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Starstuff: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Celebrate New Possibilities
In a thrilling follow-up to Tasting Light, ten best-selling and award-winning masters of the form use the possible—and the premise of hope—to explore how science and technology can reshape our world and defy assumptions.
At once a collection of hard science fiction for curious middle-graders and an antidote to despair in the face of dystopian uncertainty, these ten horizon-bending stories may seem unreal, but all follow the rules of physics and biology as we understand them today. These tales of space junk, multiverse navigation, an asteroid named Doomsday, and bees and marmots in space pulse with honesty and optimism. Whether home is a planet, a moon, a space station, or a fleet starship, relatable protagonists of different genders, classes, nationalities, ethnicities, and orientations face challenges—some harrowing, some hilarious—true to their moment in time and space. Brisk plots, resonant themes, and scientific rigor define these forward-facing stories by leading middle-grade authors. Taken together, the tales champion youth agency through characters who approach science in adventurous ways, underscoring that we are all, indeed, made of the same luminous stuff.
With stories
William Alexander * A. R. Capetta * Maddi Gonzalez * Carlos Hernandez * Kekla Magoon * Jenn Reese * David Robertson * Wade Roush * Eliot Schrefer * Fran Wilde
At once a collection of hard science fiction for curious middle-graders and an antidote to despair in the face of dystopian uncertainty, these ten horizon-bending stories may seem unreal, but all follow the rules of physics and biology as we understand them today. These tales of space junk, multiverse navigation, an asteroid named Doomsday, and bees and marmots in space pulse with honesty and optimism. Whether home is a planet, a moon, a space station, or a fleet starship, relatable protagonists of different genders, classes, nationalities, ethnicities, and orientations face challenges—some harrowing, some hilarious—true to their moment in time and space. Brisk plots, resonant themes, and scientific rigor define these forward-facing stories by leading middle-grade authors. Taken together, the tales champion youth agency through characters who approach science in adventurous ways, underscoring that we are all, indeed, made of the same luminous stuff.
With stories
William Alexander * A. R. Capetta * Maddi Gonzalez * Carlos Hernandez * Kekla Magoon * Jenn Reese * David Robertson * Wade Roush * Eliot Schrefer * Fran Wilde
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 20, 2025
3 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Wade Roush
10 books6 followersWade Roush is a freelance science and technology writer, columnist at Scientific American, and host and producer of the tech-and-culture podcast Soonish. His work has appeared in Science, Xconomy, and MIT Technology Review. He is the editor of the science fiction anthology Twelve Tomorrows (MIT Press).
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 10, 2025
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Like the Young Adult collection by this group, Tasting Light: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Rewire Your Perceptions, Starstuff showcases middle grade authors who turn their hands to envisioning what science will look like in the future. The authors puts their own personal twists on this theme, while offering readers glimpses of the future that are timely and sometimes worrisome. Let's take a brief look at what is included.
Jenn Reese, whose middle grade novels Every Bird a Prince and Puzzleheart lean towards magic, hands us a "To-do List for the Apocalypse". River doesn't understand why her mother needs to move her to California after divorcing her father since there is an asteroid on its way to Earth. Her mother, who got a job teaching psychology, is also a citizen scientist, and when she gets an alert while they are driving to their new home, the two stop in Colorado to set up a station to record the asteroid as it passes close to the planet. Using the backyard of Jamila and her father Rahesh (who is also divorced from his husband), River finds out the real truth about the asteroid and makes peace with her new life.
In "Calm Down, People", Carlos Hernandez (Sal and Gabi Break the Universe) introduces us to Orquidea Bandana, who is a on a space mission to show consumers that space travel is safe even for people who might be deathly allergic to bees or possibly in the early stages of multiple sclerosis, like she is. Bandana saves the day with her knowledge of EpiPens and inhalers when the captain is stung by one of the blue orchard bees on board, and helps Spacerino Exploration Travel show that space tourism isn't dangerous.
Zinn and Charlie break into the Athanatos research facility in "The Whistleblowers" after Zinn's grandfather needs the EternaLife medicine that Charlie's mother has developed but has since found out can cause cancer. Kekla Magoon, whose Robyn Hoodlum series was set in a dystopia future, writes a thrilling tale about medical ethics gone wrong and kids doing what they can to save the ones they love.
