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Humans are tough. Humans can last days without food. Humans will walk for days on broken bones to get to safety. Humans will literally cut off bits of themselves if trapped by a disaster. You would be amazed what humans will do to survive. Or to ensure the survival of others they feel responsible for. If you're hurt, if you're trapped, if you need someone to fetch help? You really want a human.
Twelve authors provide their perspectives on human ingenuity and usefulness as we try to find our place among the stars. From battletested to brokenhearted, humans are capable of amazing things. Humans Wanted shows not only what we are, but also how awesome we can be.
Contents:
* What Makes Us Human? • essay by Vivian Caethe
* Sidekick / short story by Jody Lynn Nye
* WWHD / short story by J. A. Campbell
* Then There Was Ginny / short story by Sydney Seay
* The Dowager / short story by Richard A. Becker
* New Union Requirement / short story by Gwendolynn Thomas
* The Sound of His Footsteps / short story by Mariah Southworth
* No Way This Could Go Wrong / short story by Alex Pearl
* Through the Never / short story by Eneasz Brodski
* Human Engineering / short story by Marie DesJardin
* Once Upon a Time There Was a Xurit Named Xcanda / short story by Alex Acks
* A Second Zion / short story by Amelia Kibbie
*Brightened Star, Ascending Dawn [Sun Lords of the Principality] / short story by A. Merc Rustad
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Twelve authors provide their perspectives on human ingenuity and usefulness as we try to find our place among the stars. From battletested to brokenhearted, humans are capable of amazing things. Humans Wanted shows not only what we are, but also how awesome we can be.
Contents:
* What Makes Us Human? • essay by Vivian Caethe
* Sidekick / short story by Jody Lynn Nye
* WWHD / short story by J. A. Campbell
* Then There Was Ginny / short story by Sydney Seay
* The Dowager / short story by Richard A. Becker
* New Union Requirement / short story by Gwendolynn Thomas
* The Sound of His Footsteps / short story by Mariah Southworth
* No Way This Could Go Wrong / short story by Alex Pearl
* Through the Never / short story by Eneasz Brodski
* Human Engineering / short story by Marie DesJardin
* Once Upon a Time There Was a Xurit Named Xcanda / short story by Alex Acks
* A Second Zion / short story by Amelia Kibbie
*Brightened Star, Ascending Dawn [Sun Lords of the Principality] / short story by A. Merc Rustad
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238 pages, Paperback
First published August 17, 2017
180 people are currently reading
1507 people want to read
About the author
Vivian Caethe
32 books18 followersVivian Caethe's short stories and novellas have appeared in a variety of magazines and several anthologies, notably Bellows of the BOne Box and Crime Net. Inspired by growing up in the Land of Enchantment, she has been writing science fiction and fantasy since she was twelve. A double major in sociology and psychology, she writes speculative fiction in the constant search of “What if?”
In her spare time, she reads, knits, cross-stitches, and plays video games. An avid reader and an equally avid tea drinker, she lives in Colorado with her husband.
Her novella "The Diamond City" is published by Bold Strokes Books.
In her spare time, she reads, knits, cross-stitches, and plays video games. An avid reader and an equally avid tea drinker, she lives in Colorado with her husband.
Her novella "The Diamond City" is published by Bold Strokes Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
January 27, 2018
I bought this book on the virtue of the "what if humans are the weird ones" genre of tumblr posts it is loosely inspired by: "Humans are tough. Humans can last days without food. Humans heal so quickly, they pierce holes in themselves or inject ink under their epidermis for fun. Humans will walk for days on broken bones in order to make it to safety. Humans will literally cut off bits of themselves if trapped by a disaster."
Tumblr is better. (For once!)
It's my fault for misinterpreting the description--I thought it was more based on the concept that humans are wildly reckless and impressively resilient, from most aliens' perspectives. I find that stuff both hilarious and imagination-provoking. This book is more about humans as moral/emotional juggernauts. The stories are good reads, and a few of them came close to the more playful tone I so appreciated in the tumblr posts I've seen, but most of the book is a little too morally heavy-handed for my tastes.
Tumblr is better. (For once!)
It's my fault for misinterpreting the description--I thought it was more based on the concept that humans are wildly reckless and impressively resilient, from most aliens' perspectives. I find that stuff both hilarious and imagination-provoking. This book is more about humans as moral/emotional juggernauts. The stories are good reads, and a few of them came close to the more playful tone I so appreciated in the tumblr posts I've seen, but most of the book is a little too morally heavy-handed for my tastes.
February 23, 2018
Probably 2.5 stars. As with most collections, there were good stories and not-so-good stories. However, I don't feel as if the book managed to capture the essence or magic of the "humans are so weird, but in a good way" post on tumblr. So if that's what you're hoping for..... :(
August 15, 2017
I participated in the original Kickstarter to fund the anthology. A pleasant group of science-fiction stories exploring the hope-filled side of humanity in space. The glorious, confusing, contradictory, loving, determined side of humanity in space and our relationships with other sentients.
Nothing outstanding in the anthology but nothing dreadful either. Some of the things humans do gets boring if you read these back-to-back - such as our obsession with touching. I think reading one or two stories a night would be better than my swallowing the group whole. I liked the later stories better than the earlier stories, because the later stories get more unpredictable as they explore the more esoteric bits of being human - such as our ability to focus on unrelated minutia and procrastinate.
12 SHORT STORIES
Sidekick by Jody Lynn Nye - Humans are big.
WWHD: What Would Humans Do? by J.A. Campbell - Humans work together.
Then There was Ginny by Sydney Seay - Humans are curious.
The Dowager by Richard A. Becker - Humans sympathize.
New Union Requirement by Gwendolynn Thomas - Humans are inventive.
The Sound of His Footsteps by Mariah Southworth - Humans are protective.
No Way This Could Go Wrong by Alex Pearl - Humans are sarcastic. (Love the way our sarcasm works in this story. No, really.)
Through the Never by Eneasz Brodski - Humans can lie to themselves about reality. (Another really, really clever "super-power" of humans.)
Human Engineering by Marie DesJardin - Humans procrastinate.
Once Upon a Time There was a Zurit Named Xcanda by Alex Acks - Humans don't like to lose.
A Second Zion by Amelia Kibbie - Humans remember.
Brightened Star, Ascending Dawn by A. Merc Rustad - Humans rebel.
Nothing outstanding in the anthology but nothing dreadful either. Some of the things humans do gets boring if you read these back-to-back - such as our obsession with touching. I think reading one or two stories a night would be better than my swallowing the group whole. I liked the later stories better than the earlier stories, because the later stories get more unpredictable as they explore the more esoteric bits of being human - such as our ability to focus on unrelated minutia and procrastinate.
12 SHORT STORIES
Sidekick by Jody Lynn Nye - Humans are big.
WWHD: What Would Humans Do? by J.A. Campbell - Humans work together.
Then There was Ginny by Sydney Seay - Humans are curious.
The Dowager by Richard A. Becker - Humans sympathize.
New Union Requirement by Gwendolynn Thomas - Humans are inventive.
The Sound of His Footsteps by Mariah Southworth - Humans are protective.
