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Reclamation Project - Year One
“The world belongs to us now. The humans were amazing, but their day has passed. Oh, there’s still a few of them out there, trying to take back the world they squandered. But without claws? Without fur? Without scent? Heh. Good luck to ‘em.”
Fourteen shared-world tales of future fantasy and solarpunk from some of the brightest stars of anthropomorphic literature. After calamity and a new dark age, humans return from their flying cities to reclaim the Earth from the sentient animals that are its new inhabitants. Love and danger, power and promise, and a world to win or lose in the balance!
Fourteen shared-world tales of future fantasy and solarpunk from some of the brightest stars of anthropomorphic literature. After calamity and a new dark age, humans return from their flying cities to reclaim the Earth from the sentient animals that are its new inhabitants. Love and danger, power and promise, and a world to win or lose in the balance!
- GenresScience Fiction
358 pages, Paperback
Published December 6, 2019
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
John R. Robey
15 books11 followersJohn R. Robey (a.k.a. “The Gneech”) is the creative force behind the popular webcomic The Suburban Jungle, editor of FurPlanet's "Reclamation Project" anthology, and writer of furry and fantasy/YA fantasy adventure stories. He is also a trained life coach specializing in writers/creatives and ADHD/executive dysfunction issues.
Besides "No Predation Allowed," the ten-year Suburban Jungle retrospective, his credits also include pieces for White Wolf Games’ Mage: The Ascension line, Street Fighter: The Storytelling Game supplements, and West End Games’ World of Indiana Jones. Gneech has received several honors for his work, being named Guest of Honor at the 2005 Mephit Furmeet, Iron Artist (Comics) for three years at Further Confusion in San Jose, and of course, multiple-time recipient of Websnark’s “Tasty, Tasty Biscuit.”
Besides "No Predation Allowed," the ten-year Suburban Jungle retrospective, his credits also include pieces for White Wolf Games’ Mage: The Ascension line, Street Fighter: The Storytelling Game supplements, and West End Games’ World of Indiana Jones. Gneech has received several honors for his work, being named Guest of Honor at the 2005 Mephit Furmeet, Iron Artist (Comics) for three years at Further Confusion in San Jose, and of course, multiple-time recipient of Websnark’s “Tasty, Tasty Biscuit.”
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March 8, 2020This was my second experience of writing in a shared universe, and I'm very impressed with the way it turned out, skilful editing seeding each story with references to one or two others. It's a rich playground, with furries, humans and a rogue AI existing in an uneasy balance after a mysterious event that crashed most technology. Editor John Robey's main stipulation was that the stories should be positive overall.
Standouts for me were L. Rowyn's 'Insecurity', which took the concept somewhere no other story went - underwater - Royce Day's 'Silence and Sword', a fun adventure about restoring the freedom of a former child slave, and Kayode Lycaon's 'Dark Garden Lake', the only story set almost entirely on one of the flying human cities.
My own story 'Star of the Savannah', since you ask, is basically The African Queen with a hyena playing Humphrey Bogart. You're welcome.
Standouts for me were L. Rowyn's 'Insecurity', which took the concept somewhere no other story went - underwater - Royce Day's 'Silence and Sword', a fun adventure about restoring the freedom of a former child slave, and Kayode Lycaon's 'Dark Garden Lake', the only story set almost entirely on one of the flying human cities.
My own story 'Star of the Savannah', since you ask, is basically The African Queen with a hyena playing Humphrey Bogart. You're welcome.
September 7, 2020
Oftentimes apocalyptic media is shown to be grim and dark with little to no hope of a recovery for the characters in the setting. I'm very proud to be part of an anthology that seeks to buck that trend with stories that have more hope in them. Reclamation Project Year One is a shared setting that has humans and furries clashing over the remains of their shared planet. As is the case for settings like this, tensions between the two are high but the stories never lean into hopelessness. It's an anthology that has a lot of variety as well. The setting lets the authors play with some very interesting concepts and it works out well. "Insecurity" is set completely underwater and "The Flavors of Sunlight" deals with animals who have scientifically augmented themselves to be able to photosynthesize. And in general, I just plain enjoyed the stories in the anthology. They were exactly the kind of sci-fi mixed with furry that I was hoping to get. Some of my personal favorites include: "Piece of Mind", "Silence and Sword", "Sewer Tea", "Star of the Savannah", and "The Flavors of Sunlight".
