My Goodreads review: The Gravity of Existence

[ankh_hpl]

The Gravity of Existence by Christina Sng

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This collection of minimalist speculative poems -- haiku, tanka and other brief forms -- joyfully tests the limits of what can be done with few words. Opening with a dark SF haibun, Christina Sng quickly shifts focus to horror (three sections), followed by mostly dark SF (two sections) and a very dark SF section for "The End."

In most cases, the haiku and tanka are presented in titled groups, forming a loosely-constructed longer poem from items previously published elsewhere. This works remarkably well, although the haiku especially become more like stars in a constellation than stanzas in a narrative work. The reader may visit them in any order, picking up resonances between them. Other haiku and tanka appear separately titled, with the titles intrinsic to their meanings. These didn't work quite as well for me, possibly because I'm not used to haiku with titles.

As one would expect from a haiku / scifaiku poet, Sng's vision is precise and frequently bleak. Some of the longer poems have distinct "punch lines," though these are never clichés. This is a generously-sized collection, but I found myself reading most of it in a single sitting. Well-crafted scifaiku, it seems, are a bit like potato chips.

Recommended for readers of both mainstream haiku and speculative poetry, or poetry-shy SF / H fans looking to broaden their horizons. My thanks to NetGalley, who provided me with a free copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review.



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