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The Furry Future
For the history of the human race we have been locked inside our bodies. Spiritualism, medicine, basic biochemistry and genetic enhancement seek to take us beyond the physical limitations we were born with. The Furry Future is a record of what might become of us once we perfect the methods of reshaping biology.
Fangs and claws could become just another fashion accessory. We might use our technology to create intelligent and able companions as we spread out to the stars, or else create perfect servants unable to disobey the whims of their masters. We may remake ourselves to attain our future across the galaxy and unlock our spiritual potential, or collapse into war over where the boundaries of humanity lie.
These nineteen stories take us to these different futures, each one written in the fur we choose to wear.
Fangs and claws could become just another fashion accessory. We might use our technology to create intelligent and able companions as we spread out to the stars, or else create perfect servants unable to disobey the whims of their masters. We may remake ourselves to attain our future across the galaxy and unlock our spiritual potential, or collapse into war over where the boundaries of humanity lie.
These nineteen stories take us to these different futures, each one written in the fur we choose to wear.
- GenresFictionScience Fiction
446 pages, Paperback
First published January 15, 2015
18 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Fred Patten
34 books11 followersFred Patten was an American writer and historian known for his work in the science fiction, fantasy, anime, manga, and furry fandoms through both print and online books, magazines, and other media.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 14, 2016
Disclosure: My story, "Trinka and the Robot", is in this anthology and will not be included in this review.
The Furry Future is overflowing with various stories about anthropomorphic animals and how they may be created, be integrated into society, or over take us in the future. At nineteen stories, this anthology packed and there's easily something for all kinds of sci-fi fans.
"Vivan" by Bryan Feir was the first one to really capture me. Vivian alone is the most vibrant character in the entire anthology and it was a delight to see her reactions throughout. There isn't as much a rising and falling action, but more an exploration of how a created character can grow and react to stimulus outside of their environment.
The explanation of a greater creator and the search for ones "god" creates a rich world in "Evolver" by Ronald W. Klemp. Each step of the captain's meticulous thought process had me hooked as to what discovery the crew would find next.
Mary Lowd's "Lunar Cavity" also presents a wonderful world and in-depth look into a race of bat aliens. The plot is simplistic but used more as a framework to dive deep into the relationship between Druthel and Rhiannon as they explore their differences and similarities between cultures and what drives them personally. Also I have to mention how much I loved the Keats!
"Distant Shores" by Tony Greyfox is another story I found presented an interesting scenario, one that reminded me of Clarke's 3001: The Final Odyssey. Only this time, the human awakening is going the opposite direction of Earth, and has to integrate not with their own kind, but with engineered anthro workers who border on being slaves.
T.S. McNally's "The Curators" was a good read, but I felt the planet the characters had left was more interesting than the voyage they were now on. Still, it was intriguing to see them find a planet to start a new world on, giving us a possible explanation for the creation of anthro worlds (though while still avoiding how their origin planet came about).
"Tow" by Watts Martin is a prequel to his upcoming novel, Kimset. Reading this certainly makes me excited to snatch up the book once it comes out. Exploring totemics through watching Gail struggle as she tries to run her own towing business shows a rich world by Watts and I'm excited to learn more about them. My only complaint was the romance in this story didn't feel real and a bit flat for me. (which I've since been told wasn't meant to be romantic)
Dwale writes a dark and depressing story about coming to terms with inevitability in "The Darkness of Dead Stars." The gloom is painted thick and the ending doesn't come as a surprise but more of an expected nod of "Yes, this is what it's come to" which goes to show the author's skill in describing the long futile road the main character has walked. Dwale does put in some dark humour as well but I personally found it didn't mesh well with the overall mood as well some secondary characters also didn't seem to fit.
Finally, my favourite story of the entire anthology was the one Fred saved for last, "Thebe and the Angry Red Eye" by David Hopkins. It starts out as a story akin to "The Martian" with Thomas proceeding through his routine to survive on the little moon of Jupiter. But as a rescue crew is likely never coming in his lifetime, his thinking turns to what will he do with his remaining time. This story mirrored elements of Clarke's 2001: Space Odyssey, with even HAL's glowing red opressive eye now replaced with the much larger scale of Jupiter's angry storm. Even Thomas's final journey reminded me of Bowman's trip through the monolith.
