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The Universe of Xuya #The Frost on Jade Buds
Solaris Rising 3
Following the exceptionally well received, Solaris Rising 1 and and the Philip K. Dick Award-nominated Solaris Rising 2 series editor Ian Whates brings even more best-selling and cutting edge SF authors together for the latest extraordinary volume of new original ground-breaking stories.
These stories are guaranteed to surprise, thrill and delight, and continue our mission to demonstrate why science fiction remains the most exiting, varied and inspiring of all fiction genres. In Solaris Rising 1 and 2 we showed both the quality and variety that modern science fiction can produce. In Solaris Rising 3, we'll be taking SF into the outer reaches of the universe. Aliette de Bodard, Tony Ballantyne, Julie Czerneda, Ken Liu, Alex Dally MacFarlane, Gareth L Powell, Adam Roberts, Cat Sparks, Benjanun Sriduangkaew, Ian Watson, and Sean Williams are just some of the exciting names set to appear.
These stories are guaranteed to surprise, thrill and delight, and continue our mission to demonstrate why science fiction remains the most exiting, varied and inspiring of all fiction genres. In Solaris Rising 1 and 2 we showed both the quality and variety that modern science fiction can produce. In Solaris Rising 3, we'll be taking SF into the outer reaches of the universe. Aliette de Bodard, Tony Ballantyne, Julie Czerneda, Ken Liu, Alex Dally MacFarlane, Gareth L Powell, Adam Roberts, Cat Sparks, Benjanun Sriduangkaew, Ian Watson, and Sean Williams are just some of the exciting names set to appear.
312 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2014
12 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Ian Whates
122 books81 followersIan Whates lives in a comfortable home down a quiet cul-de-sac in an idyllic Cambridgeshire village, which he shares with his partner Helen and their pets – Honey the golden cocker spaniel, Calvin the tailless black cat and Inky the goldfish (sadly, Binky died a few years ago).
Ian’s earliest memories of science fiction are fragmented. He remembers loving Dr Who from an early age and other TV shows such as Lost in Space and Star Trek, but a defining moment came when he heard a radio adaptation of John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids. From that moment on he was hooked and became a frequent haunter of the local library, voraciously devouring the contents of their SF section.
This early love of science fiction manifested most tellingly during his school days, when he produced an SF murder mystery as homework after being set the essay title “The Language of Shakespeare”, much to the bemusement of his English teacher.
Ian’s first published stories appeared in the late 1980s in small press magazines such as Dream and New Moon Quarterly, after which he took a break from writing in order to research his chosen fields of science fiction and fantasy. In other words, he read copious amounts of both. Clearly the research was extensive, because he published nothing further for some seventeen years. In the early 2000s he made the decision to pursue writing seriously, joining the Northampton SF Writers Group in 2004 after being introduced to its chairman, Ian Watson.
In 2006 he started submitting stories again, and has subsequently been surprised at how many otherwise eminently sensible people have chosen to publish him. A couple have even appeared in the science journal Nature, and one, “The Gift of Joy”, even found its way onto the five-strong shortlist for best short story in the British Science Fiction Association Awards. And it didn’t come last! Ironically, the award was actually won by Ken MacLeod’s “Lighting Out”, a piece Ian had commissioned, edited and published in the NewCon Press anthology disLOCATIONS (2007).
In 2006 Ian launched independent publisher NewCon Press, quite by accident (buy him a pint sometime and he’ll tell you about it). Through NewCon he has been privileged to publish original stories from some of the biggest names in genre fiction, as well as provide debuts to some genuinely talented newcomers. The books, their covers and contents have racked up an impressive array of credits – four BSFA Awards, one BSF Award to date, inclusion in ‘Year’s Best’ anthologies and recommendations and honourable mentions from the likes of Gardner Dozios and Locus magazine.
In addition to his publishing and writing, Ian is currently a director of both the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) and the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA), editing Matrix, the online news and media reviews magazine, for the latter.
His first two completed novels are both due to appear in early 2010: City of Dreams and Nightmare via Harper Collins’ imprint Angry Robot, and The Noise Within from Rebellion imprint Solaris, with sequels to follow. When not pinching himself to make sure this is all really happening, Ian is currently beavering away at the sequels… honest!
Ian’s earliest memories of science fiction are fragmented. He remembers loving Dr Who from an early age and other TV shows such as Lost in Space and Star Trek, but a defining moment came when he heard a radio adaptation of John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids. From that moment on he was hooked and became a frequent haunter of the local library, voraciously devouring the contents of their SF section.
This early love of science fiction manifested most tellingly during his school days, when he produced an SF murder mystery as homework after being set the essay title “The Language of Shakespeare”, much to the bemusement of his English teacher.
Ian’s first published stories appeared in the late 1980s in small press magazines such as Dream and New Moon Quarterly, after which he took a break from writing in order to research his chosen fields of science fiction and fantasy. In other words, he read copious amounts of both. Clearly the research was extensive, because he published nothing further for some seventeen years. In the early 2000s he made the decision to pursue writing seriously, joining the Northampton SF Writers Group in 2004 after being introduced to its chairman, Ian Watson.
In 2006 he started submitting stories again, and has subsequently been surprised at how many otherwise eminently sensible people have chosen to publish him. A couple have even appeared in the science journal Nature, and one, “The Gift of Joy”, even found its way onto the five-strong shortlist for best short story in the British Science Fiction Association Awards. And it didn’t come last! Ironically, the award was actually won by Ken MacLeod’s “Lighting Out”, a piece Ian had commissioned, edited and published in the NewCon Press anthology disLOCATIONS (2007).
In 2006 Ian launched independent publisher NewCon Press, quite by accident (buy him a pint sometime and he’ll tell you about it). Through NewCon he has been privileged to publish original stories from some of the biggest names in genre fiction, as well as provide debuts to some genuinely talented newcomers. The books, their covers and contents have racked up an impressive array of credits – four BSFA Awards, one BSF Award to date, inclusion in ‘Year’s Best’ anthologies and recommendations and honourable mentions from the likes of Gardner Dozios and Locus magazine.
In addition to his publishing and writing, Ian is currently a director of both the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) and the British Science Fiction Association (BSFA), editing Matrix, the online news and media reviews magazine, for the latter.
His first two completed novels are both due to appear in early 2010: City of Dreams and Nightmare via Harper Collins’ imprint Angry Robot, and The Noise Within from Rebellion imprint Solaris, with sequels to follow. When not pinching himself to make sure this is all really happening, Ian is currently beavering away at the sequels… honest!
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 29, 2014
***** When We Harvested the Nacre-Rice by Benjanun Sriduangkaew
This piece reminded me a lot of S.P. Somtow's Chronicles of the High Inquest. I almost felt that this could be an incident happening on the outskirts of that empire. Here, two planets in the same system are at war. It's a secret war, because if higher authorities hear of their little spat, both planets will lose what independence they have. People die while both sides try to maintain their terrible secrets.
This short piece has a remarkable amount of interesting elements in it, which all work together: A complex and believable political situation, a fresh and original depiction of future technology, a rich (and lushly glittering) depiction of a world and culture that feels fully developed. And that's just the background: the main focus is on the emotionally and ethically complex interaction between two women, Etiesse and Pahayal - which bring the grand schemes of worlds quickly down to the personal level. Masterfully crafted and aesthetically lovely.
*** The Goblin Hunter by Chris Beckett
A naive and idealistic young woman arrives to work for the 'Indigenous Protection Agency' on a colony planet. She just doesn't understand why the colonists insist on slaughtering the native aliens, who, after all, aren't interfering with the colonists' activities at all. She's in for a rude awakening, and perhaps a glimpse into the ugliness that lies within.
