The Arbitrary Placement of Walls

by Martha Soukup

This collection of 17 stories puts together a solid case for Martha Soukup's preeminence among science fiction short story writers at the end of the 20th century. In her best efforts, such as "Living in the Jungle," the Nebula-winning "A Defense of the Social Contracts," and the absolutely stunning "The Story So Far," Soukup provides an intimate perspective on protagonists who are fundamentally alienated from the worlds in which they live. It's a perspective that also comes to bear on the eerily humorous "Alita in the Air," in which an unaccompanied child on an airplane refuses to meet her party at the gate and becomes a permanent passenger, and the poignant tale of two runaways, "Jones and the Stray." And we guarantee that, after reading "Good Girl, Bad Dog," you'll never think of Lassie in the same way again. --Ron Hogan

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories

206 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1997

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only part of this book I enjoyed was the NG intro - which left me thinking I would really like the book. I read about a third of the stories before I gave up. Yes, they are original, but just not my style at all.