Although Patten pushed the purpose or reasoning for anthropromorphics in the rest of the anthology's stories, it seems this last one slipped under the radar as there's no reasoning or purpose and I feel Thomas is merely a zipperback. There are a few too many stories where the focus of the conflict is that the furries are second class citizens and treated as such. Also I stopped reading the editor's introductions to the stories as some spoiled the twist in a few tales.
Again, this anthology is crammed full of different tales and the variety means you'll easily get your money's worth. There's quite a few gems, some other strong stories, and a few that miss or fall flat, but there's both quality and quantity here. It's a great exploration into the genre of sci-fi and anthropromorphics.
The Furry Future is overflowing with various stories about anthropomorphic animals and how they may be created, be integrated into society, or over take us in the future. At nineteen stories, this anthology packed and there's easily something for all kinds of sci-fi fans.
"Vivan" by Bryan Feir was the first one to really capture me. Vivian alone is the most vibrant character in the entire anthology and it was a delight to see her reactions throughout. There isn't as much a rising and falling action, but more an exploration of how a created character can grow and react to stimulus outside of their environment.
The explanation of a greater creator and the search for ones "god" creates a rich world in "Evolver" by Ronald W. Klemp. Each step of the captain's meticulous thought process had me hooked as to what discovery the crew would find next.
Mary Lowd's "Lunar Cavity" also presents a wonderful world and in-depth look into a race of bat aliens. The plot is simplistic but used more as a framework to dive deep into the relationship between Druthel and Rhiannon as they explore their differences and similarities between cultures and what drives them personally. Also I have to mention how much I loved the Keats!
"Distant Shores" by Tony Greyfox is another story I found presented an interesting scenario, one that reminded me of Clarke's 3001: The Final Odyssey. Only this time, the human awakening is going the opposite direction of Earth, and has to integrate not with their own kind, but with engineered anthro workers who border on being slaves.
T.S. McNally's "The Curators" was a good read, but I felt the planet the characters had left was more interesting than the voyage they were now on. Still, it was intriguing to see them find a planet to start a new world on, giving us a possible explanation for the creation of anthro worlds (though while still avoiding how their origin planet came about).
"Tow" by Watts Martin is a prequel to his upcoming novel, Kimset. Reading this certainly makes me excited to snatch up the book once it comes out. Exploring totemics through watching Gail struggle as she tries to run her own towing business shows a rich world by Watts and I'm excited to learn more about them. My only complaint was the romance in this story didn't feel real and a bit flat for me. (which I've since been told wasn't meant to be romantic)
Dwale writes a dark and depressing story about coming to terms with inevitability in "The Darkness of Dead Stars." The gloom is painted thick and the ending doesn't come as a surprise but more of an expected nod of "Yes, this is what it's come to" which goes to show the author's skill in describing the long futile road the main character has walked. Dwale does put in some dark humour as well but I personally found it didn't mesh well with the overall mood as well some secondary characters also didn't seem to fit.
Finally, my favourite story of the entire anthology was the one Fred saved for last, "Thebe and the Angry Red Eye" by David Hopkins. It starts out as a story akin to "The Martian" with Thomas proceeding through his routine to survive on the little moon of Jupiter. But as a rescue crew is likely never coming in his lifetime, his thinking turns to what will he do with his remaining time. This story mirrored elements of Clarke's 2001: Space Odyssey, with even HAL's glowing red opressive eye now replaced with the much larger scale of Jupiter's angry storm. Even Thomas's final journey reminded me of Bowman's trip through the monolith.
Although Patten pushed the purpose or reasoning for anthropromorphics in the rest of the anthology's stories, it seems this last one slipped under the radar as there's no reasoning or purpose and I feel Thomas is merely a zipperback. There are a few too many stories where the focus of the conflict is that the furries are second class citizens and treated as such. Also I stopped reading the editor's introductions to the stories as some spoiled the twist in a few tales.
Again, this anthology is crammed full of different tales and the variety means you'll easily get your money's worth. There's quite a few gems, some other strong stories, and a few that miss or fall flat, but there's both quality and quantity here. It's a great exploration into the genre of sci-fi and anthropromorphics.
