This book is such a mix of great and terrible stories. Some exciting and haunting, others dull and bleak.

It's a mixed bag, some stories are excellent and some a bit predictable. I had high expectations for Lidqvist but it's not one of his best stories.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Nordic Visions, a collection of Nordic speculative fiction edited by Margrét Helgadóttir, presented an often bizarre and, in my opinion, weak set of stories, at least in its first third. The Swedish writers John Ajvide Lindqvist ('She', trans. Marlaine Delargy) and Maria Haskins ('Lost and Found') kick off the collection with a horror and a science fiction story, respectively. Unfortunately, both felt incredibly familiar and cliched to me, and also poorly written, although I accept that Lindqvist's story is in translation. Things did not improve in the Danish section of the book, where I just did not get Kaspar Colling Nielsen's unpleasant little tale, 'The False Fisherman', which also contained no speculative elements as far as I could see. My best guess is that this is a retelling of a Danish folktale that I don't know, but I don't think I would have enjoyed it any more had I been better informed. Similarly, Jakob Drud's 'Heather Country' presented an equally nasty world, although this one did at least contain some original SF elements. The only story that I connected with in the part of the book I read was Karin Tidbeck's arresting 'Sing', which resonated with another book I'm currently reading, Octavia E. Butler's Dawn; Tidbeck's writing is spare but strong, and the central idea here is so memorable. By this point, though, I just didn't trust the quality of Helgadóttir's selections any more. 2.5 stars.

A fascinating and enjoyable set of stories from writers who are new and somewhat familiar. The best part of this anthology, to me, is that a reader can find a story that connects among the titles collected — all through a science fiction lens.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Nordic Visions” is an anthology of speculative fiction short stories edited by Margrét Helgadóttir, featuring a variety of contemporary Nordic authors. These fifteen stories are grouped by their country of origin, and span different genres: from horror to science fiction and fantasy.

I hadn’t read much Nordic fiction before, so I appreciate the opportunity to do so. I think the only author here whose work I’d read was Lindqvist, with “Let the right one in” (2004).

Here are some brief impressions:

- From Sweden: Lindqvist’s “She” was a terrifying ghost story, and easily one of my favourites from the book. “Lost and found” by Maria Haskins and “Sing” by Karin Tidbeck both dealt with space exploration and colonization, though in different ways. I wish Haskins had been clearer about her character’s motivation, because I liked what I suspected happened, but I’m not sure if I’m right?

- From Denmark: “The false fisherman” by Kaspar Colling Nielsen was an interesting portrait that ultimately dealt with thew different social perceptions of men and women. Jakob Drud’s “Heather country” was a dark and intriguing, yet often confusing, dystopia, and Lene Kaaberbøl’s “The traveller girl” was a simple story of Otherhood.

- From the Faroe Islands: Rakel Helmsdal’s “The abyss” was a little too surrealist for me, I didn’t understand what was going on and it was hard to picture it.

- From Iceland: I enjoyed “The Dreamgiver” by Johann Thorsson, an ominous story with a surprising ending. On the other hand, Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson’s “Hamraborg Babylon” was a sci-fi dystopia that felt overly long and unexplained.

- From Norway: Once again we visit a futuristic space colony in “As you wish”, by Tor Åge Bringsværd, and a grimdark dystopia in “A lion roars in Longyearbyen”, from Helgadóttir. “The cormorant” by Tone Almhjell and “The day Jones shadowed his dad” by Thore Hansen take on a more fantastic quality.

- From Finland: We have two more dystopias from Johanna Sinisalo and Hannu Rajaniemi: “A bird does not sing because it has an answer” and “Elegy for a young elk”. The first one had some interesting ideas and a simple statement ending to make you think, although it was hard to figure out where the story was set. I thought the second one was very confusing. Finally, “The wings that slice the sky” by Emmi Itäranta was a female-centered retelling of the Finnish epic “Kalevala” - sad, but I enjoyed it.

As is evident, this is quite an eclectic collection! Whether you enjoy visiting dystopias and sci-fi settings, or prefer a taste of folk stories, there might be something here for you worth checking out.

Something I wanted to point out is that I think it’s a shame that the editor talks in the introduction about the importance of including all voices, and acknowledges that the Nordic region is also home to indigenous and First Nations peoples, yet she “sadly” didn’t manage to include any of them in this anthology. Why not?