My own story, "The Underground Star" follows Eli the rabbit as he navigates his teen years in the Warrens trying to climb a mysterious underground metal tower to grab the shining prize at the top.
My own story, "The Underground Star" follows Eli the rabbit as he navigates his teen years in the Warrens trying to climb a mysterious underground metal tower to grab the shining prize at the top.
February 15, 2020
Summary: A thousand years ago human civilization collapsed, from a combination of environmental damage and the madness of a distributed AI known as Pax Machina. The surviving humans retreating to flying cities held aloft by massive anti-gravity generators, leaving the world below to Pax Machina and a near uncountable variety of genetically uplifted animals.
Forty-five years ago one of those flying cities, Ambara, crashed to the earth, killing almost all of its inhabitants, and leaving its bones to be picked over by the zoomorphs. In response to this disaster, the fractious human cities formed the Reclamation Project alliance, to try to contain and exploit the Zoomorph population, as the floating cities find themselves growing short of food and other resources. Now both sides maneuver around each other in a cold war for supremacy of the Earth, both of them constantly looking over their shoulders for threat of Pax Machina and wasteland raiders.
Review: It's a little hypocritical for me to review this, given I've got a story in here, but I'm going to anyway. This shared world anthology edited by John "The Gneech" Robey was pitched as "Thundarr the Barbarian meets Solarpunk," and it pretty much fits the bill. Though several characters suffer personal tragedies, the overall theme is of hope and change for the better. There's a variety of styles within, from rollicking adventure, to contemplative philosophy, to determined cyberpunk style passive resistance, so there's something for everyone.
I'm not going to review the stories individually, aside from noting that while a couple of stories didn't grab me, aside from one outright clunker (fortunately the shortest story overall) the writing was ranged from competently done to engrossing. My own tale was probably one of the more conventional ones, not adding much to the worldbuilding and being a pretty standard adventure with a little mystery added. Also, despite the elevator pitch, my story was the only one with a barbarian in it. ;p [1]
Anyway, if you like furry stories with some post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure, The Reclamation Project more than suits the bill. I'm hoping it proves popular enough that Furplanet will make it an annual publication.
The Reclamation Project, Year One is available through Furplanet, and Amazon
[1] Note to Self: Make sure Hamia shouts, "What sorcery is this?!" in his next appearance.
Forty-five years ago one of those flying cities, Ambara, crashed to the earth, killing almost all of its inhabitants, and leaving its bones to be picked over by the zoomorphs. In response to this disaster, the fractious human cities formed the Reclamation Project alliance, to try to contain and exploit the Zoomorph population, as the floating cities find themselves growing short of food and other resources. Now both sides maneuver around each other in a cold war for supremacy of the Earth, both of them constantly looking over their shoulders for threat of Pax Machina and wasteland raiders.
Review: It's a little hypocritical for me to review this, given I've got a story in here, but I'm going to anyway. This shared world anthology edited by John "The Gneech" Robey was pitched as "Thundarr the Barbarian meets Solarpunk," and it pretty much fits the bill. Though several characters suffer personal tragedies, the overall theme is of hope and change for the better. There's a variety of styles within, from rollicking adventure, to contemplative philosophy, to determined cyberpunk style passive resistance, so there's something for everyone.
I'm not going to review the stories individually, aside from noting that while a couple of stories didn't grab me, aside from one outright clunker (fortunately the shortest story overall) the writing was ranged from competently done to engrossing. My own tale was probably one of the more conventional ones, not adding much to the worldbuilding and being a pretty standard adventure with a little mystery added. Also, despite the elevator pitch, my story was the only one with a barbarian in it. ;p [1]
Anyway, if you like furry stories with some post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure, The Reclamation Project more than suits the bill. I'm hoping it proves popular enough that Furplanet will make it an annual publication.
The Reclamation Project, Year One is available through Furplanet, and Amazon
[1] Note to Self: Make sure Hamia shouts, "What sorcery is this?!" in his next appearance.
January 19, 2026
Piece of Mind by John R. Robey
The first story in the collection, it is also the longest. An entertaining tale, it does a good job setting up the universe and introducing us to the setting. We are introduced to Haru, the prefect’s assistant who is recruiting the services of a pilot named Aurora aka Rory, to take her and her employer to a meeting point. Soon into the mission, they are attacked, and things get complicated from there.