With people living on space stations, there has to be a way to get supplies to them. In Alexander's "Aesop's Elevator", which is written in the second person, our narrator loves living in the tiny apartment that is part of the space elevator that his mother designed, although his sister Addy would love to return to Earth permanently. When rocket entrepreneur John Jay Jordan threatens this existence by making a bet that his rockets can provide supplies more quickly, the narrator has to step in to discover who has sabotaged the elevator. Alexander, the editor of this volume who has written a lot of books with which I am not familiar, will be known to middle grade readers for his The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class: The Legend of Memo Castillo.
Maddi Gonzalez, who has written several of the Goosebumps graphic novels, contributes the only graphic novel style story with "Zabrina Meets the Retro Club", which finds Zabrina meeting members of a group she has only known online at the M.A.L.L.: the Multimedia Augmented Liminal Location. Her friends Ada, Brandi, Carol and Dina are glad to finally see each other in real life, although Dina is joining the group as a robot, since she is sick at home. Since Zabrina wears thick glasses, the two can't enjoy the virtual reality headsets, but everyone is glad to be able to hang out together.
Kallen and his friend Ryla are on the spaceship Whistle Pig in "The Most Epic Nap in the Universe" and are determined that they Kallen will opt out of his hibernation cycle so the two can hang out together and Ryla won't get older that Kallen is. Their plans are thwarted by Kallen's mother, who doesn't want to miss out on time with her son, but the two manage to wake Kallen up and get into trouble, some of it involving the marmots that help the hibernation process. Capetta has done some young adult books, along with the elementary fantasy novel, Hocus and Pocus and the Spell for Home.
Eliot Schrefer, who wrote Young Adult thrillers before turning his hand to books like Endangered, offers
an interesting look at "A Proposal to the Animal Congress". In a text message format, narrated by an AI hawk and rabbit, the animals try to find the best way to minimize suffering for all animals.
Artificial Intelligence is used again in Robertson's "Of What We Never Were" when we see Stacy, who is clearly struggling at school, constantly texting her best friend Adam, who is not with her all day for reasons that become clear later in the story.
Fran Wilde (Gemworld, Bone Universe, The Canarvier Files) takes us on a wild ride in Red, Right, Returning as fifth grader Ollie Vere struggles with taking her prepilot test along with her twin sister Ella and best friend Luiz. When she presses the "optimize" button too many times, complications ensue, her anxiety rises, and the test seems even more difficult.
Finally, Lucy's class gets to submit ideas for a Space Treaty Organization contest in 2068, and while her teacher Mr. Gupta initially has reservations about whether a time capsule is a good use of the opportunity to send an object into space, Lucy's project is chosen, and she and her teammates must work to figure out what they can include in such a small space. Years after including information on DNA cartridges, Lucy comes across her own time capsule on a mission and adds additional items. 850 million years later, the capsule is found again, and this afterthought inclusion allows a future society to bring Lucy's clone to life in "The Traveler" by Wade Roush.
While some of these stories were more effective than others, they all included a respectable amount of scientific information, although this sometimes overshadowed the narrative flow. It's hard to find science fiction that doesn't devolve into dystopia, so these stories will be a big hit with readers who enjoy futuristic adventures that try to predict how science and technology will change and impact our existence. It's hard to find science fiction short story collection for middle grade readers, but if they enjoyed novels like Mbalia's Last Gate of the Emperor, Warga's A Rover's Story, or Rodkey's We're Not From Here, Starstuff will hit the spot.
I have to admit that I agreed to review this because somewhere in my mind I thought that Alexander Key, whose The Forgotten Door and Escape to Witch Mountain were middle school favorites of mine, but he passed away in 1979! The cover reminded me of the 1979 Star Trek: The Motion picture as well. Some of these stories had a little too much science, at the expense of the plot. It's a fine line to walk.
Like the Young Adult collection by this group, Tasting Light: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Rewire Your Perceptions, Starstuff showcases middle grade authors who turn their hands to envisioning what science will look like in the future. The authors puts their own personal twists on this theme, while offering readers glimpses of the future that are timely and sometimes worrisome. Let's take a brief look at what is included.
