The City Born Great - How Long 'Til Black Future Month?

The second story in N. K. Jemisin's anthology How Long 'Til Black Future Month?, "The City Born Great," is an exciting tale of the birth of a city, specifically New York, finally matured from its womb, and its young black avatar, chosen to be it, to birth it, to allow it to live.

Although it isn't as pointed as the previous story ("The Ones Who Stay and Fight"), it moves along quickly and easily, with the tension building to an exciting and satisfying climax (and it's got its own commentary, too). Definitely enjoyable.

The Ones Who Stay and Fight - How Long 'Til Black Future Month?

"The Ones who Stay and Fight" is, per N. K. Jemisin's description, a response to and pastiche of Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas," and boy is it. At one point it takes direct aim at Omelas, reading:

This is not Omelas, a tick of a city, fat and happy with its head buried in a tortured child.

No, Um-Helat is a utopic city like Omelas, and one that must still pay a price for its peace and prosperity. Unlike Omelas, however, the people of Um-Helat have chosen to support and honor difference; not to walk away, to allow the child to be tortured, but to stay, and fight, and ensure that the taint is destroyed whenever its head appears. It is a price that is paid, sometimes, in blood, but a price known. And unlike Omelas, we have more choice than merely to stay or leave, but to correct.

This is going to have me thinking for a while, but I did enjoy it.