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The Far Reaches #1
How It Unfolds
An astronaut’s interstellar mission is a personal journey of a thousand second chances in an exhilarating short story by James S. A. Corey, the New York Times bestselling author of The Expanse series.
Roy Court and his crew are taking the trip of a lifetime—several lifetimes in fact—duplicated and dispatched across the galaxies searching for Earthlike planets. Many possibilities for the future. Yet for Roy, no matter how many of him there are, there’s still just one painful, unchangeable past. In what world can a broken relationship be reborn? The universe is so vast, there’s always room for hope.
James S. A. Corey’s How It Unfolds is part of The Far Reaches, a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.
Roy Court and his crew are taking the trip of a lifetime—several lifetimes in fact—duplicated and dispatched across the galaxies searching for Earthlike planets. Many possibilities for the future. Yet for Roy, no matter how many of him there are, there’s still just one painful, unchangeable past. In what world can a broken relationship be reborn? The universe is so vast, there’s always room for hope.
James S. A. Corey’s How It Unfolds is part of The Far Reaches, a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.
38 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 787 reviews
July 22, 2023
Absolutely loved it. This story alone makes the entire “Far Reaches” collection worth it.
A story confidently told and gently layered. A grand space exploration by sending matter via “slow light” over staggering distances and time and at the same time a very private and intimate look at a human life and chances and possibilities and roads taken and not taken. Things you hold on to and things that you need to let go, staying true and moving on, heartbreak and hope.
Just because something ends doesn’t mean it wasn’t beautiful while it lasted. “And nothing lasts forever.”
4.5 stars, rounding up.
—————
The Far Reaches Collection, in the order read:
— ‘Slow Time Between the Stars’ by John Scalzi: Different than “usual” Scalzi fare. 3.5 stars.
— ‘How It Unfolds’ by James S.A. Corey: Lovely and beautiful. 4.5 stars.
— ‘Falling Bodies’ by Rebecca Roanhorse: Anticlimactic at best. 2 stars.
— ‘The Long Game’ by Ann Leckie: Cute but unsatisfying. 2.5 stars.
— ‘Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach’ by Nnedi Okorafor: Domesticity overload. 2.5 stars.
— ‘Void’ by Veronica Roth: Time dilation murder mystery. 4 stars.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
“It’s possible to be faithful to something that’s in the past. It’s not a betrayal to build something new when something old is finished.”
A story confidently told and gently layered. A grand space exploration by sending matter via “slow light” over staggering distances and time and at the same time a very private and intimate look at a human life and chances and possibilities and roads taken and not taken. Things you hold on to and things that you need to let go, staying true and moving on, heartbreak and hope.
“For me, some chances you take just because the possibilities are beautiful.”
Just because something ends doesn’t mean it wasn’t beautiful while it lasted. “And nothing lasts forever.”
4.5 stars, rounding up.
—————
The Far Reaches Collection, in the order read:
— ‘Slow Time Between the Stars’ by John Scalzi: Different than “usual” Scalzi fare. 3.5 stars.
— ‘How It Unfolds’ by James S.A. Corey: Lovely and beautiful. 4.5 stars.
— ‘Falling Bodies’ by Rebecca Roanhorse: Anticlimactic at best. 2 stars.
— ‘The Long Game’ by Ann Leckie: Cute but unsatisfying. 2.5 stars.
— ‘Just Out of Jupiter’s Reach’ by Nnedi Okorafor: Domesticity overload. 2.5 stars.
— ‘Void’ by Veronica Roth: Time dilation murder mystery. 4 stars.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
July 2, 2024
In a Nutshell: A short story about an interstellar mission, or perhaps, a story about thousands of interstellar missions. Human emotions plus astronomical challenges. Unusual, intelligent, thought-provoking. A good story for sci-fi fans.
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Plot Preview:
This is the first standalone story in 'The Far Reaches’ series, described on Amazon as “a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart.”
There’s not much I can talk about this story without spoiling it. The preview above offers the essence of the premise, and the title tells you the result, “how it unfolds.”
This science fiction short has a lot of techie content (which, at times, gets overwhelming), but it doesn’t stop at being ‘astronauts surviving in space’. I love the way it explores human emotions and existential philosophy within the sci-fi structure. The non-linear narrative adds to the challenge as well as the charm.