Jenn Reese, whose middle grade novels Every Bird a Prince and Puzzleheart lean towards magic, hands us a "To-do List for the Apocalypse". River doesn't understand why her mother needs to move her to California after divorcing her father since there is an asteroid on its way to Earth. Her mother, who got a job teaching psychology, is also a citizen scientist, and when she gets an alert while they are driving to their new home, the two stop in Colorado to set up a station to record the asteroid as it passes close to the planet. Using the backyard of Jamila and her father Rahesh (who is also divorced from his husband), River finds out the real truth about the asteroid and makes peace with her new life.
In "Calm Down, People", Carlos Hernandez (Sal and Gabi Break the Universe) introduces us to Orquidea Bandana, who is a on a space mission to show consumers that space travel is safe even for people who might be deathly allergic to bees or possibly in the early stages of multiple sclerosis, like she is. Bandana saves the day with her knowledge of EpiPens and inhalers when the captain is stung by one of the blue orchard bees on board, and helps Spacerino Exploration Travel show that space tourism isn't dangerous.
Zinn and Charlie break into the Athanatos research facility in "The Whistleblowers" after Zinn's grandfather needs the EternaLife medicine that Charlie's mother has developed but has since found out can cause cancer. Kekla Magoon, whose Robyn Hoodlum series was set in a dystopia future, writes a thrilling tale about medical ethics gone wrong and kids doing what they can to save the ones they love.
With people living on space stations, there has to be a way to get supplies to them. In Alexander's "Aesop's Elevator", which is written in the second person, our narrator loves living in the tiny apartment that is part of the space elevator that his mother designed, although his sister Addy would love to return to Earth permanently. When rocket entrepreneur John Jay Jordan threatens this existence by making a bet that his rockets can provide supplies more quickly, the narrator has to step in to discover who has sabotaged the elevator. Alexander, the editor of this volume who has written a lot of books with which I am not familiar, will be known to middle grade readers for his The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class: The Legend of Memo Castillo.
Maddi Gonzalez, who has written several of the Goosebumps graphic novels, contributes the only graphic novel style story with "Zabrina Meets the Retro Club", which finds Zabrina meeting members of a group she has only known online at the M.A.L.L.: the Multimedia Augmented Liminal Location. Her friends Ada, Brandi, Carol and Dina are glad to finally see each other in real life, although Dina is joining the group as a robot, since she is sick at home. Since Zabrina wears thick glasses, the two can't enjoy the virtual reality headsets, but everyone is glad to be able to hang out together.
Kallen and his friend Ryla are on the spaceship Whistle Pig in "The Most Epic Nap in the Universe" and are determined that they Kallen will opt out of his hibernation cycle so the two can hang out together and Ryla won't get older that Kallen is. Their plans are thwarted by Kallen's mother, who doesn't want to miss out on time with her son, but the two manage to wake Kallen up and get into trouble, some of it involving the marmots that help the hibernation process. Capetta has done some young adult books, along with the elementary fantasy novel, Hocus and Pocus and the Spell for Home.
Eliot Schrefer, who wrote Young Adult thrillers before turning his hand to books like Endangered, offers
an interesting look at "A Proposal to the Animal Congress". In a text message format, narrated by an AI hawk and rabbit, the animals try to find the best way to minimize suffering for all animals.
Artificial Intelligence is used again in Robertson's "Of What We Never Were" when we see Stacy, who is clearly struggling at school, constantly texting her best friend Adam, who is not with her all day for reasons that become clear later in the story.
Fran Wilde (Gemworld, Bone Universe, The Canarvier Files) takes us on a wild ride in Red, Right, Returning as fifth grader Ollie Vere struggles with taking her prepilot test along with her twin sister Ella and best friend Luiz. When she presses the "optimize" button too many times, complications ensue, her anxiety rises, and the test seems even more difficult.
Finally, Lucy's class gets to submit ideas for a Space Treaty Organization contest in 2068, and while her teacher Mr. Gupta initially has reservations about whether a time capsule is a good use of the opportunity to send an object into space, Lucy's project is chosen, and she and her teammates must work to figure out what they can include in such a small space. Years after including information on DNA cartridges, Lucy comes across her own time capsule on a mission and adds additional items. 850 million years later, the capsule is found again, and this afterthought inclusion allows a future society to bring Lucy's clone to life in "The Traveler" by Wade Roush.
