Such an important book.
I learnt so much and it’s a book that everyone should read.
There is some beautiful writing in here.

It’s taken me too long to read this collection, but I’m so glad I finally did.

My favourites were Rachael Lucas’s The Lost Mothers (not surprising since Rachael is one of my favourites, but her essay is so moving), This Love by Nell Brown (on fandom), Once More With Feeling by Laura James and Thirteen Ways or Looking at [You] by Waverly SM, but the whole collection is excellent and important.

A really lovely anthology of short stories, though as with all there are some I enjoyed more than others. It should also be noted that this is an anthology of stories written by people with ASD, not stories written about autism. Not a negative for me by any means, but may cause some misconceptions. A very good read.

I was given this book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. There aren’t many disabled voices in literature; in particular, there is a lack of Autistic representation. Huxley Jones argues that her goal is to show that there is a large pool of creativity within the Autistic community. This is an #ownvoices anthology; which includes; fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and visual art. There are some really good pieces within this work. However, like most anthologies, some pieces are stronger than others. Yet, it still works as a whole. It’s worth a read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this collection. It is varied, diverse and whilst not every piece ‘spoke’ to me I valued the aim to bring together voices and experiences of people who have autism. It truly brings home the ‘met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism’ message.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to know more about how having autism colours the world and it brought a great deal of hope to me that the more mainstream autistic voices become, the more acceptance we will work towards.

I was gifted this copy in exchange for an honest review from netgalley.

All I can say is wow! Thankyou for writing this.
I’m the mum of four autistic humans. In fact I’m the only NT in our household. It was really great to read with a different voice in my head and a different perspective.
I really found this riveting.
Thankyou again!

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is not my usual genre, I’m more of a crime/thriller reader therefore am extremely pleased and grateful for opening up my mind to something totally different. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I wish to thank the editor Lizzie Huxley-Jones, Unbound and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Stim An Autistic Anthology in exchange for an honest review.

I still have two works to read in this excellent collection, given the recent publishing date on World Autism Awareness Day; I’d like to offer my review.

Hux has edited an important anthology of submissions from talented people on the spectrum which includes fiction, personal experiences, and wonderful works of art. This is the first literature I’ve read which gives voice to people with autism.

I have two good friends who live with autism and live as a couple, a gorgeous couple, generous with their kindness and love for each other. Both have endured stigma and discrimination throughout their lives, their mental health has suffered as a result. In a world where neurotypical people often lack empathy and misconceptions abound, Hux’s anthology will enlighten. I’d love to see this on school reading lists.

Megan Rhiannon’s It Has Nothing to Do with How I Look describes her experiences with beautiful illustrations.
Helen Carmichael’s Bluebells uses beautiful descriptive writing; high on nature, synaethesia, flowers.
Grace Au’s account of her journey to see and the death of her grandfather is lyrical, superb writing.
This is just a few. I look forward to the coming days when I’ll read the remaining submissions.

Stim is an anthology of essays, short stories, and other artwork created by people with autism, all of whom come from very different backgrounds and experiences. The pieces don't all directly refer to the author's autism, and they cover a diverse array of topics and viewpoints. I found most of them to be really beautiful, but some of the more abstract short stories were jarring and didn't quite fit in the collection. I also wouldn't necessarily recommend it as an ebook, at least if you only have a very basic e-reader, because the art can be harder to appreciate in that format. All that said, however, I can't stop thinking of Waverly SM's words in their contribution: "Nobody speaks your language. It would crucify you to ask anyone to learn."

This anthology is worth it, and has me eager to see more work from some of the contributors, whom I wouldn't have heard of without Huxley-Jones's push for representation.

This collection written by those diagnosed as autistic gives the authors the power to describe their experiences and feelings. I love how the book has fiction, essays, and visual art, as the presentation is just as unique as the individuals presenting it. As someone that works with autistic students, I found this collection to be an inspirational read.

“The saying goes that if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person; our individualities make us just as unique as non-autistic people, beyond the diagnostic criteria that link us”

This was a wonderfully diverse and varied collection. I do love an Unbound collection, and this one cemented that fact for me. The editorial introduction was a fabulous starting point and from there we are introduced to a range of writing pieces from autistic authors. Some of these pieces were autobiographical, while others were fictional. There were also pieces of illustration in the book which I loved.

I had complete respect for the use of content warnings, and this was noted again in the launch party as something which the whole contributory team was conscious of. Total respect for that. It is something I hope to see more of in the publishing world.

As with any collection, there are some pieces you love and feel more affinity to than others.

My favourite pieces were Becoming Less by Robert Shepherd and The Lost Mothers by Rachael Lucas.

I drew hearts next to the titles of seven other pieces in the anthology - all of which I felt were beautifully written and captured something unique and special.

What a wonderful collection. I’m delighted to have been gifted it via Netgalley by Unbound. I hope my review has done justice to Stim: An Autistic Anthology.

