Hopkins tastefully begins this consortium of tales by defining and distinguishing between religion and magic. She explains that "religion is an institutionalized system of spiritual beliefs...magic is the practice of altering the fated progression of events to suit one's desires." She then reminds us that magic is dangerous, and the ensuing stories support her statement.

From the Plateye, mischievous ghost who roam the earth changing shape and identity for deadly self-serving purposes, to the mysterious Udu pots that preserve, and don't forget Uncle Monday who steals souls...or Anansi, a trickster god disguised as an eight legged, wrinkled face spider, these conjured anomalies float through the pages of Mojo to form exquisite stories of characters performing self-serving magic. This anthology mixes modern fantasy with magic folklore and voodoo curses, the result being eerie and mysterious tales that spread your imagination and prickle the back of your neck.

Hopkins assembled an impressive reticulation of great writers. Steven Barnes, Tananarive Due, Barbara Hambly, and Marcia Douglas are just a few of the talented contributors. Barth Anderson's "Lark Till Dawn Princess" was the most intriguing to me. It was more mystery than mojo, and told of singing & performances in the alternative drag queen world. You'll love the point of view. Gregory Frost's "The Prowl" was among the cleverest because it is an explosive snatch of black history spun on vengeance. Denise Aminoff had the most daring and disturbing story. It reminded me of an early episode of the X-files.

If you enjoy the unknown, the far-reaching, and don't mind stretching beyond the familiar parameters of belief, you'll enjoy these conjure stories.

Reviewed by KaTrina Love (MissLove)
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

The introduction of Mojo: Conjure Stories warns the reader to beware, to adorn their protective beads, to pocket their jujubags and sets the stage for the mystical anthology contained therein. The novel, edited by Nalo Hopkinson, is comprised of nineteen short stories from noteworthy authors such as Steven Barnes, Tananarive Due, and Barbara Hambly. All tales are colorful, creative, and rooted in "mojo" - a tricky, powerful, and dangerous magic with a West African flavor.

This is a diverse collection in that it traverses time to provide stories from the slave ships, the antebellum South, the Jim Crow era, the 1960's and even present day. Some stories are rooted in folklore, e.g. Andy Duncan's "Daddy Mention and the Monday Skull", while others address moral and societal issues such as incest, revenge, love, lust, and greed. One of my favorites is Barbara Hambly's "The Horsemen and The Morning Star" in which plantation slaves garner strength and call upon their ancestor's gods to ride their weary backs to fight the master's resurrection of the devil to save one of their own. Jarla Tangh's "The Skinned" references the recent Rowandan tragedy and delivers a powerful message against the backdrop of the modern American inner city. Another noteworthy mention is Jenise Aminoff's "Fate" in which a mother with the gift of sight tries desperately to alter her son's destiny and pays a high price in the end.

This reviewer found some stories a bit more challenging to follow than others, but believes there is enough variety in subject matter and writing style to satisfy even the most critical reader. This book covered multiple dimensions of conjuring: from using black magic to control spirits, outwitting the tricksters, initiating curses, belief in shape-shifting to the making and manipulation of zombies. It was an engaging and interesting read about a mystical and magical heritage. One can surely gain hours of reading pleasure with this book.

Phyllis
APOOO BookClub

I read Nalo Hopkinson's first novel, Brown in the Ring a while ago and have been a fan ever since. I like the way she reinvents Afro-Caribbean rhythms and traditions to her storytelling, especially in her short stories, but her anthology is good, too. There are wild stories in here that made me rethink my stance on 'mojo' and conjure. There are too many good stories to name, and I'm still reading, but I really like the Neil Gaiman story, the "Fate" story by Jenise Aminoff, Nisi Shawl's "Tawny B---," Marcia Douglas, and Sheree Renee Thomas. The only thing missing so far is a story from Nalo herself. Maybe next time!

This collection of short stories by Carribean authors was OK light reading. I didn't feel it was as good as the novels by Nalo Hopkinson. Some of the stories I found intriguing, but most were just not very interesting to me. The one gem was Uncle Obediah and the Alien, which was hysterical.

This is a great collection of imagination. It gave me both nightmares and good dreams. Now that's a good book.