No Way This Could Go Wrong by Alex Pearl - Humans are sarcastic. (Love the way our sarcasm works in this story. No, really.)
Through the Never by Eneasz Brodski - Humans can lie to themselves about reality. (Another really, really clever "super-power" of humans.)
Human Engineering by Marie DesJardin - Humans procrastinate.
Once Upon a Time There was a Zurit Named Xcanda by Alex Acks - Humans don't like to lose.
A Second Zion by Amelia Kibbie - Humans remember.
Brightened Star, Ascending Dawn by A. Merc Rustad - Humans rebel.
November 19, 2017
Um...yeah. I loved this so much, I paused all the other books I'm actively reading.
This anthology is full of stories about humans from the alien perspective and I loved them all. Non-tonal aliens confused by a lesbian couple's sarcasm. A captain feed up by his union's requirements to have a human crew, who encourages bonding to decrease his premium. A botanist launching devising a game show/reality challenge to encourage humans to help him finish a project. An elderly alien accepting the death culture of her human caregiver.
There's just so many stories here and I loved every single one of them. I'm pushing this book on at least three other people.
This anthology is full of stories about humans from the alien perspective and I loved them all. Non-tonal aliens confused by a lesbian couple's sarcasm. A captain feed up by his union's requirements to have a human crew, who encourages bonding to decrease his premium. A botanist launching devising a game show/reality challenge to encourage humans to help him finish a project. An elderly alien accepting the death culture of her human caregiver.
There's just so many stories here and I loved every single one of them. I'm pushing this book on at least three other people.
July 30, 2018
It's refreshing to read science fiction stories where the humans aren't the clowns of the universe. We have talents and characteristics that are valuable! How nice to celebrate this. These stories will make you feel good about being human.
January 22, 2018
A lovely collection of sci fi short stories emphasizing what makes humanity resilient.
October 14, 2021
There are twelve short stories in this collection about how humans could be unique and helpful and baffling to alien life. Here are my reviews for each one:
**Content Warning: Implied Suicide in one of the short stories**
Sidekick: 3,5 stars.
Summary: A butterfly-like alien gets kidnapped for her valuable skills. She, like the rest of her species, would shatter to a hard wind; but a human comes to rescue her, the resourcefulness of said human saves her life and they also banter a bit and become friends.
Thoughts: It was sweet and made use of the short story format well, with simple character connections getting established early on and with a cute twist, it's what I expected going into this collection. Can tell it was made by an experienced author. Location and worldbuilding were difficult to wrap my head around but that's more the fault of the small word count, I think.
What Would Humans Do: 5 stars.
Summary: The galactic community faces a threat from the Conquerors, and a rag-tag team of aliens must find something very rare to help them--a human, the only species who managed to fight back against the Conquerors and win. In order to find humans, who have become rare and reclusive after getting hit hard by the Conquerors, the alien team must learn to think and act like humans would, and shenanigans ensue.
Thoughts: This was adorable and fun and written in a voice that made me smile! Got Fun Style Mass Effect vibes. I legit chortled once or twice, and grinned like an idiot. With humans as a rare recent legend with customs alien to the narrator, it was what I expected out of this collection. Focus lay on humanity's sense of togetherness and I loved that.
Then There Was Ginny: 5 stars.
Summary: A sceptical alien looks back on her friendship with the first human she knew, the fierce curiosity and loving relationship they shared before she perished, saving the rest of the crew from a ship anomaly because she considered them family and it just needed to be done or they'd all die. Now the alien is remembering her and realizing there was none like her.
Thoughts: It was gut-punchingly beautiful?? hello?? Good prose and feels! Loved it!
The Dowager: 3 stars.
Summary: An alien race has taken over Earth three generations ago, and by now the aliens have pretty much lost interest. As one of the old stubborn ones remain, her human servant keep her company even though she's an ass, even though the human doesn't like her much at all, the human still sympathizes with her as she lay dying.
Thoughts: The POVs shifted weirdly, I wasn't a fan of that, but it was overall a good and thought-provoking read.
New Union Requirement: 4 stars.
Summary: A conversation between a captain being confused why there are new regulations requiring every ship to have a human on-board, and another alien in charge of Human Insurances.
Thoughts: Another one of what I expected going in, a charming conversation with all the "humans are weird" energies.
The Sound of His Footsteps: 3,5 stars.
Summary: Another alien captain grumpy over the fact that a human is on her crew, she finds them barbaric, but when they're on a mission to find a cure for a plague on an inhospitable planet, the human is the only one who knows how to deal with it because it's basically Earth, anyway.
Thoughts: Pacing is hard in short stories and the beginning wasn't the strongest, but overall good, the theme of human resilience staying true to the Space Orc idea.
Alien: "You haven't rested for an entire day?"
Human: "I was just walking."
lol yeah that seems about right, and also very sweet in how protective the human character became of the captain despite them being a bit of a butt.
No Way This Could Go Wrong: 2 stars.
Summary: A human developed a code to converse with spies, using sarcasm. Because the enemy they're fighting cannot read between the lines. Also, gay protags. Something happened after that, I don't know what.
Thoughts: I see the attempt but it was mostly unreadable with the dialogue sometimes coming in chunks without spacing, and the "what, how and where" was pretty much impossible to decipher especially with the sarcasm code. Having an open-ish ending on top of that just left me confused. who what when why?
Through the Never: 2 stars. **Content Warning: Implied Suicide.**
Summary: An alien capable of picking up psychic thoughts and feelings reminisce about her mother's death and the death of others of her species losing their sanity after going through Warp Space. She talks to the human pilot who has done that journey a shitton of times and isn't that affected by it, like: "everything is crazy in this world but eh I just don't think about it" (this is the *humans are weird* part, by the way). And then something goes wrong and our protagonist gets her mind stuck in the Warp Space for too long and she loses grasp on reality, and knowing she might pass this Warp Mind on to others of her species she decides she'll take her own life at the end.
Thoughts: It was interesting and well written but incredibly triggering for me, I can't support it. Why is it different from "Then There Was Ginny"? Because it romanticized suicide as it was, like "all those who had come before her and had the same thing happened and chose to die, they were heroes", no, nope, nope. Can't. The Warp Mind thing was described really as something akin to mental illness and the protagonist's hopelessness and decision in face of it was just... yeah very triggering I feel ill talking about it, wasn't ready for it and so I'm putting the content warning up there just so y'all know and can be more ready than I was, then maybe it is easier to enjoy it for its well-written aspects but I dunno I don't wanna re-read it
Human Engineering: 3,5 stars.
Summary: The story of aliens trying to manipulate humans to participate in a competition in order to get a Thing built, and the humans are really into the idea because they're all Like That, but they also just don't get started on the Thing and the aliens get introduced to this thing called procrastination.
Thoughts: Cute and well-structured! A bit on the nose, no one ever talks about others like "wow, they are so remarkable..." "...resourceful...!" "...creative...!", but overall good!
Once Upon a Time There Was a Xurit named Xcanda: 3,5 stars.
Summary: A human ambassador tries his very best to understand a new alien life-form, and succeeded through his sheer willingness to adapt and understand another being.