** Homo Floresiensis by Ken Liu
Disappointing - I've loved everything else I've read by Ken Liu so far. usually, he's great at distilling ideas into story. And there are interesting ideas and issues here: it's about the conflict between habitat protection and local cultures, and the ethics of contacting isolated tribes. However, the piece comes off as overly didactic - more of an essay letting us know what Ken Liu thinks than an story that the reader can connect with. [Also, there are no major speculative elements here.]
*** A Taste for Murder by Julie E. Czerneda
In a future where bio-modifications have run rampant, an investigator looks into the death of a high-profile socialite. Everyone knows she was killed by a bio-mod - but was it an unfortunate medical accident, or part of a plot connected with her work as a food taster? Classic mystery genre meets sci-fi elements.
*** Double Blind by Tony Ballantyne
A group of people have signed up for a medical experiment (or have they been coerced into it?) In a quarantined isolation room, they're directed to give themselves injections of a test substance. Things don't go well, in this horror story that depends on a deep distrust of the pharmaceutical industry.
** The Mashup by Sean Williams
One day, weird spheres start appearing and following everyone around. What are they, and why is this happening? Don't expect to find out.
** The Frost on Jade Buds by Aliette de Bodard
Family / political conflict focusing on two sisters, set among orbital habitats with a future-Vietnamese culture, threatened by the greater power of a Galactic civilization. With mind ships. According to the introduction, this is set in an established universe, so perhaps if I had a bit more background I wouldn't have felt that a lot of elements were introduced overly quickly. The flow of the story didn't really grab me.
*** Popular Images from the First Manned Mission to Enceladus by Alex Dally MacFarlane
Non-traditional narrative. Rather than a story, this is a series of descriptions of 'posters' and 'popular images,' presumably from an archive, which gradually reveal information to the reader about this expedition to Saturn's moon.
*** Red Lights, and Rain by Gareth L. Powell
Sci-fi with a bit of a paranormal-investigation feel to it. A woman's in an Amsterdam bar, expecting to meet a man. It's not for a date... but saying why would be a spoiler...
**** They Swim Through Sunset Seas by Laura Lam
A researcher on an alien planet captured a young specimen of a native species for scientific observation. Lack of communication and a universal desire for freedom culminated in violence and tragedy. Now - perhaps the desire for revenge might also be a universal trait.
* Faith Without Teeth by Ian Watson
Picking on Communism just seems kind of old, these days. This story felt like hyperbolic WWII propaganda or something. Not saying that any political system should be exempt from criticism, but this was just... clunky, in a gross-out way. I also felt like it made fun of the ignorant, rather than striving to understand differing perspectives.
*** Thing and Sick by Adam Roberts
In the genre of isolated-team-members-go-crazy-and-hate-each-other. I found both of the geeky dudes annoying. A petty incident where one guy hides the contents of a letter from home from the other, escalates. And maybe there're aliens.
** The Sullen Engines by George Zebrowski
While I am actually fully in agreement with the idea that cars are unacceptably dangerous devices, I wasn't won over by this tale of a woman who develops the inexplicable ability to zap those car engines to a remote desert location. Too much suburban angst and enuui.
*** Dark Harvest by Cat Sparks
Starts off really strong, with a compelling portrayal of tough military men finding themselves out of their depth when assigned to a tour on an agricultural farming planet. However, I found the ending to be overly mystical and inconclusive. This might work really well if expanded to a novel.
** Fift & Shira by Benjamin Rosenbaum
I felt like this tried too hard to be boundary-stretching, with its portrayal of aliens with different genders, family structure and communication methods - while the story itself wasn't very compelling.
*** The Howl by Ian K. MacLeod and Martin Sketchley
A woman seeks out an elderly man who was once a friend of her mother's (and, we suspect, may be her father). He's reluctant to talk to her about his past as an RAF pilot, but she's persistent, and old memories (and old tragedies) are dredged up... Very well-written.
**** The Science of Chance by Nina Allan
While looking into a case of a lost child found alone at a train station, an investigator gradually becomes convinced that the child somehow slipped through time, and is somehow connected to a terrible bombing incident that happened thirty years earlier. Really nicely done: compelling characters, incisive psychology, and lovely use of ambiguity.
*** Endless by Rachel Swirsky
In the future, tranhumanist beings strive to keep in touch with their 'humanity' by experiencing virtual 'deaths' from the past. One of these people is obsessed with reliving the experiences of the young women who perished in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
While I didn't love all of these stories, there were a few excellent ones here. I'd still highly recommend the collection as a whole, as the authors selected here are nearly all major names in the genre today; it gives a good overview of the diversity of work coming out of the field.
Thanks to Solaris and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this collection. As always, my opinion is my own.
This piece reminded me a lot of S.P. Somtow's Chronicles of the High Inquest. I almost felt that this could be an incident happening on the outskirts of that empire. Here, two planets in the same system are at war. It's a secret war, because if higher authorities hear of their little spat, both planets will lose what independence they have. People die while both sides try to maintain their terrible secrets.
This short piece has a remarkable amount of interesting elements in it, which all work together: A complex and believable political situation, a fresh and original depiction of future technology, a rich (and lushly glittering) depiction of a world and culture that feels fully developed. And that's just the background: the main focus is on the emotionally and ethically complex interaction between two women, Etiesse and Pahayal - which bring the grand schemes of worlds quickly down to the personal level. Masterfully crafted and aesthetically lovely.
*** The Goblin Hunter by Chris Beckett
A naive and idealistic young woman arrives to work for the 'Indigenous Protection Agency' on a colony planet. She just doesn't understand why the colonists insist on slaughtering the native aliens, who, after all, aren't interfering with the colonists' activities at all. She's in for a rude awakening, and perhaps a glimpse into the ugliness that lies within.
** Homo Floresiensis by Ken Liu
Disappointing - I've loved everything else I've read by Ken Liu so far. usually, he's great at distilling ideas into story. And there are interesting ideas and issues here: it's about the conflict between habitat protection and local cultures, and the ethics of contacting isolated tribes. However, the piece comes off as overly didactic - more of an essay letting us know what Ken Liu thinks than an story that the reader can connect with. [Also, there are no major speculative elements here.]
*** A Taste for Murder by Julie E. Czerneda
In a future where bio-modifications have run rampant, an investigator looks into the death of a high-profile socialite. Everyone knows she was killed by a bio-mod - but was it an unfortunate medical accident, or part of a plot connected with her work as a food taster? Classic mystery genre meets sci-fi elements.
*** Double Blind by Tony Ballantyne
A group of people have signed up for a medical experiment (or have they been coerced into it?) In a quarantined isolation room, they're directed to give themselves injections of a test substance. Things don't go well, in this horror story that depends on a deep distrust of the pharmaceutical industry.
** The Mashup by Sean Williams
One day, weird spheres start appearing and following everyone around. What are they, and why is this happening? Don't expect to find out.
** The Frost on Jade Buds by Aliette de Bodard
Family / political conflict focusing on two sisters, set among orbital habitats with a future-Vietnamese culture, threatened by the greater power of a Galactic civilization. With mind ships. According to the introduction, this is set in an established universe, so perhaps if I had a bit more background I wouldn't have felt that a lot of elements were introduced overly quickly. The flow of the story didn't really grab me.