From the lush and fertile Caribbean soil springs this collection of island fabulism, a jumble of genres including magical realism, ghost stories, myth and fables, and speculative/science fiction. The mix of well-known contemporary authors (Jamaica Kincaid, Kamau Brathwaite), distinguished writers from an earlier wave of Caribbean fiction (Wilson Harris, Antonio Benitez-Rojo) and many newcomers results in a rich and varied volume. Two slavery-based ghost stories stand out as the most powerful. The somber, affirming "Spurn Babylon," by Tobias S.Buckell, centers on an ancient slave ship sucked from the ocean's bottom by a hurricane and deposited on a St. Thomas waterfront. As the islanders restore the vessel, they are lured by a mysterious force to create a new history. Roger McTair's bloodcurdling "Just a Lark" draws on the 1865 Morant Bay slave rebellion in Jamaica. During the 1950s, when Jamaica is striving for independence from England, a group of college-age boys try to raise from the dead one of the island's cruelest plantation owners, killed during that rebellion. Also enchanting is Marcia Douglas's pitch-perfect "What the Periwinkle Remember," as an elderly woman reminiscing in a nursing home tells a poignant story of what happened the night she met up with the fabled rolling calf ghost. Robert Antoni's "My Grandmother's Tale of the Buried Treasure and How She Defeated the King of Chacachacari and the Entire American Army with Her Venus-Flytraps" is a hilariously ribald tall tale. Though the collection would have benefited from entries from Edwidge Danticat and Patrick Chamoiseau, readers interested in this region's deep-rooted literature will find a fine representation here. The book should also gain some readers from the SF/fantasy market, given its subject matter and Hopkinson's strong reputation in the SF field. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

For a debut novel, this is truly a stunning achievment. It's not your usual fantasy by any stretch, and may not appeal to everyone, but if your looking for something different then this might be just the book for you. There's certainly room for the author to grow--as already observed, her male characters tend to be over-simplified when compared with their female counterparts. And for those who haven't read it, this has the violence and retribution feel of the old fairy tales--in other words, there's blood and death and fairly little sparkly fairy dust. However, that's the only way I'll compare this book with fairy tales. The story and setting are refreshingly different and the style gives it an ethnic flavor that will appeal to those searching for multicultural fantasy. Women looking for different roles in their fantasy novels will find them here. Not for everyone, certainly. But a welcome addition to a small, but growing genre.

Perhaps the best aspect of this book, for me at least, was that Hopkinson integrates the loa into her book without making them seem hokey. In other urban fantasy books I have read, it sometimes seems as if the author almost puts the notice "OK, I'm putting in the magic now." before any supernatural elements enter. Hopkinson, on the other hand, describes the supernatural, the spirits that Ti-Jeanne sees and interacts with, as an insider, as if they were as accepted a fact to the readers as microwave ovens or computers. It was very refreshing to see voudoun presented in this light. I'd highly recommend this book to any who are interested in Afro-Carribean culture and mythology. Even if you're not, I'd try to persuade you to read it, it's a bit rough at times, but overall excellent for a first novel.

I loved this book!! The inside cover of this book really piqued my interest. I had no idea what I was in store for!! I do know of some Carib folklore and various non-traditional spiritual practices. This book also had a sci-fi kind of twist to it - but in some ways I could see some of these events taking place in the future. What did I like most about this book? Nalo Hopkinson kept me on my toes!! I couldn't wait to see what happened next!! Nalo touched on some very African values, such as honoring tradition, and accepting your divine destiny. I loved the main character Ti-Jeanne because she was very real!! I could picture Ti-Jeanne in my mind as I read! Her grandmother, Gros-Jeanne, represented tradition - she was a very proud woman who knew exactly who she was; this woman was a force to be reckoned with!! The manner in which Nalo weaved the mysticism with the reality of her characters struggles was AWESOME!! I strongly urge any Octavia Butler fans to get this book!!! I have to stop here or else I'll end up telling you the entire story!! CHECK THIS BOOK OUT FOR YOURSELF!! It has twists and turns...read this book with an open mind and spirit!! ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I DID!! Peace and blessings to you and yours...one love...on the strength!!

I didn't like it.

I am unfamiliar with the rest of this Author's work, so I can't tell you whether it is like her novels or not, but when I judge this work by itself I find it wanting.

This is a rather long collection of rather short stories. Most of these have not been published elsewhere. The norm for the SF field is for single author anthologies to be composed mostly if not completely of previously published work. Take this as a warning that you may not be getting what you expected.

The stories seem to follow a very common and uninteresting fairy tale format. Fairy tales can be made interesting-- for instance Italo Calvino's Italian Folk Tales. These were not.

As a point of reference, I favor "literate" SF. Some of my favorite authors are Kim Stanley Robinson, Gene Wolfe, Ursula LeGuin, Bruce Sterling, Thomas Disch, early Larry Niven...

Review

By

Judith Woolcock Colombo

Hot and spicy with the rhythm of the Caribbean, Skin Folk is a collection of 15 short stories by Jamaican born Canadian author Nalo Hopkinson. These tales are bonded together by a common theme, change or shedding of skin. All is illusion; nothing is, as it first seems within the pages of this book.