Thoughts: The title sure is a mouthful lmao but it was good! The tenacity and willingness to understand and the overall conflict was good, but the POV from Xcanda wasn't the strongest and it was a bit hard to tell what was going on sometimes
A Second Zion: 4,5 stars.
Summary: A rescue mission for an alien ambassador's child, with a captain sceptic over why there are humans in his crew, but they turn out to be able to hold their own.
Thoughts: Good, by all means! Well-written action, and I guess the point was to show how humans can stand on their own? idk it was more of a team working together Mass Effect style and yeah that's the stuff I like so
Brightened Star, Ascending Dawn: 6/5 stars.
Summary: A human pilot is remade into a ship's software, as seems to be procedure in this dystopian universe and we don't get much more than that but not much more is needed.
Thoughts: That was the best one oh my gosh that was so frickin good, wow, absolutely poetic and existential and with found family at the center, augh just punched me in the heart. The poetry in a once-human being integrated with a ship and losing themselves in the cold and lonely programming and protocol, but at the same time longing for connection and finally going against the cruel orders of the masters because of said connections and compassion that cannot be deleted, holy shirtballs that was so good!
Average rating: 3,7. So 4 stars, then.
**Content Warning: Implied Suicide in one of the short stories**
Sidekick: 3,5 stars.
Summary: A butterfly-like alien gets kidnapped for her valuable skills. She, like the rest of her species, would shatter to a hard wind; but a human comes to rescue her, the resourcefulness of said human saves her life and they also banter a bit and become friends.
Thoughts: It was sweet and made use of the short story format well, with simple character connections getting established early on and with a cute twist, it's what I expected going into this collection. Can tell it was made by an experienced author. Location and worldbuilding were difficult to wrap my head around but that's more the fault of the small word count, I think.
What Would Humans Do: 5 stars.
Summary: The galactic community faces a threat from the Conquerors, and a rag-tag team of aliens must find something very rare to help them--a human, the only species who managed to fight back against the Conquerors and win. In order to find humans, who have become rare and reclusive after getting hit hard by the Conquerors, the alien team must learn to think and act like humans would, and shenanigans ensue.
Thoughts: This was adorable and fun and written in a voice that made me smile! Got Fun Style Mass Effect vibes. I legit chortled once or twice, and grinned like an idiot. With humans as a rare recent legend with customs alien to the narrator, it was what I expected out of this collection. Focus lay on humanity's sense of togetherness and I loved that.
Then There Was Ginny: 5 stars.
Summary: A sceptical alien looks back on her friendship with the first human she knew, the fierce curiosity and loving relationship they shared before she perished, saving the rest of the crew from a ship anomaly because she considered them family and it just needed to be done or they'd all die. Now the alien is remembering her and realizing there was none like her.
Thoughts: It was gut-punchingly beautiful?? hello?? Good prose and feels! Loved it!
The Dowager: 3 stars.
Summary: An alien race has taken over Earth three generations ago, and by now the aliens have pretty much lost interest. As one of the old stubborn ones remain, her human servant keep her company even though she's an ass, even though the human doesn't like her much at all, the human still sympathizes with her as she lay dying.
Thoughts: The POVs shifted weirdly, I wasn't a fan of that, but it was overall a good and thought-provoking read.
New Union Requirement: 4 stars.
Summary: A conversation between a captain being confused why there are new regulations requiring every ship to have a human on-board, and another alien in charge of Human Insurances.
Thoughts: Another one of what I expected going in, a charming conversation with all the "humans are weird" energies.
The Sound of His Footsteps: 3,5 stars.
Summary: Another alien captain grumpy over the fact that a human is on her crew, she finds them barbaric, but when they're on a mission to find a cure for a plague on an inhospitable planet, the human is the only one who knows how to deal with it because it's basically Earth, anyway.
Thoughts: Pacing is hard in short stories and the beginning wasn't the strongest, but overall good, the theme of human resilience staying true to the Space Orc idea.
Alien: "You haven't rested for an entire day?"
Human: "I was just walking."
lol yeah that seems about right, and also very sweet in how protective the human character became of the captain despite them being a bit of a butt.
No Way This Could Go Wrong: 2 stars.
Summary: A human developed a code to converse with spies, using sarcasm. Because the enemy they're fighting cannot read between the lines. Also, gay protags. Something happened after that, I don't know what.
Thoughts: I see the attempt but it was mostly unreadable with the dialogue sometimes coming in chunks without spacing, and the "what, how and where" was pretty much impossible to decipher especially with the sarcasm code. Having an open-ish ending on top of that just left me confused. who what when why?
Through the Never: 2 stars. **Content Warning: Implied Suicide.**
Summary: An alien capable of picking up psychic thoughts and feelings reminisce about her mother's death and the death of others of her species losing their sanity after going through Warp Space. She talks to the human pilot who has done that journey a shitton of times and isn't that affected by it, like: "everything is crazy in this world but eh I just don't think about it" (this is the *humans are weird* part, by the way). And then something goes wrong and our protagonist gets her mind stuck in the Warp Space for too long and she loses grasp on reality, and knowing she might pass this Warp Mind on to others of her species she decides she'll take her own life at the end.
Thoughts: It was interesting and well written but incredibly triggering for me, I can't support it. Why is it different from "Then There Was Ginny"? Because it romanticized suicide as it was, like "all those who had come before her and had the same thing happened and chose to die, they were heroes", no, nope, nope. Can't. The Warp Mind thing was described really as something akin to mental illness and the protagonist's hopelessness and decision in face of it was just... yeah very triggering I feel ill talking about it, wasn't ready for it and so I'm putting the content warning up there just so y'all know and can be more ready than I was, then maybe it is easier to enjoy it for its well-written aspects but I dunno I don't wanna re-read it
Human Engineering: 3,5 stars.
Summary: The story of aliens trying to manipulate humans to participate in a competition in order to get a Thing built, and the humans are really into the idea because they're all Like That, but they also just don't get started on the Thing and the aliens get introduced to this thing called procrastination.
Thoughts: Cute and well-structured! A bit on the nose, no one ever talks about others like "wow, they are so remarkable..." "...resourceful...!" "...creative...!", but overall good!
Once Upon a Time There Was a Xurit named Xcanda: 3,5 stars.
Summary: A human ambassador tries his very best to understand a new alien life-form, and succeeded through his sheer willingness to adapt and understand another being.
Thoughts: The title sure is a mouthful lmao but it was good! The tenacity and willingness to understand and the overall conflict was good, but the POV from Xcanda wasn't the strongest and it was a bit hard to tell what was going on sometimes
A Second Zion: 4,5 stars.
Summary: A rescue mission for an alien ambassador's child, with a captain sceptic over why there are humans in his crew, but they turn out to be able to hold their own.
Thoughts: Good, by all means! Well-written action, and I guess the point was to show how humans can stand on their own? idk it was more of a team working together Mass Effect style and yeah that's the stuff I like so
Brightened Star, Ascending Dawn: 6/5 stars.
Summary: A human pilot is remade into a ship's software, as seems to be procedure in this dystopian universe and we don't get much more than that but not much more is needed.
