Other Worlds is a collection of stories that presents an amalgam of contrasts, many variables like cultures, places and languages. Most stories move from Port of Spain in Trinidad to Ottawa, Amherst and Quebec and are centred about the relationship between parents and children, overcoming grief of their loss, memories parents leave behind in their children. The author writes in a way that feels emotionally intimate, he transcends the boundaries between real in most of his stories and surreal - covering themes like - demonic possession and rebirth etc in the first story, the longest one in the collection titled Contrition. Stories titled Consolation and Houyhnhnm feel like autofiction. A small piece at the end titled An Elegy is more an afterword at the book's end than a short story and is a beautiful ode to language, highlights well what the author feels about his multicultural roots. What stands out in these stories are how perceptions people have of a certain race are portrayed, it's a subtle attack on racism showing how dificult it is to overcome the habit of 'othering'. There are places where the author gets too wordy and reading feels stagnant/like a tedious exercise. But barring those instances, the themes, the emotional connect the author allows through his stories, the ability to know a world very different from the one that's dominant, all that's well done.

this story is very gripping, and the plot meanders from one place to another in a way that kept me engaged and made me want to read more to know what would happen. I found it fascinating how the writer managed to tell a story of an old man trapped in the body of a young child. that was wonderfully rendered

Thank the Publisher for granting me this ARC on Netgalley. Alexis is my favorite contemporary author. To me, this short story collection serves as a window into the inside world of André Alexis himself. Though the name of this book is Other Worlds, I saw a lot of similarities between the characters and the author. I like A Certain Likeness and Consolation the most, one for the plot and the other for the deep insight into the author’s childhood trauma. Alexis you are so good, pleases continue writing!!!

Part of the problem I have when reading Alexis’s works is that “Fifteen Dogs” is such a perfect book that my expectations are very high for anything else this author writes. Specifically my problem with the stories here is the amount of exposition, which I eventually lost patience with. Okay let’s say the first story in the collection is set in a natural cadence of an older lusher style of writing that begins with a languid description of place and character. Fine, fine. But even granting its written in this style it goes on and goes on and goes on, until I was itching to get to the transition, the sentence that begins with ‘One day…’ or something like it, and the action begins. I felt the same irritable way about most of the other stories: too much explaining. That said I feel I must be an outlier here because after all what is the rush when things are so beautifully painted on the page? I’m a lout, my mind kept interrupting my reading to mutter: too many words

I always enjoy a good André Alexis story, and this collection delivers. The light weirdness that I’ve come to enjoy in his work is definitely still present here, just maybe not as much as I’d expected.

The stories feel very similar to each other, slightly different variations on the same themes. Some readers might find this repetitive, but to me it felt like the same characters just in parallel universes… or “other worlds,” if you will. I had a hard time putting this down once I got into it. Highly recommend!

And by the way, I need a Médard and Lucinda standalone novel ASAP. I’m just joking. I need a SERIES!

funny, magical, emotional... i became a big fan of mr. Alexis's work after reading this short story collection and will seek out more.. the story about the horse that appeared in the new yorker was really special.

Rating: 4.25/5

André Alexis’s Other Worlds is a masterclass in blending the uncanny with the deeply human. Each story draws you into a different realm, from a Trinidadian obeah man reborn in Canada to eerie small-town caretaking gigs. What stands out is Alexis’s ability to make the fantastical feel personal, whether he’s exploring themes of alienation, regret, or strange reckonings. The mix of gothic horror, isekai, and philosophical musings isn’t for everyone—it can feel dense at times—but if you’re up for something intellectually and emotionally rich, it’s absolutely worth the ride. Fans of Fifteen Dogs will feel right at home, yet this collection pushes boundaries in its own unique ways.

For those who enjoy stories that linger in your mind long after you finish, this is a must-read.