Strangers Among Us: Tales of the Underdogs and Outcasts. Laksa Anthology Series: Speculative Fiction

Recommended by Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, and School Library Journal. There's a delicate balance between mental health and mental illness. Who are the STRANGERS AMONG US?We are your fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, friends and lovers. We staff your stores, cross your streets, and study in your schools, invisible among you. We are your outcasts and underdogs, and often, your unsung heroes.
Nineteen science fiction and fantasy authors tackle the division between mental health and mental illness; how the interplay between our minds' quirks and the diverse societies and cultures we live in can set us apart, or must be concealed, or become unlikely strengths. We find troubles with Irish fay, a North Korean cosmonaut's fear of flying, an aging maid dealing with politics of revenge, a mute boy and an army of darkness, a sister reaching out at the edge of a black hole, the dog and the sleepwalker, and many more.
After all, what harm can be done. AUTHORS:  Kelley Armstrong, Suzanne Church, A. M. Dellamonica, Gemma Files, James Alan Gardner, Bev Geddes, Erika Holt, Tyler Keevil, Rich Larson, Derwin Mak, Mahtab Narsimhan, Sherry Peters, Ursula Pflug, Robert Runté, Lorina Stephens, Amanda Sun, Hayden Trenholm, Edward Willett, A. C. WiseIntroduction by Julie E. CzernedaEdited by Susan Forest and Lucas K. LawPraise for Strangers Among Us"Strangers Among Us .