Beginning with the first story Riding The Red, we see the illusion being stripped away by this bizarre twist on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. Here the elderly Red Riding Hood cautions her daughter to watch her granddaughter who has now begun "to ride the red." This is the time when wolfie comes around to capture and seduce. The grandmother admits "the red hood was mine, to catch his eye," but wolfie also had his dance "all hot breath and leaping flank, piercing eyes to see and strong hands to hold." Encountering wolfie is a natural consequence of riding the red or puberty. It is part of coming of age.

In Money Tree, Silky must reluctantly embrace the heritage of her Mamadjo or mermaid mother in order to save her greedy brother Morgan when he seeks to wrest pirate treasure away from River Mumma. In Something To Hitch Meat To, Artho is given the gift of seeing people and things as they really are by a strange spider-like little girl, and in Under Glass, a young girl living in a post apocalyptic world dooms another world with her careless play.

This concept of illusion and magical change continues throughout the book in stories such as Tan-Tan and Dry Bone where a soft hearted girl has pity on death disguised as a starving old man and takes him home only to learn if you pick him up you pick up trouble..

Although some stories were too similar, others were truly extraordinary. Skin Folk is a wonderful read, and I highly recommend it. ...

Nalo Hopkinson's splendid gifts as a brilliant, often unique, writer of literary fictional prose that is also intriguing fantasy and science fiction are amply shown in this fine collection of short stories. Most of these have been published previously in relatively unknown anthologies in Canada and the United States; two are unpublished, and a third is a chapter from her novel "Midnight Robber". Hopkinson has a splendid ear for dialogue and a marvellous eye for scenery, with a taut, lean prose which effectively captures the Caribbean patois of her childhood. "Skin Folk" is a fascinating look at her artistic growth as a writer; here are stories about demons and ghosts as seen through the eyes of West Indians, along with occasional glimpses of cyberpunk science fiction. One of the most memorable tales is "Greedy Choke Puppy", an incandescent look at Vampire mythology with a uniquely West Indian twist; other compelling tales include "Slow Cold Chick" and "Fisherman" which are intriguing meditations on magic and sex.

With a voice and a world-building style startlingly different from the usual SF or Fantasy author, Ms. Hopkinson transports readers into an altogether different sort of future. The story is of Tan-Tan, a young girl growing up on the Caribbean-colonized planet called Touissant. There she lives in relative wealth and comfort, until her father flees the authorities, and the two become exiles in the strange, and unforgiving world of New Half-Way Tree. It is in this realm of strange creatures, and hard-bitten men and women that Tan-Tan must come of age, and discover her own story. The struggle is a long and arduous one, and persevering against all the odds will cost Tan-Tan a great deal more than she imagines. It is this struggle and her growth into adulthood that allow her to take possession of the Robber Queen myth for herself.

There is so much here that is impressive. Ms. Hopkinson's skill with world building is a treat. So much of the standard fantasy and SF scenarios and metaphors are cleared from the field, and a wealth of mythology, story telling and culture from the African and Caribbean worlds are set in place. The result is a departure from what this genre usually has to offer, a deft weaving of myth and technology a grittier and oft-times harsher world-view. The narrator's poetic voice and author's skilled use of language serve to cement the landscape and confirm that the reader has departed from the tried and true paths, into the wilds of another culture, another realm, where anything might happen. The Caribbean flavor of the language is spicy and powerful-strong and primal. These are storyteller words, delicious to read aloud and savor. And Ms. Hopkinson is able to paint her story with this language without making the read ponderous or awkward. Ms. Hopkinson provides a much needed voice in the realm of women's and multicultural fiction. There is not enough representation of African or Caribbean voices or main characters in today's SF and Fantasy, and this author's efforts are helping to help fill the gap. She's a strong writer, with a lot of potential and a hungry audience waiting for her to fulfill that potential.

Beyond the praise, however, I didn't feel that MIDNIGHT ROBBER was quite the story it could have been, despite all that is wonderful about it. Ms. Hopkinson sets up readers for an exotic and flavorful feast-but does not pace the meal well. The story seems to be forever waiting to start. So much goes on, and there are magical breaks of story telling from the narrator, but these stories and the life of Tan-Tan don't really meet up until the last bit of the book. The narrator refers to telling an anansi story, but I felt the spider's web somehow got disconnected-and didn't quite make the tapestry they were aiming for.

At the opening of this tale, Ms. Hopkinson introduces Tan-Tan's father, Antonio as a complex and interesting character involved in political intrigues and a troubling love life. Yet, these first scenes and actions seemed to have relatively little to do with the story that develops. Antonio fails to remain interesting, instead becoming a vehicle by which Tan-Tan is swept into the world of New Half Way Tree. The world of Toussaint, as compared to New Half Way Tree, where two thirds of the book takes place, was actually the more vivid and fascinating world. New Half Way tree seemed simplistic by comparison. Simplistic and brutal. Characters tended to be less developed than their environment. Ms. Hopkinson's debut novel, BROWN GIRL IN THE RING was more complete in regard to story and pacing. The villains were obvious, the goals were comprehensible and the outcome satisfying. In MIDNIGHT ROBBER these lines are not as clearly drawn-and didn't allow for a comfortable conclusion. The story begs for a sequel, for the rest of Tan-Tan's magical and legendary heritage to be revealed.