Overall I thought the chemistry between the characters was good, especially between Rory and Haru. Their relationship kind of reminded me of really good friends that get on each others nerves, or won’t admit that they’re friends even though they are. I found the setting entertaining and designed well, with the bits and pieces of world building provided, crafting a fairly good picture of the world around them.
As the first story in the collection, I think it did a good job giving the reader an idea of what to expect going forward, and as long as the rest of the stories are as good as this one, I think I have a lot to look forward to.
Ambara Blues by Indagare
This story I found a little hard to follow. The characters were good, but the author had the tendency to jump from location to location quickly which confused me, making it hard for me to tell where I was in the story. I also found the overall narrative to be somewhat unsatisfying, as it felt like rather than uncovering a mystery I was being pushed from set piece to set piece without really understanding any set up for what was to come. Compared to the last story it serves as a pretty good contrast for what not to do.
It introduces the concept of Heraldics, which really just felt like a hey look isn’t this nifty, rather than serving as a good introduction to the idea. I felt like the length of the story was not the issue, but rather the lack of flow to the narrative, and not enough time and energy devoted to making the characters have weight as in the first story. Overall, I feel the scale of the idea well outstripped the story itself.
Insecurity by L. Rowyn
This one was a really good story. Taking place entirely underwater, the main characters are a pair of aquatic species conducting a salvage operation looking for usable tech. The adventure dovetails with the evolving relationship between the two main leads, aided by an AI wingman named Rick. During the course of their investigation, our female lead Aawee gets trapped inside, and must be rescued by Kerick, a sedecpus.
I thought the author made really good use of the aquatic species and setting, with both standing out as a unique feature making this tale especially memorable. The action was well paced, and it did a good job exploring a part of the world that tends to see less exposure in most story settings.
The Underground Star by Nenekiri Bookwyrm
I was a little divided on this particular piece. Overall, I liked the main character and the idea seemed interesting. My issue was the fact that there were a lot of questions and not a lot of answers provided. While I appreciate the scope of the idea, I feel like the majority of it serves as a teaser to a story we don’t get to read at this particular moment. While there may have been an intention of a follow up, perhaps in Year Two, the story raises questions about the characters, the eponymous star, and other things that are not answered here. It’s nicely written but I feel like it doesn’t do the job of telling a standalone story that adds to the whole. There are too many unanswered questions and the ending, though it promises adventure, felt unsatisfying to me after waiting the whole story to find out what it was.
Post Mortem Telepathy by Graveyard Greg
This one starts in the middle of the action, but the problem is, we don’t really know who the characters are or what they were looking for in the first place. We’re introduced to a pair of characters that don’t really seem to develop beyond the artificial feeling back and forth banter between the two. They argue in a way that doesn’t feel like a long running friendship but someone trying unsuccessfully to generate witty dialogue. The story doesn’t accomplish much in its short ten pages, with the characters not achieving any particular goal or experiencing notable growth, but given we didn’t really know them that well to begin with, this is not entirely surprising. They achieve telepathy through no intention of their own, and we don’t really see the consequences of this nor any challenges overcome or presented as to its being there.
Skipping Stones by Bryan “StarryAqua” Osborne
Skipping Stones is a really good entry in this anthology. Providing a unique flavor to the set of stories we are introduced to a human curious character who lives in what I think is a district of Ambara Down. She meets a human and through her curiosity gets to know more about him and his kind. I always like stories driven by the desire to know more. It’s a universal need we can all understand, and the story uses it well to not only guide the audience, but the character as well. The story has an element of wonder and serenity to it, especially with the scenes involving the skipping stones themselves. It was a well told entry with lots of heart and curiosity to it, and I enjoyed it immensely.
Silence and Sword by Royce Day
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Royce’s writings, and in truth this was the only entry in the anthology I’d already experienced. Released as an episode of the voice of dog podcast, I’d heard it in audio form, but was nevertheless eager to read it, as well. It features an alternate version of his character Ali, with a new character named Hamia, the sword carrying wazagan that serves as her guardian. Part treasure hunt, part character study, the story is a fun adventure that dips into a little of the technology that caused the old world to collapse, and does a good job of adding to the setting. I thought all three of the main characters worked well together, and the story blended them together into a cohesive group. In this version of the character, for most of the story Ali is unable to speak due to a shock collar, and I think that it was an interesting challenge for Royce to do a character requiring a different method of communication.