July 16, 2017
A solid collection of mostly good to great furry science
Fiction stories.
I dinged this one star because there were a couple of weak stories that brought down the rest, and dire need of a copy edit on one story where characters spoke back and forth in the same paragraph.
Overall though, the stories here are, as I said, good to great and there are some real gems throughout.
Fiction stories.
I dinged this one star because there were a couple of weak stories that brought down the rest, and dire need of a copy edit on one story where characters spoke back and forth in the same paragraph.
Overall though, the stories here are, as I said, good to great and there are some real gems throughout.
March 7, 2015
(Disclosure: I have a story in this anthology.)
My two great loves are science fiction and furry fiction. The Furry Future is both. It's more than 400 pages of furry science fiction, and, in and of itself, that's a great thing.
Here are some highlights...
"Tow" by Watts Martin paints a completely believable, gritty future where Gail, a rat totemic, must deal with prejudice from cisform humans while she's simply trying to do her job salvaging space wreckage. This story sold me so completely on its universe, that I can't wait to see the novel that Martin's writing about Gail.
"A Bedsheet for a Cape" by Nathanael Gass features a police dog, Arf, and the woman, Tarla, who rescues him from being "retired" when he can no longer serve on the force. The real strength in this story lies in the character of Tarla -- she's strong and likeable, but she's also rash. Bringing home Arf has unexpected repercussions, and she has to deal with them, because he's totally unprepared for life outside the police force. The contrast between Tarla's determination and Arf's naive compliance is charming, sweet, and poignant.
"Vivian" by Bryan Feir reminds me of Ted Chiang's "The Lifecycle of Software Objects." (If you're familiar with Ted Chiang's work, you'll know that's a high compliment. If you're not, go read something by Ted Chiang.) Vivian is an AI with a cartoon fox avatar. The concern that James -- a psychologist/computer scientist -- shows for Vivian as she develops and the friendship that Vivian eventually develops with a human girl named Jen are heartwarming. A sweet story.
"The Analogue Cat" by Alice "Huskyteer" Dryden tells the entire life story of a genetically uplifted cat who becomes a cyborg and falls in love with a robot. And it tells that story in only four pages -- truly amazing. This story is a perfect little gem.
"Trinka and the Robot" by Ocean Tigrox is a fun, light read about a ferret girl, Trinka, who discovers a robot in the ruins near her home town. What makes this story shine is how well it steps into the world view of this spunky ferret girl -- the solar panels that power the robot are described as being "shiny metal rock that stretched out to the sun, just like a flower." Trinka calls them rock-flowers. Between the delightfully spirited protagonist and the evocative descriptions, this is a lovely story.
"The Darkness of Dead Stars" is a dark, dark story about a ship full of naked mole rats, drifting aimlessly through empty space. But it is also gripping and fascinating -- a story that perfectly succeeds at what it sets out to do.
"Thebe and the Angry Red Eye" by David Hopkins is barely furry... But it is a beautifully told, heartbreaking science-fiction story about an astronaut stranded on one of Jupiter's moons. While I wouldn't even remember the species of the main character if the story didn't have illustrations, this story does experiment with anthropomorphism in other, very interesting ways.
Basically, this anthology is exactly what it should be, and I'd love to see more anthologies like it. If you enjoy both furry and science-fiction, then this anthology is for you.
My two great loves are science fiction and furry fiction. The Furry Future is both. It's more than 400 pages of furry science fiction, and, in and of itself, that's a great thing.
Here are some highlights...
"Tow" by Watts Martin paints a completely believable, gritty future where Gail, a rat totemic, must deal with prejudice from cisform humans while she's simply trying to do her job salvaging space wreckage. This story sold me so completely on its universe, that I can't wait to see the novel that Martin's writing about Gail.
"A Bedsheet for a Cape" by Nathanael Gass features a police dog, Arf, and the woman, Tarla, who rescues him from being "retired" when he can no longer serve on the force. The real strength in this story lies in the character of Tarla -- she's strong and likeable, but she's also rash. Bringing home Arf has unexpected repercussions, and she has to deal with them, because he's totally unprepared for life outside the police force. The contrast between Tarla's determination and Arf's naive compliance is charming, sweet, and poignant.
