These fourteen stories, among other things, contain robots, alien planets, genetic manipulation and virtual reality, but their centre focuses on in...
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reviews
Sep 17, 2010
Julie
rated it: 
The cover is what initially drew me to this book, and the title also interested me (as a software developer, how could it be any other way!). Who cares about not judging a book by its cover, it inspired me so I bought it. I didn't realise it was actually a collection of short stories, and I wasn't familiar either with Chris Beckett (the introduction by Alistair Reynolds might kind of explain why!). What a pleasant surprise, the stories are just fantastic. They use SF as a way of exploring inhere
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Sep 19, 2009
Charlotte
rated it: 
The content of the best of the stories in this collection has stayed with me since I read them a couple of weeks ago. In "Dark Eden", an incompatible couple find themselves stranded on a sun-less planet and are forced to consider their own insignificance - and that of humanity - in the context of a vast universe. In "Karel's Prayer", Beckett plays with the idea of "field induced copies" (created from "the precise imprint of [the:] body on the suface of space ti
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Jul 16, 2009
David
rated it:
Earlier this month, the winner was announced of the Edge Hill Prize for the Short Story. The shortlist included collections by a Booker Prize-winning author, and two former Booker nominees — and this Elastic Press book of science fiction stories by Chris Beckett. A classic case of tokenism, one might think — except that Beckett won.
‘It was…a bit of surprise to the judges, none of whom knew they were science fiction fans beforehand,’ commented one of the judging panel. Well, the obvio More...
‘It was…a bit of surprise to the judges, none of whom knew they were science fiction fans beforehand,’ commented one of the judging panel. Well, the obvio More...
Feb 06, 2011
Andreas
rated it:
This collection contains 14 stories of a talented british author. A trademark are the characters. Most of them realize that their own life is shallow and that something is missing but whenever they think they are on the right track they actually end up in another dead end. For a short time they can escape their feeling of being lost and these are the moments that Chris Beckett has captured, knowing that around the corner the next disappointment is waiting.
My highlights are
- T More...
My highlights are
- T More...
Jan 29, 2010
Nicholas
rated it:
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1385963.html
it is very good; I like Beckett's writing for the same reason I like Brian Aldiss, that very English way of looking askance at the world as it is and as it could be. Particular gems here include the fading provincial horrors of 'Monsters', 'Karel's Prayer' which is a Philip K. Dick piece for our times, and 'The Marriage of Sky and Sea' whose unpleasant protagonist gets exactly what he asks for. There's also a flattering introduction by Alasta More...
it is very good; I like Beckett's writing for the same reason I like Brian Aldiss, that very English way of looking askance at the world as it is and as it could be. Particular gems here include the fading provincial horrors of 'Monsters', 'Karel's Prayer' which is a Philip K. Dick piece for our times, and 'The Marriage of Sky and Sea' whose unpleasant protagonist gets exactly what he asks for. There's also a flattering introduction by Alasta More...
Jul 16, 2009
Karen
rated it:
Good science fiction short stories do better without a lot of backstory. Don't explain it too much; just jump in!
Mar 21, 2010
Malin
rated it:
Just as good as all Elastic Press books I've read. Great writing as always, with a thorough knowledge of techniques that few authors today possess. The stories have a mix of just-like-normal and paranormal stuff that I love, and something some of the stories in the anthalogy itself reflects on (the things that are just a little different from ordinary). A great read, and lots of snapshots of lives that could be real. Believable, touching, enchanting and great.
Dec 08, 2010
Ainun Nazrin
rated it:
I'm not into sci-fi that much, but this collection of short stories is rock man!
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