The premise is so amazing that I wish this could have been a longer story. It has so much to offer! Regardless, the story also works in its current condensed form, but a few things are left to our imagination. In other words, it is an intelligent story and it trusts in the intelligence of its readers to fill in the gaps.
This is my first story by writer duo “James S.A. Corey”, who seem to have written a plethora of books in a long-running series titled ‘The Expanse.’ As I am not a fan of such extended works, I will just keep my fingers crossed that they will pen a standalone novel or another short fiction work in future so that I can read more of their works.
Definitely recommended to sci-fi short fiction fans looking for an unusual read. If you want a simple and straightforward space exploration story, stay away. This has been a great beginning to this series and I’m looking forward to find out what other far reaches await me in the remaining five stories.
4 stars.
This standalone story is a part of the 'The Far Reaches’ collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
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Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Roy Court and his crew are among the few chosen to be scanned and sent to Earth-like exoplanets in the hope of continuing the Earth’s civilisation on new abodes. The twist is that it’s not just one crew that has been sent. The whole team has been duplicated multiples times through the scans and each dispatched to a separate location in the far reaches of space. With so many possibilities for the future, humankind might have a good chance of success, right? Roy, meanwhile, is still battling remnant feelings for his ex-wife as scanned from his original Earth body. Can an old relationship be healed in a new world?
This is the first standalone story in 'The Far Reaches’ series, described on Amazon as “a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart.”
There’s not much I can talk about this story without spoiling it. The preview above offers the essence of the premise, and the title tells you the result, “how it unfolds.”
This science fiction short has a lot of techie content (which, at times, gets overwhelming), but it doesn’t stop at being ‘astronauts surviving in space’. I love the way it explores human emotions and existential philosophy within the sci-fi structure. The non-linear narrative adds to the challenge as well as the charm.
The premise is so amazing that I wish this could have been a longer story. It has so much to offer! Regardless, the story also works in its current condensed form, but a few things are left to our imagination. In other words, it is an intelligent story and it trusts in the intelligence of its readers to fill in the gaps.
This is my first story by writer duo “James S.A. Corey”, who seem to have written a plethora of books in a long-running series titled ‘The Expanse.’ As I am not a fan of such extended works, I will just keep my fingers crossed that they will pen a standalone novel or another short fiction work in future so that I can read more of their works.
Definitely recommended to sci-fi short fiction fans looking for an unusual read. If you want a simple and straightforward space exploration story, stay away. This has been a great beginning to this series and I’m looking forward to find out what other far reaches await me in the remaining five stories.
4 stars.
This standalone story is a part of the 'The Far Reaches’ collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
August 18, 2023
I'm a sucker for nontraditional narrative structures, so I really liked this. It's skillfully done, blending pov switches and time jumps perfectly into one overarching plot that flows smoothly and naturally. The echoing themes of lost civilizations and missed chances are also handled well, in a way that's emotionally evocative but not over the top.
A great opening piece to a new collection! Probably my favorite Amazon original so far after The Six Deaths of the Saint.
A great opening piece to a new collection! Probably my favorite Amazon original so far after The Six Deaths of the Saint.
July 8, 2023
3.5★
“INTERVIEWER: It must feel a little strange to spend all this time preparing for something that you aren’t actually going to do.”
Not exactly. He is going to both actually and not actually shoot off into space and unfold in another life – as himself.
“ROY COURT: Except that I am. When the package unfolds, the Roy that comes out of the assembler is going to remember having this exact conversation with you. It’s just that he’s going to be on some other planet trying to figure out how to restart the human race, and I’m going to be here worrying about my taxes. ‘[laughs]’
Earth needs more room, but this is no mission to Mars. This is a whole repopulate or perish program. shooting countless groups of recreated people, the same people, out to new possible territory in space. There will be lots of Roys and also lots of Anjulas, his ex-wife and still good friend whose heart he hopes to re-win.
They are scanned so they can be sent and arrive unscathed at the same age and condition that they were sent. Roy arrives, wakes up, and is startled.
“They weren’t on the base. They weren’t on Earth. They’d unfolded the package. The room around him, the gray, softly lit hall, wasn’t the one he’d been scanned in. Hell, he wasn’t the Roy Court who’d been scanned. The idea was simultaneously everything he’d hoped for and still totally surreal.”
Anjula and the others arrive, and the story moves between now – in the program – and Roy’s reminiscing about his earlier life with Anjula, planning a future.