*** Popular Images from the First Manned Mission to Enceladus by Alex Dally MacFarlane
Non-traditional narrative. Rather than a story, this is a series of descriptions of 'posters' and 'popular images,' presumably from an archive, which gradually reveal information to the reader about this expedition to Saturn's moon.
*** Red Lights, and Rain by Gareth L. Powell
Sci-fi with a bit of a paranormal-investigation feel to it. A woman's in an Amsterdam bar, expecting to meet a man. It's not for a date... but saying why would be a spoiler...
**** They Swim Through Sunset Seas by Laura Lam
A researcher on an alien planet captured a young specimen of a native species for scientific observation. Lack of communication and a universal desire for freedom culminated in violence and tragedy. Now - perhaps the desire for revenge might also be a universal trait.
* Faith Without Teeth by Ian Watson
Picking on Communism just seems kind of old, these days. This story felt like hyperbolic WWII propaganda or something. Not saying that any political system should be exempt from criticism, but this was just... clunky, in a gross-out way. I also felt like it made fun of the ignorant, rather than striving to understand differing perspectives.
*** Thing and Sick by Adam Roberts
In the genre of isolated-team-members-go-crazy-and-hate-each-other. I found both of the geeky dudes annoying. A petty incident where one guy hides the contents of a letter from home from the other, escalates. And maybe there're aliens.
** The Sullen Engines by George Zebrowski
While I am actually fully in agreement with the idea that cars are unacceptably dangerous devices, I wasn't won over by this tale of a woman who develops the inexplicable ability to zap those car engines to a remote desert location. Too much suburban angst and enuui.
*** Dark Harvest by Cat Sparks
Starts off really strong, with a compelling portrayal of tough military men finding themselves out of their depth when assigned to a tour on an agricultural farming planet. However, I found the ending to be overly mystical and inconclusive. This might work really well if expanded to a novel.
** Fift & Shira by Benjamin Rosenbaum
I felt like this tried too hard to be boundary-stretching, with its portrayal of aliens with different genders, family structure and communication methods - while the story itself wasn't very compelling.
*** The Howl by Ian K. MacLeod and Martin Sketchley
A woman seeks out an elderly man who was once a friend of her mother's (and, we suspect, may be her father). He's reluctant to talk to her about his past as an RAF pilot, but she's persistent, and old memories (and old tragedies) are dredged up... Very well-written.
**** The Science of Chance by Nina Allan
While looking into a case of a lost child found alone at a train station, an investigator gradually becomes convinced that the child somehow slipped through time, and is somehow connected to a terrible bombing incident that happened thirty years earlier. Really nicely done: compelling characters, incisive psychology, and lovely use of ambiguity.
*** Endless by Rachel Swirsky
In the future, tranhumanist beings strive to keep in touch with their 'humanity' by experiencing virtual 'deaths' from the past. One of these people is obsessed with reliving the experiences of the young women who perished in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
While I didn't love all of these stories, there were a few excellent ones here. I'd still highly recommend the collection as a whole, as the authors selected here are nearly all major names in the genre today; it gives a good overview of the diversity of work coming out of the field.
Thanks to Solaris and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this collection. As always, my opinion is my own.
January 28, 2020
There were a few more stories in this volume that I didn't like or "get," but I still feel that the good outweighed the bad. Among my favorites were "Thing and Sick" by Adam Roberts, a cosmic horror about a pair of Antarctic researchers, one of whom claims to have solved the Fermi paradox; and "The Science of Chance," in which a mysterious young girl appears to have a connection to a tragic event that occurred decades before she was born. Once again there is a good variety of content in the anthology, and I wish the series had continued.
March 5, 2015
Sometimes, with these theme-less anthologies, they can feel a little direction-less.
There were of course a few great stories in here. Tony Ballantine's "Double Blind" was a great story that I would have liked to see fleshed out and extended into a much larger story. Adam Roberts's "Thing and Sick" was really well done in presenting a mind bending, paradigm shifting approach to the theme of alien contact. And I liked the way the collection was wrapped up with Rachel Swirsky's "Endless".
But there were way too many duds or just so-so stories that it dragged the reading experience down. There were a couple of stories that I couldn't even finish.
For me, the weakest in the series so far.
There were of course a few great stories in here. Tony Ballantine's "Double Blind" was a great story that I would have liked to see fleshed out and extended into a much larger story. Adam Roberts's "Thing and Sick" was really well done in presenting a mind bending, paradigm shifting approach to the theme of alien contact. And I liked the way the collection was wrapped up with Rachel Swirsky's "Endless".
But there were way too many duds or just so-so stories that it dragged the reading experience down. There were a couple of stories that I couldn't even finish.
For me, the weakest in the series so far.
February 19, 2015
My thoughts on Solaris Rising 3 have been languishing for awhile now as a co-review was first planned for Skiffy & Fanty and then got delayed and didn’t end up happening. As I look back over the notes I had written and the skeleton of this review in correspondence with a colleague I realize just how much I want to go back and read this un-themed collection again.
Yet, this is the first of the Solaris Rising series that I’ve had a chance to read, so I should probably go back and read the first two. It’s a testament to how enjoyable the stories are here in what is a stellar lineup of highly-regarded contributors that re-reading this again so soon feels like something warming and relaxing. Though there were a couple stories here that just didn’t work for me, it is probably still the best collection I read in 2014 for its sheer entertainment.
And my favorite stories in here were also quite a surprise to me. In his introduction, editor Whates comments on the opening line(s) of one story and how magnificent it is/they are. Though they are great I have to say that the opening lines of the collection, in Benjanun Sriduangaew’s “When We Harvested the Nacre-Rice” are far more stunning in its powerful flow and imagery. This ended up being my favorite story in the collection. I’d read a couple of other stories from the Hegemony universe and while I appreciated the poetic style and alien weirdness, they were a little dense; their vagueness left me feeling unmoored from the plot. With this, Sriduangaew’s writing fully connected with me.
Protagonists Pahayal and Etiesse are both delightfully rendered, complex mixtures of weakness and strength that draw forth reader empathy and disdain; their relationship is an echo of the larger issues of political control at the center of the story’s plot. Sriduangkaew handles the themes of dominance and submission, vulnerability and safety, trust and betrayal, creation and destruction with masterly control in scant pages.
I was likewise surprised to find the story I expected to love most in Solaris Rising 3, “Homo Floresiensis“, by Ken Liu to not resonate as strongly with me. Liu is one of my favorite authors and I would still call this story really good. But what I like about Liu is sort of what I like about a good film director like Kubrick or Hitchcock. He achieves a balance of great story, deeper meaning, and artistry in his creations. Liu’s story here is strong in he meaning department, and raises a big point about scientific advancement that I wish would crop up more often in the field. However, the structure of the story ends up making it feel like two separate entities of scenes that introduce and then scenes at the heart of the matter.
“Double Blind” by Tony Ballantyne, “The Mashup” by Sean Williams, “The Science of Chance” by Nina Allen, and “Thing and Sick” by Adam Roberts were all stories that I greatly enjoyed and each were science fiction mashups of sorts, whether taken literally (Williams’), with horror (Ballantyne’s and Robert’s) or with mystery (Allen’s). These are all examples of a wide range of fine writing also across the board from light to subtly crafted to all out crazy.
“Thing and Sick” also represents one of a few stories in the collection that I quite liked for their approach to the concept of the alien “other”. A similar theme is taken up, at least in part, in the stories by Beckett, MacFarlane, Lam, Rosenbaum and the aforementioned Liu.