The formatting of my ARC was also not great, unfortunately, which meant I had to constantly refer back to the index to find the title and confirm I’d moved on to a different story.

This was an especially refreshing read, in an age where everything is haunted houses and teen angst in fiction. Very unique and entertaining. I highly recommend this.

I must admit, when it comes to reviewing books, I do have a soft spot for an anthology.

Even when it doesn't wholly work, there are so many original ideas spliced into 300+ pages that makes them a fascinating read. Nordic Visions, as the title suggests, is a collection of short genre fiction compiled by Margaret Helgottir.

What Helgottir does is split Scandinavia up into the particular countries, so Sweden, Denmark, The Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and Finland and uses them as chapters for each short story from said country.

What comes through in a lot of the stories is the otherness, as for non-Nordic readers we are exploring different landscapes, with different climates and characters maybe a lot more complex than we may have read about previously.

We get tales of haunted houses, post-apocalyptic futures, with blends of science, mythology and natural themes.

One of my personal highlights was Helgadottir's own tale A Lion Roars in Longyearbyen, which is about a celebrity lion that has gone missing. It's not the story you expect and you become emotionally invested in what could be such a throwaway tale; that's the power of the words on the page.

Conclusively, Nordic Visions, which comprises 35 tales in one book, is a thrilling collection of diverse tales that will excite, entertain and scare some readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of this text in exchange for a honest review.

'Nordic Visions: The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction' is a selection of short stories written by Speculative Fiction authors from the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway etc.) with the themes often focusing on the dark and surreal.

I found that this selection of stories was interesting to read, with a few in particular grabbing my interest, such as "The Cormorant" by Tone Almhjell and "She" by John Ajvide Lindqvist. However my main qualms come from the ranging genres of stories that are contained, I feel that one genre throughout would've gripped me much more!

The cover artwork for this book is utterly stunning and it belongs on anyone's bookshelf for that alone!

'Nordic Visions: The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction' is a very interesting and great introduction to reading speculative fiction and I would definitely recommend reading a few of these stories to my fellow book fans!

If this anthology is any indication, we need more Nordic speculative fiction! I devoured all of the stories with glee. Like Nordic movies and TV shows, the stories reflect a specifically Scandinavian view of the world, told through the eyes of those who live in a cold, dark, region of Europe with it's own gripping atmosphere. Plots ranged from haunted houses to dystopian futures. Highly recommended!

This collection of short stories from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and The Faroe Islands is a must read for fans of well written twisting tales. The stories in this collection have a timeless ring to them that makes the work incredibly impressive. This is definetly a book I will be returning to — with its nordic bite and dark edge it is up there with the best contemporary story collections I have read. Definetly one of my favourite books of 2023

I’ve been recalling enjoying reading anthologies from various cultures around the world, and I really enjoyed reading this one and would probably buy to add it to my collection.

I ABSOLUTELY loved Nordic Visions. I enjoy reading short stories and this book was a homerun. I believe our patrons will fall in love with this book just as I did.

Nordic Visions: The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction is a collection of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror short stories from celebrated Nordic authors. Nordic countries are known for their storytelling, and this collection gives English-speaking countries a chance to read stories by these authors.

While this should have been a short story collection that I would be raving about, I really didn't care for this. Maybe it was the format that the eBook was given to me but it felt very random and pulled together. I think I would rather read a full story from one of these authors rather than a short story collection from all 15. While I see what this was going for, it just really was a struggle to get through.

The best part about this was having a short description of each author tied to their short stories to give readers who are unfamiliar with their work a little blurb. I definitely want to check out what some of the featured authors have written and maybe I would like their longer works more. 2/5 stars.

In general, I thought this was great. As with all anthologies, there were some stories that I felt didn't live up to the rest, but that's part of the package deal. This will make a great gift this holiday season for those who'd like something fresh and interesting.