"Vivian" by Bryan Feir reminds me of Ted Chiang's "The Lifecycle of Software Objects." (If you're familiar with Ted Chiang's work, you'll know that's a high compliment. If you're not, go read something by Ted Chiang.) Vivian is an AI with a cartoon fox avatar. The concern that James -- a psychologist/computer scientist -- shows for Vivian as she develops and the friendship that Vivian eventually develops with a human girl named Jen are heartwarming. A sweet story.
"The Analogue Cat" by Alice "Huskyteer" Dryden tells the entire life story of a genetically uplifted cat who becomes a cyborg and falls in love with a robot. And it tells that story in only four pages -- truly amazing. This story is a perfect little gem.
"Trinka and the Robot" by Ocean Tigrox is a fun, light read about a ferret girl, Trinka, who discovers a robot in the ruins near her home town. What makes this story shine is how well it steps into the world view of this spunky ferret girl -- the solar panels that power the robot are described as being "shiny metal rock that stretched out to the sun, just like a flower." Trinka calls them rock-flowers. Between the delightfully spirited protagonist and the evocative descriptions, this is a lovely story.
"The Darkness of Dead Stars" is a dark, dark story about a ship full of naked mole rats, drifting aimlessly through empty space. But it is also gripping and fascinating -- a story that perfectly succeeds at what it sets out to do.
"Thebe and the Angry Red Eye" by David Hopkins is barely furry... But it is a beautifully told, heartbreaking science-fiction story about an astronaut stranded on one of Jupiter's moons. While I wouldn't even remember the species of the main character if the story didn't have illustrations, this story does experiment with anthropomorphism in other, very interesting ways.
Basically, this anthology is exactly what it should be, and I'd love to see more anthologies like it. If you enjoy both furry and science-fiction, then this anthology is for you.
January 28, 2015
Disclosure: I have a story, 'The Analogue Cat', in this anthology.
Genetic engineering, mutation, aliens, post-human evolution - every possible trope for the existence of anthropomorphic animals is used in this collection, yet every author manages to do something different with it. As editor Fred Patten points out, many of the projected futures are on the bleak side, but there's some light relief too. Some of my favourites were Mary E. Lowd's sensitively portrayed batlike aliens, Dwale's creepy yet funny spaceship of naked mole rats, Tony Greyfox's human awakened in a furry future, and Samuel C. Conway's Akita businessdog.
Genetic engineering, mutation, aliens, post-human evolution - every possible trope for the existence of anthropomorphic animals is used in this collection, yet every author manages to do something different with it. As editor Fred Patten points out, many of the projected futures are on the bleak side, but there's some light relief too. Some of my favourites were Mary E. Lowd's sensitively portrayed batlike aliens, Dwale's creepy yet funny spaceship of naked mole rats, Tony Greyfox's human awakened in a furry future, and Samuel C. Conway's Akita businessdog.
November 8, 2019
Picked up this book at Anthrocon 2018 because the cover caught my eye. Unfortunately, I didn't see any reviews beforehand much less know that most of the reviews were written by the contributing authors themselves. "But I'm not reviewing my own story so my opinion is still unbiased." Yeah no, sorry it doesn't work that way. Which is why I automatically dinged this anthology a star just for that stunt.
That stunt not withstanding, this is an otherwise average collection of short stories involving furries and science fiction. Some are good, some are engaging, and unfortunately some were so bad I gave up a couple pages through. Some of them I even skipped over entirely because the foreword from the late Fred Patten was giving me a bad feeling of deja vu.
Emergency Maintenance: Stopped reading after discovering the main characters' handler assembled them for an undercover op and did not tell them till ten minutes after the mission began. No, no, no, I'm sorry but if this is supposed to be a "top team of troubleshooters" then that is unacceptable leadership no matter who he's in charge of.
