Recognize Fascism

Editor Huff brings together 22 speculative shorts that “depict the moments when people see the fascism in front of them for what it is, accept it as real, and make the choice to fight” in this timely anthology. Nina Niskanen sets her tender fantasy “The Scale of Defiance” in a city whose occupants change size according to their mood, while Leonardo Espinoza Benavides grounds his vivid “Octobers/October” in Chilean history. Other standouts include Laura Jane Swanson’s Lake Woebegone-esque “Just an Old Grouch,” Lucie Lukacovicova’s thoughtful “The Three Magi,” Sam J. Miller’s quietly rebellious “The Sisterhood of the Eagle Lion,” and Dianne M. Williams’s haunting “The Turnip Golem.” Less successful are Jennifer Shelby’s “A Disease of Time and Temporal Distortion” and Kiya Nicoll’s “The Company Store,” both of which focus on the scapegoating of cyborgs as a ham-fisted metaphor for marginalized people who are oppressed under fascism. Despite a few misfires, this will no doubt resonate with politically minded readers. (Nov.)