While some of these stories were more effective than others, they all included a respectable amount of scientific information, although this sometimes overshadowed the narrative flow. It's hard to find science fiction that doesn't devolve into dystopia, so these stories will be a big hit with readers who enjoy futuristic adventures that try to predict how science and technology will change and impact our existence. It's hard to find science fiction short story collection for middle grade readers, but if they enjoyed novels like Mbalia's Last Gate of the Emperor, Warga's A Rover's Story, or Rodkey's We're Not From Here, Starstuff will hit the spot.
I have to admit that I agreed to review this because somewhere in my mind I thought that Alexander Key, whose The Forgotten Door and Escape to Witch Mountain were middle school favorites of mine, but he passed away in 1979! The cover reminded me of the 1979 Star Trek: The Motion picture as well. Some of these stories had a little too much science, at the expense of the plot. It's a fine line to walk.
November 13, 2025
“To do list for the apocalypse,” by Jen Reese. Despite the fact that an asteroid with the nickname “Doomsday” is heading straight for Earth, River’s parents decided to divorce. Now River is in the car with their mom headed to a new life in California. River is not happy about this, and then there’s that whole “we’re all going to die” thing too. Then River and their mom get the chance to join with a group of citizen scientists who want to try to capture the shadow of the asteroid as it passes Aldebaran. And that might change everything. I liked this one, though it did feel unfinished because the relationship between the main character and their mother still seemed a little unresolved. This could be a good chapter 1 of a book.
“Calm down, people! It’s just space bees,” by Carlos Hernandez. Bandanna has a once in a lifetime chance of being the first kid in space, on a commercial Earth orbit mission to study blue orchard bees, which could be a keystone species for future terraforming. Problem is, of the three people on the space station, all three are all allergic to bees. And one bee has escaped. I liked this one a lot. I liked the main character had some disabilities, like the multiple allergies, and also probably MS in her future, but she went for her dream anyway. I thought the story hung together really well, and managed to build character in a short period of time. I also thought the science sounded believable.
“Whistleblowers” by Kekla Magoon. Charlie and Zinn live in a world in which eternal life seems possible—if you can afford it. Charlie’s mom helped invent the drug. Zinn’s grandfather is scheduled to benefit from it. But the research is flawed, and Charlie and Zinn decide a heist is in order. This was told non-chronologically, and kept a good pace. The premise is predictable, but still a good message.
“Aesop’s elevator” by William Alexander. You live in a space freight elevator that looks like a gigantic turtle. It’s now in a race against a company that launches rockets to carry cargo into space. You know there is no way Turtletown can lose…unless sabotage is involved. I’ve read another book about space elevators and it’s a really cool idea; I liked how the main character’s sister pointed out it was better for the environment than continually firing off rockets. The second person narration puts you right in the action. I thought this did a good job of combining old fables and science fiction.
“Zabrina meets the retro club,” by Maddi Gonzalez. Graphic novel format. At some point in the future, there’s nostalgia for early 21st century things like malls and old video games. Zabrina has joined a retro club, and they’re going to meet in person for the first time at the new mall. Which she doesn’t realize, is that one of her friends is apparently a robot? I wasn’t quite sure what the point of this one was. I mean, what so retro about experiencing something through a screen? Maybe it’s because I’m old, so my retro is a lot further back in time!
“The most epic nap in the universe,” by A.R. Capetta. Kallen lives in space, in a conglomeration of ships called the Marmot Fleet, so named because they used marmots to perfect a hibernation system that allows humans in different ships in the fleet to hibernate for years at a time. That's all Kallen has known, but she's depressed this time, because her best friend has been hibernating on a different schedule, so by the time they see each other again, there will be a two year age gap between them. But Kallen has a plan. I really liked this one. The marmot thing was so random and delightful, and every ship in the fleet had a different name that meant "marmot." The hibernation idea is not a new one, but I liked how it featured here. There's also commentary on how humans treat planets—so maybe they can't be trusted with one.
“A proposal to the animal Congress,” by Eliot Schrefer. The story is formatted as a text exchange between AI entities representing hawks and rabbits. Apparently, in the future, there are only a few humans left, and AI are flourishing and are involved in making decisions about the natural world. Is that a good idea? I found this story quite confusing at first since I couldn’t figure out who was actually speaking, or texting. I think the point was to be ironic in that animals really don’t need governance.