It’s hard to describe how many iterations of this group there are in so few pages, but Corey gives a good sense of the scale of the program and the packages.
All in all, an enjoyable read from Amazon and NetGalley.
“INTERVIEWER: It must feel a little strange to spend all this time preparing for something that you aren’t actually going to do.”
Not exactly. He is going to both actually and not actually shoot off into space and unfold in another life – as himself.
“ROY COURT: Except that I am. When the package unfolds, the Roy that comes out of the assembler is going to remember having this exact conversation with you. It’s just that he’s going to be on some other planet trying to figure out how to restart the human race, and I’m going to be here worrying about my taxes. ‘[laughs]’
Earth needs more room, but this is no mission to Mars. This is a whole repopulate or perish program. shooting countless groups of recreated people, the same people, out to new possible territory in space. There will be lots of Roys and also lots of Anjulas, his ex-wife and still good friend whose heart he hopes to re-win.
They are scanned so they can be sent and arrive unscathed at the same age and condition that they were sent. Roy arrives, wakes up, and is startled.
“They weren’t on the base. They weren’t on Earth. They’d unfolded the package. The room around him, the gray, softly lit hall, wasn’t the one he’d been scanned in. Hell, he wasn’t the Roy Court who’d been scanned. The idea was simultaneously everything he’d hoped for and still totally surreal.”
Anjula and the others arrive, and the story moves between now – in the program – and Roy’s reminiscing about his earlier life with Anjula, planning a future.
It’s hard to describe how many iterations of this group there are in so few pages, but Corey gives a good sense of the scale of the program and the packages.
All in all, an enjoyable read from Amazon and NetGalley.
July 5, 2023
Okay, so this was a neat short story. Roy is part of a team that has been cloned and had copies of themselves sent out across the stars in packets to unfold and restart human civilization. An infinite number of possibilities but for Roy an infinite number of do-overs. It's an interesting story and told in an interesting way. In addition to following along with Roy, there are points of view from groups that made it long enough to forward packets of clones forward and also project information about themselves. Those POVs varied in interest and some didn't really make sense, but served their purpose. I have to say that Roy and the little package each version of himself has along for the ride and why made me think of Cameron Frye of Ferris Bueller's Day Off or more accurately, something Ferris predicted for Cameron. Luckily for Roy (the one readers follow), a couple of transmissions help him get beyond this point to a satisfying conclusion. The final third of this story really was well done and where I found the memorable lines.
Recommended.
The Ferris quote about Cameron: "Cameron has never been in love - at least, nobody's ever been in love with him. If things don't change for him, he's gonna marry the first girl he lays, and she's gonna treat him like shit, because she will have given him what he has built up in his mind as the end-all, be-all of human existence. She won't respect him, because you can't respect somebody who kisses your ass. It just doesn't work.”
Recommended.
The Ferris quote about Cameron: "Cameron has never been in love - at least, nobody's ever been in love with him. If things don't change for him, he's gonna marry the first girl he lays, and she's gonna treat him like shit, because she will have given him what he has built up in his mind as the end-all, be-all of human existence. She won't respect him, because you can't respect somebody who kisses your ass. It just doesn't work.”
April 10, 2024
“How It Unfolds” by James S.A. Corey gravitated towards my radar from my bookish friend, Rosh. As a fan of The Expanse series (well, the first four at least), I knew I had to check this quick short out. Deep down, the book is about hope, fate, destiny, and the permutations that may happen with the choices we make.
A team of interplanetary engineers is taking trip(s) to different galaxies looking for inhabitable plants for the future of mankind. The catch? The team does these ‘folding’ excursions over different lifetimes. Stay with me here. It sounds sort of complex, but the rules are fairly easy to follow. The characters are rich; there is a bit of exploration, a tiny bit of humor, and a whole lot of heart.
|| " We can live a billion different ways from here, but there’s only one path behind us. That was never going to change." ||
It is refreshing to get so much story in something so short, and I had exploration vibes similar to those of Christopher Columbus. Replace the sailing with teleportation, a spice trade with hydroponics, and a light sprinkling of new world/old world concepts.
If you are in the mood for a fun little sci-fi story, this would fit nicely.
**Side note: I just have to comment on the food in the book and the conundrum I pondered after I finished it: “the food was always the same: dense cakes with all the nutrients, fiber, and microbiota to sustain life in a puck the size of a pack of cards.” I was trying to decide if this would be better than the ‘protein-rich porridge’ from the Matrix. 🍜🍴 Hmmm....
