Mediterranean Science Fiction Anthology

 

Ünver Alibey (ed.)
Radioactive Dreams: Mediterranean Sci-Fi Anthology
Armida Books

A Review by Emre Bozkuş

 

This unique anthology, as far as we can see the first with this topic, gathers eleven authors from across the Mediterranean area, from Southern Europe to the Middle East and Northern Africa. It explores themes of technological and societal decay, environmental disasters, and the potential consequences of our current actions for the future, all within a framework of cosmic and dystopian settings. The book features a diverse range of voices and styles, with stories ranging from space opera to cyberpunk and bio-punk, while maintaining a cohesive narrative arc through the shared Mediterranean lens.

Several of the stories revolve around the currently much debated topic of artificial intelligence. “The Absolute Order Machine” by Yasser Abu-elhassab (Egypt) explores what happens when humanity hands over its decisions to an AI. What starts as an attempt to bring order quickly spirals into chaos, as society becomes hooked on the promise of a rational world, only to find that this supposed “order” is its own kind of madness. Inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic characters Sherlock Holmes and Watson, “AI Detective Services” by Chiara de Giorgi (Italy) delves into the fear of the possible perils of artificial intelligences, a fear so profound that it has spawned various conspiracy theories aimed at halting AI’s progress. The downside of the story is that, although it seems to be a detective story, it is rooted in philosophical discourse but fails to explore it in depth, neglecting the narrative drive of a suspenseful detective story that could have left a stronger impact.

As “Impostor” by Cem Can (Turkey) proves, cyberpunk is still a powerful influence on contemporary science fiction writing. Here it lends a fresh perspective on the historical transformations of Istanbul. The main character is a thief who tries to reclaim his stolen identity. The gripping storyline explores the classical mind-body problem and the concept of identity against a futuristic, distinctly Turkish backdrop.

Two stories are centered around political and historical issues. “Opalescence” by Selin Arapkirli (Turkey) is a finely crafted tale that transports the reader into a society governed by Sharia law, following the relentless struggle of a heroine who navigates a world built on deception — yet one that feels eerily familiar. “Even More than Earth” by David Bry (France) presents an alternate reality in which the power dynamics of history are reversed — this time, people of African descent come to the rescue of those who once exiled them. By exploring racism within the framework of colonization, Bry poses a profound question: What happens when we are forced to sacrifice even the things we once considered indispensable?

Complementing such stories that clearly show the timestamp of being written in the 2020ies and correspond with themes that are also explored in mainstream literature are a number of tales that try a fresh take on classical science fiction tropes. “The Scar at the End of the World” by Dimitra Nikoladiou from Cyprus is a post doomsday story set two hundred years after a great flood that submerged Earth. In the society of this age, where anything left from our civilization is considered ‘antique’, treasure hunters diving in the Mediterranean Sea search for a very special statue. It’s a action-mystery story that unfolds masterfully.

“Reality Rip” by Elana Gomel (Israel) opens with fast-paced action, immediately setting the tone with its first sentence: “Tagging is a very tiring job.” From there, the narrative unfolds through the various connotations evoked by the word tagging. The story revolves around a typical hard sf mystery: What if there was a reality where the universe’s deepest secrets are hidden within annihilation? Set in an unknowable future, the story explores how the temporary solutions devised in a world where reality is shattered only serve to accelerate its destruction. Inspired by Vonnegut, the narrative has the depth of a novel, though its pacing is somewhat flawed. The story would have benefited from a better balance between fast paced and reflective passages.

Another story set in a hard sf context is “Reflection” by Tuğrul Sultanzade (Cyprus). It reminds of a famous quote by Nietzsche: “When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” For the two individuals lost in the vacuum of space, this metaphor becomes strikingly real. Their hopes for life on distant planets gradually dissipate as they plunge into endless darkness. “Reflection” is an impressive and thought-provoking work, leaving readers with an unsettling yet captivating sense of existential dread.

