As the Earth Dreams: Black Canadian Speculative Stories edited by Terese Mason Pierre.

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you didn’t take that turn or didn’t answer that phone call one night? How about if you agreed to meet up with family instead of declining the invitation? It’s almost a game one plays; the ability to think beyond what we’ve chosen—an alternate path. That same curiosity pushes us into the explorative genre of speculative fiction. The not-quite of possibilities and realities just off the mark of what we currently live in. It’s a powerful space, and when done right, it opens readers up to imagining something beyond us while oftentimes critiquing what our current reality seems to lack—either as a grand scale observation, or something internal and personal.

Terese Mason Pierre, a Toronto-based writer, author of Myth, and editor at Augur (a Canadian speculative literary journal) uses this same genre to create a space for Black writers and writers of colour. Using short stories written by marginalized authors, she artfully coalesces the themes of re-imagination and connection, all while celebrating Black futures in As the Earth Dreams. Each author reveals their vulnerabilities and hopes within their stories—their version of reality, and we have the honour in exploring them. As Pierre writes in her introduction, there’s a sense of connection in each story, a desire and understanding of parts we want to be seen.

Honestly speaking, I loved every second of reading this anthology. I’ve made notes in the margins and often sat to really think about each story, even after I moved onto the next. Ten stories with Black protagonists; all of them leaving a lasting and haunting impression. With “Paroxysm”, the saying, “a clear space for a clear mind” is physically manifested through garbage bags that multiply in each passing second. Oizys shuts herself away from people in fear of a disease that’s triggered by high negative emotions, only to descend into the very thing she fears. How those trash bags visually represent isolation and the internalization of stress chipping away at the mind is beautifully done. Saying “I’m fine” doesn’t make the problem go away. Instead, one should take chances before it’s too late—talking can clear a path for something more and make lasting connections with others that could help ease that fear, even a little. We shouldn’t have to internalize or suffer silently in fear of being a burden, instead, being able to show our vulnerability is what we deserve.

There’s always more within the in-between; to comb through and figure out what’s being said and revealed in that space of “not-quite”. As the Earth Dreams is exactly as its namesake, our imagination and dreams are boundless.

In “Hallelujah Here and Elsewhere”, there’s a certain tenderness throughout this story that strips you bare. It reminds us of what it means to have someone on our side; to reconnect with something you once thought lost or incapable of. A postdoc professor named Hallelujah finds a different version of herself in Elsewhere, an alternate life, by passing through a spatial tear in her home. We watch Hallelujah slowly forgive herself; she shouldn’t punish herself for being sexually assaulted by her uncle. Instead, she deserves to love and be loved—her partner being that safe space. We shouldn’t have to punish ourselves for things outside of our control. We’re worth something more and deserve to find inner peace and acceptance. It’s what many of us dream of, surrounding ourselves with genuine love, and the author perfectly examines this relationship between the self and the peace gained from that.

As the Earth Dreams is heavily relatable, especially as I’m also a Black Canadian. Each story had anecdotes and tidbits that evoke a familiarity that surprised me in the best way possible. I felt seen. From steel barrels turned barbeque grills to patois and heavily accented slang written word-for-word in dialogue, even down to the experience of having family back home that know all about you, but you only remember their names. It brought a sense of belonging, even if I won’t be seeing flying carpets or attending the fourth resurrection of a loved one anytime soon. Different dreams are woven into these stories and I realize that I’ve also dreamed of something similar for my future: being vulnerable, being loved and loving, accepting myself for who I am and reconnecting with others. It’s breathtaking and beautiful how each message feels like it’s a step away; something we can really reach out towards.

There’s always more within the in-between; to comb through and figure out what’s being said and revealed in that space of “not-quite”. As the Earth Dreams is exactly as its namesake, our imagination and dreams are boundless. Black writers and writers of colour take this space to create what others can relate to—finding meaning in the imagination and dreams of a world where we can be ourselves and reconnect with the aspects that we might’ve forgotten or neglected. Hopefully, from these dreams, we’ll bring them out into reality.

Terese Mason Pierre (she/her) is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in The Walrus, ROOM, Brick, Quill & Quire, Uncanny, and Fantasy Magazine, among others. Her work has been nominated for the bpNichol Chapbook Award, Best of the Net, the Aurora Award, and the Ignyte Award. She is one of ten winners of the Writers’ Trust Journey Prize, and was named a Writers’ Trust Rising Star. Terese is an editor at Augur Magazine, a Canadian speculative literature journal, and co-Director of AugurCon, Augur‘s biennial speculative literature conference. She has co-hosted poetry reading series, spoken at conferences, organized literary events, judged writing contests, facilitated creative writing workshops, and mentored emerging writers. Myth is her debut poetry collection, from House of Anansi Press, and she is the editor of As The Earth Dreams, an anthology of Black Canadian speculative short fiction. Terese has completed residencies at Island Scribe and the Banff Centre, holds an MFA from University of Guelph, and lives and works in Toronto, Canada. Follow her Instagram and Bluesky.

As The Earth Dreams features work by the following authors:

Trynne Delaney
francesca ekwuyasi
Whitney French
Aline-Mwezi Niyonsenga
Chimedum Ohaegbu
Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Chinelo Onwualu
Lue Palmer
Terese Mason Pierre
Zalika Reid-Benta

Publisher: House Of Anansi (October 14th, 2025)
Paperback: 8″ x 5″ | 192 pp
ISBN: 9781487012663

Alicia Beggs-Holder

With a BA in English from Toronto Metropolitan University, Alicia Beggs-Holder has experience editing and reviewing various literary works. Possessed with boundless curiosity, she’s an avid pursuer of anything interesting. From folklore to insects, she’s a “spooky” enthusiast with a passion for all literature and writing short stories or dabbling in traditional art.