4 Stars
One Liner: Intriguing, creative, and entertaining

Nordic Visions is a collection of speculative fiction written by famous authors from the region. The editor’s note emphasizes that the stories aren’t necessarily set in the region but only belong to the Nordic authors. Also, the focus is on ‘speculative fiction’ and not ‘Nordic fiction’. This helps in having the right expectations from the book.
I could enjoy the stories as they are without wondering why many of them have nothing to do with their native land. The collection is categorized based on countries. This doesn’t add anything except to bring a better structure to the anthology.
As always, I rate each story, accompanied by a short review. Only 4 out of 16 stories fall below the 4-star mark. Each story is distinctive, but they have common themes like technological domination, a blend of science and mythology, nature, etc.
I read one or two stories per day and wrote the reviews soon after reading. These haven’t been edited (except for grammar) to retain the initial impressions.

Sweden
She by John Ajvide Lindqvist (Translated by Marlaine Delargy) – 4 Stars
The narrator and his wife Alice spend their earnings rebuilding an old home. They are excited for a new beginning. However, someone else also seems to have moved in with them. But who is she? What does she want? The story is divided into three nights for the present track, with the past woven in between. The narration is slow-paced but atmospheric and suits the plot. The clues are artfully scattered and provide enough detail to connect the dots. The ending is open, though.
Lost and Found by Maria Haskins – 4 Stars
So this is set in the future on an unnamed planet with loads of sand. The story comes in the limited third-person of two characters. While the plot, as such, is vague, the writing has a haunting beauty to it. The recurring use of wind creates a kind of melancholic melody (something I didn’t know was possible in sci-fi). However, a couple of lines in the second person broke my focus.
Sing by Karin Tidbeck – 4 Stars
This is set in a possible colony in a dystopian future with artificial satellites as moons. Aino is a tailor who meets Petr, a biologist studying lichen’s growth in the region. He is fascinated with the locals (and Aino) while she longs for something else. The story comes from Aino’s first-person POV and weaves between the present and past. I’m still not sure about the setting, but whatever is provided works to imagine it to an extent. It’s a story of longing for acceptance.

Denmark
The False Fisherman by Kaspar Colling Nielsen (Translated by Olivia Lasky) – 3.5 Stars
Written in the third person, we get the story of a 40+ man who decides to become a fisherman. It has less to do with fishing but everything to do with being a fisherman. How this changes his life is the story. The writing is distant and almost without emotion, which suits the MC’s arc. This feels more like a metaphorical tale with deeper meanings.
Heather Country by Jakob Drud – 3.5 Stars
Set in a dystopian world, we have people using pig shit as fertilizer for fuel. The NeuroClan, with not-so-human accountants, rules the region with a super tight fist. The narrator and a biologist are sent to investigate the case, which becomes two cases. What’s the connection? What will happen? The premise is definitely creative, but the use of well-known tropes dim the enjoyment. Some readers will love this one.
The Traveller Girl by Lene Kaaberbøl – 4 Stars
Jovin knows he’ll become the owner of Hasalin when he marries Siri next year. His life seems sorted until he meets a traveler girl, Zara. The villagers hate Travelers, and things escalate. However, Jovin might learn a few lessons in the process. The story comes from Jovin’s third-person POV. The narration and execution are simple, elevating the content and unsaid to take over. The ending is the icing on the cake.

The Faroe Islands
The Abyss by Rakel Helmsdal (Translated by Marita Thomsen) – 2 Stars
Umm… this is a first-person narration of a person hanging upside down on an endless iron bar. What happens when they decide to let go? How are they? What is their destination? I’m not sure what this story is about. My first impression was that on the Hanged Man from Tarot Cards. Let’s say the ending also seems to align with it. Otherwise, this went over my head. Thankfully, it was a short piece.

Iceland
The Dreamgiver by Johann Thorsson – 4.5 Stars
Oh, this is good! A real short story narrated in the first-person by a dad who wants to protect his son from nightmares. The setting is eerie. The writing has a weariness that matches the character’s situation. The core storyline is very simple, but the execution enhances it.
Hamraborg Babylon by Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson (Translated by Quentin Bates) – 4 Stars
A woman walks into the mysterious Hamraborg city on a mission. The place is creepy, strange, and almost impossible to escape. But what does she want? Does she succeed? Written in a detached third-person POV, this one gave me strong Neverwhere (by Neil Gaiman) vibes. The ending is almost anti-climatic, but looks like that’s the intention.