Thoughts: That was the best one oh my gosh that was so frickin good, wow, absolutely poetic and existential and with found family at the center, augh just punched me in the heart. The poetry in a once-human being integrated with a ship and losing themselves in the cold and lonely programming and protocol, but at the same time longing for connection and finally going against the cruel orders of the masters because of said connections and compassion that cannot be deleted, holy shirtballs that was so good!
Average rating: 3,7. So 4 stars, then.
June 21, 2019
Based on the tumblr status and the theme Humans as SpaceOrcs comes this anthology with uplifting stories about humans in space. Humans as creative, empathic, pack-bonding creatures with stamina. I enjoyed the read and I will definitely visit a number of the author's other items. Most of the stories are told through an alien's eyes and I found it interesting trying to deduct surroundings and type of species. The story that definitely made me laugh the most was "New Union Requirement" by Gwendolyn Thomas.
I also enjoyed the gender representation among aliens.
Sidekick - Jody Lynn Nye - an alien kid has run away and a human comes to the rescue. Plant houses and all humans are one gender to the narrator's species.
WWHD: What would humans do? - J.A. Campbell - Four aliens of different species join in a quest to find a human to help them survive a conquering species that the humans previously beat.
Then there was Ginny - Sydney Seay - friendship and self-sacrifice in space.
The Dowager - Richard A. Becker - compassion for oppressors and the end of an era.
New Union Requirement - Gwendolynn Thomas - The union requires a human in the crew, and thus comes a change to the ship's insurance premium.
The sound of his footsteps - Mariah Southworth - exploding grass, missing research teams, human hero.
No way this could go wrong - Alex Pearl - irony and sarcasm as secret language in a war...
Through the never - Eneasz Brodski - multiple dimensions and a species that can sense thoughts and other things. Piloting in space becomes dangerous.
Human Engineering - Marie DesJardin - What do you do when your enclosure of a dangerous entity is breaking? Create a contest for humans to fix it...
Once upon a time there was a Xurit named Xcanda - Alex Acks - cyborg diplomat and the challenge of language on first contact
A second Zion - Amelia Kibbie - kidnapped child, mercs to the rescue.
Brightened Star , Ascending Dawn - A Merc. Rustad - A child in a ship. Conscience and rules.
I also enjoyed the gender representation among aliens.
Sidekick - Jody Lynn Nye - an alien kid has run away and a human comes to the rescue. Plant houses and all humans are one gender to the narrator's species.
WWHD: What would humans do? - J.A. Campbell - Four aliens of different species join in a quest to find a human to help them survive a conquering species that the humans previously beat.
Then there was Ginny - Sydney Seay - friendship and self-sacrifice in space.
The Dowager - Richard A. Becker - compassion for oppressors and the end of an era.
New Union Requirement - Gwendolynn Thomas - The union requires a human in the crew, and thus comes a change to the ship's insurance premium.
The sound of his footsteps - Mariah Southworth - exploding grass, missing research teams, human hero.
No way this could go wrong - Alex Pearl - irony and sarcasm as secret language in a war...
Through the never - Eneasz Brodski - multiple dimensions and a species that can sense thoughts and other things. Piloting in space becomes dangerous.
Human Engineering - Marie DesJardin - What do you do when your enclosure of a dangerous entity is breaking? Create a contest for humans to fix it...
Once upon a time there was a Xurit named Xcanda - Alex Acks - cyborg diplomat and the challenge of language on first contact
A second Zion - Amelia Kibbie - kidnapped child, mercs to the rescue.
Brightened Star , Ascending Dawn - A Merc. Rustad - A child in a ship. Conscience and rules.
January 11, 2022
This book is a collection of short stories ostensibly about humans being the crazy alien race — we're enduring, have boundless compassion and ingenuity, and have so many traditions that are insane when seen form the outside. So I went into this book excited — I've read stories like this before, and enjoyed them. But, while I didn't dislike any of the stories, I didn't love them either. "Sidekick", the first story, is good. I enjoyed "WWHD: What Would Humans Do" but was a little disappointed by the ending. "New Union Requirement" was good and an interesting perspective — a story all about humans with no humans actually in it. "The Sound of His Footsteps" was also good, and "No Way This Could Go Wrong" was another interesting story that focuses on something quintessentially human that doesn't really make sense — sarcasm. "Human Engineering" was another outside perspective story that was good, and an accurate depiction of humanity, and I also enjoyed "Once Upon a Time There Was A Xurit Named Xcanda". So while these were good stories, they didn't feel like anything particularly special.
November 20, 2017
Entertaining! An anthology built around the idea of humans being special among the galactic races for any number of reasons. Good-quality stories, with a few real gems here and there (I particularly liked "The Dowager" and "Brightened Star, Ascending Dawn".) The tone of the story varies, from more realistic to more "Star-Trekish" to more "cheesy Saturday cartoon". They're not for kids, but they're sometimes simple or involve a lot of gee-whiz science. What I liked most was the optimistic outlook in all of them. There was danger and death, but overall it focused on the positives, on survival and friendship and cooperation. One star was taken away because the stories (and what they thought about humans) got a little repetitive. Still, though, a fun read.
October 26, 2021
I took my time reading these, only reading about one or two of the stories at a time over my lunch breaks at work. It wasn't a bad collection. Some stories were better than others, for sure. I think some of them would work better as movies, some tv episodes, and some as full length novels. Overall, a lot of the stories felt more like rough drafts than fully developed pieces. I think all of them could have used at least one more thorough workshop. But, they were interesting to read, none-the-less. If you love science fiction, I would definitely say give these a try.
December 23, 2021
Definitely a mixed bag, with a variety of writing styles (some more well executed than others.) I did really like some of these stories, but only a few really caught the "humans are weird, but in a good way" thesis statement of the collection. Most were closer to just "here are some humans in a space situation."
Favorite stories: The Sound of His Footsteps, No Way This Could Go Wrong, Human Engineering
Favorite stories: The Sound of His Footsteps, No Way This Could Go Wrong, Human Engineering
October 31, 2017
I really liked the concept of this anthology, but I felt like the original idea was lost somewhere along the way. All of the stories blended together after awhile, and they all seemed to be aliens who hated humans and then had a sudden change of heart. This isn't bad, necessarily, I just wish there had been a tad more variety.
However, it was a nice short read and I definitely laughed at the story about union requirements.
However, it was a nice short read and I definitely laughed at the story about union requirements.
January 28, 2018
Oh this was delightful. This book started as a tumblr post that put forth the idea that yes, humans are weird, but what if instead of being the lowest species in the universe we were actually valued for our weirdness? What if the aliens think we are awesome even if we lack in feathers or tentacles and like to pet random furry things?
This short story collection took off from that idea and it was so nice to read. There was such diversity in the characters and the aliens felt truly alien! I would read so much more of this :D
Humans are tough. Humans can last days without food. Humans heal so quickly, they pierce holes in themselves or inject ink under their epidermis for fun. Humans will walk for days on broken bones in order to make it to safety. Humans will literally cut off bits of themselves if trapped by a disaster.
