Rabbit Test and Other Stories

Some of the most powerful stories in the brilliant, genre-spanning debut collection from Nebula Award winner Mills (The Wings upon Her Back) focus on the contentious relationships between generations. The stunning title entry, for instance, toggles between the past and the future to track the progress and deterioration of abortion access in the United States. Then there’s the brief but impactful “Laugh Lines,” presented in the form of a eulogy for the narrator’s mother that doubles as a paean to disability rights. These speculative pieces resonate deeply with the current moment, teasing out the many possible ways climate disasters and fascistic politics may shape humanity’s future, all while keeping an eye to the communities that support each other behind the scenes. Elsewhere, Mills delves into fantasy, in stories that are no less pleasurable and heart-rending. In the haunting “Adrianna in Pomegranate,” a grief-stricken magician tries to reanimate his dead daughter, and his ex-wife must intercede before he succeeds, while the bittersweet “Spindles” tells of an eight-year-old princess and her pet bear who embark on a quest to save their land from alien invasion. Even the shortest of these tales packs a powerful punch. (Apr.)