“One of the best collections I’ve ever read. Every single story is a standout.”—Roxane GayWINNER OF THE CHAUTAUQUA PRIZE • LONGLISTED FOR THE STORY PRIZE • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • Refinery29 • BookRiot“Fuses science, myth, and imagination into a dark and gorgeous series of questions about our current predicaments.”—Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot SeeA … predicaments.”—Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See
A dystopian tale about genetically modified septuplets who are struck by a mysterious illness; a love story about a man bewitched by a mermaid; a stirring imagining of the lives of Nigerian schoolgirls in the aftermath of a Boko Haram kidnapping. The stories in All the Names They Used for God break down genre barriers—from science fiction to American Gothic to magical realism to horror—and are united by each character’s brutal struggle with fate. Like many of us, the characters in this collection are in pursuit of the sublime. Along the way, they must navigate the borderland between salvation and destruction.
NAMED A MUST-READ BOOK BY Harper’s Bazaar • Entertainment Weekly • AM New York • Reading Women AND A TOP READ BY Elle • Fast Company • The Christian Science Monitor • Bustle • Shondaland • Popsugar • Refinery29 • Bookish • Newsday • The Millions • Asian American Writers’ Workshop • HelloGiggles
“Strange and wonderful . . . delightfully unexpected.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Completing one [story] is like having lived an entire life, and then being born, breathless, into another.”—Carmen Maria Machado
“Captivating.”—NPR
“Gripping.”—Los Angeles Review of Books
“[A] remarkable debut . . . Sachdeva is seemingly fearless and her talent limitless.”—AM New York
“This phenomenal debut short-story collection is filled with stories that bring the otherworldly to life and examine the strangeness of humanity.”—Bustle
“So rich they read like dreams . . . They are enormous stories, not in length but in ambition, each an entirely new, unsparing world. Beautiful, draining—and entirely unforgettable.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
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What an outstanding short story collection. I knew nothing about this book going in and was thrilled by each story. There is so much range here, and there is a nice fabulist edge to nearly all the stories. The writer wields so much confidence and control in her prose and, my goodness, what imagination, what passion there is in this work. From one story to the next I felt like the writer knows everything about everything.
Fuses science, myth, and imagination into a dark and gorgeous series of questions about our current predicaments.
Each of these stories is a perfect diorama: scrupulously assembled, complex, unsettling. Completing one is like having lived an entire life, and then being born, breathless, into another.
This book of short stories is absolutely stunning, a remarkable achievement, breathtaking. After reading each story, I had to take a little time to gather myself. I can’t describe the genre: literary, science fiction, fantasy, magic realism. Reading this book was for me a transcendent experience. “Killer of Kings” is one of the most beautifully written stories I have ever read. “Pleiades,” pure sadness and poetry and a cautionary tale. Anjali Sachdeva’s writing makes me feel as though I have never written a book, that I have yet to begin and so much to learn.
Simply amazing short stories – I read one a night – and couldn’t wait to go to bed and read one. And I am NOT a short story lover so…….I will read anything else this new writer writes.
A collection of crappy stories that could not be sold alone.
Don’t waste your time or money.
I do not recommend this book, and I did read it all.
I thought this collection of stories was truly original and fascinating, still haunting me with its unusual plots and outcomes.
I don’t usually read a lot of short story collections but I chose this based on its recommendations and was not disappointed.
Full of beautifule prose.
Some of the most imaginative writing I’ve seen. Some stories created a sense of anticipatory dread, like being a misbehaving child waiting for dad to come home and punish me. A unique tension with some of the tales is created because the line between mystical and plausible is so narrow. I wish they would allow more than 5 stars. This unique literature deserves better than a 4 of 5, yet I can’t quite say 5 of 5. Read it and find out. At the least you will read finely crafted use of the language.
This collection of short stories is a standout. Drawn from various walks of life and various historical periods, each story is intriguing and fresh. I expect to reread them from time to time. The author has real skill in characterization. Her people are wonderfully flawed and believable. Definitely worth a read.
Did not really care for it and didn’t even finish it
Well written, beautiful prose. Great stories.
It is impossible to read these stories and not have your view of the world changed.
To know the names of gods !!!
Well written, sometimes bizarre.
An interesting collection of very unique short stories. Different from anything I’ve read…
Ended rather abruptly.