This short story collection took off from that idea and it was so nice to read. There was such diversity in the characters and the aliens felt truly alien! I would read so much more of this :D
November 5, 2017
Overall a truly excellent anthology exploring different ideas of humans and their place in an interstellar community, hinging on the concept that humans are not just useless, fragile, short-lived meatbags, but that, just like every species, we have special strengths based on where we came from. Whether that's pack-bonding and caring too much, or being reckless and foolish to the point where it actually helps, or being able to stare mortality in the face and "just not think about it", humans are useful to the universe.
Just like with an individual's self-esteem, sometimes we need to think of ourselves as being good and having value; with a lot of sci-fi these days being quite self-deprecating of humanity, it's nice to feel like my species is good for more than destroying our own planet and mooching off the aliens.
A couple of the stories fall just a touch flat - they are by NO means poorly-written or not enjoyable! - because the anthology overall is so extraordinary, I felt like a couple pieces maybe didn't quite live up to the rest of it.
Just like with an individual's self-esteem, sometimes we need to think of ourselves as being good and having value; with a lot of sci-fi these days being quite self-deprecating of humanity, it's nice to feel like my species is good for more than destroying our own planet and mooching off the aliens.
A couple of the stories fall just a touch flat - they are by NO means poorly-written or not enjoyable! - because the anthology overall is so extraordinary, I felt like a couple pieces maybe didn't quite live up to the rest of it.
October 30, 2017
I found this thanks to a tumblr post and I'm so glad I did! I've always loved the 'aliens think humans are completely barking mad' trope, so this collection is right up my alley.
We get crazy humans, confused aliens, sarcasm as a tactical advantage, non-binary and queer characters, all wrapped in a lovely collection of stories.
We get crazy humans, confused aliens, sarcasm as a tactical advantage, non-binary and queer characters, all wrapped in a lovely collection of stories.
November 7, 2017
A cute collection that showcases humanity's most valuable qualities. Diverse alien species and plights across the universe aside, the casts of all the stories are engaging and do a good job of reminding us that every person has value, sometimes for no reason other than because they are human.
July 3, 2025
I looooove the whole "Humans are Space Orcs" or "Earth is Space Australia" concept. This is supposed to be a collection of 12 stories that explore the ways humans might make their unique mark on their universe.
Another reviewer has a short summary of each story:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sidekick - Jody Lynn Nye - 4/5 - Cute, interesting, had me engaged.
WWHD: What would humans do? - J.A. Campbell - 3/5 - This feels a bit corny and more like the sort of thing you'd see in a 10 minute episode of a kids show. It's OK.
Then there was Ginny - Sydney Seay - 5/5 - This is more fluid and memory based than a plot driven structure but well done enough that I got teary-eyed so..
The Dowager - Richard A. Becker - 3/5 - The point of the story is fine. The writing is fine. The characters are fine. The rating might be more personal preference on vibes, tbh. The execution was well done. It might deserve a 4 or more really.
New Union Requirement - Gwendolynn Thomas - 2/5 - I thought this was incredibly boring and did not feel engaged with the story or characters at all.
The sound of his footsteps - Mariah Southworth - 3/5 - More challenging way of writing this story - in snippets of memory and thoughts mixed with present action - and I didn't love it as much.
No way this could go wrong - Alex Pearl - 3/5 - Meh, I don't know. OK but I rolled my eyes a little.
Through the never - Eneasz Brodski - 3.5/5 - Hrm this is tough. It wasn't that engaging for me but the end tied things up so well that I liked it more than I thought it would.
Human Engineering - Marie DesJardin - 2/5 - I found this kinda meh in concept and then the execution didn't improve it.
Once upon a time there was a Xurit named Xcanda - Alex Acks - 5/5 - Interesting concept, interesting story, decently built character, hints of good worldbuilding.
A second Zion - Amelia Kibbie - 3/5 - I think the plot and number of characters was too much, too big, too ambitious for a short story. There's loss at the end that's not as heavy as it should be because there hasn't been enough time to build up an attachment for the reader.
Brightened Star , Ascending Dawn - A Merc. Rustad - 5/5 - I liked this one a lot - good concept, fun sci fi, decently carried out in the limited space of a short story. It does push those limits a little given the number of characters but the two most important ones are focused on sufficiently well.
I think, overall, this collection could have used more editing. I didn't feel like the tone or quality of the stories was as consistent as it could have been.
Another reviewer has a short summary of each story:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sidekick - Jody Lynn Nye - 4/5 - Cute, interesting, had me engaged.
WWHD: What would humans do? - J.A. Campbell - 3/5 - This feels a bit corny and more like the sort of thing you'd see in a 10 minute episode of a kids show. It's OK.
Then there was Ginny - Sydney Seay - 5/5 - This is more fluid and memory based than a plot driven structure but well done enough that I got teary-eyed so..
The Dowager - Richard A. Becker - 3/5 - The point of the story is fine. The writing is fine. The characters are fine. The rating might be more personal preference on vibes, tbh. The execution was well done. It might deserve a 4 or more really.
New Union Requirement - Gwendolynn Thomas - 2/5 - I thought this was incredibly boring and did not feel engaged with the story or characters at all.
The sound of his footsteps - Mariah Southworth - 3/5 - More challenging way of writing this story - in snippets of memory and thoughts mixed with present action - and I didn't love it as much.
No way this could go wrong - Alex Pearl - 3/5 - Meh, I don't know. OK but I rolled my eyes a little.
Through the never - Eneasz Brodski - 3.5/5 - Hrm this is tough. It wasn't that engaging for me but the end tied things up so well that I liked it more than I thought it would.
Human Engineering - Marie DesJardin - 2/5 - I found this kinda meh in concept and then the execution didn't improve it.
Once upon a time there was a Xurit named Xcanda - Alex Acks - 5/5 - Interesting concept, interesting story, decently built character, hints of good worldbuilding.
A second Zion - Amelia Kibbie - 3/5 - I think the plot and number of characters was too much, too big, too ambitious for a short story. There's loss at the end that's not as heavy as it should be because there hasn't been enough time to build up an attachment for the reader.
Brightened Star , Ascending Dawn - A Merc. Rustad - 5/5 - I liked this one a lot - good concept, fun sci fi, decently carried out in the limited space of a short story. It does push those limits a little given the number of characters but the two most important ones are focused on sufficiently well.
I think, overall, this collection could have used more editing. I didn't feel like the tone or quality of the stories was as consistent as it could have been.
November 18, 2019
Each of the twelve short stories in this collection is based around a subject that is both simple and complex; humans and their convoluted blend of emotional susceptibility, incredible ingenuity, and sheer stubbornness. The authors of the stories each describe in their own unique voices how that might apply to relations with new species that we might encounter once we become an intergalactic society. As the fiction that I am currently working on involves only Earth-based species, it was different enough to satisfy my needs, and it had been a month or more since I read any solid science fiction.