In some this ‘regard’ at the other makes the story a critique of colonial aspects. MacFarlane’s “Popular Images from the First Manned Mission to Enceladus” delves into such themes through the use of a non-traditional narrative that describes propaganda-esque posters through the eras of expedition to Saturn’s moon. I adored the ideas here, but the reading ended up being a bit on the drier side. Beckett tackles colonial issues head-on with a far more traditional plot. However I also found his story to be one of the most disturbing in the violence of its action and language against the other, in this case aliens and female. It was sort of hard to figure out whether certain aspects were honest portrayals of very ugly characters and a commentary or something unintentionally offensive. Extremely well written and powerful, I loved it, but feel warning should be made for sensitive readers.
In “Thing and Sick” and in “They Swim Through Sunset Seas” the treatment of the alien ‘other’ was more focused on the psychology or biology of the nonhuman entity. I particularly found Lam’s story to be poignant and a great SF focus on biological science and the basic emotions that intelligent life forms may share for better or for worse. Rosenbaum’s “Fift & Shira” is simply an excellent biological speculation on gender and social structures in a non-human community. The story itself is not as enthralling as the ideas at play, but for me as a biologist I remained captivated nonetheless.
On the other end of the spectrum I personally found nothing to appreciate in Zebrowski’s “The Sullen Engines” or in Watson’s “Faith without Teeth”. The remaining stories were good, but just haven’t stuck with me as strongly. Fans of the particular authors will surely appreciate the additions here. If you didn’t get a chance to pick this up back when it came out and are a fan of SF, I really recommend checking this out, particularly if you are someone that doesn’t normally read shorter works in the field. You may find your next favorite author.
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic reading copy of this from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Yet, this is the first of the Solaris Rising series that I’ve had a chance to read, so I should probably go back and read the first two. It’s a testament to how enjoyable the stories are here in what is a stellar lineup of highly-regarded contributors that re-reading this again so soon feels like something warming and relaxing. Though there were a couple stories here that just didn’t work for me, it is probably still the best collection I read in 2014 for its sheer entertainment.
And my favorite stories in here were also quite a surprise to me. In his introduction, editor Whates comments on the opening line(s) of one story and how magnificent it is/they are. Though they are great I have to say that the opening lines of the collection, in Benjanun Sriduangaew’s “When We Harvested the Nacre-Rice” are far more stunning in its powerful flow and imagery. This ended up being my favorite story in the collection. I’d read a couple of other stories from the Hegemony universe and while I appreciated the poetic style and alien weirdness, they were a little dense; their vagueness left me feeling unmoored from the plot. With this, Sriduangaew’s writing fully connected with me.
Protagonists Pahayal and Etiesse are both delightfully rendered, complex mixtures of weakness and strength that draw forth reader empathy and disdain; their relationship is an echo of the larger issues of political control at the center of the story’s plot. Sriduangkaew handles the themes of dominance and submission, vulnerability and safety, trust and betrayal, creation and destruction with masterly control in scant pages.
I was likewise surprised to find the story I expected to love most in Solaris Rising 3, “Homo Floresiensis“, by Ken Liu to not resonate as strongly with me. Liu is one of my favorite authors and I would still call this story really good. But what I like about Liu is sort of what I like about a good film director like Kubrick or Hitchcock. He achieves a balance of great story, deeper meaning, and artistry in his creations. Liu’s story here is strong in he meaning department, and raises a big point about scientific advancement that I wish would crop up more often in the field. However, the structure of the story ends up making it feel like two separate entities of scenes that introduce and then scenes at the heart of the matter.
“Double Blind” by Tony Ballantyne, “The Mashup” by Sean Williams, “The Science of Chance” by Nina Allen, and “Thing and Sick” by Adam Roberts were all stories that I greatly enjoyed and each were science fiction mashups of sorts, whether taken literally (Williams’), with horror (Ballantyne’s and Robert’s) or with mystery (Allen’s). These are all examples of a wide range of fine writing also across the board from light to subtly crafted to all out crazy.
“Thing and Sick” also represents one of a few stories in the collection that I quite liked for their approach to the concept of the alien “other”. A similar theme is taken up, at least in part, in the stories by Beckett, MacFarlane, Lam, Rosenbaum and the aforementioned Liu.
In some this ‘regard’ at the other makes the story a critique of colonial aspects. MacFarlane’s “Popular Images from the First Manned Mission to Enceladus” delves into such themes through the use of a non-traditional narrative that describes propaganda-esque posters through the eras of expedition to Saturn’s moon. I adored the ideas here, but the reading ended up being a bit on the drier side. Beckett tackles colonial issues head-on with a far more traditional plot. However I also found his story to be one of the most disturbing in the violence of its action and language against the other, in this case aliens and female. It was sort of hard to figure out whether certain aspects were honest portrayals of very ugly characters and a commentary or something unintentionally offensive. Extremely well written and powerful, I loved it, but feel warning should be made for sensitive readers.
In “Thing and Sick” and in “They Swim Through Sunset Seas” the treatment of the alien ‘other’ was more focused on the psychology or biology of the nonhuman entity. I particularly found Lam’s story to be poignant and a great SF focus on biological science and the basic emotions that intelligent life forms may share for better or for worse. Rosenbaum’s “Fift & Shira” is simply an excellent biological speculation on gender and social structures in a non-human community. The story itself is not as enthralling as the ideas at play, but for me as a biologist I remained captivated nonetheless.
On the other end of the spectrum I personally found nothing to appreciate in Zebrowski’s “The Sullen Engines” or in Watson’s “Faith without Teeth”. The remaining stories were good, but just haven’t stuck with me as strongly. Fans of the particular authors will surely appreciate the additions here. If you didn’t get a chance to pick this up back when it came out and are a fan of SF, I really recommend checking this out, particularly if you are someone that doesn’t normally read shorter works in the field. You may find your next favorite author.
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic reading copy of this from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2014
Overall I would say this is a very enjoyable anthology. I think the ones I didn’t enjoy were more of a case of me not being the right audience for them. Even with that, there were still quite a few winners in the mix for me.
When We Harvested the Nacre-Rice by Benjanun Sriduangkaew
4/5 stars
An interesting story with an interesting relationship and an ending I really enjoyed.
The Goblin Hunter by Chris Beckett
4/5 stars
While I wasn’t thrilled at the very beginning of the story, I was quickly sucked into it. I’d love to learn more about the indigene and why Anna was so sensitive to them.
Homo Floresiensis by Ken Liu
1/5 stars
I understand the importance of this story and the need/want to study new civilizations but also the need to protect them, but the story just didn’t work for me. I was mostly bored.
A Taste for Murder by Julie E. Czerneda
2/5 stars
The body modification aspect was interesting, if a little ridiculous, but the language and the way the story was written, that was what bothered me.
Double Blind by Tony Ballantyne
1/5 stars
Did I miss the point? Am I supposed to feel fear with this? I thought it was kind of pointless.
The Mashup by Sean Williams
1/5 stars
This story had me scratching my head. They were being watched. Okay. He makes an odd decision in the end. Okay. But…what?
The Frost on Jade Buds by Aliette de Bodard
3/5 stars
A story of relationships. Familial and with ships. It was an interesting story and I would have really liked to see more of it. I’m going to have to check out more of this Xuya universe.
Popular Images from the First Manned Mission to Enceladus by Alex Dally MacFarlane
4/5 stars
Now this was an interesting way to write a short story, but I think it really worked here. Very enjoyable read.
Red Lights, and Rain by Gareth L. Powell
5/5 stars
Military strategy of finding people the perfect combination of intelligence and psychotic and then training them to become lethal killers. I love this idea and I love the way it ended and that Federico called Paige the monster, not Josef. Excellent story.