🎵| Soundtrack |🎵
❖ Gabriel Olafs – The Drifter
❖ Sunsleep - Dive
❖ Sleep Token - Alkaline
❖ Bebe Rexha – I Got Time
⭐ | Rating | ⭐
❖ 4 out of 5 ❖
A team of interplanetary engineers is taking trip(s) to different galaxies looking for inhabitable plants for the future of mankind. The catch? The team does these ‘folding’ excursions over different lifetimes. Stay with me here. It sounds sort of complex, but the rules are fairly easy to follow. The characters are rich; there is a bit of exploration, a tiny bit of humor, and a whole lot of heart.
|| " We can live a billion different ways from here, but there’s only one path behind us. That was never going to change." ||
It is refreshing to get so much story in something so short, and I had exploration vibes similar to those of Christopher Columbus. Replace the sailing with teleportation, a spice trade with hydroponics, and a light sprinkling of new world/old world concepts.
If you are in the mood for a fun little sci-fi story, this would fit nicely.
**Side note: I just have to comment on the food in the book and the conundrum I pondered after I finished it: “the food was always the same: dense cakes with all the nutrients, fiber, and microbiota to sustain life in a puck the size of a pack of cards.” I was trying to decide if this would be better than the ‘protein-rich porridge’ from the Matrix. 🍜🍴 Hmmm....
🎵| Soundtrack |🎵
❖ Gabriel Olafs – The Drifter
❖ Sunsleep - Dive
❖ Sleep Token - Alkaline
❖ Bebe Rexha – I Got Time
⭐ | Rating | ⭐
❖ 4 out of 5 ❖
November 19, 2023
An astronaut’s interstellar mission is a personal journey of a thousand second chances.
Upon reading the last sentence of this book I said, “Well that was about as clear as mud.”
I’ve read enough of Corey books over the years to appreciate his storytelling, but dang this one was odd.
Multiple layers
Hard-core Syfy
Ex-wife & infinite second chances
Roy is one of the narrators of the story, he has been cloned, along with his crew, and their clones will be sent throughout the universe to look for other planets for humans to populate.
“It’s pretty weird making all our decisions with a gazillion different lives to show us what went wrong. I can see it getting a little oppressive.”
Upon reading the last sentence of this book I said, “Well that was about as clear as mud.”
I’ve read enough of Corey books over the years to appreciate his storytelling, but dang this one was odd.
Multiple layers
Hard-core Syfy
Ex-wife & infinite second chances
Roy is one of the narrators of the story, he has been cloned, along with his crew, and their clones will be sent throughout the universe to look for other planets for humans to populate.
“It’s pretty weird making all our decisions with a gazillion different lives to show us what went wrong. I can see it getting a little oppressive.”
June 20, 2023
This is a story from the Amazon Original Stories Collection entitled The Far Reaches.
We meet Ray Court, a man who is part of a program which effectively clones him and others repeatedly, then sends them into space to try and colonise other planets. The science aspect of this is intriguing and the whole thing is made relatable by concentrating on Ray and his ex wife Anjula.
The story is interesting and it makes the reader think, especially since the characters are aware of their multiple personas out there somewhere. Well worth reading.
We meet Ray Court, a man who is part of a program which effectively clones him and others repeatedly, then sends them into space to try and colonise other planets. The science aspect of this is intriguing and the whole thing is made relatable by concentrating on Ray and his ex wife Anjula.
The story is interesting and it makes the reader think, especially since the characters are aware of their multiple personas out there somewhere. Well worth reading.
June 28, 2023
This novelette (very short) is part of Amazon Original Stories "The Far Reaches" collection.
I don't know what I expected but it wasn't a bittersweet romantic tale of space travel and the paths and choices we make in life.
I don't know what I expected but it wasn't a bittersweet romantic tale of space travel and the paths and choices we make in life.
June 29, 2023
“Well, we were good when we were good.”
“And when we weren’t anymore, we stopped. That’s worth more than you give it credit for. It’s possible to be faithful to something that’s in the past. It’s not a betrayal to build something new when something old is finished.”
“Honor the past without living in it.”
“See?” she said. “You get it.”
