By the way, any of you can read it for free here. I loved this one! Which makes me really excited about reading The Fifth Season next. The story does pack a punch, and the form the villains take on as they relentlessly pursue the narrator is both imaginative and chilling. The story is also liberally sprinkled with more F-bombs than I could count, which tends to be a turn-off for me personally, but it does fit the world Jemisin has created. “The City Born Great” does include a very hefty dose of social justice issues: not only is a minority the hero, but police are the evil villains out to choke the life of the city. I thought the concept was a little thin, but Jemisin explores it well, and the narrator’s rough life on the edges of society feels very real. He’s resistant to the idea, but as the song and pulse and birth pangs of the city become more compellingly real to him, he starts to get serious about what’s happening ― especially when he begins seeing terrifying enemies closing in, who are trying to kill both him and the city. The narrator, a homeless, gay African American, is mysteriously chosen for this process.

A person is magically chosen by the city as its midwife, to sing and help it through the birthing process. New York City is in the process of being literally “born,” as all great cities must be when they get sufficiently old and large. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t to my taste, but I think it’s likely to appeal to many readers. I was delighted to see a new online fantasy short story on Tor.com by the talented N.K. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature: This story is free online here at Tor.com.

One of the 2017 Hugo nominees, in the short story category.

The city born great