They Swim Through Sunset Seas by Laura Lam
5/5 stars
The reason I requested to review this book. And I was not disappointed. I knew this was going to involve giant tardigrades but I couldn’t imagine what it would be about. I loved everything this story did.
Faith Without Teeth by Ian Watson
3/5 stars
An odd little story that entertaining to read. And a little gross. Mostly just odd which is what I loved about it.
Thing and Sick by Adam Roberts
2/5 stars
There were things here that I enjoyed. It was a strange story, but not strange in a way that I like.
The Sullen Engines by George Zebrowski
1/5 stars
Not a worthwhile read. It felt like there was nothing to it.
Dark Harvest by Cat Sparks
3/5 stars
That was a fun little story to read, though I imagine my definition of fun is different from most people. Still, an enjoyable read.
Fift & Shira by Benjamin Rosenbaum
3/5 stars
I do believe this is the strangest story in the book. And a good strange at that. Though it can get really confusing very easily if you aren’t paying attention.
The Howl by Ian K. MacLeod and Martin Sketchley
2/5 stars
This was an interesting enough story but it didn’t really do anything for me.
The Science of Chance by Nina Allan
1/5 stars
Another one that I can see how people would enjoy it but it just isn’t really for me. I didn’t get anything from it.
Endless by Rachel Swirsky
4/5 stars
I kind of adore this one. Freaky is the word I have in my notes and I think I’m going to stick with that.
Review copy provided by Solaris and NetGalley.
When We Harvested the Nacre-Rice by Benjanun Sriduangkaew
4/5 stars
An interesting story with an interesting relationship and an ending I really enjoyed.
The Goblin Hunter by Chris Beckett
4/5 stars
While I wasn’t thrilled at the very beginning of the story, I was quickly sucked into it. I’d love to learn more about the indigene and why Anna was so sensitive to them.
Homo Floresiensis by Ken Liu
1/5 stars
I understand the importance of this story and the need/want to study new civilizations but also the need to protect them, but the story just didn’t work for me. I was mostly bored.
A Taste for Murder by Julie E. Czerneda
2/5 stars
The body modification aspect was interesting, if a little ridiculous, but the language and the way the story was written, that was what bothered me.
Double Blind by Tony Ballantyne
1/5 stars
Did I miss the point? Am I supposed to feel fear with this? I thought it was kind of pointless.
The Mashup by Sean Williams
1/5 stars
This story had me scratching my head. They were being watched. Okay. He makes an odd decision in the end. Okay. But…what?
The Frost on Jade Buds by Aliette de Bodard
3/5 stars
A story of relationships. Familial and with ships. It was an interesting story and I would have really liked to see more of it. I’m going to have to check out more of this Xuya universe.
Popular Images from the First Manned Mission to Enceladus by Alex Dally MacFarlane
4/5 stars
Now this was an interesting way to write a short story, but I think it really worked here. Very enjoyable read.
Red Lights, and Rain by Gareth L. Powell
5/5 stars
Military strategy of finding people the perfect combination of intelligence and psychotic and then training them to become lethal killers. I love this idea and I love the way it ended and that Federico called Paige the monster, not Josef. Excellent story.
They Swim Through Sunset Seas by Laura Lam
5/5 stars
The reason I requested to review this book. And I was not disappointed. I knew this was going to involve giant tardigrades but I couldn’t imagine what it would be about. I loved everything this story did.
Faith Without Teeth by Ian Watson
3/5 stars
An odd little story that entertaining to read. And a little gross. Mostly just odd which is what I loved about it.
Thing and Sick by Adam Roberts
2/5 stars
There were things here that I enjoyed. It was a strange story, but not strange in a way that I like.
The Sullen Engines by George Zebrowski
1/5 stars
Not a worthwhile read. It felt like there was nothing to it.
Dark Harvest by Cat Sparks
3/5 stars
That was a fun little story to read, though I imagine my definition of fun is different from most people. Still, an enjoyable read.
Fift & Shira by Benjamin Rosenbaum
3/5 stars
I do believe this is the strangest story in the book. And a good strange at that. Though it can get really confusing very easily if you aren’t paying attention.
The Howl by Ian K. MacLeod and Martin Sketchley
2/5 stars
This was an interesting enough story but it didn’t really do anything for me.
The Science of Chance by Nina Allan
1/5 stars
Another one that I can see how people would enjoy it but it just isn’t really for me. I didn’t get anything from it.
Endless by Rachel Swirsky
4/5 stars
I kind of adore this one. Freaky is the word I have in my notes and I think I’m going to stick with that.
Review copy provided by Solaris and NetGalley.
November 27, 2014
Solaris Rising 3 is officially the fourth instalment in the reboot of the New Solaris Book of Science Fiction. This anthology series is one of my favourites. Whates finds a nice balance between easily accessible stories and the somewhat harder to parse, making the Solaris Rising series interesting to both relative new readers of SF and those more veteran readers. It is also the series that first made me realise that I might really like SF and short fiction after all, so I admittedly have a soft spot for it.
And this latest instalment doesn’t disappoint, though there were a couple of stories that didn’t work for me. Most notably Ian Watson’s Faith Without Teeth, which as a story was fine and I enjoyed its visuals and the locations and era it invoked with its wall dividing a city, but after finishing the story and putting the book away to go about my day, I completely stalled on the anthology. It actually took me a couple of weeks to pick the book back up and read the rest of the stories, something that is really rare for me. The other is one that really should have worked for me with its mix of timelines and a love story at its heart is The Howl by Ian R. MacLeod and Martin Sketchley. But for some reason it didn’t click with me as I kept expecting it to and in a way it meant the story was brought down by the expectations it raised in me.
Of course there were also some stories that I enjoyed at the time of reading, but which have faded a bit from memory, so while they aren’t quite stories that left me “Meh”, they weren’t really memorable either. Unlike Cat Sparks’ Dark Harvest, Rachel Swirsky’s Endless, Julie E. Czerneda’s A Taste for Murder, and Benjamin Rosenbaum’s Fift & Shria, which were all stories I really enjoyed. But in the end they didn’t quite make the cut of stories that lingered and which I’ll talk about in a bit more detail.
Ken Liu - Homo Floresiensis
An author whose work never fails to entertain, Ken Liu’s story here certainly entertained me. It also proved to be a bit of a conundrum, because I had to wonder whether this is an SF story or not? Set in Indonesia in what seems to be the present day, there aren’t really any true SFnal elements. Yet for all intents and purposes, this was an Earth-bound first contact story. It is Star Trek’s Prime Directive translated to the field of anthropology and shows the ethical conundrum of interfering in a less advanced civilisation. I loved this story, not just for the narrative itself, but also for the way it made me think and consider its merits as an SF story.
Aliette de Bodard - The Frost on Jade Buds
De Bodard’s Xuya universe is fascinating and one I’ve enjoyed visiting on prior occasions. The Dai Viet and Galactic empires are such interesting cultures and the Mindships are just wonderful creations. But on top of the great setting, De Bodard also weaves a wonderfully complex tale of familial love and loyalty and questions whether while avoiding war is the correct thing to strive, but is it also always the right thing?
Gareth L. Powell - Red Lights, and Rain
This story you guys, this story was just plain, unadulterated fun. Yes, there are some deeper themes to it, but what comes to mind most is how fun it is. It’s Buffy meets Dexter set in Amsterdam. Enhanced super soldier from the future, a time travelling bounty hunter, and an ending that leaves you considering whether you misread the entire story the first time.