Similar to her debut novel, Ms. Hopkinson has created a story is strongly feminist in tone. It's refreshing to see strong women characters that face the world on their own terms and it's beneficial for young readers to have another type of heroine to identify with. However, I must contend that Ms. Hopkinson's male characters in this story are almost entirely vilified and/or emasculated. There is no male protagonist in this book that commands respect or admiration. Nearly all the men are full of villainy and corrupt thoughts and motives. I think it a disservice to Tan-Tan's character that there is not any male characters that come close to being a match for her-either as allies or adversaries. It would allow for a more powerful story. A word of warning to readers, this is not a light or sweet book. It deals with dark and violent imagery and actions. Rape, murder and treachery are all part and parcel of this story. It is not a "fairy tale" in the way so many readers are exposed to them today, but it has a lot in common with the older, darker fairy tales that are their origins. At its heart it is a story of survival and overcoming obstacles; it is a story about human perseverance and the power that resides in one's self.

Personally, I think it would be worthwhile to see a story set solely in the world of Toussaint-there are so many elements of the lifestyle and technology that exists that Ms. Hopkinson only touches on in passing, and I would enjoy seeing them explored further. I can only hope Ms. Hopkinson's writing will improve and that she will continue writing, I feel she has a lot to offer her readers and look forward to her future endeavors.

Happy Reading! -shanshad ^_^

I thought i'd come to an end after reading all of Octavia E. Butler's books, ending my enjoyment of cultural inspired sci-fi. Then I found Nalo Hopinkins first- BROWN GIRL IN THE RING now MIDNIGHT ROBBER,YO MON! She's a good read, Nalo mixes it up like a pepper pot. Her worlds are a good portion folklore, fantasy and well told story. The story is of Tan-Tan the robber queen. Tan-Tan is taken by her father whom she loves blindly and trust without question. Off to the half way tree,they go as fugtives from the law. Tan-Tan has entered a world without the comfort of her nursie and the Nansi web. She now must rely on her own eyes , ears and wits. OUI? what achild gonna do? Live that's what Tan-Tan does she's befriended by a creature of this new world- Chichibud. Not just any old creature, Tan-Tan finds out later as she finds out a lot of things in her new world of violent outcasts. Tan-Tan becomes a woman on half way tree. Her experiences are explosive, heartful and sorrowful as well. I'm not going to say the book is excellent, I'll just say open a frosty ginger beer get comfortable and step into the world of TAN-TAN THE ROBBER QUEEN. PEACE MON.

Hopkinson spins an imaginative tale about a young woman named Tan-Tan who lives on a Caribbean colonized planet named Toussaint. Tan-Tan`s world is embellished so completely with technology that manual labor is practically unheard of and each citizen of Toussaint is connected to a central computer system that operates somewhat like a matriarch Orwellian Big Brother network. To escape persecution, Tan-Tan and her father travel to New Half-Way Tree, a co-existing dimension where technology is null and the creatures of mythology and bed time cautionary tales are real. In this rugged world, Tan-Tan matures into a self assured and powerful young woman despite the mistrust many of the people of New Half-Way Tree feel for her and her father, difficulties negotiating unfamiliar territories and cultures, and unwanted sexual advances.

Hopkinson story telling had developed beautifully. Her strength and talent as a writer shine in Midnight Robber. As in Brown Girl, Hopkinson writes once again in a Patois peppered Caribbean dialect that reads effortlessly and sounds like music if you try to read it aloud. The characters she creates are thick and full-blooded. Tan-Tan is a shero in she own right and the planet, people and creatures of Toussaint and New Half-Way Tree will keep your fingers turning page after page after page.

As a kid, I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy: Madeleine L`Engle`s, C.S. Lewis, Ursula K. Leguin, Ray Bradbury, Piers Anthony, Issac Asimov and Choose Your Own Adventure novels. However, up until a few years ago, I did not know of any people of color writing science fiction. But my list has grown. There is of course Octavia E. Butler. Other sci-fi writers include Jewel Gomez, Samuel Delaney, Tananarive Due, Phyllis Alesia Perry and Steven Barnes. Too, the recent anthology, Dark Matter edited by Sheree Thomas offers a wide array of Black speculative fiction writers whose work spans decades. So if you thought Star Trek`s Luitenent Uhuru and Mr. Sulu were about it as far as colored folks in space and beyond, rest assured you`re dead wrong.