Dark Garden Lake by Kayode Lycaon
I’d say that this was the heaviest story so far, with some rather complex and deep themes, very much painting the world in some shades of gray. Seen from the perspective of a painted dog engineered by the humans seeking to reclaim the planet, it is the first story of the group to be viewed from the other side. Tasked with a rather unsavory job, he very much seems like a character in a gilded cage, having few options but to do what he is told and live through the pain of what he is asked to do. A well written story delving into some of the politics of this setting, it manages to tell a self contained story that makes you sympathize with the protagonist and his plight. It makes you think, about both a person’s circumstances as well as the occasional ‘necessary evil’ that sometimes is presented as the next step to a greater good. A thoughtful piece, and a credit to the collection.
Sewer Tea by Dan Leinir Turthra Jensen
This was a really good entry into the collection. While it took me a bit to realize it would occasionally jump back in time, it had a really good framing device and once I knew to expect it the story flowed very well. It made an impressive use of a different style of speaking to convey the different ness of the avian character, something not often seen in furry writing, and it was done well and felt very natural. I found the story to be heartwearming and just the boost I needed. For a short story, having two different time frames is a hard technique to master, and the author did a great job. Both halves of the tale complemented each other and everything in it seemed to work to bring the whole together. It is probably one of my favorite stories in the collection. Sorry Royce. But this was definitely up there.
Persephone’s Chance by Juan Carlos Moreno
Another first time author for me, I enjoyed this story. It reminded me a bit of Firefly, in a positive way, with a crew and a ship getting hired for a rather unusual job. The characters gelled pretty well with the cast feeling about the right size for the story. I thought it kept my interest well and set up the possibility of future stories with these characters. I liked it enough that I reached out to the author afterwards since we’re in the same writing group, and that’s always a good sign. I think it added some good detail to the setting and filled in some of the people that fall in the middle, not one faction or the other. Overall it was solid.
A Journey To The Skies by Ferric the Bird
This was a pretty good story. It follows the journey of a pair of avian siblings, who follow their tradition to seek the reward of the gift of flight. Something apparently denied to the Anthro birds it is a rare and interesting approach to the perhaps reality of the humanoid form not being especially aerodynamic. While I do personally prefer birds being able to fly with their wings it was an approach that fit pretty well with the setting as well as the fact that it expanded more on another type of Anthro population within Reclamation Project’s world. The chemistry between the characters was good, and for the most part I thought it was a really good journey. A few minor issues such as words repeated a lot in quick succession, a perhaps incorrect form of a word somewhere, mostly editing things. A solid story, whose positives far outweigh the flaws.
Star of the Savannah by Huskyteer
I can’t remember if I’ve read anything by this author before or not. I want to say I have, but in any case, the story. It wasn’t bad, a plot I’ve seen a million times before, loner gets saddled with a living cargo they don’t want and have to get it somewhere. The characters I think weren’t developed enough, I think that the story was a bit generic, and the ending seemed a bit sudden without anything really setting it up. It just felt like it needed more detail, more complexity, maybe I missed something. But by and large I just didn’t feel like I bonded with the characters so I’d mark this one as adequate but honestly a little forgettable.
The Flavors of Sunlight by James L. Steele.
I think for me this was another story that sort of missed the mark. The story begins with a group of yachts being attacked and one of the attackers being left behind. Over the course of the story they learn the group is researching a way to effectively photosynthesize or derive nourishment from light. I noticed early on that the main character’s species was not mentioned until several pages into the story. In fact, we find out what most of the other characters are before we see what they are. Although it doesn’t affect the story much it still seems like an oversight. I wanted to see these characters as a bunch of misunderstood misfits, but overall it kind of felt more like a cult. I don’t know if it was meant to come across like that, but the way that the lizard was unable to accept their alternate way of life sort of seemed a bit like that. I appreciate what it was trying to say about a society where you don’t have to fight for survival, but I feel the story would have had more depth if the other characters had more to do. As it was we really don’t see this community in action. As a person who loves food and cooking, it also seems pretty unpleasant to cultivate a society where you never have to eat. And the algae going all the way to the bone sort of weirded me out too. Some interesting ideas, but definitely not my kind of story.