Laura Lam - They Swim Through Sunset Seas
When I saw Lam’s name in the line up, I was completely surprised. I know her writing from reading her two gaslight YA fantasy novels, Pantomime and Shadowplay. So to see an SF story from her was a surprise. But a very pleasant one as it turns out. They Swim Through Sunset Seas is a haunting story, one with definite horror overtones and which left me feeling slightly claustrophobic at times. I liked this original spin on a contained environment thriller/scary water monster mashup. Though as scary as the monsters and the situation were, at the same time, I felt empathy for the little Nyxi, the phrase Hungry for free made me feel so sorry for it. And it made me question whether the aggression the Nyxi display towards the humans wasn’t completely justified. How would we react if an alien race took one of our children so they could study it? Not much better I’d suspect.
Nina Allan - The Science of Chance
Nina Allen’s The Science of Chance was a great story, but I’m having a hard time putting my finger on why I enjoyed it so much, as there are plenty of things that bugged me, especially the rather abrupt ending and the why of the story. By that last I mean, the ending felt so unresolved that I felt lost on how to interpret the narrative: what was its goal? Was it more about the journey the protagonist takes or the mystery of it all? Yet despite this, I loved the story and was gripped by it both times I read it. I loved the slow connecting of the puzzle pieces and the way she put together a theory, implausible as it seems, it’s also the only one that fits all the clues.And the hints of time travel were so tantalising. Lastly, the little girl in the red coat waiting for her mum was such a strong visual and I kept picturing her standing there amidst the bustle of the busy station.
Once again Ian Whates has created a strong line up of stories in Solaris Rising 3, which made for an overall enjoyable read. There is something there for all SF fans and I think the series still makes a good stepping stone for those interested in getting into reading SF. Hopefully, Whates will be back with a Solaris Rising 4 next year.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
And this latest instalment doesn’t disappoint, though there were a couple of stories that didn’t work for me. Most notably Ian Watson’s Faith Without Teeth, which as a story was fine and I enjoyed its visuals and the locations and era it invoked with its wall dividing a city, but after finishing the story and putting the book away to go about my day, I completely stalled on the anthology. It actually took me a couple of weeks to pick the book back up and read the rest of the stories, something that is really rare for me. The other is one that really should have worked for me with its mix of timelines and a love story at its heart is The Howl by Ian R. MacLeod and Martin Sketchley. But for some reason it didn’t click with me as I kept expecting it to and in a way it meant the story was brought down by the expectations it raised in me.
Of course there were also some stories that I enjoyed at the time of reading, but which have faded a bit from memory, so while they aren’t quite stories that left me “Meh”, they weren’t really memorable either. Unlike Cat Sparks’ Dark Harvest, Rachel Swirsky’s Endless, Julie E. Czerneda’s A Taste for Murder, and Benjamin Rosenbaum’s Fift & Shria, which were all stories I really enjoyed. But in the end they didn’t quite make the cut of stories that lingered and which I’ll talk about in a bit more detail.
Ken Liu - Homo Floresiensis
An author whose work never fails to entertain, Ken Liu’s story here certainly entertained me. It also proved to be a bit of a conundrum, because I had to wonder whether this is an SF story or not? Set in Indonesia in what seems to be the present day, there aren’t really any true SFnal elements. Yet for all intents and purposes, this was an Earth-bound first contact story. It is Star Trek’s Prime Directive translated to the field of anthropology and shows the ethical conundrum of interfering in a less advanced civilisation. I loved this story, not just for the narrative itself, but also for the way it made me think and consider its merits as an SF story.
Aliette de Bodard - The Frost on Jade Buds
De Bodard’s Xuya universe is fascinating and one I’ve enjoyed visiting on prior occasions. The Dai Viet and Galactic empires are such interesting cultures and the Mindships are just wonderful creations. But on top of the great setting, De Bodard also weaves a wonderfully complex tale of familial love and loyalty and questions whether while avoiding war is the correct thing to strive, but is it also always the right thing?
Gareth L. Powell - Red Lights, and Rain
This story you guys, this story was just plain, unadulterated fun. Yes, there are some deeper themes to it, but what comes to mind most is how fun it is. It’s Buffy meets Dexter set in Amsterdam. Enhanced super soldier from the future, a time travelling bounty hunter, and an ending that leaves you considering whether you misread the entire story the first time.
Laura Lam - They Swim Through Sunset Seas
When I saw Lam’s name in the line up, I was completely surprised. I know her writing from reading her two gaslight YA fantasy novels, Pantomime and Shadowplay. So to see an SF story from her was a surprise. But a very pleasant one as it turns out. They Swim Through Sunset Seas is a haunting story, one with definite horror overtones and which left me feeling slightly claustrophobic at times. I liked this original spin on a contained environment thriller/scary water monster mashup. Though as scary as the monsters and the situation were, at the same time, I felt empathy for the little Nyxi, the phrase Hungry for free made me feel so sorry for it. And it made me question whether the aggression the Nyxi display towards the humans wasn’t completely justified. How would we react if an alien race took one of our children so they could study it? Not much better I’d suspect.
Nina Allan - The Science of Chance
Nina Allen’s The Science of Chance was a great story, but I’m having a hard time putting my finger on why I enjoyed it so much, as there are plenty of things that bugged me, especially the rather abrupt ending and the why of the story. By that last I mean, the ending felt so unresolved that I felt lost on how to interpret the narrative: what was its goal? Was it more about the journey the protagonist takes or the mystery of it all? Yet despite this, I loved the story and was gripped by it both times I read it. I loved the slow connecting of the puzzle pieces and the way she put together a theory, implausible as it seems, it’s also the only one that fits all the clues.And the hints of time travel were so tantalising. Lastly, the little girl in the red coat waiting for her mum was such a strong visual and I kept picturing her standing there amidst the bustle of the busy station.
Once again Ian Whates has created a strong line up of stories in Solaris Rising 3, which made for an overall enjoyable read. There is something there for all SF fans and I think the series still makes a good stepping stone for those interested in getting into reading SF. Hopefully, Whates will be back with a Solaris Rising 4 next year.
This book was provided for review by the publisher.
April 9, 2025
Definitely one of those where the half that were good were very good and the half that were not were not. Or at least very not for me.
Picked up in my quest to read the whole Xuya-verse and Aliette de Bodard never disappoints, but the five-star fav of this collection was When We Harvested the Nacre-Rice by Benjanun Sriduangkaew (who I am also a regular reader of). Pleasant surprise runner up for me was Nina Allan’s The Science of Chance, but I took a big pause reading when I only had 3 stories left, so I might have forgotten some other gem from earlier on.
Picked up in my quest to read the whole Xuya-verse and Aliette de Bodard never disappoints, but the five-star fav of this collection was When We Harvested the Nacre-Rice by Benjanun Sriduangkaew (who I am also a regular reader of). Pleasant surprise runner up for me was Nina Allan’s The Science of Chance, but I took a big pause reading when I only had 3 stories left, so I might have forgotten some other gem from earlier on.
March 20, 2019
A few good stories, but nothing mindblowing.
March 19, 2015
Solaris Rising 3 Edited by Ian Whates
This is the newest version of the old anthology series the “New Solaris Book of Science Fiction”. The Editors try to bring a balance of genres to this volume and some will entice you and some will annoy you. It’s up to you to determine what you like but think of this as a smorgasbord from which you pick what you want and what you don’t. For that reason I will only comment on some the stories. Some I started and gave up on and others were not my style so I’ll leave them out.
