I really love short stories. I'm also quite partial to themed anthologies, because as both a writer and a reader I enjoy experiencing the wide and varied ways other writers interpret these themes. So when I had an opportunity* to read this anthology with the intriguing theme of "Wrestling with Gods," I jumped at the chance. Not because I'm a particularly religious person (quite the opposite) but because I was very interested to see what a diverse collection of speculative short story writers would bring to this theme. It could be a tricky and delicate one to handle.

I was delighted to find that I was by turns engaged, intrigued,and amused by the broad range of stories the anthology offered. There's little in the way of proselytizing here; I felt that the authors did an admirable job of turning their focus to the many ways humans use, define, and interpret the idea of relationships with "higher beings", and how we can be changed by those relationships. The editors, too, should be commended on their choices. A broad variety of belief systems (both real and imaginary) and writing styles are represented, presenting the reader with a new experience in every piece. Lovers of speculative fiction are in for a treat in the diversity of genres represented.

As with any anthology, I liked some stories better than others, but overall they are strong, engaging, and both solidly and beautifully told. Definitely recommended.

*I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.



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Wrestling With Gods is a good anthology of stories concerning religion and science fiction or fantasy. But I found the overall quality to be uneven. The best two stories were saved for the last, The Last Man on Earth by Suzanne M. McNabb, and Where the Scorched Man Walks by Megan Fennell. Both were engaging and kept me interested. Some of the other stories did not. One story was particularly good and although light and humourous, still had some punch. That was Ganapati Bappa Moriya! by Savithri Machiraju. but the rest of the stories ranged from average to bland. ( )

{Finally getting around to posting the actual review!]

Wrestling With Gods is an interesting collection of speculative stories and poems having to do with faith. I was a tad skeptical when I first received this Early Reviewer book from LibraryThing because, well, I’m kinda skeptical in general and even moreso where faith is involved. Fortunately, in this case, my skepticism was unfounded.

Kerzner and Stueart did a wonderful job collecting pieces from writers all over Canada who each approached the idea of faith and belief in their own way. While the collection isn’t perfect—a few of the stories were a tad predictable and ordinary and a couple of the poems didn’t really grab me—several took the suggested theme and went somewhere new and different. Storywise, I was especially taken by Janet Nicholson’s “A Cut and a Prayer,” in which a devout Muslim struggles to become even closer to her god; David Jón Fuller’s “The Harsh Light of Morning,” where two strong beliefs battle for supremacy; and Mary Pletsch’s “Burnt Offerings,” a story that pictures a battle within a galaxy-wide virtual church.

But there are so many good tales in Wrestling With Gods: Alyxandra Harvey’s prose in “The Faith Circus” is delicious; Ganesha getting a makeover in Savithri Machiraju’s “Ganapati Bappa Moriya!” is adorable; and Megan Fennell’s “Where the Scorched Man Walks” is dark and gorgeous. Of the poems, I really liked David Clink’s “The Machine” and Erling Friis-Baastad’s “Exoplanet IV.” So many more, though!

All in all, Wrestling With Gods is a solid, enjoyable read that does a fine job of exploring its theme of faith. Definitely worth picking up.

4.215/5 ( )

I picked up Wrestling With Gods (Tesseracts Eighteen) because I’m a sucker for speculative fiction that intersects with religion. On the other hand, I rarely read anthologies, preferring novel length fiction. Nevertheless, I can say that I was happily surprised on several fronts. First, the writing is undeniable excellent throughout. Liana Kerzner and Jerome Stueart clearly had a treasure trove of stories to choose from; I can honestly say there is nothing here that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy. It makes me wonder if there aren’t a lot of really great stories that didn’t make the cut; I wonder where they are and hope they eventually find homes.

The second thing that struck me from the first story to the last is the overall “feel” of the stories. I’ve been reading this genre for a very long time and this feels like “old-time” science fiction to me. What I mean by this, is that these stories have the sense-of-wonder that many of the classic stories inspired in me as a young reader. Kerzner and Stueart curated a collection of stories here that undeniably belong together. They talk about the selection process in the book, and I must say that the end result worked for me.

The problem that can crop up with a theme concerning religion, is that a bias either pro or con will become transparent very quickly. And that’s the final thing I love about this anthology, there is nothing like a bias to be found here. This anthology has an incredible range of story approaches, from primitive societies to far future and high tech. And clearly there is no “tip-toeing” about trying to not offend anyone. These stories are flat-out and no-holds-barred, but told with compassion for the story being told. If someone finds anything offensive here, then I think that particular someone is inclined to find offense where there is none. These stories are heart-felt attempts to look at belief from many different angles.

I’ll be keeping an eye out for Kerzner and Stueart. I don’t know if they’re planning to work together again, but I hope so.
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Don't let the title of "Wrestling with Gods," a collection of short stories and poems assemble by Liana Kerzner and Jerome Stueart, fool you. It DOES provide an overlying theme for this latest installment of the Tesseracts series ... but it provides only a hint of what the reader will find inside.

The idea of wrestling with gods is an old, even ancient tradition ... just ask Jacob about his wrestling an angel, or Gilgamesh about his battle with Ishtar's bullish minion, or Sun Wukong about his smackdown with Buddha's palm.

Over the millennia, tablets have crumbled into dust and temples have been consumed by the jungle. But the belief in gods is still with us, and tales of conflict with said deities are still part of our shared literary tradition.

"Wrestling with Gods" is a good addition to that tradition. Story by story, we read of a protagonist's conflict ... with faith or religion, with family or community, with themselves or with a wide and colorful variety of gods and demigods, their priests and supplicants, their blessings and curses. These stories, their settings and their cast of characters are limited only by the imaginations of the contributors, and their ability to tell stories in a manner that draws readers in and entertains them ... which in this case is to say, 'unlimited.'

And the variety of 'styles' employed by the different contributors - their perspective, their language, their tone - was another attraction for me.

That's not say there aren't stories that will appeal to you more than others ... there were, for me. My favorites included "Mecha Jesus" by Derwin Mak, "Come All Ye Faithful" by Robert J. Sawyer, "A Cut and a Prayer" by Janet K. Nicolson, "Summon the Sun" by Carla Richards and “Ganapati Bappa Moriya!" by Savithri Machiraju.

That's just a small sample of the total offerings ... I'm sure you will find some favorites of your own ... and enjoy the book in general.

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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review. ( )