Norway
As You Wish by Tor Åge Bringsværd (Translated by Olivia Lasky) – 4 Stars
Written in the second-person POV, this story is set in dystopian mines underground. The story feels disjointed in the beginning, but things fall into place soon. The execution and narration make this a worthy read. It’s almost like a mind game.
The Cormorant by Tone Almhjell – 4.5 Stars
Set on an island and narrated by a girl raised by a single mother, this is the story of loneliness, despair, and the struggle for belongingness. The setting is atmospheric, with the icy sea wind adding tinges of darkness to the plot. It does seem like a metaphorical tale, but it does work as a regular tale (with an open ending). The writing is beautiful.
The Day Jonas Shadowed His Dad by Thore Hansen (Translated by Olivia Lasky) – 3.5 Stars
This is MG fiction! Needless to say, I was surprised to find a light and cute story in the book. Written in Jonas’ third-person POV, it’s the story of what happens when the kid follows his dad to know where he works. The content is vibrant and full of light, but the story as such feels a little too simple. There’s a lot of detail and description, but the plot is thin. The ending is good, though.
A Lion Roars in Longyearbyen by Margrét Helgadóttir – 4.5 Stars
Oh, this is beautiful! Set in a distant future, it’s the story of a missing celebrity lion, Levi. Told from the third-person POV of multiple characters, the story reveals itself in layers and ends on a bittersweet note. It’s heartfelt and beautiful.

Finland
A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has an Answer by Johanna Sinisalo – 5 Stars
Set in the future (2042), the story deals with a person using an advanced virtual avatar to gather data from an AI Box in a forest. He details his experience of the process and what happens when he finds a bird’s nest on the Box. The second half of the story is wonderful. The message is delivered without any preaching or drama. One of the best stories in the book.
Elegy for a Young Elk by Hannu Rajaniemi – 4 Stars
Well! What do I say? It’s a strange story with a strange setting. But Kosonen is as human as he can get. Otso, the talking bear is another highlight. But what makes the story tick is the last quarter, especially the ending. Heartwarming! A highly imaginative premise with the right touch of humanity.
The Wings that Slice the Sky by Emmi Itäranta – 4.5 Stars
This is a retelling of the Finnish National Epic, Kalevala, told from Louhi’s first-person POV. It’s a proper mythological fantasy with drama, emotions, betrayal, greed, revenge, sorcery, etc. The writing is strong and makes the story come alive on the pages. I read a quick summary of a version of the original from Wiki and would like to read a fuller version someday. Can’t say whether the story does justice to the epic, though it does use the core elements (from what I’ve found).

To summarize, Nordic Visions is an intriguing, entertaining, and thought-provoking collection of speculative fiction by writers from the Nordic region. Check out the book to see which stories you’ll enjoy.
The author bios are at the end of the book, and naturally, I added a few books to my TBR after going through the list!
Thank you, NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing (Solaris), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I found the first two short stories quiet mind boggling because they were quite different from what I have been use too. The third is like if we like pigs and their shit reminds me of if we were run by the communists. I really dislike this book very much.

Speculative Fiction is a delightfully broad genre, which contains paranormal, horror, and fantastic tales. Equally, the "Nordic Countries" is a delightfully broad region, which has a wide array of incredibly talented writers to offer beyond the popular ScandiNoir genre. Nordic Visions was my first introduction to all these authors and I loved spending time with their imagination. Many thanks to Rebellion and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My interest in "the North" is technically something of a skewed one. I work with, and love, the Old Norse literature written in Iceland and Norway during the High Middle Ages and so when I think of Scandinavia I tend to approach it from a medieval angle. And yet, I also grew up on childrens' books from this region, especially Astrid Lindgren's works like Pippi Långstrump by and her books about the Bullerby children, and have dipped into the ScandiNoir pond quite a bit. My love for Speculative Fiction, however, a kind of umbrella genre that encompasses Fantasy, Science Fiction, the Paranormal and more, never looked to the North. So when Nordic Visions came onto my radar I was immediately intrigued how the cold, northern air and long nights would transform this genre. Nordic Visions, as Margrét Helgadóttir mentions in her Introduction, is only a small representation of the voices of the North although it's a step in the right direction to make these works more accessible to international audiences.

