There are authors who shove an entire novel’s worth of story into a short story. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.

I am that kind of writer. Years ago, I tried very hard to kill the impetus to write a novel with less than five thousand words. I failed. So, now I write trilogies. Ha!

But today’s reviewed story tried to do just that–offer us a big idea in a scant number of words. Does it succeed?

Before we answer that question, let’s get the standard introduction out of the way. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the publication of Ecotones: Ecological Stories from the Border Between Fantasy and Science Fiction, I’m reviewing all fourteen (14) short stories. Start here to read all mini-reviews.

This is the eleventh story in this ecology-related short story collection.

The Pattern Box by Christina Klarenbeek

This is a space opera, and the story begins with an intense scene. The author introduces us to our main character while he’s thrust from a stasis chamber. The ship is under attack. We soon learn exactly who our MC is, the enormity of the problem, and what can be done. We’re then introduced to a very foreign character who will play a pivotal role in ensuring whether the ship’s inhabitants ultimate goal is achieved or not.

I really enjoyed the smooth, easy reading of this story (though I did find a couple of typos!). The author immerses us into their world quickly and efficiently. There’s no time to explain much because they are under attack! That urgency comes through in the pacing of the story. And I thought the author did a great job giving us an ‘other’ perspective.

However… there was just so much that I think we lost a bit of the nuances that were touched on, but had to be abandoned because of the length.

With that said, the reveal at the end delivered on this story’s ‘grand notion.’

Until next time, enjoy a short story.

ECOTONES is an anthology of speculative fiction featuring fourteen tales from best-sellers, award-winners and nominees, established talents, and up-coming authors.

Ecotones exist wherever different ecosystems make contact. Where forest meets field… where the land meets the sea… where swamp gives way to jungle… where the surface descends beneath the ground… these are borders across which different ways of life come into conflict, and sometimes cooperation.

But in speculative fiction we might envision other borders: where the mundane meets the fantastical. Where countries clash and cultures mix. Where technology is joined to flesh. Where the known meets the unknown. These are ecotones of the imagination — where anything could happen.

Featuring the work of Ken Liu, Lauren Beukes and Tobias S. Buckell, as well as eleven stories from members of SFFWorld.com’s writing community, ECOTONES is a collection like no other — a point of contact between fantasy and science fiction with a timely environmental theme.

If you’d like to follow along, Ecotones is available for free in Kindle Unlimited. Check it out.

All the best,

Nila