“Of what we never were,” by David Robertson. Stacy has a companion who can only communicate with her through her phone. He used to be her best friend, and he’s not quite the same through text and video, but certainly a lot better than the alternative. But people are watching them; people who have the authority to make decisions that Stacy and Adam can’t live with. I sort of guessed the technology that was hiding in this one, as it’s a relatively common trope. I think this one would promote some discussion about whether what’s going on is a good idea for Stacy, or for Adam.
“Red, Right, Returning,” by Fran Wilde. Olli lives at Tallulah Station near Ganymede, and she and her twin are in the fifth grade. They are preparing to take their pre-pilot exams, but Olli is struggling because she always has trouble choosing between options. At some after school practice, she downloaded some software that her father was working on, and suddenly there are three Ollis instead of one. WTH? This one was confusing, as most multiverse stories tend to get. I’m not 100% sure that I got it? I’m not even sure what the main message was, about decisions or in decision or possibilities. So… Maybe this one didn’t work so well for me?
“The Traveler,” by Wade Roush. In a school on the moon, Lucy’s class has a chance to create a science experiment that will go out into space. After her father reads her a beloved print book, “Paddle to the sea,” Lucy urges the class to create a time capsule instead of an experiment. She calls it “Paddle to the stars.“ It succeeds beyond her wildest dreams. I liked this one a lot, especially because I loved the same book when I was a kid. I think there could be a lot of discussion about what people would put in a time capsule of our time, and what it might feel like to be in Lucy’s position.
“Calm down, people! It’s just space bees,” by Carlos Hernandez. Bandanna has a once in a lifetime chance of being the first kid in space, on a commercial Earth orbit mission to study blue orchard bees, which could be a keystone species for future terraforming. Problem is, of the three people on the space station, all three are all allergic to bees. And one bee has escaped. I liked this one a lot. I liked the main character had some disabilities, like the multiple allergies, and also probably MS in her future, but she went for her dream anyway. I thought the story hung together really well, and managed to build character in a short period of time. I also thought the science sounded believable.
“Whistleblowers” by Kekla Magoon. Charlie and Zinn live in a world in which eternal life seems possible—if you can afford it. Charlie’s mom helped invent the drug. Zinn’s grandfather is scheduled to benefit from it. But the research is flawed, and Charlie and Zinn decide a heist is in order. This was told non-chronologically, and kept a good pace. The premise is predictable, but still a good message.
“Aesop’s elevator” by William Alexander. You live in a space freight elevator that looks like a gigantic turtle. It’s now in a race against a company that launches rockets to carry cargo into space. You know there is no way Turtletown can lose…unless sabotage is involved. I’ve read another book about space elevators and it’s a really cool idea; I liked how the main character’s sister pointed out it was better for the environment than continually firing off rockets. The second person narration puts you right in the action. I thought this did a good job of combining old fables and science fiction.
“Zabrina meets the retro club,” by Maddi Gonzalez. Graphic novel format. At some point in the future, there’s nostalgia for early 21st century things like malls and old video games. Zabrina has joined a retro club, and they’re going to meet in person for the first time at the new mall. Which she doesn’t realize, is that one of her friends is apparently a robot? I wasn’t quite sure what the point of this one was. I mean, what so retro about experiencing something through a screen? Maybe it’s because I’m old, so my retro is a lot further back in time!
“The most epic nap in the universe,” by A.R. Capetta. Kallen lives in space, in a conglomeration of ships called the Marmot Fleet, so named because they used marmots to perfect a hibernation system that allows humans in different ships in the fleet to hibernate for years at a time. That's all Kallen has known, but she's depressed this time, because her best friend has been hibernating on a different schedule, so by the time they see each other again, there will be a two year age gap between them. But Kallen has a plan. I really liked this one. The marmot thing was so random and delightful, and every ship in the fleet had a different name that meant "marmot." The hibernation idea is not a new one, but I liked how it featured here. There's also commentary on how humans treat planets—so maybe they can't be trusted with one.
