Jamaica Ginger and Other Concoctions

Hopkinson’s (Skin Folk) story collection is weighted towards the end of the world, in which environmental disaster, greed, and injustice are the weapons humanity uses to destroy itself. In several stories, such as “Inselberg,” the world may live on and tolerate humankind’s persistence—in some form. Whether Hopkinson’s protagonists win or lose at the end—if they get an end—they’re full of defiance. This may be the rage in “Clap Back,” directed at tangible artifacts of racism that underscore the disrespect and cruelty that society deems acceptable. It may be the understated defiance that refuses to deny a person’s true identity, as in “Pocket Universe” or “Ally.” The latter story contains another common theme of the collection—the dead are not silent. They are able to pass their messages to the living, one way or another. As apocalyptic as many of Hopkinson’s tales are, the collection is dotted with hope. Some characters find a path towards the victory of their choosing, while others learn to accept that life is transformation. Hopkinson includes notes before each story, and these are just as riveting as the fiction.