The collection had a delightful blend of humor and sentiment. Stand out stories in the humor department highlighted how human behaviors, such as procrastination, perseverance, relationships, and attachments, might be seen through the eyes of alien species. To the many different species observing us in this book we are strange, amusing, useful, but very possibly completely insane. Stories such as New Union Requirement, by Gwendolynn Thomas, and Human Engineering, by Marie Desjardin, feature these traits and show just how amazing our species is and how perplexing. Other stories were much more sentimental, reminding readers of the human capacity for unity, love, and selflessness. The Sound of his Footsteps, by Mariah Southworth, and Sidekick, by Jody Lynn Nye, both highlighted the human imperative to protect others, even those who are vastly different from ourselves, and The Dowager, by Richard A Becker, placed a spotlight on racism, aging, and forgiveness in a beautifully rendered piece of prose.
While not each story in this collection will strike a chord for every science fiction fan, there is enough variety to the stories that most fans of the genre are likely to find at least a few that they love. The stories are well-crafted and give readers the opportunity to look at themselves and their fellow humans in a completely different way. There is some repetitiveness to the content and to how the varied new species react to our strange ways. When I read the book the first time I was in the middle of a move, so I only had time to read two or three stories every day or two. The breaks between stories seemed to help break up the repetitiveness.
The collection had a delightful blend of humor and sentiment. Stand out stories in the humor department highlighted how human behaviors, such as procrastination, perseverance, relationships, and attachments, might be seen through the eyes of alien species. To the many different species observing us in this book we are strange, amusing, useful, but very possibly completely insane. Stories such as New Union Requirement, by Gwendolynn Thomas, and Human Engineering, by Marie Desjardin, feature these traits and show just how amazing our species is and how perplexing. Other stories were much more sentimental, reminding readers of the human capacity for unity, love, and selflessness. The Sound of his Footsteps, by Mariah Southworth, and Sidekick, by Jody Lynn Nye, both highlighted the human imperative to protect others, even those who are vastly different from ourselves, and The Dowager, by Richard A Becker, placed a spotlight on racism, aging, and forgiveness in a beautifully rendered piece of prose.
While not each story in this collection will strike a chord for every science fiction fan, there is enough variety to the stories that most fans of the genre are likely to find at least a few that they love. The stories are well-crafted and give readers the opportunity to look at themselves and their fellow humans in a completely different way. There is some repetitiveness to the content and to how the varied new species react to our strange ways. When I read the book the first time I was in the middle of a move, so I only had time to read two or three stories every day or two. The breaks between stories seemed to help break up the repetitiveness.
August 4, 2021
CN: Some of the stories feature character death
There is this tag on Tumblr, for those who are on there, you might have seen it at some point. It is the HumansAreWeird tag, and the general idea behind it is to imagine us making contact with aliens, and them being all collectively weirded out by us, usually by something so "normal" that we don't even notice doing it. Stories in that tag often include things like humans needing to pet furry animals because they're furry, or the weird and dangerous stuff we do when bored. It is a really nice tag, because it sees humans in an optimistic light, and reminds us how special we truly are. So imagine my joy when I discovered that there actually exist some story collections with the same premise. More precisely, that have been directly inspired by that tag.
Humans Wanted is one of those. It is an anthology with twelve stories by twelve different authors, all centered around the idea that aliens fall back on human help for serious problems. Stories range from human mercenaries saving abducted children to a group of humans solving a technological problem that has been turned into a game, and coming up with all kinds of additions along the way to make it even more spectacular. They are really fun and wholesome stories, usually from the alien's point of view, and in the end, this book does have something to say about what it means to be human.
I really loved this collection of stories, and would wholeheartedly recommend, especially if you are looking for something positive. My personal favorite was Then There Was Ginny by Sydney Seay, in which the alien narrator remembers a human friend called Ginny. She is an archeologist and an ordinary person from a human perspective, but the narrator remembers her as one of the most amazing people they have ever met. It is just a wonderful story about how every single one of us is unique and amazing.
The stories have a good diversity as far as sexuality and gender is concerned.
There is this tag on Tumblr, for those who are on there, you might have seen it at some point. It is the HumansAreWeird tag, and the general idea behind it is to imagine us making contact with aliens, and them being all collectively weirded out by us, usually by something so "normal" that we don't even notice doing it. Stories in that tag often include things like humans needing to pet furry animals because they're furry, or the weird and dangerous stuff we do when bored. It is a really nice tag, because it sees humans in an optimistic light, and reminds us how special we truly are. So imagine my joy when I discovered that there actually exist some story collections with the same premise. More precisely, that have been directly inspired by that tag.
Humans Wanted is one of those. It is an anthology with twelve stories by twelve different authors, all centered around the idea that aliens fall back on human help for serious problems. Stories range from human mercenaries saving abducted children to a group of humans solving a technological problem that has been turned into a game, and coming up with all kinds of additions along the way to make it even more spectacular. They are really fun and wholesome stories, usually from the alien's point of view, and in the end, this book does have something to say about what it means to be human.
I really loved this collection of stories, and would wholeheartedly recommend, especially if you are looking for something positive. My personal favorite was Then There Was Ginny by Sydney Seay, in which the alien narrator remembers a human friend called Ginny. She is an archeologist and an ordinary person from a human perspective, but the narrator remembers her as one of the most amazing people they have ever met. It is just a wonderful story about how every single one of us is unique and amazing.
The stories have a good diversity as far as sexuality and gender is concerned.
November 29, 2017
There is something fantastic concerning a story that examines the strangeness of humanity. The whole trope (Humanity F*ck Yeah) places the race from the 3rd planet in the system of Sol in as varied of roles as the people who come from it. This anthology explores those roles and stories, looking at how human (biologically and culturally) are utterly strange and make no sense on so many levels.
Throughout the book, the reader is given the chance to explore humanity with a sense of wonder and excitement for what it means to be human. This book examines the "good" side of humanity well, presenting the variety of human characters as heroes in some form another. It makes it easy to forget that there are terrible sides to us too.
The individual stories vary in strength, with "Sidekick", "Then There was Ginny", "The Dowager", and "Brightened Star, Ascending Dawn" being some of my favorites because of how well they presented all of humanity in all its shades (including willing to look at some very dark aspects such as in "The Dowager"). This is not to say the other stories were bad, but some of the premises (such as in "WWHD: What Would Human's Do", "Human Engineering", and "Once Upon a Time There was a Curit Named Xcanda") were strange and weaker, and the stories tended to be "all hail the mighty human", a trope that I despise. Humor is present throughout all of this, and the oddity of humanity is what makes this anthology work as a whole ("New Union Requirement" being a core example"
The different qualities of humanity, mostly the strengths and rarely the weaknesses, are shown in through the twelve stories. I encourage anyone who wants a different look at humanity, and Sci-Fi in general, to read this book.
Throughout the book, the reader is given the chance to explore humanity with a sense of wonder and excitement for what it means to be human. This book examines the "good" side of humanity well, presenting the variety of human characters as heroes in some form another. It makes it easy to forget that there are terrible sides to us too.
The individual stories vary in strength, with "Sidekick", "Then There was Ginny", "The Dowager", and "Brightened Star, Ascending Dawn" being some of my favorites because of how well they presented all of humanity in all its shades (including willing to look at some very dark aspects such as in "The Dowager"). This is not to say the other stories were bad, but some of the premises (such as in "WWHD: What Would Human's Do", "Human Engineering", and "Once Upon a Time There was a Curit Named Xcanda") were strange and weaker, and the stories tended to be "all hail the mighty human", a trope that I despise. Humor is present throughout all of this, and the oddity of humanity is what makes this anthology work as a whole ("New Union Requirement" being a core example"
The different qualities of humanity, mostly the strengths and rarely the weaknesses, are shown in through the twelve stories. I encourage anyone who wants a different look at humanity, and Sci-Fi in general, to read this book.