“A proposal to the animal Congress,” by Eliot Schrefer. The story is formatted as a text exchange between AI entities representing hawks and rabbits. Apparently, in the future, there are only a few humans left, and AI are flourishing and are involved in making decisions about the natural world. Is that a good idea? I found this story quite confusing at first since I couldn’t figure out who was actually speaking, or texting. I think the point was to be ironic in that animals really don’t need governance.
“Of what we never were,” by David Robertson. Stacy has a companion who can only communicate with her through her phone. He used to be her best friend, and he’s not quite the same through text and video, but certainly a lot better than the alternative. But people are watching them; people who have the authority to make decisions that Stacy and Adam can’t live with. I sort of guessed the technology that was hiding in this one, as it’s a relatively common trope. I think this one would promote some discussion about whether what’s going on is a good idea for Stacy, or for Adam.
“Red, Right, Returning,” by Fran Wilde. Olli lives at Tallulah Station near Ganymede, and she and her twin are in the fifth grade. They are preparing to take their pre-pilot exams, but Olli is struggling because she always has trouble choosing between options. At some after school practice, she downloaded some software that her father was working on, and suddenly there are three Ollis instead of one. WTH? This one was confusing, as most multiverse stories tend to get. I’m not 100% sure that I got it? I’m not even sure what the main message was, about decisions or in decision or possibilities. So… Maybe this one didn’t work so well for me?
“The Traveler,” by Wade Roush. In a school on the moon, Lucy’s class has a chance to create a science experiment that will go out into space. After her father reads her a beloved print book, “Paddle to the sea,” Lucy urges the class to create a time capsule instead of an experiment. She calls it “Paddle to the stars.“ It succeeds beyond her wildest dreams. I liked this one a lot, especially because I loved the same book when I was a kid. I think there could be a lot of discussion about what people would put in a time capsule of our time, and what it might feel like to be in Lucy’s position.
July 31, 2025
Put together by the same group that did Tasting Light: Ten Science Fiction Stories to Rewire Your Perceptions, this is a middle grade collection of short sci-fi stories. I enjoyed the YA collection so I have high hopes for this one!
'To-Do List for the Apocalypse' by Jenn Reese
4 stars
I liked this one! I thought it was a good look at a kid going through a divorce with just the right "Doomsday" spin. I did hope to see a bit more, but it was also a good ending spot.
'Calm Down, People! It's Just Space Bees' by Carlos Hernandez
2 stars
It was kinda funny, kinda cute, but mostly I'm confused as to when this takes place. They reference the year 2089, but use outdated memes like 'O rly?' It absolutely took me out of the story. I liked their reasoning for going to space, but I agree that it's pretty dangerous to send a kid up there... and then to send a mission with three people allergic to bees, TRANSPORTING BEES? It's deadly risk when it could have been avoided... Just not a fan.
'The Whistleblowers' by Kekla Magoon
3 stars
I got our two main characters confused a lot. I couldn't remember which kid's mom was a scientist and which kid's dad was a janitor. I even thought they were in the same family for a little! But once I figured it out, I liked it. I thought it was just okay, maybe a little preachy and predictable. I would have liked to see a little more resolution with the girl and her grandpa.
'Aesop's Elevator' by William Alexander
5 stars
I really liked this one. I love 2nd Person POV stories and I thought this was well done. While we don't know the age of 'you', its clear they're a child but old enough to understand their family friction. They are clever and innocent and I liked how it was resolved. Go Turtletown!
'Zabrina Meets the Retro Club' by Maddi Gonzalez
3 stars
I didn't know what was happening and by the time I was into it, this adorable short story comic was over. Very cute of course, but I wasn't sure what kind of a story they were trying to tell.
'The Most Epic Nap in the Universe' by A. R. Capetta
5 stars
This is the perfect short story length to me. It's long enough to have a resolution without skimping on the details within the story. I really liked this premise; humans, after destroying the Earth, made a pact to survive a thousand years in space peacefully before attempting to find a planet to make home, so that they don't just continue to destroy planets. I liked the marmots as a cute mascot and a scientific advancement. And I liked the characters. I would read more about this world!!
'A Proposal to the Animal Congress' by Eliot Schrefer
4 stars
I'm a fan of Eliot Schrefer so I was looking forward to this! And its written as a series of messages between AI animal representatives... interesting. I liked this, especially at the end when it comes full circle, but the messages (and AI) make the whole exchange feel... sterile. It didn't evoke any emotions, although it was funny!