Chromium Maneuvers by Matt Trepal
I had a hard time connecting with this one. The story, to me, didn’t really have a lot of emotional weight, seeming to be about exposing the truth but it also felt like the antagonist was never really much of a threat in the first place. I found it a little unsatisfying, and while I can see based on how it ended why it was the last story it also just felt like it didn’t really draw me in. Add to the fact that we don’t really find out what the conflict was about and you’re left with an experience that I think if it wasn’t here, you wouldn’t have missed it. Short stories really need to be a self contained adventure, and with that question left open it’s hard to assign gravity to the story as a whole.
The first story in the collection, it is also the longest. An entertaining tale, it does a good job setting up the universe and introducing us to the setting. We are introduced to Haru, the prefect’s assistant who is recruiting the services of a pilot named Aurora aka Rory, to take her and her employer to a meeting point. Soon into the mission, they are attacked, and things get complicated from there.
Overall I thought the chemistry between the characters was good, especially between Rory and Haru. Their relationship kind of reminded me of really good friends that get on each others nerves, or won’t admit that they’re friends even though they are. I found the setting entertaining and designed well, with the bits and pieces of world building provided, crafting a fairly good picture of the world around them.
As the first story in the collection, I think it did a good job giving the reader an idea of what to expect going forward, and as long as the rest of the stories are as good as this one, I think I have a lot to look forward to.
Ambara Blues by Indagare
This story I found a little hard to follow. The characters were good, but the author had the tendency to jump from location to location quickly which confused me, making it hard for me to tell where I was in the story. I also found the overall narrative to be somewhat unsatisfying, as it felt like rather than uncovering a mystery I was being pushed from set piece to set piece without really understanding any set up for what was to come. Compared to the last story it serves as a pretty good contrast for what not to do.
It introduces the concept of Heraldics, which really just felt like a hey look isn’t this nifty, rather than serving as a good introduction to the idea. I felt like the length of the story was not the issue, but rather the lack of flow to the narrative, and not enough time and energy devoted to making the characters have weight as in the first story. Overall, I feel the scale of the idea well outstripped the story itself.
Insecurity by L. Rowyn
This one was a really good story. Taking place entirely underwater, the main characters are a pair of aquatic species conducting a salvage operation looking for usable tech. The adventure dovetails with the evolving relationship between the two main leads, aided by an AI wingman named Rick. During the course of their investigation, our female lead Aawee gets trapped inside, and must be rescued by Kerick, a sedecpus.
I thought the author made really good use of the aquatic species and setting, with both standing out as a unique feature making this tale especially memorable. The action was well paced, and it did a good job exploring a part of the world that tends to see less exposure in most story settings.
The Underground Star by Nenekiri Bookwyrm
I was a little divided on this particular piece. Overall, I liked the main character and the idea seemed interesting. My issue was the fact that there were a lot of questions and not a lot of answers provided. While I appreciate the scope of the idea, I feel like the majority of it serves as a teaser to a story we don’t get to read at this particular moment. While there may have been an intention of a follow up, perhaps in Year Two, the story raises questions about the characters, the eponymous star, and other things that are not answered here. It’s nicely written but I feel like it doesn’t do the job of telling a standalone story that adds to the whole. There are too many unanswered questions and the ending, though it promises adventure, felt unsatisfying to me after waiting the whole story to find out what it was.
Post Mortem Telepathy by Graveyard Greg
This one starts in the middle of the action, but the problem is, we don’t really know who the characters are or what they were looking for in the first place. We’re introduced to a pair of characters that don’t really seem to develop beyond the artificial feeling back and forth banter between the two. They argue in a way that doesn’t feel like a long running friendship but someone trying unsuccessfully to generate witty dialogue. The story doesn’t accomplish much in its short ten pages, with the characters not achieving any particular goal or experiencing notable growth, but given we didn’t really know them that well to begin with, this is not entirely surprising. They achieve telepathy through no intention of their own, and we don’t really see the consequences of this nor any challenges overcome or presented as to its being there.
Skipping Stones by Bryan “StarryAqua” Osborne
Skipping Stones is a really good entry in this anthology. Providing a unique flavor to the set of stories we are introduced to a human curious character who lives in what I think is a district of Ambara Down. She meets a human and through her curiosity gets to know more about him and his kind. I always like stories driven by the desire to know more. It’s a universal need we can all understand, and the story uses it well to not only guide the audience, but the character as well. The story has an element of wonder and serenity to it, especially with the scenes involving the skipping stones themselves. It was a well told entry with lots of heart and curiosity to it, and I enjoyed it immensely.