Tow: Stopped reading about five pages in after watching the token human bigot go from zero to psycho in under ten seconds. Bigotry is not spontaneously turning into a lunatic. Bigotry is sitting down for lunch and having your coworker spontaneously ask you for your opinion on biracial couples then, as you stare at him wondering what on earth prompted this topic, he goes on about how uncomfortable they make him. The complete misunderstanding of the complex anatomy of hatred is a reoccurring theme with many of the weaker stories in this anthology.
Experiment Seventy: A well-written if not entirely original read about a lab experiment that has escaped into the outside world. Not the best piece but a good one and one that restored a bit of my faith in this anthology.
A Bedsheet for a Cape: A homage to the old 1950's style of science fiction. Perhaps a little too much of a homage in some regards as the protagonist seems to be without agency at points. But nothing that discouraged me from wanting to see what happened next.
Hachimoto: Well, I guess we can add "enthralling author" to Uncle Kage's list of talents. The first-person was a bit of a switch but it felt like I was there with him. And when Hachimoto revealed the common thread connecting him to the narrator, I felt an overwhelming sense of "Dawwwww."
Vivian: A feel-good story about two teenage girls bonding and growing up together. Props to the author for not only showing a couple creative ways for AIs to interact with humans but for humanizing both the humans and the AIs.
Family Bonding: Not bad, from exploring a family of human bigots from a relatively unusual perspective to a twist I did not see coming, this story took a flawed troupe of the fandom and managed to wrangle an engaging story out of it.
The Future Is Yours: And... right here is where I nearly lost all the good will everything from Experiment Seventy to Family Bonding had built up. Unlike Emergency Maintenance and Tow, I actually tried to power through this one which may have been a mistake. The first two problems I had were the inconsistency with the difference between the Augs and regular furries and the complete lack of research regarding basic police procedure and terminology. Then there was the protagonist and his interactions with everyone around him. Despite his bigotry being as subtle as a truck, everyone brushes him off as "just silly," no one talks to him seriously about the topic, and the worst part is he makes a compelling argument. Gave up three-fourths through right before the protagonist enters his "karmic reversal" moment.
Distant Shores and The Analog Cat: Didn't read either of these. The foreword from Patten made them sound similar to The Future Is Yours. So I skipped them.
The Sequence: This... was interesting. This could have been an interesting cyberpunk/noir mystery but unfortunately it was too short and progressed too quickly for the conclusion to be satisfactory.
Trinka and the Robot: Even taking into account that this is supposed to be a YA story, this needed more work. There are a number of big jumps between scenes and the ending felt too much like Deus Ex Machina.
Lunar Cavity: Bravo Mary E. Lowd, bravo. This was quite possibly my favorite out of the entire anthology and the closest a story has moved me to tears in a long time. I will have to look up the rest of your bibliography.
The Darkness of Dead Stars: My God was this a dark and depressing short story, I loved it. Reminded me of many of the post-apocalyptic games I played.
Field Research: A short story that was sadly too short. There was an interesting discussion regarding prejudice (furries are the bigots in this one) that feels particularly relevant these days. But just as I had finished getting attached to the protagonist, the story ends.
The Curators: Meh, not bad but I won't be running out to find more written by this author either.
Evolver: Much like The Curators above, it wasn't bad but it wasn't exceptionally engrossing either.
Growing Fur: Wow, we really did lose a talent with Mr. Patten did we? While not rip-roaringly funny, he did manage to get a sly smirk out of this emotionally dead robot and that is an accomplishment in itself.
Thebe and The Angry Red Eye: Another depressing piece but one I liked a bit less then The Darkness of Dead Stars. While the former had the illusion of hope, you knew this one wasn't going to end well the moment you finished piecing together what was going on.
That stunt not withstanding, this is an otherwise average collection of short stories involving furries and science fiction. Some are good, some are engaging, and unfortunately some were so bad I gave up a couple pages through. Some of them I even skipped over entirely because the foreword from the late Fred Patten was giving me a bad feeling of deja vu.
Emergency Maintenance: Stopped reading after discovering the main characters' handler assembled them for an undercover op and did not tell them till ten minutes after the mission began. No, no, no, I'm sorry but if this is supposed to be a "top team of troubleshooters" then that is unacceptable leadership no matter who he's in charge of.
