Blending a focus on cutting-edge technology with deep emotional impacts, this enticing collection draws its stories from various Year's Best a...
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reviews
Nov 28, 2011
Derek
rated it: 
Kress's short stories are outstanding. I own one or two of her novels, and they don't do much for me, but I'll walk a mile for her short stories, and this one is as good as they come.
From the effects of cheap energy and nano-engineering on society (covered differently in two stories) to the (or at least "a") logical conclusion of easy embryo implantation, her stories are often frightening (though not "horror") visions of potential futures, and always thought provok More...
From the effects of cheap energy and nano-engineering on society (covered differently in two stories) to the (or at least "a") logical conclusion of easy embryo implantation, her stories are often frightening (though not "horror") visions of potential futures, and always thought provok More...
May 02, 2011
Kae
rated it: 
SF short stories.
SF--where in this case it seemed Science Fantasy, as most of the stories were about far-future times when nanotech and analog personae in generated bodies is a "given." Having read Kaku's Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration of the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel, most of what Kress presented seemed like make-believe to me.
Part of it must have been the presentation; I have read other stories with this More...
SF--where in this case it seemed Science Fantasy, as most of the stories were about far-future times when nanotech and analog personae in generated bodies is a "given." Having read Kaku's Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration of the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel, most of what Kress presented seemed like make-believe to me.
Part of it must have been the presentation; I have read other stories with this More...
Nov 12, 2008
Julian
rated it: 
this is basically the most perfect book of short stories ever, if you're me. they're all on a similar theme: the future of humanity as our technology improves and/or we encounter alien life - focusing on the social aspects of how humans continue to relate to each other and the world around them. nancy kress has the ability to write about characters interacting with their world from every conceivable angle, from those quickly jumping on the new technological trends, to those resisting, and it a
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Mar 15, 2009
Thermopyle
rated it:
This collection reminded me a great deal of the sci-fi anthologies I read in my youth. Those books, by Clarke and Asimov and the authors that started their careers when the short-story was king, really inculcated me into science-fiction. I'd like to think that a younger me, reading this book, would have become equally enthralled by the genre based on what Kress is able to accomplish. She's written a series of well crafted, interesting stories covering the range from nano-technology in a small to
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Dec 09, 2008
Michelle
rated it:
I always forget how much I love Nancy Kress's writing. She writes in a relatively spare style, but she packs a wallop.
If you've never read her, this is a good starting place. I'd already read a number of these stories, but they were an absolute pleasure to revisit.
If you've never read her, this is a good starting place. I'd already read a number of these stories, but they were an absolute pleasure to revisit.
Apr 15, 2009
Natalie
rated it:
Finally finished a book. Hopefully I will be busting out of my reading slump now. This was my first Nancy Kress and I will probably go looking for more now. Variation in quality is a problem with most short story collections, and there were definitely some in here that were easier to read or just higher impact than others. But on the whole, I enjoyed her takes on technology and its interaction with human capability and emotional understanding.
Mar 26, 2009
Sarah Pi
rated it:
Great stories! I haven't read any new hard science fiction in a while, but this was very accessible. Kress's strength is at least in part in her ability to develop well crafted characters with motives and backstories, even in brief, high-concept stories. I recently read her book on writing beginnings and endings, and all of these stories were excellent examples of the craft.
Aug 20, 2010
Jason
rated it: 
I liked some of the stories but not all of them. The longest one was the second to last story and I didn't like it very much, also the last story I didn't like either. It seemed like a continuation of the previous one. I think my opinion of the last two stories may be coloring this review badly. I guess I'm just not used to this kind of sci-fi.
May 30, 2011
Debbie
rated it:
An interesting collection that demonstrates the range of which this author is capable. My only complaint would be the ever-presence of nano. It seems to crop up in almost every story. Then again, perhaps this is a nano collection, which would make that choice deliberate.
Present.
Present.
Feb 02, 2012
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