Hay-men, mommets, tattie bogles, kakashi, tao-tao—whether formed of straw or other materials, the tradition of scarecrows is pervasive in farming cultures around the world. The scarecrow serves as decoy, proxy, and effigy—human but not human. We create them in our image and ask them to protect our crops and by extension our very survival, but we refrain from giving them the things a creation...
"Each of these stories features a wintry, inhospitable setting occupied by tenacious survivors and innovators, and an emphasis on LGBTQ representation and female empowerment runs through each of these visions for more progressive futures…readers will take comfort in this wide range of snowy, hopeful tales." —Publishers Weekly
Optimistic science fiction short stories with an environmental focus. Includes a post-apocalyptic mobile librarian, a rock band performing in an Australian opal mine, and the sweetest genetically engineered spider you'll ever meet.