Short Stories

Tom’s earlier review of “Wireless” prompted me to think short stories in general. Personally, I find them to be a great way to explore other authors and genres. Here are some of the short story collections I've read recently:

"Metatropolis" edited by John Scalzi

The collectively created urban future of these stories offers a fresh take on what tomorrow’s cities could be. Contributors include: Jay Lake, Tobias S Buckell, Elizabeth Bear, John Scalzi, and Karl Schroeder. If you could read only one of the volumes in this post this is the one.

"Gateways" edited by Elizabeth Anne Hull

 This volume is a tribute SciFi writer Frederik Pohl, winner of the 2010 Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer.  Pohl has won many Nebula and Hugo awards along with the SFWA Grand Master Award.

While Pohl fans and SciFi diehards will enjoy this collection; if you’re a new or an occasional SciFi reader I would recommend starting with one of the other collections in this post.

“The New Space Opera" & “The New Space Opera 2" edited by Gardner Dozios & Jonathan Strahan

Both of these volumes have many contributors and a varying level of quality. Most of the stories in Vol 1 are mediocre at best. A common criticism of this volume is that the writers assume that readers have already read some of their other works.  Diehard SciFi fans will most likely be familiar with the author’s works while newcomers might be left confused. Noteworthy stories include: Verthandi's Ring by Ian McDonald; an interesting depiction of two galactic civilizations engaged in an epic war. Another is Maelstrom by Kage Baker which tells the tale of an amateur theater company on Mars

Volume 2 is by far a better collection of stories.  It also seems to be more accessible to new and occasional SciFi readers. Gems from this volume include Punctuality by Garth Nix which is a short and sweet. John Scalzi’s The Tale of the Wicked is an enjoyable new take on artificial intelligence becoming self-aware.

All of these volumes include something worth reading so come to the library and check them out. 

Want to read something that's not in our catalog? Ask! It's as easy as calling us or dropping by the library.

Questions, comments, and suggestions are encouraged.

-Adam

 

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

For readers, there is no mercy.

Philip K. Dick doesn’t tolerate ineptitude in his readers. As I started his book (per Adam’s recommendation) I felt like Neo from The Matrix, except instead of taking the blue OR the red pill, I had somehow consumed both, with no antidote.

Dick’s writing proved to be the elixir. Mood machines, kipple, the enviable possession of live animals, radio religion, and the post apocalyptic world of human and android existence propels readers—or rather immerses them—in a deep analysis of the philosophical quandaries of envy, love, materialism, and solitude. The values are recognizable, but the setting demands attention. Planet Mars, anyone?

The novel is technically one day in the life of Rick Deckard, android slayer. He’s meeting his capture quota until, halfway through the book; Dick hurls the reader down a different rabbit hole, rearranging the motives between the antagonists and redirecting the storyline.

Even before this point, I couldn’t stop reading.

The efficiency of Dick’s writing evokes an interpretive response from who love to dissect the significant details of the insignificant moments in life. What really separates an android from a human? Are we only as special as the possessions that we covet? Who do we trust when our world rearranges itself? 

The answers are not here. And if they are, I haven’t decoded them yet. The ending of the book is as brilliantly, manipulatively crafted as the middle, beckoning readers to re-read, re-analyze, and re-discover this imaginative world of electric sheep.  

Review by Tina Panik, guest blogger

Chech out some other books by Philip K. Dick:

Flow My Tears the Policeman Said

The Man in High Castle

Or watch some movies inspired by his writting:

The Adjustment Bureau (in theaters March 2011) 

Blade Runner

Minority Report

Paycheck

A Scanner Darkly

Total Recall

Search the library's catalog and place them on hold today

Charles Stross' "Wireless"

With a string of recent Hugo novel nominations:

Saturn's Children (2009)

Halting State (2008)

Glasshouse (2007)  

And, novella wins 2005 for "The Concrete Jungle" and 2010 for "Palimpsest"

British born sci-fi author Charles Stross would seem to be on a roll.  

Therefore, it was with great anticipation that I picked up a copy of

his latest, "Wireless."  Wireless is a collection of short stories, including

two novellas:  Missle Gap and Palimpsest.  In his introduction Stross

says that he prefers short stories because, "I get to play with new ideas

in a way I can't imagine at novel length."    

"Ideas" is the key word here.  Stross does not let us down because

"Wireless" is full of ideas, like: 

What if the Internet didn't develop as a free resource?  ("Unwirer")

Wouldn't the human race be better off if we were part of ensemble intelligences.  ("Missle Gap".)

What if, as a result of global warming, the West Antarctic ice shelf collapsed

plunging the British Isles into a sub-artic deep freeze and the only way

to save England was to make a deal with the Devil?  ("Snowball's Chance")     

My personal favorite of the selection is "Missle Gap."  The way Stross crosses

plot paths back and forth between two sets of humans, and some non-human beings,

kept me entertained from beginning to end.  Enjoy.

FYI>  Not all of the stories in "Wireless" are sci-fi.   For example, "Down on the Farm"

         is a spy story.  But, who cares?  It's entertaining and provides Stross

         with another idea vehicle.

Tom Smith, MLS

Sci Fi Collections and Reference Librarian

New Haven Free Public Library     

Also check out Tom's interpretation of the classic film 'Solaris' 

Comments and feedback are encouraged!!

Star Wars Fatal Alliance

“Star Wars The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance” by Sean Williams is a must read for fans of the Star Wars franchise. It contains all the necessary ingredients of a great Star Wars novel: a Hutt crime lord, an evil Sith Lord and his apprentice, an insecure Jedi Padawan, and a mysterious Mandalorian.


In this novel, a Hutt crime syndicate comes into possession of a wrecked starship that contains a mysterious cargo. The Hutts attempt to auction the secret contents of the ship to the highest bidder. The Sith Empire and the Republic send representatives to negotiate for the Ship.

Tensions rise as the true value of the wrecked starship is revealed; its contents could influence the ongoing war between the Sith and the Republic. Both sides resort to clandestine attempts to steal the starship from a high-security vault. Nothing is as it seems in this tale from the Old Republic Era.

If you’re a fan of the Star Wars saga or if you’re looking for a quick read, click here to place it on hold now.



Check out Sean William’s other novels below:

Star Wars The Force Unleashed

Force Heretic 1: Remnant
Force Heretic 2: Refugee
Force Heretic 3: Reunion

The God Engines

Initially I hesitated to read “The God Engines” by John Scalzi because I had read and enjoyed “The Ghost Brigades”, but I didn’t enjoy “Zoe’s Tale”. However, once I cracked open this book I realized I was going to be late for work. “The God Engines” is a short novella that is impossible to put down.


This imaginative SciFi-fantasy mixture tells the tale of Captain Ean Tephe and the crew of the Righteous, a ship powered by an enslaved god. Tephe and the crew are tasked to travel to a distant planet with the intent to convert the local population into worshipers of Captain Tephe’s god. Something about the mission is amiss from the very beginning. Tephe’s superiors in the Bishopry Militant give far too few details, something that Tephe accepts out of faith and duty. Throughout the story Captain Tephe attempts to piece together the true nature of his mission. Unfortunately the mission turns extraordinarily horrible and Tephe’s faith is shaken to its core.

“The God Engines” is powerfully dark and definitely worth reading.


Here are links to Scalzi’s other books in our catalogue:

Metatropolis
Old Man’s War
The Android’s Dream


If you've read any of Scalzi's work leave a comment below. If not, stop into the Avon Library and check them out.