One Small Step: An Anthology of Discoveries

A doomed family reimagining their lives as a fairy tale and a refugee giant embracing Internet dating are just some of the memorable characters in this collection of fantasy and science fiction from female Australian authors both new and known. Many of the best stories are from writers virtually unknown in the U.S., including “Firefly Epilogue” by Jodi Cleghorn, in which a woman relives her voyage of discovery in Malaysia on the way to somewhere very different, and “Number 73 Glad Avenue” by Suzanne J. Willis, about a pair of time travelers who throw magical psychedelic parties that their guests can never quite remember. Other standouts include “The Ways of the Wyrding Women” by Rowena Cory Daniells, in which a witch is forced to make hard choices about the fate of her captors and her unborn child, and “Always Greener” by Michelle Marquardt, the story of a girl who distracts herself from poverty and family problems by befriending alien prisoners of war. A very strong slate of stories marks Wessely as an editor to watch. (May)