The Sum of Us: Tales of the Bonded and Bound

Recommended by Publishers Weekly

2018 (Canadian SF&F) Aurora Award Winner (Best Related Work/Anthology)

2018 Alberta Book Publishing Award Finalist (Best Speculative Fiction Book)

One story selected for Best of British Science Fiction 2017 (ed. by Donna Scott, Aug 2018)

One story selected for Best Indie Speculative Fiction, Vol. 1 (Bards & Sages Publishing, Nov 2018)

Five stories on Tangent Online Recommended Reading List 2017

One story - 2018 (Canadian SF&F) Aurora Award Short Fiction Winner

One story - 2018 WSFA Small Press Award Finalist

One story nominated - 2018 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic Short Fiction Shortlist

Three stories nominated - 2018 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic Short Fiction Longlist

The greatest gift to us is caring. What would the world be like without someone to care for or to care with? Would love survive if we don't care? From the world of twenty-three science fiction and fantasy authors comes a world that can be funny, heartwarming, strange, or sad. Or not what we expect.

How can a henchman keep up with a mischievous retired supervillain? Can a dog help a hockey player score again? Will an odd couple with a zany sense of adventure and diminished capabilities survive an earthquake? Where does a stray cat go to find love every night? What secret does a pious monk have with a cargo of sleeping human? Will terrorism in space take out a young apprentice and a blind welder? What does an oracle tell a lover about her final days? Can a "heart of gold" prevent a soldier from crossing the enemy line with the governor's children? These, and many more.

AUTHORS: Colleen Anderson, Charlotte Ashley, Brenda Cooper, Ian Creasey, A.M. Dellamonica, Bev Geddes, Claire Humphrey, Sandra Kasturi, Tyler Keevil, Juliet Marillier, Matt Moore, Heather Osborne, Nisi Shawl, Alex Shvartsman, Kate Story, Karina Sumner-Smith, Amanda Sun, Hayden Trenholm, James Van Pelt, Liz Westbrook-Trenholm, Edward Willett, Christie Yant, and Caroline M. Yoachim

Introduction by Dominik Parisien

Edited by Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law

Anthologies in this series (Strangers Among Us, The Sum of Us, Where the Stars Rise, Shades Within Us) have been recommended by Publishers Weekly, Booklist (American Library Association), Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Locus, Foreword Reviews, and Quill & Quire.

PRAISE FOR THE SUM OF US

"A strong collection . . . make it worth reading." - Publishers Weekly

" So definitely consider buying a copy, if not for yourself, then for someone who is serving as a caretaker. Hopefully the stories can serve as comfort to them. At the very least, it should make us all appreciate caretakers for all they do." - Lightspeed Magazine

"One of the better ones, with no 'howlers' and several thought provoking page-turners." -Tangent

About the Author
Marillier, Juliet: - Juliet Marillier, New Zealand born, Australian resident, writes historical fantasy novels and short stories, mostly for adult readers. Her work is published internationally and has won numerous awards. Juliet's lifelong love of folklore, fairy tales and mythology is a major influence on her writing. Among her works are the Blackthorn & Grim series, the Sevenwaters series and the Shadowfell series. She is a member of OBOD (the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.) When not busy writing, Juliet looks after her crew of five rescue dogs.Forest, Susan: - Susan Forest is a three-time Prix Aurora Award finalist and a writer of science fiction, fantasy and horror, and a freelance fiction editor. She co-edited two anthologies from Laksa Media, Strangers Among Us and The Sum of Us, with Lucas K. Law. They are currently working on their third anthology, Shades Within Us (Laksa Media). Her stories have appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Tesseracts, AE Science Fiction Review, OnSPEC Magazine, and The Urban Green Man, among others. Her collection of short fiction, Immunity to Strange Tales, was published by Five Rivers Publishing. Susan acted as judge for the Endeavour Award, and the Robin Herrington Memorial Short Story Contest, and she contributes to Calgary's annual literary festival, When Words Collide. Susan is also Secretary for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). She teaches creative writing at the Alexandra Centre, and has appeared at numerous local and international writing conventions.Law, Lucas K.: - Lucas K. Law is a Malaysian-born freelance editor and published author who divides his time and heart between Calgary and Qualicum Beach. He co-edited two anthologies from Laksa Media, Strangers Among Us and The Sum of Us, with Susan Forest. They are currently working on their third anthology, Shades Within Us (Laksa Media). With Derwin Mak, Lucas co-edited Where The Stars Rise (Laksa Media). He has been a jury member for a number of fiction competitions including Nebula, RITA and Golden Heart awards.When Lucas is not editing, writing, or reading, he is an engineering consultant and business coach, specializing in mergers and acquisition (M&A) activities, asset evaluations, business planning, and corporate development.