Quantum Shorts: Collected Flash Fiction Inspired by Quantum Physics

by Puah Xin Yi (Editor), Jenny Hogan (Editor), Michael Brooks (Editor)

This book presents winning and shortlisted stories from past editions of the international Quantum Shorts competition. Inspired by the weird and wonderful world of quantum physics, the shorts range from bold imaginings of a quantum future to contemplations rooted in the everyday. They feature characters of all sorts: lovers beginning their lives together, an atom having an existential crisis, and, of course, cats. These Quantum Shorts will unleash in your mind a multiverse of ideas.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Science Fiction

196 pages, ebook

Reviews

[Roy Madrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absolutely fun book! Each short story packs a punch in its own unique way and entices your curiosity for quantum mechanics. Each page that passed by had me wondering: does it really work that way, are there ‘universes’ where this happens, what would it take to get this to happen in the world, etc.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light and fun read. A journey of emotional wave. A proper fusion of fiction and science. My favorite is I, Ionium; a story of an atom having existential crisis.

[Groucho42 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoroughly mediocre set of short stories set around quantum mechanics. Very middle of the road and too many, the stories blur together.

[Atlin Merrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOT SCIENCE-Y? Read this anthology anyway!

(And the editors offer it for FREE on their website, Apple Books, Kobo, and other sites; scroll down here for book one, which is the one this review is about): https://shorts.quantumlah.org/the-book/

I've no connection to physics nor the concepts, but with these 35+ short stories that didn't matter. Most all of them reference high-level concepts in the physical sciences WITHOUT losing the non-scientific reader.

In fact they help you grasp some of the concepts through finely crafted fiction and wow, that's amazing.

Like any anthology some stories are better than others, about 60% of the stories are stunning, the rest are sturdy and as tastes differ, those might be your favorites.

Each story is 1,000 words or less, so they're quick reads, I finished the book in one sitting.

Highly recommend and am looking for book two!

[Jericho Eames · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delicious volume of tales!! I loved every one of them! They are all mostly written by different people but then it somehow seems that they were all connected. I love that it takes you on a roller coaster, from the excitement of time travels to the aches of losing yourself to yourself.

I love that even though based in science, it still manages to captures the essence of humanity and the heart. Definitely a fun ride through space-time and the multiverse!

[Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this collection and all the little thoughts about physics and our universe that each short suggested. Many of them were funny and surprising. The writers all did a great job making their writing accessible to people without a super detailed understanding of quantum physics. There were a few stories that a version of myself from another universe might appreciate more than me, but there were also many that I will be thinking about for a long time.

[Jessica Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with some other reviewers that sometimes the stories felt a bit repetitive, almost “variation on a theme” like. But overall, I thought each story was a unique take on quantum physics and I enjoyed all of them! It helps to read about some of the principles that come up in the stories, which the foreword alludes to and helped me enjoy the book more. It also reminded me how much I’ve forgotten from my college physics classes 😅

[Allie Shen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally found a series of short stories that are actually short (no more than a couple pages long). These bite-sized stories are creative and impactful, allowing my mind to wander and get lost in the infinite possibilities and implications of quantum physics. As a sci-fi buff and a big fan of theoretical physics, this book really played right into my heart.

[Lu-anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hits and misses with this mish mash of short stories revolving around quantum mechanics. With not more than 1000 words each story, it was less painful to go through the dull ones but the enjoyment of reading ended as soon as it got interesting for the better ones. Go for it if you like thinking about wormholes, parallel universes, multiverses. I didn't think it was a worthwhile read.

[B.A. McRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Future hunters, monsters under the bed, evil twins, and lots of dead not dead cats — what’s not to like about the many different writing styles, theories, perspectives, and voices in this quirky, dorky, witty, “out-of-the-box” anthology? 5 out of 5 wormholes.

[Maria Jose Barrenechea · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was nice visiting all these universes.

[Wei Lian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who says Physics enthusiasts cannot be creative and humorous? 💯😎

[Amira Roszahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these short stories! Some were incredibly awesome. I read it during my commute and I didn't even realize I've finished the book until I got to the last page!

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple of them stood out, like 'I dreamt of worms' and 'Quantopia'

[Kirsten Hivon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I loved this book! Officially my favourite of the year.

[Mausumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light and fun read. Each short story with a unique perspective and peaking your curiosity about quantum mechanics.

These stories were entries to a series of Quantum Shorts flash fiction competitions held over the years by National University of Singapore! Will hope they do something similar for Material Science!

[Vikrant Rana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Deep concepts of quantum physics weaved seamlessly in prose. Would have loved to see a lit more of science, but probably there are no wrote answers to that. Each story itself is very short which increases the readability of the book.