Captive Dreams

by Michael Flynn

'Mike Flynn's stories begin by intriguing your brain and end by piercing your heart. Few other writers can combine cutting-edge science and emotional situations with Flynn's skill and sensitivity. Read these stories, and you will never forget Mae Holloway, nor Ethan Seakirt, nor Karen Brusco, nor any of the others who must live with the dilemmas that even the most hopeful science can bring.'--New York Times Bestselling Author Nancy KressFine literary writing meets Science Fiction. A thematic tour-de-force exploring the concept of being human through the eyes of imperfect protagonists struggling with their demons. More than just great SF, these are just great stories told with style, wit and sensitivity. Six memorable stories, each independent, but each tangentially touching on the others. Melodies of the Heart, Captive Dreams, Hopeful Monsters, Places Where the Roads Don't Go, Remember'd Kisses, Buried Hopes 'Michael Flynn has quietly become one of the best sf writers of our time. CAPTIVE DREAMS shows his intelligence, his compassion, and the dry wit with which he seasons them both. Don't miss it!'--New York Times Bestselling Author Harry Turtledove

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

266 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. Please see this page for the list of authors.

Michael Francis Flynn (born 1947) is an American statistician and science fiction author. Nearly all of Flynn's work falls under the category of hard science fiction, although his treatment of it can be unusual since he has applied the rigor of hard science fiction to "softer" sciences such as sociology in works such as In the Country of the Blind. Much of his short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact.

Flynn was born in Easton, Pennsylvania. He earned a B.A. in Mathematics from LaSalle University and an M.S. in topology from Marquette University. He has been employed as an industrial quality engineer and statistician.

Library of Congress authorities: Flynn, Michael (Michael F.)

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Firstreads Advanced Reader's Copy*

Simply an amazing set of six science fiction stories written by Michael Flynn. Each one deals with a different house (family) in a small neighborhood of New Jersey while loose interconnections abound. I found these stories to be highly entertaining, with well developed characters. In each story Flynn exposes a different medical/technological breakthrough. He also finds a way to expose the pros and cons of each breakthrough. He's able to reveal the moral dilemma with each advancement while not exposing his own views on each. We might be able to do something, but should we?

Many of his characters are neither inherently good or overtly bad. They, like all of us, are somewhere in between. They have their quirks. They also have their opinions and desires, based upon their experiences. There really were only three characters who I really disliked, and one of them I liked until halfway through the story. In many ways I can understand what each character was going through. This being the case, Flynn led me to seriously contemplate each story and how I felt about the advancement. That is the sign of a great writer.

I would highly recommend Captive Dreams to any fan of Science Fiction.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I struggle with short stories normally as often I am not totally satisfied by them. Not true in this case where I enjoyed every single story. I always enjoy Flynn's writings in that while he provides a solid SF substrate to his stories they are also populated with believable characters. He is quite excellent at dialog and often want to highlight parts of his prose. Most of these stories have a tinge of sadness to them, but not without hope. Lots to enjoy at multiple levels.

[Daryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Flynn is such an excellent writer. I don't know how he writes with such skill and pulls you in and immerses you into his stories. Captive Dreams is a collection of short stories tied together by 'location'. I plan to read everything he writes...

As an aside, I can't quite figure out why "Up Jim River" is out of print. I have been wanting to read it for a while but really would like to purchase the massmarket edtion. I know I will have to settle for the electronic version... but still...

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Ray Bradbury decided to write a story in the style of James Tiptree Jr, it might have a place alongside these stories.

Flynn is a particularly lyrical author, and the beauty of his prose slightly softens the blows from some of the disturbing ideas in these stories. I found “Melodies of the Heart” and “Hopeful Monsters” most moving, but by and by these stories are different varieties of melancholy while contemplating serious ideas of personhood and agency. The settings are near-term SF, with just a hint of new tech here or there.

Highly recommended

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this years ago. It was a kind of foundation for my imagination, at least in regards to sci-fi stories with a sociological bent. It remains excellent today, much to my pleasure. Depressing and enlightening all at once, and painfully relevant.

[Paul, · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tough book. Flynn was probably in a bit of a dark place when he wrote this. But the stories are so good. Melodies of the Heart is a classic.

[Lili · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a first reads giveaway.

This is a collection of short stories that not only have the common thread of interlocking characters, but also common elements in the exploration of human nature and ethics. The stories contain protagonists facing dilemmas in which certain scientific advancements may help their situation while bending the boundaries of "right and wrong". We have a medical doctor who exploits his bond with an extremely aged woman to possibly find a cure for his daughter's debilitating medical condition; a mother who interfaces her mentally impaired son with a computer to enhance his life as well as her own; parents who genetically engineer their perfect, beautiful baby only to find perfection is imperfect; a geneticist who attempts to recreate his dead wife by transforming a homeless woman with nanomachines, and others who leave the reader left wondering what he or she would do in the same situations.

The stories were clever and thought-provoking. My only stumbling block getting through some of them was the over-technical narration and explaination of many of the scientific processes and principles that were the theme of the various stories. Beyond that, this was a truly enjoyable selection of short stories.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

*First Reads Giveaway Winner Review*

I have been sitting here, looking at my computer screen, trying to decide if I want to give this book a 3 or 4 star rating. While I really enjoyed 4 of the 6 short stories, there was one I was indifferent about, and 1 that I almost couldn't finish reading. Not that the story was bad, it just was a little too... technical? scientific? both? After several attempts at reading it and putting it down and picking it back up, I decided to skim over the parts that lost my interest.

Other than the one story that almost made me put the book down for good, I enjoyed 4 of the stories enough to decide to rate the book 4 stars.

[Angie Boyter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might rate this a 4 if I liked short fiction better.
The stories seem fairly straightforward until he really gets going, but each has food for thought about some serious philosophical issue. This raises the quality significantly. Stories 3-5 were the best in that regard; the last story makes a very different point but one that most SF readers would ruefully endorse.
Flynn is incredible broadly educated. Is there anything the man doesn't know about??
Clever technique for tying the stories together.

[Angie Boyter]

At first these stories all seemed fairly routine until he got really started, and then each had some very thought-provoking philosophical point to make

Flynn is extremely broadly informed. Is there any subject on which he is not well-versed?
Clever how he tied the stories together.
This is almost a 4-star book. I think it might be if I liked short fiction better.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through the First Reads giveaway program on Goodreads.

A great collection of though-provoking science fiction stories revolving around different medical/technological breakthroughs that leave us asking ourselves "would we have done that any differently?"

[Dan Yingst · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always a fan of Flynn, and enjoyed those stories, though I think his best is found in the novels.

[Guðjón Torfi]

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