Nordic Visions is divided into sections according to the authors' countries, which I thought was very interesting. The Faroe Islands, for example, are only represented by one story, 'The Abyss' by Rakel Helmsdal, but this just happened to be one of my favourite stories in the entire collection which is at once super abstract and yet speaks very deeply to the human experience. Another story I loved was 'Hamraborg Babylon' by Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson because it felt very mystic and dark and yet was full of tactile and clear details. The collection's opening story, 'She' by John Ajvide Lindqvist from Sweden, is a horror tale of a haunting, which brings the history of the North into stark relief. I did not expect how it ended and was blown away. 'The Cormorant' by Tone Almhjell from Norway is a story which plays more in the Fantasy genre, but it's full of strong imagery and powerful emotions. The collection ends on three Finnish stories, 'A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has Answers' by Johanna Sinisalo, a science fiction tale about nature and humanity, 'Elegy for a Young Elk' by Hannu Rajaniemi, another Sci-Fi story about human relationships, technology, and love, and 'The Wings that Slice the Sky' by Emmi Itäranta, a beautiful take on the Finnish Kalevala full of love and fury. Ending on these three was almost like saving some of the best for last, three last bites which contain everything that makes this collection so brilliant. At the bottom of the review you will find a full list of stories, authors, and translators.

What surprised me in these stories was the way in which the sometimes harsh landscape and climate of these regions is counterbalanced by the very human and real connections people have with the land and each other. Nordic Visions definitely serves to correct the potential stereotype that everything up North is darkness, misery, and cold. I mean, those are definitely to be found in these stories as well, but there is also a brightness and vividness to much of the writing which warmed me. A characteristic to many of the stories is their endings, which still leave the reader with a lot to think about. I adore this in fiction, when an author trusts me enough to make up my own mind and doesn't feel the pressure to committ to any single one theme or interpretation. Especially with stories like 'The Abyss' by Rakel Helmsdal, which move so far away from a familiar setting that they become dreamlike, I loved the abruptness of the ending. If you prefer to have a clear ending which provides you with closure, then some of these stories maybe aren't for you, but it would still be worth giving the collection a try. You have to work with these stories, let them sink in, and then new aspects will be opened up to you. While not every single story landed equally well with me, I do know I've added a whole set of names to my list of authors to keep an eye out for.

Nordic Visions is an absolutely stunning collection of speculative fiction from the Nordic Countries, including tales of the paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I'm delighted to have met these authors through this collection and will continue to search out their work.

'She', by John Ajvide Lindqvist, trans. by Marlaine Delargy.

'Lost and Found' by Maria Haskins, trans. by Maria Haskins.

'Sing' by Karin Tidbeck.

'The False Fisherman' by Kaspar Colling Nielsen, trans. by Olivia Lasky.

'Heather Country' by Jakob Drud.

'The Traveller Girl' by Lene Kaarberbøl, trans. by Lene Kaarberbøl.

'The Abyss' by Rakel Helmsdal, trans. by Marita Thomsen.

'The Dreamgiver' by Johann Thorsson.

'Hramraborg Babylon' by Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson, trans. by Quentin Bates.

'As You Wish' by Tor Åge Bringsværd, trans. by Olivia Lasky.

'The Cormorant' by Tone Almhjell.

'The Day Jonas Shadowed His Dad' by Thore Hansen, trans. by Olivia Lasky.

'A Lion Roars in Longyearbyen' by Margrét Helgadóttir.

'A Bird Does Not Sing Because It Has an Answer' by Johanna Sinisalo.

'Elegy for a Young Elk' by Hannu Rajaniemi.

'The Wings that Slice the Sky' by Emmi Itäranta, trans. by Emmi Itäranta.

A distinctive collection of Nordic fiction which includes science fiction, fantasy and horror. It is contemporary fiction which surprised me as I thought it would be stories from the earlier times. I did find myself enjoying this collection of stories. I was eager to read these 16 stories as my grandparents were from the Nordic countries. I don’t want to discuss each story as I believe that the reader should discover and decide if he liked the different contemporary stories. This book is an excellent collection of speculative Nordic fiction.

This book is not what I typically would reach for based on genre alone. BUT, this book was such a fun read I’m glad I read it!! It kept my attention the entire time and I felt myself discouraged when I finished it.

This eclectic mix of sci-fi, horror and dystopia tales was a smorgasbord for the senses. Although I preferred some stories more than others, it was refreshing to read such varied stories with often common themes of isolation, wilderness and nature. I would certainly recommend this to anyone wanting to try this range of genres or I will recommend individual stories for different readers.