'Of What We Never Were' by David Robertson
4 stars
Interesting take but I wanted to know what was up with Adam before the report. I wasn't sure if he was AI or stuck at home, but at least I found out what's up before the end of the story. I liked it. I thought Stacy was acting just fine for what she's been through and the end made me smile.
'Red, Right, Returning' by Fran Wilde
3 stars
I was getting confused with all the multiverse talk and the many iterations of Olli. Still, a kinda fun story but left me more confused than satisfied.
'The Traveler' by Wade Roush
5 stars
I really liked this one. It felt like a fitting end. By sending a time capsule into space, Lucy prolonged humanity's existence. It felt both nostalgic and futuristic at once.
Total stars: 38/50 76% or 3.8/5 rounded up to 4/5 stars. Math.
Overall, I liked these! I think I liked the YA collection better, but there were some really fun stories in here. I look forward to more short stories from this group if there are more!
'To-Do List for the Apocalypse' by Jenn Reese
4 stars
I liked this one! I thought it was a good look at a kid going through a divorce with just the right "Doomsday" spin. I did hope to see a bit more, but it was also a good ending spot.
'Calm Down, People! It's Just Space Bees' by Carlos Hernandez
2 stars
It was kinda funny, kinda cute, but mostly I'm confused as to when this takes place. They reference the year 2089, but use outdated memes like 'O rly?' It absolutely took me out of the story. I liked their reasoning for going to space, but I agree that it's pretty dangerous to send a kid up there... and then to send a mission with three people allergic to bees, TRANSPORTING BEES? It's deadly risk when it could have been avoided... Just not a fan.
'The Whistleblowers' by Kekla Magoon
3 stars
I got our two main characters confused a lot. I couldn't remember which kid's mom was a scientist and which kid's dad was a janitor. I even thought they were in the same family for a little! But once I figured it out, I liked it. I thought it was just okay, maybe a little preachy and predictable. I would have liked to see a little more resolution with the girl and her grandpa.
'Aesop's Elevator' by William Alexander
5 stars
I really liked this one. I love 2nd Person POV stories and I thought this was well done. While we don't know the age of 'you', its clear they're a child but old enough to understand their family friction. They are clever and innocent and I liked how it was resolved. Go Turtletown!
'Zabrina Meets the Retro Club' by Maddi Gonzalez
3 stars
I didn't know what was happening and by the time I was into it, this adorable short story comic was over. Very cute of course, but I wasn't sure what kind of a story they were trying to tell.
'The Most Epic Nap in the Universe' by A. R. Capetta
5 stars
This is the perfect short story length to me. It's long enough to have a resolution without skimping on the details within the story. I really liked this premise; humans, after destroying the Earth, made a pact to survive a thousand years in space peacefully before attempting to find a planet to make home, so that they don't just continue to destroy planets. I liked the marmots as a cute mascot and a scientific advancement. And I liked the characters. I would read more about this world!!
'A Proposal to the Animal Congress' by Eliot Schrefer
4 stars
I'm a fan of Eliot Schrefer so I was looking forward to this! And its written as a series of messages between AI animal representatives... interesting. I liked this, especially at the end when it comes full circle, but the messages (and AI) make the whole exchange feel... sterile. It didn't evoke any emotions, although it was funny!
'Of What We Never Were' by David Robertson
4 stars
Interesting take but I wanted to know what was up with Adam before the report. I wasn't sure if he was AI or stuck at home, but at least I found out what's up before the end of the story. I liked it. I thought Stacy was acting just fine for what she's been through and the end made me smile.
'Red, Right, Returning' by Fran Wilde
3 stars
I was getting confused with all the multiverse talk and the many iterations of Olli. Still, a kinda fun story but left me more confused than satisfied.
'The Traveler' by Wade Roush
5 stars
I really liked this one. It felt like a fitting end. By sending a time capsule into space, Lucy prolonged humanity's existence. It felt both nostalgic and futuristic at once.
Total stars: 38/50 76% or 3.8/5 rounded up to 4/5 stars. Math.
Overall, I liked these! I think I liked the YA collection better, but there were some really fun stories in here. I look forward to more short stories from this group if there are more!