Silence and Sword by Royce Day
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Royce’s writings, and in truth this was the only entry in the anthology I’d already experienced. Released as an episode of the voice of dog podcast, I’d heard it in audio form, but was nevertheless eager to read it, as well. It features an alternate version of his character Ali, with a new character named Hamia, the sword carrying wazagan that serves as her guardian. Part treasure hunt, part character study, the story is a fun adventure that dips into a little of the technology that caused the old world to collapse, and does a good job of adding to the setting. I thought all three of the main characters worked well together, and the story blended them together into a cohesive group. In this version of the character, for most of the story Ali is unable to speak due to a shock collar, and I think that it was an interesting challenge for Royce to do a character requiring a different method of communication.
Dark Garden Lake by Kayode Lycaon
I’d say that this was the heaviest story so far, with some rather complex and deep themes, very much painting the world in some shades of gray. Seen from the perspective of a painted dog engineered by the humans seeking to reclaim the planet, it is the first story of the group to be viewed from the other side. Tasked with a rather unsavory job, he very much seems like a character in a gilded cage, having few options but to do what he is told and live through the pain of what he is asked to do. A well written story delving into some of the politics of this setting, it manages to tell a self contained story that makes you sympathize with the protagonist and his plight. It makes you think, about both a person’s circumstances as well as the occasional ‘necessary evil’ that sometimes is presented as the next step to a greater good. A thoughtful piece, and a credit to the collection.
Sewer Tea by Dan Leinir Turthra Jensen
This was a really good entry into the collection. While it took me a bit to realize it would occasionally jump back in time, it had a really good framing device and once I knew to expect it the story flowed very well. It made an impressive use of a different style of speaking to convey the different ness of the avian character, something not often seen in furry writing, and it was done well and felt very natural. I found the story to be heartwearming and just the boost I needed. For a short story, having two different time frames is a hard technique to master, and the author did a great job. Both halves of the tale complemented each other and everything in it seemed to work to bring the whole together. It is probably one of my favorite stories in the collection. Sorry Royce. But this was definitely up there.
Persephone’s Chance by Juan Carlos Moreno
Another first time author for me, I enjoyed this story. It reminded me a bit of Firefly, in a positive way, with a crew and a ship getting hired for a rather unusual job. The characters gelled pretty well with the cast feeling about the right size for the story. I thought it kept my interest well and set up the possibility of future stories with these characters. I liked it enough that I reached out to the author afterwards since we’re in the same writing group, and that’s always a good sign. I think it added some good detail to the setting and filled in some of the people that fall in the middle, not one faction or the other. Overall it was solid.
A Journey To The Skies by Ferric the Bird
This was a pretty good story. It follows the journey of a pair of avian siblings, who follow their tradition to seek the reward of the gift of flight. Something apparently denied to the Anthro birds it is a rare and interesting approach to the perhaps reality of the humanoid form not being especially aerodynamic. While I do personally prefer birds being able to fly with their wings it was an approach that fit pretty well with the setting as well as the fact that it expanded more on another type of Anthro population within Reclamation Project’s world. The chemistry between the characters was good, and for the most part I thought it was a really good journey. A few minor issues such as words repeated a lot in quick succession, a perhaps incorrect form of a word somewhere, mostly editing things. A solid story, whose positives far outweigh the flaws.
Star of the Savannah by Huskyteer
I can’t remember if I’ve read anything by this author before or not. I want to say I have, but in any case, the story. It wasn’t bad, a plot I’ve seen a million times before, loner gets saddled with a living cargo they don’t want and have to get it somewhere. The characters I think weren’t developed enough, I think that the story was a bit generic, and the ending seemed a bit sudden without anything really setting it up. It just felt like it needed more detail, more complexity, maybe I missed something. But by and large I just didn’t feel like I bonded with the characters so I’d mark this one as adequate but honestly a little forgettable.
The Flavors of Sunlight by James L. Steele.
