Review: 'Nordic Visions: The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction' edited by Margrét Helgadóttir

Speculative Fiction is a delightfully broad genre, which contains paranormal, horror, and fantastic tales. Equally, the "Nordic Countries" is a delightfully broad region, which has a wide array of incredibly talented writers to offer beyond the popular ScandiNoir genre. Nordic Visions was my first introduction to all these authors and I loved spending time with their imagination. Many thanks to Rebellion and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Date: 10/10/2023
Publisher: Rebellion; Solaris

The first true celebration of contemporary Nordic science fiction, fantasy and horror!

A Unique Speculative Fiction Collection From The Nordic Countries

Storytelling has been a major force in the Nordic countries for thousands of years, renowned for its particular sense of dark humour, featuring pacts with nature and a view of the worlds you seldom find in other places.

Perhaps it is the freezing cold winter? The closeness to the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic? Maybe it’s the huge ancient forests...

Most have heard about Nordic crime fiction with its dark noir flare or the Icelandic Sagas. This anthology combines all that is unique about Nordic speculative fiction, from the darkest dystopian science fiction to terrifying horror. From the rational to the eccentric, these stories combine a deep sense of place with social criticism, themes of loneliness and the concern for humanity's impact on the wilderness.

Featuring 16 stories from the best contemporary speculative authors from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and The Faroe Islands, including John Ajvide Lindqvist, Hannu Rajaniemi, Tor Åge Bringsværd and more, many of which are appearing in English for the very first time. 

My interest in "the North" is technically something of a skewed one. I work with, and love, the Old Norse literature written in Iceland and Norway during the High Middle Ages and so when I think of Scandinavia I tend to approach it from a medieval angle. And yet, I also grew up on childrens' books from this region, especially Astrid Lindgren's works like Pippi Långstrump by and her books about the Bullerby children, and have dipped into the ScandiNoir pond quite a bit. My love for Speculative Fiction, however, a kind of umbrella genre that encompasses Fantasy, Science Fiction, the Paranormal and more, never looked to the North. So when Nordic Visions came onto my radar I was immediately intrigued how the cold, northern air and long nights would transform this genre. Nordic Visions, as Margrét Helgadóttir mentions in her Introduction, is only a small representation of the voices of the North although it's a step in the right direction to make these works more accessible to international audiences. 

Nordic Visions is divided into sections according to the authors' countries, which I thought was very interesting. The Faroe Islands, for example, are only represented by one story, 'The Abyss' by Rakel Helmsdal, but this just happened to be one of my favourite stories in the entire collection which is at once super abstract and yet speaks very deeply to the human experience. Another story I loved was 'Hamraborg Babylon' by Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson because it felt very mystic and dark and yet was full of tactile and clear details. The collection's opening story, 'She' by John Ajvide Lindqvist from Sweden, is a horror tale of a haunting, which brings the history of the North into stark relief. I did not expect how it ended and was blown away. 'The Cormorant' by Tone Almhjell from Norway is a story which plays more in the Fantasy genre, but it's full of strong imagery and powerful emotions. The collection ends on three Finnish stories, 'A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has Answers' by Johanna Sinisalo, a science fiction tale about nature and humanity, 'Elegy for a Young Elk' by Hannu Rajaniemi, another Sci-Fi story about human relationships, technology, and love, and 'The Wings that Slice the Sky' by Emmi Itäranta, a beautiful take on the Finnish Kalevala full of love and fury. Ending on these three was almost like saving some of the best for last, three last bites which contain everything that makes this collection so brilliant. At the bottom of the review you will find a full list of stories, authors, and translators.

What surprised me in these stories was the way in which the sometimes harsh landscape and climate of these regions is counterbalanced by the very human and real connections people have with the land and each other. Nordic Visions definitely serves to correct the potential stereotype that everything up North is darkness, misery, and cold. I mean, those are definitely to be found in these stories as well, but there is also a brightness and vividness to much of the writing which warmed me. A characteristic to many of the stories is their endings, which still leave the reader with a lot to think about. I adore this in fiction, when an author trusts me enough to make up my own mind and doesn't feel the pressure to committ to any single one theme or interpretation. Especially with stories like 'The Abyss' by Rakel Helmsdal, which move so far away from a familiar setting that they become dreamlike, I loved the abruptness of the ending. If you prefer to have a clear ending which provides you with closure, then some of these stories maybe aren't for you, but it would still be worth giving the collection a try. You have to work with these stories, let them sink in, and then new aspects will be opened up to you. While not every single story landed equally well with me, I do know I've added a whole set of names to my list of authors to keep an eye out for.

I give this collection...

5 Universes!

Nordic Visions is an absolutely stunning collection of speculative fiction from the Nordic Countries, including tales of the paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I'm delighted to have met these authors through this collection and will continue to search out their work.

'She', by John Ajvide Lindqvist, trans. by Marlaine Delargy.

'Lost and Found' by Maria Haskins, trans. by Maria Haskins.

'Sing' by Karin Tidbeck.

'The False Fisherman' by Kaspar Colling Nielsen, trans. by Olivia Lasky.

'Heather Country' by Jakob Drud.

'The Traveller Girl' by Lene Kaarberbøl, trans. by Lene Kaarberbøl.

'The Abyss' by Rakel Helmsdal, trans. by Marita Thomsen.

'The Dreamgiver' by Johann Thorsson.

'Hramraborg Babylon' by Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson, trans. by Quentin Bates.

'As You Wish' by Tor Åge Bringsværd, trans. by Olivia Lasky.

'The Cormorant' by Tone Almhjell.

'The Day Jonas Shadowed His Dad' by Thore Hansen, trans. by Olivia Lasky.

'A Lion Roars in Longyearbyen' by Margrét Helgadóttir.

'A Bird Does  Not Sing Because It Has an Answer' by Johanna Sinisalo.

'Elegy for a Young Elk' by Hannu Rajaniemi.

'The Wings that Slice the Sky' by Emmi Itäranta, trans. by Emmi Itäranta.