Soul Jar: Thirty-One Fantastical Tales by Disabled Authors

Unique stories, profound stories, wacky stories, highly imaginative stories, all offered through the lens of disability representation. This collection is as compelling — and fun — as it is important. Recommended By Gigi L., Powells.com

Foreword by Nicola Griffith, author of Hild and Spear

Too often, science fiction and fantasy stories erase — or cure — characters with disabilities. Soul Jar, edited by author and bookstore owner Annie Carl, features thirty-one stories by disabled authors, imagining such wonders as a shapeshifter on a first date, skin that sprouts orchid buds, and a cereal-box demon. An insulin pump diverts an undead mob. An autistic teen sets out to discover the local cranberry bog's sinister secret. A pizza delivery on Mars goes wrong. This thrillingly peculiar collection sparkles with humor, heart, and insight, all within the context of disability representation.

Authors include Cormack Baldwin of Oregon; Meghan Beaudry of Texas; Ellis Bray of Washington; Lane Chasek of Nebraska; Lyss Copeland of Rhode Island; AJ Cunder of New Jersey; K.G. Delmare of New York; Andrew Giffin of Virginia; Mika Grimmer of Washington; Eirik Gumeny of New Mexico; Kit Harding of Massachusetts; Travis Flatt of Tennessee; Adam Fout of Texas; Christy George of Oregon; Nicola Griffith of Washington; Paul Jessup of Pennsylvania; Lily-Marie Jurich of Washington; Evergreen Lee of Florida; Judy Lunsford of Arizona; Danielle Mullen of New Mexico; Raven Oak of Washington; El Park of Maine; Simon Quinn of Arizona; Danielle Ranucci of New York; Julie Reeser of Montana; Jennifer Lee Rossman of New York; Holly Saiki of Hawaii; Carol Schena of Virginia; Nisi Shawl of Washington; Jaye Viner of Nebraska; Dawn Vogel of Washington; and Bethy Wernert of Arizona

“Like disability itself, these stories are a myriad of things: rich, nuanced, furious, complicated, joyous, determined. They are wild howls of imagination that simultaneously manage to showcase a vast spectrum of true, lived experience. Let Soul Jar be an arrow sent out into the world.” Keith Rosson, author of Fever House

“For those of us with bodies that look and function differently than the majority, reading science fiction and fantasy can be a means of feeling understood and seen, or being ever closer to a world that is more welcoming than the real one. I'm grateful to Annie Carl and the talented authors who make up the contents of Soul Jar — these vibrant, haunting, full-hearted tales are as necessary as they are entertaining.” Mo Daviau, connective tissue-disordered author of Every Anxious Wave

“Soul Jar is a fantastical bullhorn for voices that so often go unheard. Dive into this captivating collection of narratives, crafted by authors intimately familiar with the complexities of living with disabilities. Vibrant characters come alive, navigating a range of experiences and emotions, while simultaneously illuminating the impact representation in literature can have. The stories in this extraordinary anthology will pull you in, show you a vastly under-explored area of the literary world, and leave you wanting more.” Violet Lumani, author of Foretold

"This dazzling anthology of creative writing demonstrates an incredible constellation of talent, humor, and not-so-out-of-this-world dystopian possibilities through the pens and pages of authors living with disabilities. It also reminds the literary community of the importance of true representation, and the void of raw talent and imagination we create when we create without accessibility and sustainability at the forefront of our practices. The future is now. Open this book and read." Christina Vega, founder of Blue Cactus Press and author of the poetry collections Vega (2023), Decay (2022), and Maps (2017)

"The soul jar overfloweth in this radical anthology of mermaids, mechas, and rotten hyenas. Annie Carl's refined taste for the far out has unleashed a swath of writers who zone in on disabled joys and vexations. How refreshing it is to read from writers who get it." Jonah Barnett, author of Moss-Covered Claws

“A wonderfully curated selection of captivating stories that will stay with you. A must-have for every bookshelf.” Sho Roberts, owner of Maggie Mae's Bookshop

Editor Annie Carl was born with a rare spinal birth-defect (lipomeningomyelocele) and is a Stage IV Non-Hodgkins survivor. She owns and runs The Neverending Bookshop in Edmonds, Washington. She is the author of My Tropey Life: How Pop Culture Stereotypes Make Disabled Lives Harder and the novella Nebula Vibrations. When not running an award-winning bookstore, Annie reads massive quantities of science fiction, fantasy, and romance; pole dances; knits; and hangs out with her goofy family and friends.

Nicola Griffith (foreword) is the author of the award-winning books Hild, Spear, and So Lucky, among others. Her essays, opinion pieces, reviews, and short fiction have appeared in an assortment of academic texts and a variety of journals and media outlets, including the New York Times, Nature, New Scientist, Los Angeles Review of Books, NPR, Electric Lit, Literary Hub, and Out.