Book Review: Stim - An Autistic Anthology, Edited by Lizzie Huxley-Jones
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“I think back to those representations of autistic people I once reached for, and wonder if they explain why some people tell me that I don’t seem autistic... I don’t want to be penned in by the perceptions of non-autistic people, or by representations that stop at the surface or tell the same story again and again. I want to reclaim space; I want to rest my weight against boundaries set by others and push against them.” (This Love by Nell Brown)
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Stim is a perceptive collection of eighteen essays or visual art, each written or made by talented artists or writers who are affected by autism spectrum disorder. Stim presents a space for autistic people to speak about the realities of living with a diverse neurology. To reclaim their identity from the limiting stereotype TV shows and movies have portrayed them as. I received a digital advance copy of #Stim from #NetGalley.
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Each piece of this anthology is so unique to its author. The diversity in each work reinforces that autism is such a broad spectrum. A testament that autism is more than just a neurodevelopmental disorder to “treat”, but also a celebration of unique abilities and talents.
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As I read this, I constantly thought about the children and teens I work with who are in the spectrum. I found myself questioning how they view their own identities in a non-autistic world. For those with non-autistic parents, what is their image of people living in the spectrum? Often, society portrays an autistic person as someone who is systematic rather than empathetic. Difficulties identifying emotions can be misunderstood as someone who’s not able to feel at all. There’s also a stigma when someone does not communicate typically. A tendency to discriminate when someone’s behavior is just outwardly different. These stereotypes that society holds on to, to explain different, is toxic. There’s an uncomfortable cognitive dissonance that needs to be replaced with understanding. This anthology helps provide that perspective to understand and be kind. This is a must-read for everyone, especially for those who teach or are mental health professionals.
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This book comes out tomorrow 4/2/20, for World Autism Day. ☀️
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#netgalley #stim

To say that I was excited to stumble across London-based crowdfunding publisher Unbound would be an understatement. As an indie writer myself, I'm a huge fan of any project or publisher that gives voice to vital voices and, indeed, that is exactly what unfolds with Unbound.

"Stim: An Autistic Anthology" is the perfect example. Edited by Lizzie Huxley-Jones, an autistic writer/editor from London who can be found editing at indie micropublisher 3 of Cups Press, "Stim: An Autistic Anthology" features stories, essays, and art from autistic authors and artists.

In a world where about us is often without us, "Stim: An Autistic Anthology" expertly delves into the world of autism by giving the literary mic to the vibrant and diverse voices of autism themselves and comes up with what has to be one of the year's most refreshingly honest, enjoyable collections.

"Stim" was inspired by Huxley-Jones's late 20's autism diagnosis that was actually triggered by her own experiences supporting a recently diagnosed friend. Realizing that many of the books she was reading, especially fiction, were written by non-autistics she began to realize that those living with autism deserved, and even needed, to have their voices heard and their own views expressed.

With a title like "Stim," short for stimming, an oft-stigmatized trait of those living with autism that just as often leaves them isolated and on the outside, you can be sure that "Stim: An Autistic Anthology" is bold, opinionated, honest, and filled with hard truths and free-spirited self-expression.

There are so many truly wonderful essays in "Stim: An Autistic Anthology" that it would be nearly impossible to pick out a single favorite.

Rachael Lucas, the Carnegie Medal-nominated author of YA novel "The State of Grace," contributes the thoughtful, poignant "The Lost Mothers," while Helen Carmichael serves up a peaceful, meditative essay about walking in nature called "Bluebells." Ashleigh J. Mills hits an absolute home run with "Handling the Bones," a journey through autism-friendly kink that allows for setting parameters, communicating clear expectations, and relating with concrete boundaries.

Going even further into sexuality is Reese Piper, whose essay "Stripping While Autistic" explores, well, stripping while autistic. It does so with honesty, vulnerability, and a little humor. It's easily one of the collection's true highlights.

Megan Rhiannon's artistic contributions, "It Has Nothing to Do with How I Look," are incredibly well done and meaningful. Grace Au's enlightening "Hungry" reflects on visiting an ill grandfather in China, while c.f. prior's "Escape to the Country" looks at queer spaces and Waverly SM's "Thirteen Ways of Looking at [You]" closes out the collection with the perfect weaving together of thought-provoking words and emotionally resonant imagery.

While "Stim: An Autistic Anthology" is centered within the world of autistic writers and artists, the essays themselves are diverse, thoughtful, incredibly intelligent, and enjoyable to read as they embrace a wide array of subjects including, but certainly not limited to, autism and the autism experience themselves. The writers themselves are of diverse experience and selections by Nell Brown, Kerima Cevik, Kurdish author Agri Ismail, Laura James, actor/playwright Katherine Kingsford, writer/filmmaker Tristan Alice Nieto, Robert Sheperd, gemma williams, and Tjallien de Witte round out this remarkable anthology with expertise and insight that will help illuminate autism and challenge the far too easily embraced media stereotypes.

"Stim: An Autistic Anthology" is being released on April 2nd - World Autism Day - and supporting this remarkable project is a tremendous way to observe this annual day of awareness for those living with autism.