it is truly astonishing how creepy these writers can be in just a few short pages. One to be savoured over the darker months, and an ideal gift for a fellow reader who needs a little shaking up.

featured in the November issue of Cambridge Edition magazine, in print and online

Thank you to Rebellion, Solaris and NetGalley for an eARC copy of Nordic Visions: The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction by John Ajvide Lindqvist; Maria Haskins; Karin Tidbeck.

A novella with some wonderful Nordic short stories that some readers will vary on opinion of. While some are very well done, others do tend to leave you a little off kilter as I'm guessing many of these stories had to be translated from native language. But, I have a soft spot for novellas and short stories, as they are a bit quicker in pace and provides a wonderful break from anything long or drawn out. We certainly need more Nordic stories in our lives and Nordic Vision proves this.

Nordic Visions is an excellent collection of stories that take you on a road trip of the Nordic regions, spanning a wide range of speculative fiction, sci-fi and horror. The stories are split into six acts grouped together by the nationality of the authors; starting with Sweden, the book progresses through authors representing Denmark, The Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and finally Finland. I think splitting the stories up this way was a great idea that added a bit more structure to the collection, and made it feel more fast-paced.

I love to use short story collections to try out new authors to read, and Nordic Visions honestly spoiled me for choice. As the only author I’d previously read on the list, John Ajvide Lindqvist was a wonderful and chilling opening story, and sets a high standard right out of the gate. It’s hard to pick out highlights from such a strong lineup of stories, but two stories come straight to mind: The False Fisherman by Kaspar Colling Nielsen stuck in my mind as a very impactful and thought-provoking little story given it’s short page count, and I also loved the editor Margret Helgadottir’s story ‘A Lion Roars in Longyearbyen’ for its imagination and near future worldbuilding. I’ve wanted to read Hannu Rajaniemi’s Quantum Thief for a while, and having thoroughly enjoyed his contribution to this collection, I’ll have to move it up my TBR! There were one or two stories that didn’t connect with me, or felt just too abstract for me to grasp what was going on, but these felt few and far between compared to other short story collections I’ve read this year. Besides, the pacey nature of the book meant that I didn’t feel bogged down by these stories at all.

The stories as a whole have very little in common, in terms of setting, character relationships, or plot. And yet, there’s an underlying feeling that a lot of the stories have in common that’s hard to nail down in words. The collection works excellently as a celebration of Nordic culture and writing, whilst displaying how varied that culture is.

This book is such a mix of great and terrible stories. Some exciting and haunting, others dull and bleak.

It's a mixed bag, some stories are excellent and some a bit predictable. I had high expectations for Lidqvist but it's not one of his best stories.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Nordic Visions, a collection of Nordic speculative fiction edited by Margrét Helgadóttir, presented an often bizarre and, in my opinion, weak set of stories, at least in its first third. The Swedish writers John Ajvide Lindqvist ('She', trans. Marlaine Delargy) and Maria Haskins ('Lost and Found') kick off the collection with a horror and a science fiction story, respectively. Unfortunately, both felt incredibly familiar and cliched to me, and also poorly written, although I accept that Lindqvist's story is in translation. Things did not improve in the Danish section of the book, where I just did not get Kaspar Colling Nielsen's unpleasant little tale, 'The False Fisherman', which also contained no speculative elements as far as I could see. My best guess is that this is a retelling of a Danish folktale that I don't know, but I don't think I would have enjoyed it any more had I been better informed. Similarly, Jakob Drud's 'Heather Country' presented an equally nasty world, although this one did at least contain some original SF elements. The only story that I connected with in the part of the book I read was Karin Tidbeck's arresting 'Sing', which resonated with another book I'm currently reading, Octavia E. Butler's Dawn; Tidbeck's writing is spare but strong, and the central idea here is so memorable. By this point, though, I just didn't trust the quality of Helgadóttir's selections any more. 2.5 stars.

A fascinating and enjoyable set of stories from writers who are new and somewhat familiar. The best part of this anthology, to me, is that a reader can find a story that connects among the titles collected — all through a science fiction lens.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Nordic Visions” is an anthology of speculative fiction short stories edited by Margrét Helgadóttir, featuring a variety of contemporary Nordic authors. These fifteen stories are grouped by their country of origin, and span different genres: from horror to science fiction and fantasy.

I hadn’t read much Nordic fiction before, so I appreciate the opportunity to do so. I think the only author here whose work I’d read was Lindqvist, with “Let the right one in” (2004).

Here are some brief impressions:

- From Sweden: Lindqvist’s “She” was a terrifying ghost story, and easily one of my favourites from the book. “Lost and found” by Maria Haskins and “Sing” by Karin Tidbeck both dealt with space exploration and colonization, though in different ways. I wish Haskins had been clearer about her character’s motivation, because I liked what I suspected happened, but I’m not sure if I’m right?

- From Denmark: “The false fisherman” by Kaspar Colling Nielsen was an interesting portrait that ultimately dealt with thew different social perceptions of men and women. Jakob Drud’s “Heather country” was a dark and intriguing, yet often confusing, dystopia, and Lene Kaaberbøl’s “The traveller girl” was a simple story of Otherhood.

- From the Faroe Islands: Rakel Helmsdal’s “The abyss” was a little too surrealist for me, I didn’t understand what was going on and it was hard to picture it.

- From Iceland: I enjoyed “The Dreamgiver” by Johann Thorsson, an ominous story with a surprising ending. On the other hand, Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson’s “Hamraborg Babylon” was a sci-fi dystopia that felt overly long and unexplained.

- From Norway: Once again we visit a futuristic space colony in “As you wish”, by Tor Åge Bringsværd, and a grimdark dystopia in “A lion roars in Longyearbyen”, from Helgadóttir. “The cormorant” by Tone Almhjell and “The day Jones shadowed his dad” by Thore Hansen take on a more fantastic quality.

- From Finland: We have two more dystopias from Johanna Sinisalo and Hannu Rajaniemi: “A bird does not sing because it has an answer” and “Elegy for a young elk”. The first one had some interesting ideas and a simple statement ending to make you think, although it was hard to figure out where the story was set. I thought the second one was very confusing. Finally, “The wings that slice the sky” by Emmi Itäranta was a female-centered retelling of the Finnish epic “Kalevala” - sad, but I enjoyed it.

As is evident, this is quite an eclectic collection! Whether you enjoy visiting dystopias and sci-fi settings, or prefer a taste of folk stories, there might be something here for you worth checking out.

Something I wanted to point out is that I think it’s a shame that the editor talks in the introduction about the importance of including all voices, and acknowledges that the Nordic region is also home to indigenous and First Nations peoples, yet she “sadly” didn’t manage to include any of them in this anthology. Why not?

The formatting of my ARC was also not great, unfortunately, which meant I had to constantly refer back to the index to find the title and confirm I’d moved on to a different story.