The Apex Book of World SF 4 edited by Mahvesh Murad is coming in late August. Between now and then, we would like to feature some of the contributors in the anthology.
Elana Gomel lives in Tel Aviv and is the author of six academic books, and multiple fantasy stories that have appeared in New Horizons, People of the Book, and elsewhere. Her fantasy novel, A Tale of Three Cities, was published in 2013.
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Tell us a little about your story in The Apex Book of World SF 4.
The story is called "The Farm" and it originates in my family history: one of my grandfathers was killed trying to force Ukrainian villagers to join a collective farm. I am fascinated with utopian dreams mutating into dystopian nightmares. This story is one attempt to understand how and why this happens.
Why do you feel it is important to read stories from around the globe?
We are one planet and we are all connected. I was born in a country that no longer exists (USSR) and have lived in Israel, California, China, Italy, and other places. There are more and more people like me (I actually wrote a book about my experience and got responses from many people who share it). Even if you never leave the country of your birth, you cannot understand the world today by limiting yourself to one culture.
If you could tell people to read one author from your home country, who would it be and why?
There are many interesting Israeli writers but science fiction is not a very popular genre - perhaps because reality in the Middle East is so fantastic. David Grossman is an iconic figure and a good introduction to the secular Israeli culture.
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