Tow: Stopped reading about five pages in after watching the token human bigot go from zero to psycho in under ten seconds. Bigotry is not spontaneously turning into a lunatic. Bigotry is sitting down for lunch and having your coworker spontaneously ask you for your opinion on biracial couples then, as you stare at him wondering what on earth prompted this topic, he goes on about how uncomfortable they make him. The complete misunderstanding of the complex anatomy of hatred is a reoccurring theme with many of the weaker stories in this anthology.
Experiment Seventy: A well-written if not entirely original read about a lab experiment that has escaped into the outside world. Not the best piece but a good one and one that restored a bit of my faith in this anthology.
A Bedsheet for a Cape: A homage to the old 1950's style of science fiction. Perhaps a little too much of a homage in some regards as the protagonist seems to be without agency at points. But nothing that discouraged me from wanting to see what happened next.
Hachimoto: Well, I guess we can add "enthralling author" to Uncle Kage's list of talents. The first-person was a bit of a switch but it felt like I was there with him. And when Hachimoto revealed the common thread connecting him to the narrator, I felt an overwhelming sense of "Dawwwww."
Vivian: A feel-good story about two teenage girls bonding and growing up together. Props to the author for not only showing a couple creative ways for AIs to interact with humans but for humanizing both the humans and the AIs.
Family Bonding: Not bad, from exploring a family of human bigots from a relatively unusual perspective to a twist I did not see coming, this story took a flawed troupe of the fandom and managed to wrangle an engaging story out of it.
The Future Is Yours: And... right here is where I nearly lost all the good will everything from Experiment Seventy to Family Bonding had built up. Unlike Emergency Maintenance and Tow, I actually tried to power through this one which may have been a mistake. The first two problems I had were the inconsistency with the difference between the Augs and regular furries and the complete lack of research regarding basic police procedure and terminology. Then there was the protagonist and his interactions with everyone around him. Despite his bigotry being as subtle as a truck, everyone brushes him off as "just silly," no one talks to him seriously about the topic, and the worst part is he makes a compelling argument. Gave up three-fourths through right before the protagonist enters his "karmic reversal" moment.
Distant Shores and The Analog Cat: Didn't read either of these. The foreword from Patten made them sound similar to The Future Is Yours. So I skipped them.
The Sequence: This... was interesting. This could have been an interesting cyberpunk/noir mystery but unfortunately it was too short and progressed too quickly for the conclusion to be satisfactory.
Trinka and the Robot: Even taking into account that this is supposed to be a YA story, this needed more work. There are a number of big jumps between scenes and the ending felt too much like Deus Ex Machina.
Lunar Cavity: Bravo Mary E. Lowd, bravo. This was quite possibly my favorite out of the entire anthology and the closest a story has moved me to tears in a long time. I will have to look up the rest of your bibliography.
The Darkness of Dead Stars: My God was this a dark and depressing short story, I loved it. Reminded me of many of the post-apocalyptic games I played.
Field Research: A short story that was sadly too short. There was an interesting discussion regarding prejudice (furries are the bigots in this one) that feels particularly relevant these days. But just as I had finished getting attached to the protagonist, the story ends.
The Curators: Meh, not bad but I won't be running out to find more written by this author either.
Evolver: Much like The Curators above, it wasn't bad but it wasn't exceptionally engrossing either.
Growing Fur: Wow, we really did lose a talent with Mr. Patten did we? While not rip-roaringly funny, he did manage to get a sly smirk out of this emotionally dead robot and that is an accomplishment in itself.
Thebe and The Angry Red Eye: Another depressing piece but one I liked a bit less then The Darkness of Dead Stars. While the former had the illusion of hope, you knew this one wasn't going to end well the moment you finished piecing together what was going on.
May 8, 2015
Disclaimer: I'm proud to say I've got a story included in this fantastic anthology.
There are some amazing writers in the furry fandom, and this anthology proves that. There wasn't a single bad story in this, though there were ones that I enjoyed more than others.
Particular highlights included: The Darkness of Dead Stars, Thebe and the Angry Red Eye, and A Bedsheet for a Cape.
Truth be told, I could list all eighteen stories that weren't mine and call those highlights, but I think that would be cheating somewhat.
All in all, if you like science fiction, this is a must-read book.