May 2, 2018
I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection, which is amazing - usually there's at least one or two that I stop reading or that I'm not happy with by the end. Here are my ratings per story:
1. Sidekick by Jody Lynn Nye - 3 Stars - This was a solid story and I enjoyed it.
2. WWHD: What Would Humans Do by J. A. Campbell - 3 Stars - The concept of this was pretty humorous and I liked it
3. Then There Was Ginny by Sydney Seay - 4 Stars - Oof, this one packed an emotional punch
4. The Dowager by Richard A. Becker - 3 Stars - Probably my least favorite of the stories, but still interesting thought provoking
5. New Union Requirement by Gwendolynn Thomas - 3 Stars - This one was pretty humorous, but hard to follow every now and then
6. The Sound of His Footsteps by Mariah Southworth - 4 Stars - Pretty cool story
7. No Way This Could Go Wrong by Alex Pearl - 3 Stars - even though I wasn't captivated by this story, still it was interesting
8. Through the Never by Eneasz Brodski - 4 Stars - really liked this one
9. Human Engineering by Marie DesJardin - 4 Stars - this one was funny and I really enjoyed it a lot
10. Once Upon a Time There Was a Xurit Named Xcanda by Alex Acks - 5 Stars - this one just sucked me in and I loved the whole concept and resolution
11. A Second Zion by Amelia Kibbie - 3 Stars - I liked this one more until a certain point
12. Brightened Star, Ascending Dawn by A. Merc Rustad - 5 Stars - really enjoyed this one a lot
So out of 12 stories:
3 Stars - 6
4 Stars - 4
5 Stars - 2
1. Sidekick by Jody Lynn Nye - 3 Stars - This was a solid story and I enjoyed it.
2. WWHD: What Would Humans Do by J. A. Campbell - 3 Stars - The concept of this was pretty humorous and I liked it
3. Then There Was Ginny by Sydney Seay - 4 Stars - Oof, this one packed an emotional punch
4. The Dowager by Richard A. Becker - 3 Stars - Probably my least favorite of the stories, but still interesting thought provoking
5. New Union Requirement by Gwendolynn Thomas - 3 Stars - This one was pretty humorous, but hard to follow every now and then
6. The Sound of His Footsteps by Mariah Southworth - 4 Stars - Pretty cool story
7. No Way This Could Go Wrong by Alex Pearl - 3 Stars - even though I wasn't captivated by this story, still it was interesting
8. Through the Never by Eneasz Brodski - 4 Stars - really liked this one
9. Human Engineering by Marie DesJardin - 4 Stars - this one was funny and I really enjoyed it a lot
10. Once Upon a Time There Was a Xurit Named Xcanda by Alex Acks - 5 Stars - this one just sucked me in and I loved the whole concept and resolution
11. A Second Zion by Amelia Kibbie - 3 Stars - I liked this one more until a certain point
12. Brightened Star, Ascending Dawn by A. Merc Rustad - 5 Stars - really enjoyed this one a lot
So out of 12 stories:
3 Stars - 6
4 Stars - 4
5 Stars - 2
August 12, 2020
I've recently discovered that anthologies aren't really my thing. Unfortunately, this was no exception. With all of the anthologies I've read, this one is definitely the most unique.
I've read anthologies inspired by Asian folklore and I've read anthologies centered around Black people. This one is about how humans are essentially 'space orcs' and are very unique to space alien species.
There were multiple grammar errors throughout this book and I spotted them kinda easily, so I'm surprised that it wasn't caught by the editor. It was also confusing while reading this book, as it is sometimes told in first person and they don't tell you who that person is! This is strictly due to the various authors of the stories, but it's also something that should've been caught in editing.
I enjoyed some of the stories in here and completely skipped over others. The ones I enjoyed were alright, but by the end, I usually wanted more and I felt like their story wasn't complete. This is how I always feel during anthologies and this one was much like the others I've read.
If reading a sci-fi anthology interests you in any way, especially one surrounding the unique-ness to humans, then I recommend this book for you!! If you don't like anthologies or find them lacking in character development as I do, then you're probably going to find this about as average as I did. I enjoyed my time, but anthologies always tend to rub me the wrong way. Happy Reading!!
I've read anthologies inspired by Asian folklore and I've read anthologies centered around Black people. This one is about how humans are essentially 'space orcs' and are very unique to space alien species.
There were multiple grammar errors throughout this book and I spotted them kinda easily, so I'm surprised that it wasn't caught by the editor. It was also confusing while reading this book, as it is sometimes told in first person and they don't tell you who that person is! This is strictly due to the various authors of the stories, but it's also something that should've been caught in editing.
I enjoyed some of the stories in here and completely skipped over others. The ones I enjoyed were alright, but by the end, I usually wanted more and I felt like their story wasn't complete. This is how I always feel during anthologies and this one was much like the others I've read.
If reading a sci-fi anthology interests you in any way, especially one surrounding the unique-ness to humans, then I recommend this book for you!! If you don't like anthologies or find them lacking in character development as I do, then you're probably going to find this about as average as I did. I enjoyed my time, but anthologies always tend to rub me the wrong way. Happy Reading!!
November 13, 2017
Fun premise! (I enjoy this sort of thing, and have loved all the thematic flash stories on my Tumblr dash.)
Of course, anthologies are always hit or miss.
My 3 faves:
"The Sound of Footsteps" by Maraiah Southworth - This one is definitely as "as others see us" piece, with an interesting use of interspecies racism.
"Human Engineering" by Marie DesJardin - This story is all about how humans enjoy gamification. It's so true.
"New Union Requirement" by Gwendolynn Thomas - This humorous piece really captures the spirit of the "humans wanted" movement IMNSHO. When the main character is forced to include a human as part of the ship's crew, it comes clear the captain knows nothing about humans.
And 3 Honorable Mentions:
"Then There Was Ginny" by Sidney Seay reminded me a bit of Heinlein's "Green Hills of Earth."
"No Way This Could Go Wrong" by Alex Pearl felt unfinished, but gave us the concept of sarcasm as a secret code.
"Through the Never" by Eneasz Brodski was an interesting look at human psychology. (It also reminded me of a Ted Chiang story whose title I can't recall.)
Of course, anthologies are always hit or miss.
My 3 faves:
"The Sound of Footsteps" by Maraiah Southworth - This one is definitely as "as others see us" piece, with an interesting use of interspecies racism.
"Human Engineering" by Marie DesJardin - This story is all about how humans enjoy gamification. It's so true.
"New Union Requirement" by Gwendolynn Thomas - This humorous piece really captures the spirit of the "humans wanted" movement IMNSHO. When the main character is forced to include a human as part of the ship's crew, it comes clear the captain knows nothing about humans.
And 3 Honorable Mentions:
"Then There Was Ginny" by Sidney Seay reminded me a bit of Heinlein's "Green Hills of Earth."
