In Other Words is a collection of eight neurodivergent short stories, and I must admit I am both annoyed and amazed. For too long our publishing industries have held back those from minority groups, but after reading this magical and truly unique anthology I find myself wondering why more autistic writers do not become published. In Other Words is a stunning new collection of short stories by autistic authors. Between November 2016 and April 2017, eight writers took part in Mainspring Arts’ creative writing opportunity Square Peg Stories.

Each produced an original short story with mentoring from a wonderful team of published authors. The collection has an introduction by autistic author and poet Joanne Limburg, and a foreword by the novelist David Mitchell. It is beautiful, hilarious, heart-breaking, mind-bending and above all it showcases the enormous talent and creativity of a group of people who are often stereotyped as being unimaginative. A diverse selection of shorts with something here for everyone to enjoy; this is a truly original, captivating and thoroughly entertaining anthology. Highly recommended.

In Other Words features eight short stories which champion the writing of neurodiverse authors, This collection of stories was different than any other collection I had read before, featuring unique styles of writing, and themes as diverse as PTSD and magical talking animals. There were some stories I enjoyed more than others, but all were intriguing and very creative, and some I found I was still thinking about days after reading them. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short story collections or who wants to read something new and original. Well done to Mainspring Arts for creating this opportunity for autistic writers and for readers such as myself who get to enjoy their work.

Genre: Anthology | Short Stories

Released: Expected 24th June 2021

Publisher: Unbound



There is a distinct difference between books about autistic people and books by people with austism. Typically, neurodivergent people are portrayed in the arts and the media in a very certain way, a way not curated by neurodivergents themselves - Mainspring brought together this group of authors to try and increase the representation of neurodivergent people in the arts. Typically people with Autism are represented as being unimaginative, as not being literary, but if you still think that you should definitely give this a read.

While I love seeing more representation in the literary world - this is a book review after all, and this collection of short stories made to highlight the underrepresented and underappreciated is a selection of absolutely brilliant fiction in a wide variety of styles and genres.



A Conversation of Sparrows - Jon Adams

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A fifty-five year old gardener has been struggling with isolation and fear after being diagnosed with PTSD since a traumatic event changed his life. As he's learning to try and befriend and understand this new part of his life, the world around him seems different. But the birds in the garden are still singing if he can just listen to them.

Deeply descriptive, this tale was full of quiet unease and mystery that made it so compelling.



Standard Candles - Damien Sawyer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lianne and her baby Shannon are living in a small hostel room and recently she has been feeling as burned out as the candles she burns in the evenings. But at night, she dreams of a different world where people don't make passing comments about her being a young single parent without even knowing her. One day, she finally snaps and loses her temper at a complete stranger before deciding to try and make it right - her first attempt at connecting with someone in the longest time.

Real, raw and emotional - this story may be short but it was a full-on journey about self discovery, recovery and human connection.



Light Revolution - JB Wiskey

⭐⭐⭐

Tony and Sally had been married quite some time before she found out he wasn't always Tony - sometimes he was Floyd, who felt more comfortable in equine skin. But she isn't really sure how to make sense in her mind of the man she married not being him all the time and decides to get away from them both. But then a single peice of graffiti in the toilet throws earth-shattering changes to her entire life and the whole world.

Unique, fast-paced fiction that rather than rounding off as you'd expect just kept going and left my head spinning. Brilliantly written, this peice could definitely be marmite but it's the kind of story that keeps you reading just to know what happens next.



The Crows - Kate Roy

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mark was just a normal university student, sharing the campus with 400 other students. Now he shares it with 400 shadows and his former life is getting harder to remember. He doesn't know how he got to this twisted version of reality but he's desperate to get back to his life and the girl he loves before he disappears into the shadows for good.

Ominous, hauntingly beautiful imagery that left me with chills. For just a short story, The Crows had an entire universe of magic and wonder.



The Last Tree - Sarah

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Outside of the museum, outside of the dome, nature has become extinct. The humans have tried to rescue nature, but they're the reasons it needed rescuing in the first place. And for Gregor, the last tree on earth, the only thing left to do is stay stuck in his prison and try to scream at the visitors about how things once were. But nobody hears him, nobody cares - until the boy comes to visit.

Beautifully and strangely terrifying at the same time, this is one of those stories where nothing technically happens but it makes you feel everything. Full of heart, this was a truly stunning peice of writing.



The Clockmaker - Esther Lowery

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Annie Prescott has been fixing watches and clocks since she was old enough to work, trying to support her family. But when finds a broken watch discarded by a rich stranger, she feels something compelling her to keep it and not let it just be thrown aside because it's broken. Her life has been difficult since she lost her mother but when she tracks down the owner of some lost letters, she learns something that might just make the hands of her watch start to tick forward once more.

Packed full of emotion, heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once, this period-style short story was full of character and charm.



The Beach House - Luke Matthews

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nick is turning thirty tomorrow and it's like his life is already over. Haunted by the memories of his former life, his former family and the worst thing he's ever done. But at least here, at his precious beach house, the sound of the waves might be able to drown out the noise in his head for at just a moment.

A quiet journey into Nicks mind, this story was all about a character filled with tragedy and despair and no idea how to let go of any of it. It was like being on the beach alone at night - dark and unsettling, but familiar and beckoning at the same time.



Winona the Angelic Wizard - Richard Baskett

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Winona and her Border Collie Cody walked into hearing her grandmothers will just a normal woman and dog. But when they left, she had the secrets of her grandmothers magic and Cody could talk. Moving into the wizards bungalow that held her family legacy, Winona has to learn what it really means to be a wizard.

Quirky, colourful and magical, this story featured plenty of talking animals which is always a sure way to win me over. It felt like the shortest story of the collection but it was practically bursting with charm.



Thank you to all the authors at Mainspring Arts, Unbound and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.