Chris Beckett’s “The Goblin Hunter” : though I found the story poignant, I found that the intro was pedantic and slow. The reasoning that led to the sensitivity between the two races was never really explored and I would have liked more backstory.
Ken Liu’s “Homo Floresiensis” is another of those “first contact” stories that have the Star Trek TNG feel to them, especially as it pertains to the ‘Prime Directive’. I didn’t read anything new or original to make this story worthwhile. Would it have been in this collection if not by one of the editors.
Julie E. Czerneda’s “A Taste for Murder” seemed to me that the story was trying to put itself in the “Schismatrix Universe of Bruce Sterling” but couldn’t make it different enough to seem unique. Body modification is always a difficult genre to pull off without turning the main characters into Monsters or Gods.
Aliette de Bodard’s “The Frost on Jade Buds” once again takes on the problems of leaving earth, emigration to a new style of society, how diaspora contribute to the feelong of loss, and the bonds of family that bind us together, even in space
Gareth L Powell’s “Red Lights, and Rain” another try at creating the perfect soldier/spy who doesn’t turn out like the “Terminator” but doesn’t keep too much humanity that it keeps the subject from learning to kill without becoming compunction.
George Zebrowski’s “The Sullen Engines” I’ve only added a comment on this one because I was so surprised at how ‘nothing’ it was. I get the feeling that George just phoned this one in; maybe he’s written too many Star Trek novels.
Just a small sampling of the eighteen short stories included in the anthology. Mostly I found the stories uneven in quality and style. Sometime I feel that the editors give a shot to their friends or new writers who haven’t written enough to “fit” a story into a collection.
Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com
This is the newest version of the old anthology series the “New Solaris Book of Science Fiction”. The Editors try to bring a balance of genres to this volume and some will entice you and some will annoy you. It’s up to you to determine what you like but think of this as a smorgasbord from which you pick what you want and what you don’t. For that reason I will only comment on some the stories. Some I started and gave up on and others were not my style so I’ll leave them out.
Chris Beckett’s “The Goblin Hunter” : though I found the story poignant, I found that the intro was pedantic and slow. The reasoning that led to the sensitivity between the two races was never really explored and I would have liked more backstory.
Ken Liu’s “Homo Floresiensis” is another of those “first contact” stories that have the Star Trek TNG feel to them, especially as it pertains to the ‘Prime Directive’. I didn’t read anything new or original to make this story worthwhile. Would it have been in this collection if not by one of the editors.
Julie E. Czerneda’s “A Taste for Murder” seemed to me that the story was trying to put itself in the “Schismatrix Universe of Bruce Sterling” but couldn’t make it different enough to seem unique. Body modification is always a difficult genre to pull off without turning the main characters into Monsters or Gods.
Aliette de Bodard’s “The Frost on Jade Buds” once again takes on the problems of leaving earth, emigration to a new style of society, how diaspora contribute to the feelong of loss, and the bonds of family that bind us together, even in space
Gareth L Powell’s “Red Lights, and Rain” another try at creating the perfect soldier/spy who doesn’t turn out like the “Terminator” but doesn’t keep too much humanity that it keeps the subject from learning to kill without becoming compunction.
George Zebrowski’s “The Sullen Engines” I’ve only added a comment on this one because I was so surprised at how ‘nothing’ it was. I get the feeling that George just phoned this one in; maybe he’s written too many Star Trek novels.
Just a small sampling of the eighteen short stories included in the anthology. Mostly I found the stories uneven in quality and style. Sometime I feel that the editors give a shot to their friends or new writers who haven’t written enough to “fit” a story into a collection.
Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com
July 4, 2014
Thank you to Rebellion for providing me with a copy of the book to review.
I think this is the first anthology I have ever picked up where I can honestly say that I found something in every single story that I enjoyed, even if I didn’t enjoy the actual story itself as much – in the latter case there were only 2 I didn’t really like, so that’s a record! Reading the praise about the other two books as well as the summary for this one I, admittedly, had rather high standards for what I expected to find inside, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed in that sense.
Each of the stories inside was selected with great purpose and fits perfectly into the book. The sheer variety of stories that are sci-fi really opened up my eyes as a reader as to how diverse the genre really is and how many different interpretations and visions there are to it, beyond the stereotypical ones that people tend to name off the top of their heads.
The biographies of the authors at the beginning of their stories was a wonderful touch. It helped create an understanding about who the author is and also provide a quick overview of their other works for those who are interested.
What I can definitely say about these stories without spoiling anything is that each one had the element of surprise, the turning point where you realize there’s a loophole or the story won’t go in the same direction/towards the same ending as you expected, for example like in “Double Blind” by Tony Ballantyne or “The Science of Chance” by Nina Allan, both of which were probably my favourites in the anthology. The whole book reminded me of the slogan “Taste’s good, good for you” that was used to market some cereal several years ago on tv, primarily because this book follows the same concept. It’s a wonderfully edited book that shows some of THE BEST the sci-fi genre has to offer with memorable characters, worlds that are both far off and close & familiar, and just other kick-ass details like talking battleships and sunset-colored seas. A highly recommended read for anyone that either loves the genre or wants to give it a try; this isn’t a book you want to pass by. And another brownie point?: it’s an example of a book with a synopsis that doesn’t lie!
I think this is the first anthology I have ever picked up where I can honestly say that I found something in every single story that I enjoyed, even if I didn’t enjoy the actual story itself as much – in the latter case there were only 2 I didn’t really like, so that’s a record! Reading the praise about the other two books as well as the summary for this one I, admittedly, had rather high standards for what I expected to find inside, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed in that sense.
Each of the stories inside was selected with great purpose and fits perfectly into the book. The sheer variety of stories that are sci-fi really opened up my eyes as a reader as to how diverse the genre really is and how many different interpretations and visions there are to it, beyond the stereotypical ones that people tend to name off the top of their heads.
The biographies of the authors at the beginning of their stories was a wonderful touch. It helped create an understanding about who the author is and also provide a quick overview of their other works for those who are interested.
What I can definitely say about these stories without spoiling anything is that each one had the element of surprise, the turning point where you realize there’s a loophole or the story won’t go in the same direction/towards the same ending as you expected, for example like in “Double Blind” by Tony Ballantyne or “The Science of Chance” by Nina Allan, both of which were probably my favourites in the anthology. The whole book reminded me of the slogan “Taste’s good, good for you” that was used to market some cereal several years ago on tv, primarily because this book follows the same concept. It’s a wonderfully edited book that shows some of THE BEST the sci-fi genre has to offer with memorable characters, worlds that are both far off and close & familiar, and just other kick-ass details like talking battleships and sunset-colored seas. A highly recommended read for anyone that either loves the genre or wants to give it a try; this isn’t a book you want to pass by. And another brownie point?: it’s an example of a book with a synopsis that doesn’t lie!
July 22, 2014
"These stories are guaranteed to surprise, thrill and delight," says the blurb, which also has a couple of other errors in it. I was surprised a number of times, but neither thrilled nor delighted. These are excellent stories, varied, original and well-written, but most of them are not a kind of story I particularly like, as a matter of personal taste. Hence the three stars; it's a subjective three rather than a more objective four, because I give four stars only to books I enjoy.
It isn't just that they're often dark, or tragic, or even pessimistic. It's more that I feel they set out to be shocking and disturbing, rather than just following their premises into shocking and disturbing places. Also, some of them just stop abruptly, rather than coming to a conclusion.