"No Way This Could Go Wrong" by Alex Pearl felt unfinished, but gave us the concept of sarcasm as a secret code.
"Through the Never" by Eneasz Brodski was an interesting look at human psychology. (It also reminded me of a Ted Chiang story whose title I can't recall.)
January 8, 2020
I cannot recommend this anthology enough. If you're a fan of sci-fi, you will probably love this. I personally loved this one because the main theme of the collection is humanity's ability to persevere regardless of the circumstances.
If you're not aware, this book was started as an offshoot of a tumblr post about humans being the species that's the oddest to other sentient life in the universe. That post followed a much more Earth-centric plot, talking about how Earth is probably "Space-Australia" and all the weird things we do that alien life forms might find terrifying, strange, or disgusting. If you're not familiar I highly recommend giving it a read. This anthology, though, is mostly concerned with humans off in the outer reaches of the galaxy, pushing on through adversity, and overcoming incredible odds to if not save the day, then at least make things better.
In the current, frankly depressing times we live in, reading about humanity's good sides was a breath of delightful fresh air. Uplifting and delightful.
If you're not aware, this book was started as an offshoot of a tumblr post about humans being the species that's the oddest to other sentient life in the universe. That post followed a much more Earth-centric plot, talking about how Earth is probably "Space-Australia" and all the weird things we do that alien life forms might find terrifying, strange, or disgusting. If you're not familiar I highly recommend giving it a read. This anthology, though, is mostly concerned with humans off in the outer reaches of the galaxy, pushing on through adversity, and overcoming incredible odds to if not save the day, then at least make things better.
In the current, frankly depressing times we live in, reading about humanity's good sides was a breath of delightful fresh air. Uplifting and delightful.
August 3, 2020
If you're a fan of the "Earth is space Australia," "Humans are unique in the universe," and "Humans are impossible to kill/stop" stories on pintrest/ twitter/ etc. then this is a collection for you!
It's a fun bunch of short stories. They touch on a wide range of human aspects that make us uniquely desirable as crew members in a galactic society. Some of them will touch on your emotions, some will inflame a sense of pride.
My personal favorite is, "New Union Requirement" by Gwendolynn Thomas. This story gave me the biggest grin as I imagined the annoyance of the ship captain attempting to renegotiate their insurance premium. They go from a smug, "lets get this done so I can get on with life" to frustration, to annoyance, to despair, to hope/ interest as the cost of the new insurance are made clear to them. At first, the human is clearly added as a token crew member to satisfy union requirements, but the captain quickly realizes that's not enough, and they really needed to commit to receive the cost savings they were originally expecting.
It's a fun bunch of short stories. They touch on a wide range of human aspects that make us uniquely desirable as crew members in a galactic society. Some of them will touch on your emotions, some will inflame a sense of pride.
My personal favorite is, "New Union Requirement" by Gwendolynn Thomas. This story gave me the biggest grin as I imagined the annoyance of the ship captain attempting to renegotiate their insurance premium. They go from a smug, "lets get this done so I can get on with life" to frustration, to annoyance, to despair, to hope/ interest as the cost of the new insurance are made clear to them. At first, the human is clearly added as a token crew member to satisfy union requirements, but the captain quickly realizes that's not enough, and they really needed to commit to receive the cost savings they were originally expecting.
December 19, 2017
The theme is how beneficial humans are for aliens and the odd quirks that make humans useful to a galactic society. Most of the stories are fun and upbeat. Some are more melancholy.
I really liked Sidekick by Jody Lynn Nye. The child alien was adorable, and the action was well done.
Human Engineering by Marie DesJardin is a quirky story about how a group of aliens get humans to help them with a big problem. Made me smile.
The overall tone of the book was hopeful. Probably the saddest story was Dowager by Richard A. Becker. Don't skip it on that account though. It went a little deeper than the other stories in showing what humanity is really about. The good and the bad.
There was one story that felt unfinished, and one that skewed young, but the whole collection is well worth the time.
I really liked Sidekick by Jody Lynn Nye. The child alien was adorable, and the action was well done.
Human Engineering by Marie DesJardin is a quirky story about how a group of aliens get humans to help them with a big problem. Made me smile.
The overall tone of the book was hopeful. Probably the saddest story was Dowager by Richard A. Becker. Don't skip it on that account though. It went a little deeper than the other stories in showing what humanity is really about. The good and the bad.
There was one story that felt unfinished, and one that skewed young, but the whole collection is well worth the time.
February 1, 2021
I mean, I was expecting better.
When I heard that this book was a collection of short stories that were inspired by the 'humans are space orcs' posts that are on tumbler, I was excited. I thought that it would be a series of one-shot mini story with no real plot and just a bunch of fluffy events; A feel good read.
All of the stories in this book were so varied that it gave me whiplash just to do the transition from one to another. There is no continuity. Some don't even get near to the 'humans are weird' concept (in my opinion). Some are cheesy. Some are tragic. And honestly, I didn't like it.
I am sure that there are some people out there who would like this book, but it wasn't one I particularly enjoyed. It might be because I came in with some expectations for it, but overall, did not like. Would not read again.
When I heard that this book was a collection of short stories that were inspired by the 'humans are space orcs' posts that are on tumbler, I was excited. I thought that it would be a series of one-shot mini story with no real plot and just a bunch of fluffy events; A feel good read.
All of the stories in this book were so varied that it gave me whiplash just to do the transition from one to another. There is no continuity. Some don't even get near to the 'humans are weird' concept (in my opinion). Some are cheesy. Some are tragic. And honestly, I didn't like it.
I am sure that there are some people out there who would like this book, but it wasn't one I particularly enjoyed. It might be because I came in with some expectations for it, but overall, did not like. Would not read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2017
I got this book because I really liked the tumblr post that inspired it and all the story posts it inspired. This anthology is pretty decent. Some of the stories could have used more editing (it's just a pain in the neck to be ripped out of a narrative by a completely unnecessary typo, for instance) and most of them seemed to follow the same structure (alien hates human, human does something awesome, alien has a change of mind). But most of the stories were still pretty interesting. Mind - and this may sound more damning than it is intended to be - I still prefer most of the "Humans are space Australians" stories I've seen on tumblr to most of the stories in this anthology.
December 8, 2019
Humans are weird. Amazing, but weird
Start with the premise that our humanity is what makes us desirable in the intergalactic universe, could there be a more bizarrely innovative race? We look at each other and shake our heads at the stuff we do, but so much of it works. And why do we do it? Because we do often want to connect and build relationship with those around us. And to save, care for, or protect the ones we connect with, we will do extreme.things. This is the premise of all of these short stories.
My only complaint is that they are all too short. I want to read more about every single world that they built.
Start with the premise that our humanity is what makes us desirable in the intergalactic universe, could there be a more bizarrely innovative race? We look at each other and shake our heads at the stuff we do, but so much of it works. And why do we do it? Because we do often want to connect and build relationship with those around us. And to save, care for, or protect the ones we connect with, we will do extreme.things. This is the premise of all of these short stories.
My only complaint is that they are all too short. I want to read more about every single world that they built.
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