It might by argued that soft science stories revolving around psychological and social topics, originating in the idea of “inner space” in the British new wave science fiction of the late 1960ies, are by now just as classic as hard sf settings. The anthology includes three fine examples of this sub-genre. “To Sleep, and Not to Dream” by Hephaestion Christopoulos (Greece) explores the question what would be if we no longer had dreams and if colors, sounds, and smells vanished. What if touch lost its sensation and surfaces turned indistinct? Through the the eyes of a character who realizes how alien he is to everyone around him, we follow the search for his identity. As the story unfolds the reader finds himself in a dark and haunting dreamscape. “Death Doesn’t Change Anything” by Julia Richard (France) follows a relationship that begins happily but gradually drifts into an unsettling reality because nothing is quite as it seems. Blurring the line between obsession and madness, “Crawling Things” by Onur Selamet (Turkey) explores the lengths to which people will go for their beliefs. The protagonist, convinced he is communicating with the consciousness of a star-like being, begins to lose control, causing the reader to wonder: Is our reality all there is? Is it really impossible that transcendental ideas have a factual foundation? And what would one be willing to do to prove it?

From the Mediterranean shores to the farthest reaches of possibility, this anthology serves as a powerful reminder that science fiction is not merely escapism — it is a lens through which we explore, question, and redefine the future. In the collision of diverse minds, perspectives, and experiences, Radioactive Dreams offers readers a compelling invitation: to envision a world where the impossible becomes tangible and to realize that the dreams of today can shape the realities of tomorrow. In a rapidly changing world, these stories remind us that even in fiction, the power of ideas can be as transformative as the world itself.

Exodus 47 published

With the publication of issue #47 the German science fiction magazine Exodus celebrates its 20th year. Exodus is, along with InterNova’s mother magazine Nova, the leading German science fiction magazine, with a slightly different concept than Nova, always including a poetry section and with a focus on science fiction and fantastic art by artists from the German language area. Issue #47 presents thirteen new short stories by new and established writers such as Peter Schattschneider, Norbert Stöbe and Wolf Welling and a portfolio by Ingo »Krimalkin« Lohse.

Deutscher Science Fiction Price: winners annouced

The jury of the Deutsche Science Fiction Preis (German Science Fiction Award), one of the most prestigious German science fiction awards, bestowed by the largest German science fiction club SFCD, has just announced this year’s winners: in the novel category to Nils Westerboer for Athos 2643 (Klett-Cotta Hobbit-Presse) and in the story category to Aiki Mira for »Die Grenze der Welt« (Exodus 44).

 

Guy Hasson’s Lost in Dreams series

Israeli science fiction writer Guy Hasson, one of InterNova‘s longest and most frequent collaborators, has recently announced that his latest book The Forgotten Girl, the first novel in his Lost in Dreams series, will be published within the next weeks. It is his first self-published book and will be for now only available in e-book format on Amazon. Lost in Dreams is an adventerous and imaginative saga about a girl who is raised in the dreams of her father.

 

Greek science fiction abroad

InterNova #2, a theme issue about contemporary science fiction from Greece, has perhaps been the most noted issue since the relaunch of our magazine so far. Our friends from the Science Fiction Club of Athens have surprised readers with the remarkably high literary quality of their stories.

It seems that the gems of the Greek science fiction production are more and more recognized on the other shore of the Atlantic Ocean too. As veterans of the science fiction field know, the Nebula Awards, the genre’s most prestigious literary awards, bestowed by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, have for many decades been exclusively reserved for writers from the English speaking world, until the ban has finally been broken by French writer Aliette de Bodard in 2012. Nonetheless, it’s still a rare achievement that two Greek writers have been nominated for Nebulas in recent years: Eugenia Triantafyllou with “The Giants of the Violet Sea” (Uncanny, September/October 2021) for best novella in 2022 and Natalia Theodoridou with “The Prince of Salt and the Ocean’s Bargain” (Uncanny, September 2022) for best novelette this year, the latter also for best game writing with her work on Vampire: The Masquerade — Sins of the Sires.