I think for me this was another story that sort of missed the mark. The story begins with a group of yachts being attacked and one of the attackers being left behind. Over the course of the story they learn the group is researching a way to effectively photosynthesize or derive nourishment from light. I noticed early on that the main character’s species was not mentioned until several pages into the story. In fact, we find out what most of the other characters are before we see what they are. Although it doesn’t affect the story much it still seems like an oversight. I wanted to see these characters as a bunch of misunderstood misfits, but overall it kind of felt more like a cult. I don’t know if it was meant to come across like that, but the way that the lizard was unable to accept their alternate way of life sort of seemed a bit like that. I appreciate what it was trying to say about a society where you don’t have to fight for survival, but I feel the story would have had more depth if the other characters had more to do. As it was we really don’t see this community in action. As a person who loves food and cooking, it also seems pretty unpleasant to cultivate a society where you never have to eat. And the algae going all the way to the bone sort of weirded me out too. Some interesting ideas, but definitely not my kind of story.
Chromium Maneuvers by Matt Trepal
I had a hard time connecting with this one. The story, to me, didn’t really have a lot of emotional weight, seeming to be about exposing the truth but it also felt like the antagonist was never really much of a threat in the first place. I found it a little unsatisfying, and while I can see based on how it ended why it was the last story it also just felt like it didn’t really draw me in. Add to the fact that we don’t really find out what the conflict was about and you’re left with an experience that I think if it wasn’t here, you wouldn’t have missed it. Short stories really need to be a self contained adventure, and with that question left open it’s hard to assign gravity to the story as a whole.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2023
It's relatively rare to see a post-apocalypse in which things kinda sorta worked out. There are still a plethora of problems in the world of Reclamation Project. More than you'd expect from a solarpunk book. Pirates, evil organizations, killer robots, ominous floating coins, etc, but things seem to be heading in a decent direction with a harmony between nature and technology, and that makes for a very unique setting. Especially when anthropomorphic animals are running around everywhere.
I haven't read a shared-world short story compilation before, and it was a joy seeing all of these authors develop this world side by side. Each story brought something new to the worldbuilding, and none of them really clashed with each other.
Altogether it was a pretty enjoyable read with a very intriguing world to explore.
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This book has a wide range of story tones and structures, so different readers will have different experiences, but to close out the review here are a few that really struck a chord with me:
The first story, Piece of Mind by John R. Robey, who also edited the book, is a great way to start things off. It indirectly introduces the world very nicely, and in particular it establishes the level of borderline-magic technology this sci-fi world has, which is very important context to have for the rest of the stories.
The first standout story for me though was Dark Garden Lake by Kayode Lycaon, which has, in my opinion, the most interesting protagonist in the book. Brooding assassins are done to death, but Moshi's got a vulnerability to him that really works.
The Flavors of Sunlight by James L. Steele made me drop the book, run my hands through my hair and say "oh, that was a good story" out loud. I will say nothing about this one here. You just gotta experience it.
A Journey to the Skies by Ferric the Bird is another hit, with my favorite premise in the book. Unexpectedly, it also had a moment of unseen horror that made me read a page over a few times. Heartbreaking stuff.
Chromium Manuevers by Matt Trepal closes things out nicely, with a great ending line that reminds us this is an ongoing, evolving world. But more importantly it did a good job of exploring the culture of the Furry Development of Ambara Down.
I haven't read a shared-world short story compilation before, and it was a joy seeing all of these authors develop this world side by side. Each story brought something new to the worldbuilding, and none of them really clashed with each other.
Altogether it was a pretty enjoyable read with a very intriguing world to explore.
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This book has a wide range of story tones and structures, so different readers will have different experiences, but to close out the review here are a few that really struck a chord with me:
The first story, Piece of Mind by John R. Robey, who also edited the book, is a great way to start things off. It indirectly introduces the world very nicely, and in particular it establishes the level of borderline-magic technology this sci-fi world has, which is very important context to have for the rest of the stories.
The first standout story for me though was Dark Garden Lake by Kayode Lycaon, which has, in my opinion, the most interesting protagonist in the book. Brooding assassins are done to death, but Moshi's got a vulnerability to him that really works.
The Flavors of Sunlight by James L. Steele made me drop the book, run my hands through my hair and say "oh, that was a good story" out loud. I will say nothing about this one here. You just gotta experience it.
A Journey to the Skies by Ferric the Bird is another hit, with my favorite premise in the book. Unexpectedly, it also had a moment of unseen horror that made me read a page over a few times. Heartbreaking stuff.
Chromium Manuevers by Matt Trepal closes things out nicely, with a great ending line that reminds us this is an ongoing, evolving world. But more importantly it did a good job of exploring the culture of the Furry Development of Ambara Down.
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