I spotted few errors. The introduction has "principal" for "principle", the last story has "wretched" for "retched", there are a couple of typos, and one of the stories refers to Sir Bolivar Walczak as "Sir Walczak," which is never correct under any circumstances. On the whole, though, it's well-edited, and the writers are competent at all aspects of their craft.
A number of the earlier stories, in particular, deal with colonialism and post-colonialism, and people's resistance to being ruled by outsiders (to the extent of taking actions that will harm themselves and their people rather than accept such rule). Several of the other stories have a parallel theme of sticking it to The Man or resisting authority. My lack of identification with those viewpoints (I'm a New Zealander of British descent, who's used to living in a colonised country nominally ruled from overseas but in practice independent) may have something to do with my lack of overall enjoyment of the stories.
In brief: I didn't like them, but lots of other people will.
It isn't just that they're often dark, or tragic, or even pessimistic. It's more that I feel they set out to be shocking and disturbing, rather than just following their premises into shocking and disturbing places. Also, some of them just stop abruptly, rather than coming to a conclusion.
I spotted few errors. The introduction has "principal" for "principle", the last story has "wretched" for "retched", there are a couple of typos, and one of the stories refers to Sir Bolivar Walczak as "Sir Walczak," which is never correct under any circumstances. On the whole, though, it's well-edited, and the writers are competent at all aspects of their craft.
A number of the earlier stories, in particular, deal with colonialism and post-colonialism, and people's resistance to being ruled by outsiders (to the extent of taking actions that will harm themselves and their people rather than accept such rule). Several of the other stories have a parallel theme of sticking it to The Man or resisting authority. My lack of identification with those viewpoints (I'm a New Zealander of British descent, who's used to living in a colonised country nominally ruled from overseas but in practice independent) may have something to do with my lack of overall enjoyment of the stories.
In brief: I didn't like them, but lots of other people will.
October 5, 2014
A good anthology of short stories should be like a quality, old-fashioned goodie bag, where anticipation is rewarded by a wide range of intriguing contents and a sense of satisfaction at having consumed them. Solaris Rising 3 does fulfil this expectation while proving that science fiction short stories can more than hold their own with the best the literary world has to offer; if a reader takes the time to tune into character of the genre. That its contents are free of an overarching theme adds to its appeal, by increasing the range of writing; which is considerable. The stories not only tell interesting tales, but ones that, like any high-quality science fiction story, resonate with the real world on issues such as relationships, the environment, and questioning our own sense of values.
The brevity of a short story also offers chance for a science fiction writer to let rip and create a narrative that might prove too mentally and emotionally taxing in an extended piece of work. Many of the authors do just this, stretching the reader and nudging them out of potential comfort zones. The editor has also clearly recognised the need for tightening and relaxing reading tension by arranging the stories in a way that allows for a change of pace as the reader slips from story to another and creating a sense of wanting to know ‘what next?’
What is also nice to see is a range of writing styles that are as diverse as the stories and that there is a healthy display of cross-genre writing at work within the science fiction envelope; fantasy, love story, thriller, hard-boiled crime, comedy, horror, and more sit side by side.
The brevity of a short story also offers chance for a science fiction writer to let rip and create a narrative that might prove too mentally and emotionally taxing in an extended piece of work. Many of the authors do just this, stretching the reader and nudging them out of potential comfort zones. The editor has also clearly recognised the need for tightening and relaxing reading tension by arranging the stories in a way that allows for a change of pace as the reader slips from story to another and creating a sense of wanting to know ‘what next?’
What is also nice to see is a range of writing styles that are as diverse as the stories and that there is a healthy display of cross-genre writing at work within the science fiction envelope; fantasy, love story, thriller, hard-boiled crime, comedy, horror, and more sit side by side.
December 12, 2023
The latest collection of science fiction shorts from Solaris Books is a rollicking exploration of strange worlds both near and far, with about an 80% rate of hits vs. misses and a star-studded cast of writers. Here are the three best offerings:
In "The Goblin Hunter" by Chris Beckett (the author of Dark Eden), a young colonist with the Indigenous Protection Agency investigates the poaching of a unique species of alien: one that can be tracked by intense feelings of anxiety, fear, and worthlessness in the mind of the hunter.
In "The Frost on Jade Buds" by Aliette de Bodard, a novelette set in her Xuya Universe where China discovered the Americas before the West did, two sisters living in an asteroid belt on the edge of the Dai Viet Empire find themselves amidst a familial--and imperial--crisis.
In "They Swim Through Sunset Seas" by Laura Lam, the best story in the anthology, a husband and wife study a tardigrade-like group of creatures beneath the ocean of a distant planet, until tragedy strikes and the limitations of inter-species communication becomes a matter of life and death.
Altogether, a worthy collection for SF fans.
In "The Goblin Hunter" by Chris Beckett (the author of Dark Eden), a young colonist with the Indigenous Protection Agency investigates the poaching of a unique species of alien: one that can be tracked by intense feelings of anxiety, fear, and worthlessness in the mind of the hunter.
In "The Frost on Jade Buds" by Aliette de Bodard, a novelette set in her Xuya Universe where China discovered the Americas before the West did, two sisters living in an asteroid belt on the edge of the Dai Viet Empire find themselves amidst a familial--and imperial--crisis.
In "They Swim Through Sunset Seas" by Laura Lam, the best story in the anthology, a husband and wife study a tardigrade-like group of creatures beneath the ocean of a distant planet, until tragedy strikes and the limitations of inter-species communication becomes a matter of life and death.
Altogether, a worthy collection for SF fans.
in-progress-will-get-back-to
May 4, 2014So far I've only read One of Our Bastards Is Missing by Paul Cornell. It's a Hugo nominated novelette and his second entry into his Jonathan Hamilton series of short fiction. But a lot of the stories in the book look great. Unfortunately my library system doesn't have it, but I'll try to see if I can find some of the stories online.
November 25, 2014
My foray into SF/F short fiction continues, and this was definitely a worthwhile book to continue it with! There were a few writers among the ToC here that I hoped would make the book a good one, and happily I wasn’t wrong...
Full review here: http://overtheeffingrainbow.co.uk/201...
Full review here: http://overtheeffingrainbow.co.uk/201...
August 4, 2014
Review coming shortly.
November 13, 2014
3.5/5.0
March 5, 2015
not great - too many alternate histories
February 29, 2016
Ambitious mix of times, styles, approaches.
July 23, 2017
This is a case of uninteresting story following boring story following unreadable story.
Better waste your time reading something else.
Better waste your time reading something else.
August 29, 2014
2.5/5
Recensione su: http://wp.me/p3X6aw-r8
Review at: http://wp.me/p3X6aw-r8
Recensione su: http://wp.me/p3X6aw-r8
Review at: http://wp.me/p3X6aw-r8
dipped-in
January 6, 2019Read Nina Allan's story 'The Science of Chance'. It is set – as a number of Allan's short stories are – in an alternate version of Russia. Circa 1999, an 8-year-old girl named Rae is found in Vasilievsky Station. She refuses to speak, is dressed in a vastly oversized coat, and carries a purse containing an old newspaper clipping (dated to 1969) about a fire at a children's home. The protagonist, Nellie, is part of the team trying to track down Rae's family; when she investigates the story from the clipping, she becomes convinced there is a connection. But the more she searches, the more bizarre her conclusions become, until the only explanation seems to be that Rae has travelled through time. This is a typically elegant and emotive story, filled with deft sketches of characters and settings. (I'm still thinking about the painting in the Ostrovs' house.) In a blog post, Allan stated this story has links to a novel she was writing at the time. I assume that was The Rift, and I'll keep 'The Science of Chance' in mind when I get to it.
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