Greek writers have also been present in English language print and online media: Natalia Theodoridou with “In April, the Dead” in Khoreo and “Moons We Can Circumnavigate in One Day, or the Space Probe Love Story” in Lightspeed ; InterNova author Antony Paschos with “Born in ’84” in James Gunn’s Ad Astra, “Three Stars to Guide a 32-bit Ghost” in ZNB Presents; “Pinebark” in Penumbric and “A Fair Exchange” at Bards and Sages; Avra Margariti with “Death Comes for the Sword Virgins” in Strange Horizons; Madalena Daleziou with “To Give Moon Milk to A Lover” in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and “Under the Mountain’s Shadow” in Tree and Stone; Christine Lucas with “Last Call: Acheron” in Kaleidotrope and Eugenia Triantafyllou with “Salt Water” at Tor.com.

Anthology of Israeli science fiction and fantasy in German translation

The engaged German small publisher Hirnkost, winner of the Deutsche Verlagspreis (German publisher award) in 2022, has recently published an anthology with fantastic stories from Israel. Zion’s Fiction, edited by Sheldon Teitelbaum and Emanuel Lottem and with an introduction by science fiction veteran Robert Silverberg, presents a wide variety of stories by sixteen writers.

Apart from Guy Hasson, Nir Yaniv (also an accomplished musician) and the internationally successful Lavie Tidhar, who have all over the years contributed stories to Nova and InterNova, the authors are Shimon Adaf, Pesakh Amnuel, Rotem Baruchin, Yael Furman, Elana Gomel, Gail Hareven, Keren Landsman, Sayvon Liebrecht, Nitay Peretz, Mordechai Sasson, Nava Semel, Gur Shomron and Eyal Teler.

Deutscher Science Fiction Preis nominations

The Deutsche Science Fiction Preis (German Science Fiction Award), bestowed by the largest German science fiction club SFCD since 1985, is one of the most prestigious science fiction awards for the German language area. The jury has recently announced its nominations for the best short stories and novels of 2022.

 

Short stories

C. M. Dyrnberg »Fast Forward«
Christoph Grimm »Die Summe aller Teile«
Michael K. Iwoleit »Briefe an eine imaginäre Frau«
Thorsten Küper »Hayes‘ Töchter und Söhne«
Aiki Mira »Die Grenze der Welt«
Helen Obermeier »Der blassblaue Punkt«
Yvonne Tunnat »Morsche Haut«

InterNova editor Michael K. Iwoleit’s novella, which has initially been written in English, will be published in the first printed issue of the new InterNova later this year.


Novels

R. M. Amerein Roboter: Fading Smoke, Atlantis-Verlag
Andreas Brandhorst Ruf der Unendlichkeit, Fischer TOR
Kris Brynn A. R. T. – Coup zwischen den Sternen«, Knaur
Theresa Hannig Pantopia, Fischer TOR
Sven Haupt Wo beginnt die Nacht, Eridanus-Verlag
Hans-Jürgen Kugler Freier Fall, Hirnkost
Timo Leibig Reaktor, Belle-Époque-Verlag
Aiki Mira Neongrau, Polarise
Aiki Mira Titans Kinder, p.machinery
Jol Rosenberg Das Geflecht. An der Grenze, ohneohren-Verlag
Andreas Suchanek Interspace One, Piper
Nils Westerboer Athos 2643, Klett-Cotta Hobbit-Presse

 

Kurd Lasswitz Preis nomination

InterNova editor Michael K. Iwoleit’s novella “Briefe an eine imaginäre Frau”, published in Nova #31, has been nominated for the Kurd Lasswitz Preis, one of the most renowned German science fiction awards, in the category of best story of the year. The original version of this tale, which has initially been written in English, will be included in the first printed issue of InterNova, to be published in the second half of this year by p.machinery, along with two longer tales by Tetiana Trofusha (Germany/Ukraine) and Guy Hasson (Israel).