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4.0
My only regret is that I didn't learn about this excellent collection of short stories and illustrations earlier. The Writers of the Future anthologies are compilations of each year's rising stars in science fiction and fantasy as chosen by established greats (many of whom were previous Writers of the Future winners).
This volume contains several unique and engrossing stories covering topics like alchemy, space exploration, and artificial intelligence. Some of my favorites are detailed below.
Awesome Alien Worlds
The Siren by [a:M.O. Muriel]
As a lifelong comic book fan, this story was immensely appealing. Muriel puts a new spin on the old trope of a ragtag group of vigilantes protecting humanity against a nigh-invulnerable foe. Without giving away too much, Muriel's take makes for a story much more interesting in its implications than the straightforward good v. evil of comics.
Shutdown by [a:Corry L. Lee]
Of the three stories in my "Awesome Alien Worlds" category, this is the only one that actually takes place on an alien world. The planet Helinski Five and the life of a for-profit soldier are equal parts surreal and gritty: think modern military versus Lovecraftian horror. The protagonist, Adanna Amaechi, is the most interesting character in the entire volume. Unfortunately, it seems like Lee intended to write a larger story and then changed her mind -- the middle and end seem rushed compared to the story's setup.
The Poly Islands by [a:Gerald Warfield|496976|Gerald Warfield|https://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png]
This reminded me so much of [b:Antarctica|41126|Antarctica|Kim Stanley Robinson|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388512036s/41126.jpg|3011567] by Kim Stanley Robinson, and that's a good thing! Warfield evokes the haunting beauty and weirdness of life on the planet Earth so well that it seems like an alien landscape. His story is well paced and its politics interesting.
The Darker Side
My Name is Angela by [a:Harry Lang|524328|Harry G. Lang|https://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png]
Like many readers, this story really stood out to me. Angela, the protagonist, is a clone who wishes for humanity in a world where she is viewed as significantly less than human. I don't really know what to say about it, other than it is haunting.
Lost Pine by [a:Jacob A. Boyd]
I'm a fan of dystopian books, but I can't stand a lot of the dystopian YA that's been written in the last ten years or so. Thankfully, Boyd writes a dystopian story with a teenaged protagonist that is nuanced and truly chilling. The protagonist's mental degradation and general chaos of a rudderless civilization kept me from guessing the story's major plot twist.
Divorce Mode
Insect Sculptor by [a:Scott T. Barnes]
So my partner is deeply entomophobic. I convinced him to leave our relatively bug-free apartment and spend a week backpacking in the bug-infested wilderness where all the bugs live. He was doing really well -- minimal mental breakdowns -- until I loaned him this book to read. He has talked about this story every other day since he read it, and I'm convinced that now skeptically eyes everyday objects to see if he can discern the waggle of an antenna or sheen of chitin. I don't blame him though: it's a really interesting, if mildly queasy-making, premise that Barnes executed well.
I received this volume free as a Goodreads First Reads book.
This volume contains several unique and engrossing stories covering topics like alchemy, space exploration, and artificial intelligence. Some of my favorites are detailed below.
Awesome Alien Worlds
The Siren by [a:M.O. Muriel]
As a lifelong comic book fan, this story was immensely appealing. Muriel puts a new spin on the old trope of a ragtag group of vigilantes protecting humanity against a nigh-invulnerable foe. Without giving away too much, Muriel's take makes for a story much more interesting in its implications than the straightforward good v. evil of comics.
Shutdown by [a:Corry L. Lee]
Of the three stories in my "Awesome Alien Worlds" category, this is the only one that actually takes place on an alien world. The planet Helinski Five and the life of a for-profit soldier are equal parts surreal and gritty: think modern military versus Lovecraftian horror. The protagonist, Adanna Amaechi, is the most interesting character in the entire volume. Unfortunately, it seems like Lee intended to write a larger story and then changed her mind -- the middle and end seem rushed compared to the story's setup.
The Poly Islands by [a:Gerald Warfield|496976|Gerald Warfield|https://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png]
This reminded me so much of [b:Antarctica|41126|Antarctica|Kim Stanley Robinson|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388512036s/41126.jpg|3011567] by Kim Stanley Robinson, and that's a good thing! Warfield evokes the haunting beauty and weirdness of life on the planet Earth so well that it seems like an alien landscape. His story is well paced and its politics interesting.
The Darker Side
My Name is Angela by [a:Harry Lang|524328|Harry G. Lang|https://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png]
Like many readers, this story really stood out to me. Angela, the protagonist, is a clone who wishes for humanity in a world where she is viewed as significantly less than human. I don't really know what to say about it, other than it is haunting.
Lost Pine by [a:Jacob A. Boyd]
I'm a fan of dystopian books, but I can't stand a lot of the dystopian YA that's been written in the last ten years or so. Thankfully, Boyd writes a dystopian story with a teenaged protagonist that is nuanced and truly chilling. The protagonist's mental degradation and general chaos of a rudderless civilization kept me from guessing the story's major plot twist.
Divorce Mode
Insect Sculptor by [a:Scott T. Barnes]
So my partner is deeply entomophobic. I convinced him to leave our relatively bug-free apartment and spend a week backpacking in the bug-infested wilderness where all the bugs live. He was doing really well -- minimal mental breakdowns -- until I loaned him this book to read. He has talked about this story every other day since he read it, and I'm convinced that now skeptically eyes everyday objects to see if he can discern the waggle of an antenna or sheen of chitin. I don't blame him though: it's a really interesting, if mildly queasy-making, premise that Barnes executed well.
I received this volume free as a Goodreads First Reads book.
angielisle's review
4.0
I avoided this series for a long time because L Ron Hubbard's religious cult scares me. Then, I received two volumes (29 and 30) in exchange for reviews. I adore short stories and this series definitely delivers high-quality stories presented by the winners of the annual Writers and Illustrators of the Future contest.
Like many anthologies, there's the occasional tale that I can't get into - not because the writing is poor but because of my inability to relate to the characters or the topic. There are also essays on writing and publishing - some are helpful, reminding me of handy tips and hints, and some are skimmable shameless self-promotions.
But, at the end of the day, there are a lot of great writers featured here and no Scientology so I have commenced with reading the series backwards.
Like many anthologies, there's the occasional tale that I can't get into - not because the writing is poor but because of my inability to relate to the characters or the topic. There are also essays on writing and publishing - some are helpful, reminding me of handy tips and hints, and some are skimmable shameless self-promotions.
But, at the end of the day, there are a lot of great writers featured here and no Scientology so I have commenced with reading the series backwards.
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