This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader, Hex Publishers also released a soundtrack to go with this book. If you'd like to read what I thought of it, click here.
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Heller insists in his Afterword that this is not a collection of Cyberpunk stories, and who am I to doubt him? Although it feels pretty punk to ignore the Editor/The Man. It sure feels like Cyberpunk – but I'm also pretty sure that it doesn't matter what I call it, as long as I say that it's good, strong, creative, mind-bending, and occasionally mind-blowing. I can't summarize this anthology better than Hex Publishers did:
Cybernetics. Neuroscience. Nanotechnology. Genetic engineering. Hacktivism. Transhumanism. The world of tomorrow is already here, and the technological changes we all face have inspired a new wave of stories to address our fears, hopes, dreams, and desires as Homo sapiens evolve—or not—into their next incarnation.
Cyber World
- Mario Acevedo's “Reactions” is maybe too-brief, but a compelling look at remote warfare drugs and the effects of both of those on the brain/soul. Just enough zag to his pretty obvious zig to make this a keeper.
- “The Rest Between Two Notes” by Cat Rambo contains this line:
But this is New York City, and there can be traffic jams or terrorist threats or flash plagues to contend with...
“flash plagues.” I love that concept. There's just so much – probably a novel if someone wanted it, in those two words. The rest of the story was pretty weird and disturbing, and though provoking on its own, but those two words (for me) sealed it as a favorite.
- “The Faithful Soldier, Prompted” by Saladin Ahmed reflects the international flavor of this book as well as featuring an odd mishmash of spam emails and religious revelation. Something only Ahmed could probably pull off.
- “Staunch” by Paul Graham Raven pushed just about every stylistic button for me – mix of bio/technical/cyber/genetic fiction, plus political/economic commentary – and a whole bunch of other stuff – while telling a tight story.
- “Will Take Care of Our Own” by Angie Hodapp is probably the most accessible, closest to mainstream story in this batch. Which doesn't stop it from being a great story about politics, with some interesting commentary on contemporary issues – just what SF is supposed to be about – with a good fallible protagonist.
- Minister Faust's “The Ibex on the Day of Extinction” felt very different from most of these stories, and I don't know how to talk about it without spoiling the whole thing, but I wanted to focus on how good it was.
- “The Singularity Is in Your Hair” by Matthew Kessel – can I use the word “sweet” about one of these? Probably not, but this tale about VR helping a person with a debilitating disease experience more than many people is very close to it.
- “A Song Transmuted” by Sarah Pinsker just blew me away several times.
- “It's Only Words” by Keith Ferrell – is almost a counter-point to the worlds the rest of these take place in – a dash of Thoreau to rebut the rest.
- “The Bees of Kiribati” by Warren Hammond was just freaking chilling – a police interrogation to a heinous crime, becomes so much more. I want a book in this world, now. Just without the creepy killer (it can have another creepy killer, I just don't want anything to do with this one again).
Taft 2012
Cyber World
Mirrorshades
Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for this post and my honest opinion. I thank them for this.