April 27, 2025
These pages offer a smorgasbord of short stories to delight more than just science fiction fans.
I can't remember the last time I picked up an anthology for the middle grade audience, and I'll admit that I grabbed this one with uncertainty...which was completely misplaced. This is a fun collection of ten short stories surrounding space in various ways, which stretch not only the imagination but add food for thought. The stories hover around twenty to thirty or so pages and are easy to read thanks to the larger font and wider sentence spacing. Even the longer tales are easily enjoyed as shorter reads. The tales hit a large array of directions, everything from aliens to asteroids to space stations and more. Some are more Earth based, while others shoot into the stars and beyond. While there are action packed tales, other head into the drama direction and touch the heart.
Each story centers around a character, which middle graders can sympathize with. The messages are also appropriate for the age group and will resonate with the intended audience. There's something for everyone, allowing readers to dive into tense scifi moments or take on more true-to-life issues with a galactic twist. I enjoy that the variety demonstrates the broad spectrum science fiction can include as it reaches beyond space ships, lasers and little green men. Instead, it shows the various directions the genre can take.
This is a lovely collection to pickup and enjoy in pieces here and there, or dive into and enjoy from beginning to end...or simply as the stories catch each reader's attention.
I can't remember the last time I picked up an anthology for the middle grade audience, and I'll admit that I grabbed this one with uncertainty...which was completely misplaced. This is a fun collection of ten short stories surrounding space in various ways, which stretch not only the imagination but add food for thought. The stories hover around twenty to thirty or so pages and are easy to read thanks to the larger font and wider sentence spacing. Even the longer tales are easily enjoyed as shorter reads. The tales hit a large array of directions, everything from aliens to asteroids to space stations and more. Some are more Earth based, while others shoot into the stars and beyond. While there are action packed tales, other head into the drama direction and touch the heart.
Each story centers around a character, which middle graders can sympathize with. The messages are also appropriate for the age group and will resonate with the intended audience. There's something for everyone, allowing readers to dive into tense scifi moments or take on more true-to-life issues with a galactic twist. I enjoy that the variety demonstrates the broad spectrum science fiction can include as it reaches beyond space ships, lasers and little green men. Instead, it shows the various directions the genre can take.
This is a lovely collection to pickup and enjoy in pieces here and there, or dive into and enjoy from beginning to end...or simply as the stories catch each reader's attention.
August 31, 2025
Starstuff is a rare and welcome collection of SF short stories aimed at middle school readers. 10 well-known authors present their takes on a future shaped by science and technology. Happily, the stories have an optimistic tone, steering clear of dystopic gloom and viewing our future with science positive themes and attitudes.
Authors such as William Alexander, Kekla Magoon, Eliot Schrefer, Carlos Hernandez and A. R. Capetta write with understanding of the age group's issues and concerns and the stories are accessible, interestingly varied and appealing. There is one graphic story, one written from a space elevator, one with commercial breaks and one involving space bees. Like any short story collection, there is something here for every type of reader and there is great opportunity for discussion. SF is a rare genre for this age group and this science forward book is an especially important addition to collections serving the Gr. 4-7 and middle school readers.
Authors such as William Alexander, Kekla Magoon, Eliot Schrefer, Carlos Hernandez and A. R. Capetta write with understanding of the age group's issues and concerns and the stories are accessible, interestingly varied and appealing. There is one graphic story, one written from a space elevator, one with commercial breaks and one involving space bees. Like any short story collection, there is something here for every type of reader and there is great opportunity for discussion. SF is a rare genre for this age group and this science forward book is an especially important addition to collections serving the Gr. 4-7 and middle school readers.
December 4, 2025
Quality collection of hard sci fi stories for tweens! Each of these grabs you fairly quickly and explores some of the big sci-fi questions--do our feelings and bodies still matter in the future? What would we do if an asteroid was coming? What happens when we send bees to space? A nice intro to sci-fi or a nice taste of some great stories from good authors.
August 28, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
An interesting compilation of short sci-fi stories by various authors. Some stories I enjoyed more than others.
An interesting compilation of short sci-fi stories by various authors. Some stories I enjoyed more than others.
December 18, 2025
A very nice collection of hopeful mind expanding stories of some of our possible futures.
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