Transhuman

by Mark L. Van Name (Editor), T.K.F. Weisskopf (Editor)

Some of the world's leading science fiction authors explore the cutting-edge world of future technology as the the rules that define what it means to be human are changed forever, in stories by Wil McCarthy, Esther Friesner, James P. Hogan, David D. Levine, Dave Freer, Wen Spencer, Mark L. Van Name, and other notables.

Genres: Science Fiction, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

First published February 5, 2008

Reviews

[Kelly]

I really enjoyed this collection for several reasons:

1. It is not too long. So many anthologies are the endless tomes that no one can hope to finish before their interest wanes (with the exception of years best collections where the subject matter varies wildly).

2. There are forewords by the editors. I love a spoiler (yes, I have been known to check the back of the book to see if 'so and so' is still alive) or at least a little insight into the author and the story I'm about to read. It's the equivalent of being able to browse the teaser on the inside cover.

3. There are afterwords by the authors. Hooray! I can't tell you how many stories are actually improved by simple understanding - where the story came from and why it was written. You can argue that a good story speaks for itself, and indeed, it does. However, I love a little insight.

As for the stories themselves, they are all enjoyable to a degree - none need to be skipped, which is unusual in any anthology - making this a particularly good collection. The standouts for me were:

Escape by James P Hogan
G@avin45 by Daniel M Hoyt
and
The Guardian by Paul Chafe

I always try to pick my top three - by which I don't intend to slight the other entries - these are the stories I personally enjoyed the most.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love that the blurb in front of the story is very short. The slightly longer author's note at the end of each is actually interesting.

Firewall - big Sense of Wonder story, a bit metaphysical/ spiritual 3*

Reunion - sweet love story in a What If fable 3.5*

The Guardian - kinda two stories in one, who this entity is and what he/ it does could stand separate but at the end they come together 3.5*

Being Human - to mention the premise is almost spoilery, but I'll say it anyway, What If we could "transition" our minds into (something? a server?) as our bodies die? 3.5*

In Command - intriguing but could have been better developed as a full novel 3*

G@vin45 - maybe I'm misunderstanding something, but the consequence, the resolution post-climax, makes no sense to me or my understanding of human nature... unstarred

Home for the Holidays - I would certainly hope that by the time we can grow tools out of our fingers we women aren't bitchy suburbanites any more. Also I didn't like the story itself. However I did like the idea of decorating in a Middle Eastern theme to honor Bethlehem, instead of in snowflakes and reindeer. 1.5*

Soul Printer - Again with the sexism, as in a perfect couple is a man with money and a woman with sex appeal. Also, I'm not so sure this invention would be so popular as the author assumes it would be. 2.0*

Whom the Gods Love - unexpected but interesting What If that could have been better. 3.5*

Wetware 2.0 - the best part was the author's afterword. 3*

Escape - too long. I did like the idea that hallucinogenic drugs don't expand the mind, but rather "contract your mind to the point where any dumb thing seems like light from God" (I've watched friends make fools of themselves this way; it's spot on). 3*

Overall, 2.5? I don't particularly find any of the stories memorable, nor do I feel compelled to look for any more by the authors.

[Les · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I like the book; I certainly liked the theme. Transhumanism is a fascinating subject as is the notion of a future "singularity" in which humanity and its machines become something more than the sum of their parts -- but I seriously doubt that such an event will ever happen. While most of the stories were interesting and well written, a few fell flat. (Not atypical for an anthology.)

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another example of a book that I really wanted to like, but didn’t. I wish the ratings here allowed for half stars. This is better than an "ok" 2 star rating.

I think the transition and evolution of humans and the changes wrought on their daily existence by technology is an interesting topic. This book has a lot of stories involving all kinds of associated issues, but fails to move me. It’s taken me a long time to realize why a series of short stories took me so long to deal with. I wasn’t interested or engaged enough with the material to keep at it.

I will say that I do like the fact that information about each story is included in the book. Those extra insights definitely add to short story collections.

[Brittany Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short stories in this book were overall quite interesting to think about. There were a few that were a little too....technical.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, most stories were thought provoking projections of a possible future that awaits mankind