It's true that I tend to struggle with short stories. And yet I keep finding out that science fiction and the format are a match made in heaven. This story is about a space exploration. But really it’s about redefining what success or failure for a human is, on an intimate level. About celebrating what was and letting go of the bitterness that it’s over. About making the most of one’s life, stopping obsessing about the past and it’ll let you discover possibilities of the future. Fantastic uplifting little gem.
September 30, 2023
Wow. This was so much better than a few of the weaker Expanse novels. Hard SF world building, multiple POV narration, and a bittersweet ending. Superb.
July 12, 2023
Wow, wow, wow. Mind blowing with bits that remind me of Dennis Taylor's Bobiverse books as well as something completely epic like Poul Anderson's Tau Zero. Remarkable and inventive hard sci-fi while also deeply personal and touching. I'd love to see this become a full length book or series.
August 21, 2023
3.5 Stars for How it Unfolds: The Far Reaches, Book 1 (audiobook) by James S. A. Corey narrated by James Patrick Cronin.
A cloned astronaut out on a long journey ends up getting a startling reminder of his original self.
A cloned astronaut out on a long journey ends up getting a startling reminder of his original self.
March 10, 2025
This is another book I read on my Kindle before I left the house for the day. I'm glad I did it this way instead of listening to the audiobook. I feel like I got more out of it this way.
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Roy Court and his crew are taking the trip of several lifetimes as they duplicate themselves to help in their search of the known universe and even beyond to find planets habitable for the human race, though there's one part of him that can't get the thought of his ex-wife out of his mind.
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I spent most of this book feeling absolutely confused. I feel like the plot was too heavy and convoluted for me to properly follow it. I feel like there was so much that wasn't explained and it left me feeling more than a little disappointed.
It made me wonder if this book was part of a series that the author already had going on the side and there were things pulled from that series that we should have already known. I hate it when I read books that have this aspect because I never understand easter eggs and the like.
I feel like I was missing something vital or important throughout this story and it drove me up one wall and down another. This is one of the reasons I didn't rate this story as highly as I've rated others recently.
I'm not saying this wasn't a good story, by any means. I'm just saying there's a lot of potential and I feel like this story missed the mark. I wanted more from this story, especially after all the good things I've heard about this author, but I feel more than a little disappointed. That makes me sad.
I would recommend this story if you want a story that leans more toward sci-fi elements than the fantasy elements I've gotten used to. It's not my normal cup of tea but I'm sure people. out there would enjoy it more than I did.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Roy Court and his crew are taking the trip of several lifetimes as they duplicate themselves to help in their search of the known universe and even beyond to find planets habitable for the human race, though there's one part of him that can't get the thought of his ex-wife out of his mind.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
I spent most of this book feeling absolutely confused. I feel like the plot was too heavy and convoluted for me to properly follow it. I feel like there was so much that wasn't explained and it left me feeling more than a little disappointed.
It made me wonder if this book was part of a series that the author already had going on the side and there were things pulled from that series that we should have already known. I hate it when I read books that have this aspect because I never understand easter eggs and the like.
I feel like I was missing something vital or important throughout this story and it drove me up one wall and down another. This is one of the reasons I didn't rate this story as highly as I've rated others recently.
I'm not saying this wasn't a good story, by any means. I'm just saying there's a lot of potential and I feel like this story missed the mark. I wanted more from this story, especially after all the good things I've heard about this author, but I feel more than a little disappointed. That makes me sad.
I would recommend this story if you want a story that leans more toward sci-fi elements than the fantasy elements I've gotten used to. It's not my normal cup of tea but I'm sure people. out there would enjoy it more than I did.
March 3, 2025
This was fun enough, but the blurb makes it sound like more than it is.
There's no room for the concept to be properly defined and explored, so if you don't understand it straight away, you'll get left behind. I struggled along a little, trying to appreciate the story despite not fully comprehending what was happening.
It's a short story that would bloom so much more given room. I wanted to get to know these characters properly - this short format doesn't really do them justice.
Still, not bad for a freebie and the fact it made me want more means it was definitely a good story!
There's no room for the concept to be properly defined and explored, so if you don't understand it straight away, you'll get left behind. I struggled along a little, trying to appreciate the story despite not fully comprehending what was happening.
It's a short story that would bloom so much more given room. I wanted to get to know these characters properly - this short format doesn't really do them justice.
Still, not bad for a freebie and the fact it made me want more means it was definitely a good story!
December 11, 2023
“It’s possible to be faithful to something that’s in the past. It’s not a betrayal to build something new when something old is finished.”
“Honor the past without living in it.”
This was quite good. I liked the message and the overall narration was great. A tight little short. Makes me miss Expanse.
February 3, 2024
A big (in ambition) sf novelette, mixing great sf ideas and human feelings. Really well done, and the kind of story I read sf for. With a classic trope which I am not going to name but thought it fun, and a bit tongue in cheek.
My first James Corey story ever, I will probably eventually get to the Expanse. Maybe (I am kind of allergic to long series though...)
But there is a but, I thought the writing part, the prose plain (which I do not mind per se, but...), the characterization somewhat underwhelming. Side characters only had any personality assigned to them when they became plot relevant, and the central relationship was IMO cryptic enough.
My first James Corey story ever, I will probably eventually get to the Expanse. Maybe (I am kind of allergic to long series though...)
But there is a but, I thought the writing part, the prose plain (which I do not mind per se, but...), the characterization somewhat underwhelming. Side characters only had any personality assigned to them when they became plot relevant, and the central relationship was IMO cryptic enough.
August 10, 2023
RATING: 1.5 stars
Ok here's my problem with this... it has this amazing premise right? People are copied, transformed into information packages and sent throughout space to (I assume) otherwise unmanned spaceships near habitable or near habitable planets so they can terraform.
Or at least that is what I kinda got from this but thing is, the narrative is so jumbled I may have interpreted it all wrong. The main character goes on trips down memory lane about his love for his ex-wife (also on the mission) and that is the bulk of this. So it's super messy... the amazing premise overshadowed by the main character's ruminations on how to get his ex-wife back. I'm not sure what the author's intent was but you dont need a sci-fi background for that just tell a plain character driven story without luring the reader with false promises of a great story to come...
Ok here's my problem with this... it has this amazing premise right? People are copied, transformed into information packages and sent throughout space to (I assume) otherwise unmanned spaceships near habitable or near habitable planets so they can terraform.
Or at least that is what I kinda got from this but thing is, the narrative is so jumbled I may have interpreted it all wrong. The main character goes on trips down memory lane about his love for his ex-wife (also on the mission) and that is the bulk of this. So it's super messy... the amazing premise overshadowed by the main character's ruminations on how to get his ex-wife back. I'm not sure what the author's intent was but you dont need a sci-fi background for that just tell a plain character driven story without luring the reader with false promises of a great story to come...
November 10, 2023
love these authors but their romances are always so bland 😭
November 10, 2023
Huh liked this story. What if you were able to create a you that is able to go out into the universe to find another Earth like planet.
The main character is astronaut Roy Court who finds himself on a mission with his ex-wife. And now he may have the chance to make things right between them.
I liked the ending of this one since it didn’t go where I thought it would.
Main reason for the four stars is that I didn’t know if the set up for the ending was quite there enough for me.
The main character is astronaut Roy Court who finds himself on a mission with his ex-wife. And now he may have the chance to make things right between them.
I liked the ending of this one since it didn’t go where I thought it would.
Main reason for the four stars is that I didn’t know if the set up for the ending was quite there enough for me.
June 18, 2025
4.5 territory but why quibble? I didn’t realize this was part of a collection (in which I have no interest tbh) but I see something by James S A Corey and ima gonna read it. And if I read it, ima gonna love it. His world building, ideas and characters always satisfy and engage me, and of course given the rating, this was no different. There’s always this wonderful blend of science, imaginative ideas, and people being people that I always find compelling and satisfying.
July 18, 2023
3+ stars
A quick novella in a futuristic six book group from Amazon. I listened to this one in audible.
A man and woman, once married, are put together again in the interstellar of a space colony. Traveling between stars he attempts to rekindle their romance. He had never quit loving her. But how many lives does it take for them to reconnect?
A quick novella in a futuristic six book group from Amazon. I listened to this one in audible.
A man and woman, once married, are put together again in the interstellar of a space colony. Traveling between stars he attempts to rekindle their romance. He had never quit loving her. But how many lives does it take for them to reconnect?
July 23, 2023
Fairly interesting premise for a short story- the main character is part of a group of humans being scanned and cloned thousands of times and sent forward to different points in history with the aim of restarting human civilization. Also included is his ex-wife and the story explores whether their relationship could ever succeed in these futures. I liked this okay, though I don't feel like it's going to leave a lasting impression.
June 30, 2023
Confusing
October 15, 2025
Beam Me Up
Review of the Amazon Original Story ebook (June 27, 2023) released simultaneously with the Brilliance Audio audiobook.
The concept here was intriguing. The idea being that in a future time mankind could "beam" itself (I use the old Star Trek term for teleportation) across galaxies in the search for Goldilocks* planets which could be terraformed for human habitation. The twist was also that it was clones of the same people being beamed to the different worlds.
But the only drama was about how a lovelorn astronaut hoped that in one of those worlds he could rekindle his relationship with his ex-wife who was another one of the astronauts. So it ended up as a 2.5-star OK rounded up to a 3-star Like.
James S.A. Corey is the penname of the writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck who are best known as the authors of the series The Expanse (2011-2022-ongoing?) which was adapted into the same-titled TV-series The Expanse (2015-2021).
Footnote
* A term occasionally used in astrobiology, from the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where Goldilocks selects the porridge which is not too hot and not too cold, but is just right.
Trivia and Links
How It Unfolds is the 1st of 6 short stories making up the series The Far Reaches, released simultaneously on June 27, 2023 as eBooks by Amazon Originals and as audiobooks by Brilliance Audio. The Far Reaches collection is described as "The universe is bigger than we can imagine. Look outward beyond the stars with six stories from bestselling visionary authors. An AI awakens to its purpose. A researcher seeds a thousand new worlds for one more chance at love. A murder rocks the crew of an interstellar ship. With a sweeping sense of wonder, these stories explore the galaxy...and the horizons of humanity’s potential."
You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Kindle short stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
Review of the Amazon Original Story ebook (June 27, 2023) released simultaneously with the Brilliance Audio audiobook.
“I wasn’t sure it’d play out. I figured if you shot me down there, this way there’d be other chances. A thousand new worlds, and each one the chance to maybe get it right between us.”
The concept here was intriguing. The idea being that in a future time mankind could "beam" itself (I use the old Star Trek term for teleportation) across galaxies in the search for Goldilocks* planets which could be terraformed for human habitation. The twist was also that it was clones of the same people being beamed to the different worlds.
But the only drama was about how a lovelorn astronaut hoped that in one of those worlds he could rekindle his relationship with his ex-wife who was another one of the astronauts. So it ended up as a 2.5-star OK rounded up to a 3-star Like.
James S.A. Corey is the penname of the writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck who are best known as the authors of the series The Expanse (2011-2022-ongoing?) which was adapted into the same-titled TV-series The Expanse (2015-2021).
Footnote
* A term occasionally used in astrobiology, from the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where Goldilocks selects the porridge which is not too hot and not too cold, but is just right.
Trivia and Links
How It Unfolds is the 1st of 6 short stories making up the series The Far Reaches, released simultaneously on June 27, 2023 as eBooks by Amazon Originals and as audiobooks by Brilliance Audio. The Far Reaches collection is described as "The universe is bigger than we can imagine. Look outward beyond the stars with six stories from bestselling visionary authors. An AI awakens to its purpose. A researcher seeds a thousand new worlds for one more chance at love. A murder rocks the crew of an interstellar ship. With a sweeping sense of wonder, these stories explore the galaxy...and the horizons of humanity’s potential."
You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Kindle short stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2024
How It Unfolds by James S.A. Corey
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (4*)
This was my third short-story in the "Far Reaches-Collection" and for me it was good but certainly not the best of them. I actually could've given this one 3 Stars as well but I really like the writing style of James S.A. Corey.
"Roy Court and his crew are taking the trip of a lifetime—several lifetimes in fact—duplicated and dispatched across the galaxies searching for Earthlike planets. Many possibilities for the future. Yet for Roy, no matter how many of him there are, there’s still just one painful, unchangeable past. In what world can a broken relationship be reborn? The universe is so vast, there’s always room for hope."
The writing, as I said, was on point and as a short-story it worked really good. 😁 Sometimes the stories are better if you know some things about it before but many stories are better if you go in blind. This is a story for the latter. So maybe don't read much more about this story than what is written here and then let yourself sink into the emotions and the sweetness behind it. Eventhough it isn't the best story of the collection, I can still recommend it. 😁👍🏻
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (4*)
This was my third short-story in the "Far Reaches-Collection" and for me it was good but certainly not the best of them. I actually could've given this one 3 Stars as well but I really like the writing style of James S.A. Corey.
"Roy Court and his crew are taking the trip of a lifetime—several lifetimes in fact—duplicated and dispatched across the galaxies searching for Earthlike planets. Many possibilities for the future. Yet for Roy, no matter how many of him there are, there’s still just one painful, unchangeable past. In what world can a broken relationship be reborn? The universe is so vast, there’s always room for hope."
The writing, as I said, was on point and as a short-story it worked really good. 😁 Sometimes the stories are better if you know some things about it before but many stories are better if you go in blind. This is a story for the latter. So maybe don't read much more about this story than what is written here and then let yourself sink into the emotions and the sweetness behind it. Eventhough it isn't the best story of the collection, I can still recommend it. 😁👍🏻
January 15, 2025
“It’s not a betrayal to build something new when something old is finished.” “Honor the past without living in it.”
July 9, 2024
This is a story which both excited and frustrated me. An imaginative story, but more ideal in a longer format.
Roy Court is a key character in a space mission to discover and colonize human friendly planets. The ‘slow light’ technology allows for packaging, propagating & assembling humans – these are several clones of existing humans, all beamed out into space. This has a nice feel to it – though that is pretty much all the concept in the book. Roy, constantly agonizes over his divorce with Anjula and hopes to get back with her.
There are number of interesting possibilities the scenarios in the book raises. I liked some of the communication which flows from the outer space inhabitants to those on Earth. In the short story format, some of the content comes across as very sketchy and potentially confusing. I did get the concept but then everything receives cursory treatment – the science, the characters, their hopes, their motivations, and their relationships. When I finished, I thought “A story with great ideas” but “Why on earth is this written as a short story?”.
A quick read which packs in quite a lot!
My rating: 3.5 / 5.
Roy Court is a key character in a space mission to discover and colonize human friendly planets. The ‘slow light’ technology allows for packaging, propagating & assembling humans – these are several clones of existing humans, all beamed out into space. This has a nice feel to it – though that is pretty much all the concept in the book. Roy, constantly agonizes over his divorce with Anjula and hopes to get back with her.
There are number of interesting possibilities the scenarios in the book raises. I liked some of the communication which flows from the outer space inhabitants to those on Earth. In the short story format, some of the content comes across as very sketchy and potentially confusing. I did get the concept but then everything receives cursory treatment – the science, the characters, their hopes, their motivations, and their relationships. When I finished, I thought “A story with great ideas” but “Why on earth is this written as a short story?”.
A quick read which packs in quite a lot!
My rating: 3.5 / 5.
July 5, 2023
What a cool premise! One origin Roy and colleagues, sent to different planets as a packet that unfolds on arrival. So much faster and more efficient than sending matter. Still slow though, so Original Roy will have been long dead by the time the other Roys unfold. Many second chances to get things right, paying it forward in a civilization-spanning groundhog day.
“Roy Court and his crew are taking the trip of a lifetime—several lifetimes in fact—duplicated and dispatched across the galaxies searching for Earthlike planets. Many possibilities for the future. Yet for Roy, no matter how many of him there are, there’s still just one painful, unchangeable past. In what world can a broken relationship be reborn? The universe is so vast, there’s always room for hope.
James S. A. Corey’s How It Unfolds is part of The Far Reaches , a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart.“
A list of all six Far Reaches stories is here. For Amazon Prime members free as ebook or audio (at the moment).
“Roy Court and his crew are taking the trip of a lifetime—several lifetimes in fact—duplicated and dispatched across the galaxies searching for Earthlike planets. Many possibilities for the future. Yet for Roy, no matter how many of him there are, there’s still just one painful, unchangeable past. In what world can a broken relationship be reborn? The universe is so vast, there’s always room for hope.
James S. A. Corey’s How It Unfolds is part of The Far Reaches , a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart.“
A list of all six Far Reaches stories is here. For Amazon Prime members free as ebook or audio (at the moment).
April 6, 2024
What is it with James Corey and unlikeable male leads? This short story has an excellent premise that had just so much potential and it’s all squandered in favor of making the focus the interior life of this absolutely regular, absurdly boring man. He gets sent into the galaxy to found a new human colony and what do you think he’s thinking about the entire time? His ex wife and how he can get back together with her. Omfg. Kill me now!
The one additional star is for at least attempting to do something with the premise, even if it’s just throwaway.
The one additional star is for at least attempting to do something with the premise, even if it’s just throwaway.
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