There are some amazing writers in the furry fandom, and this anthology proves that. There wasn't a single bad story in this, though there were ones that I enjoyed more than others.
Particular highlights included: The Darkness of Dead Stars, Thebe and the Angry Red Eye, and A Bedsheet for a Cape.
Truth be told, I could list all eighteen stories that weren't mine and call those highlights, but I think that would be cheating somewhat.
All in all, if you like science fiction, this is a must-read book.
December 5, 2022
The Furry Future is a rather strong anthology featuring a variety of anthropomorphic science fiction stories, each by a different author. As should be expected, not every story is of equal strength, but only a few of the entries rank at or below average quality. The standouts are “Emergency Maintenance” by Michael H. Payne, a detective thriller capped off with a surprisingly poignant moment of religious discussion, vaguely reminiscent of some of the more introspective scenes from Walter Miller’s A Canticle for Liebowitz; “Distant Shores” by Tony Greyfox, an intriguing and character-filled account of a human rescued by genetically engineered interstellar explorers; Dwale’s “The Darkness of Dead Stars,” an existentially bleak horror tale set in the far future; Ronald W. Klemp’s “Evolver,” a tension-filled piece involving deep-space exploration and first contact, and “Thebe and the Angry Red Eye” by David Hopkins, a gripping tale of an astronaut marooned on one of the Jovian Moons after an emergency (think The Martian, but as a tragedy). An honorable mention goes to Mary E. Lowd’s “Lunar Cavity,” which follows the blossoming of an unlikely friendship between a member of a bat-like alien species seeking to save his planet from astrological catastrophe and one of the human scientists he has managed to recruit. [7/10]
July 23, 2018
Entertaining furry short stories, showing the breadth and depth of the genre.
January 22, 2016
I've read a couple anthologies published by FurPlanet before, so when I saw this one available and read the summary I immediately wanted it. Going into this book I had high expectations and I'm happy to say that it met and often exceeded what I expected!
This was a fantastic anthology filled with great stories for a sci fi lover like me. From the far future, to the nearer future, to future's where humans may not even exist any more. Some stories had similar themes while other presented completely new ideas. All of them were thrilling and each story a joy to read. One of them by Samuel Conway even moved me to a few tears at the end.
I greatly enjoyed reading all of the stories presented here and highly recommend it not only to those who love anthropmorphic fiction but to lovers of science fiction in general. They are sure to enjoy this wonderful selection of stories!
This was a fantastic anthology filled with great stories for a sci fi lover like me. From the far future, to the nearer future, to future's where humans may not even exist any more. Some stories had similar themes while other presented completely new ideas. All of them were thrilling and each story a joy to read. One of them by Samuel Conway even moved me to a few tears at the end.
I greatly enjoyed reading all of the stories presented here and highly recommend it not only to those who love anthropmorphic fiction but to lovers of science fiction in general. They are sure to enjoy this wonderful selection of stories!
June 7, 2015
Fred Patten makes a return with The Furry Future, a brilliant anthology combining the fantasy, whimsy, and social-commentary that makes furry literature work. The book as a whole collects various themes together in a thick, well-rounded text. Individually, each story stands on its own, and when one ends, another begins before one can long to return to stories just passed. Personal favorites include "Tow" by Watts Martin and "Family Bonding" by Yannarra Cheena, both of which can be argued to stand for issues occurring within society today.
For fans of furry characters, The Furry Future is an anthology not to be missed, and readers new to the anthropomorphic-animal universe will be pleasantly surprised and find themselves questioning whether a future with canine coworkers sounds all that bad.
For fans of furry characters, The Furry Future is an anthology not to be missed, and readers new to the anthropomorphic-animal universe will be pleasantly surprised and find themselves questioning whether a future with canine coworkers sounds all that bad.
September 1, 2016
An enjoyable anthro anthology that focuses on possibilities the future could hold for anthropomorphic animals. The stories vary in quality but most are above average and the book ultimately left me wanting more.
January 29, 2017
This anthology has a good mix of stories. Some are pretty heavy-duty, others funny, but all worth the read. (I especially liked the one by Watts Martin since it ties into Kismet, which I just recently read!)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews