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Kris Longknife #18.5
Infinite Stars: Dark Frontiers
The second volume of short science fiction anthology.
26 stories from series such as Confederation, The Lost Fleet, Waypoint Kangaroo, Ender, Dream Park, Wayfarers and the Polity. Authors are:
Arthur C. Clarke, Jack Campbell, Becky Chambers, Robert Heinlein, George R.R. Martin, Susan R. Matthews, Orson Scott Card, James Blish, E.E. “Doc” Smith, Tanya Huff, Curtis C. Chen, Seanan McGuire, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, Larry Niven and Steven Barnes, Gardner Dozois, David Farland, Mike Shepherd, C.L. Moore, Neal Asher, Weston Ochse, Brenda Cooper, Alan Dean Foster, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Kevin J. Anderson, David Weber and C.J. Cherryh.
26 stories from series such as Confederation, The Lost Fleet, Waypoint Kangaroo, Ender, Dream Park, Wayfarers and the Polity. Authors are:
Arthur C. Clarke, Jack Campbell, Becky Chambers, Robert Heinlein, George R.R. Martin, Susan R. Matthews, Orson Scott Card, James Blish, E.E. “Doc” Smith, Tanya Huff, Curtis C. Chen, Seanan McGuire, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, Larry Niven and Steven Barnes, Gardner Dozois, David Farland, Mike Shepherd, C.L. Moore, Neal Asher, Weston Ochse, Brenda Cooper, Alan Dean Foster, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Kevin J. Anderson, David Weber and C.J. Cherryh.
648 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2019
260 people are currently reading
5585 people want to read
About the author
Bryan Thomas Schmidt
52 books169 followersBryan Thomas Schmidt is a national bestselling author and Hugo nominated editor of adult and children’s speculative fiction. His fourth novel, Simon Says is a page-turning near future thriller. His debut novel, The Worker Prince received Honorable Mention on Barnes & Noble Book Club’s Year’s Best Science Fiction Releases for 2011. His children’s books, 102 More Hilarious Dinosaur Books For Kids and Abraham Lincoln: Dinosaur Hunter- Land Of Legends appeared from Delabarre Publishing in 2012. His short stories have appeared in Tales of The Talisman, Straight Outta Tombstone, The X-Files: Secret Agendas, Predator: If It Bleeds, Decision Points and many more.
He edited the anthologies Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6 for Flying Pen Press, Beyond The Sun for Fairwood Press, Raygun Chronicles: Space Opera For a New Age for Every Day, Shattered Shields with coeditor Jennifer Brozek (Baen, 2014), Mission: Tomorrow (Baen, 2015), Galactic Games (Baen, 2016), Decision Points (WordFire, 2016), Little Green Men--Attack! with Robin Wayne Bailey (Baen, 2017), Monster Hunter Files with Larry Correia (Baen, 2017), Joe Ledger: Unstoppable with Jonathan Maberry (St. Martin's Griffin, 2017), Predator: If It Bleeds and Infinite Stars And Infinite Stars: Dark Frontiers both for Titan Books, 2017 and 2019.
As editor, he has edited books for Grail Quest Books, Wordfire Press, Delabarre Publishing and authors including Andy Weir's The Martian which hit number 6 on the New York Times Bestsellers list in 2014, Alan Dean Foster, Mike Resnick, Frank Herbert, Todd McCaffrey, Tracy Hickman, Angie Fox, Leon C. Metz , Ellen C. Maze, David Mark Brown, and more.
He’s also the author of the bestselling nonfiction book How To Write A Novel: The Fundamentals of Fiction.
Bryan can be found online at Facebook, on Twitter as @BryanThomasS and @sffwrtcht and via his website.
He edited the anthologies Space Battles: Full Throttle Space Tales #6 for Flying Pen Press, Beyond The Sun for Fairwood Press, Raygun Chronicles: Space Opera For a New Age for Every Day, Shattered Shields with coeditor Jennifer Brozek (Baen, 2014), Mission: Tomorrow (Baen, 2015), Galactic Games (Baen, 2016), Decision Points (WordFire, 2016), Little Green Men--Attack! with Robin Wayne Bailey (Baen, 2017), Monster Hunter Files with Larry Correia (Baen, 2017), Joe Ledger: Unstoppable with Jonathan Maberry (St. Martin's Griffin, 2017), Predator: If It Bleeds and Infinite Stars And Infinite Stars: Dark Frontiers both for Titan Books, 2017 and 2019.
As editor, he has edited books for Grail Quest Books, Wordfire Press, Delabarre Publishing and authors including Andy Weir's The Martian which hit number 6 on the New York Times Bestsellers list in 2014, Alan Dean Foster, Mike Resnick, Frank Herbert, Todd McCaffrey, Tracy Hickman, Angie Fox, Leon C. Metz , Ellen C. Maze, David Mark Brown, and more.
He’s also the author of the bestselling nonfiction book How To Write A Novel: The Fundamentals of Fiction.
Bryan can be found online at Facebook, on Twitter as @BryanThomasS and @sffwrtcht and via his website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
Want to read
July 21, 2021Looks like I'm going to have to buy a whole anthology just for this novella...
March 16, 2023
i will read anything becky chambers writes until the end of time - and yes i found this anthology just to read this story and nothing else
June 13, 2021
You better believe I bought a $14 anthology just so I could read one short story.
March 24, 2022
2.4 ⭐Rounded Down
This is the book I said I wasn't going to read. Until I found out it contained another Jack Campbell
'Lost Fleet' short story, plus a 'Wayfarers' tale by Becky Chambers. Then I had to read it.
This series, of which this is the second book, has an odd formula. The editors commission new stories from recent sci-fi franchises ( most of which are mediocre at best) and they then round them out with some older works from established masters. This volume contains minor stories from Robert Heinlein and Arthur C Clarke, 'Misfit' and 'Rescue Party', which are still superior to most of the others in this volume. There's a decent tale from C J Cherryh 'Cold Sleep' and David Weber wrote a homage to Keith Laumer's Bolo series, called 'The Traitor', which captures the spirit of the original very nicely. The Campbell story 'Ishigaki' is middling, while Chambers' 'The Good Heretic' lives up to its name ( it's good). Seanan McGuire's 'Frontier ABCs' is cute.
The other stories will likely appeal to fans of the various series ( as with me and Campbell) but I found them to be forgettable. So unless you're invested in one or more of the authors, I wouldn't recommend it. -30-
This is the book I said I wasn't going to read. Until I found out it contained another Jack Campbell
'Lost Fleet' short story, plus a 'Wayfarers' tale by Becky Chambers. Then I had to read it.
This series, of which this is the second book, has an odd formula. The editors commission new stories from recent sci-fi franchises ( most of which are mediocre at best) and they then round them out with some older works from established masters. This volume contains minor stories from Robert Heinlein and Arthur C Clarke, 'Misfit' and 'Rescue Party', which are still superior to most of the others in this volume. There's a decent tale from C J Cherryh 'Cold Sleep' and David Weber wrote a homage to Keith Laumer's Bolo series, called 'The Traitor', which captures the spirit of the original very nicely. The Campbell story 'Ishigaki' is middling, while Chambers' 'The Good Heretic' lives up to its name ( it's good). Seanan McGuire's 'Frontier ABCs' is cute.
The other stories will likely appeal to fans of the various series ( as with me and Campbell) but I found them to be forgettable. So unless you're invested in one or more of the authors, I wouldn't recommend it. -30-
April 10, 2020
Just picked this up for the short story by Becky Chambers set in the Wayfarers universe. It was nice to be back there for a short time and would recommend to any other fan.
July 16, 2021
Really loved this beautiful story. I would recommend this to anyone who loves the Wayfarers world and is interested in learning more about the Sianet. It can be read in full here.
dnf
November 19, 2023I decided to DNF the rest, I came here for Becky Chambers, some authors I already wanted to read but I find the selection of stories terrible, better pick other stuff they are in. So many good short stories to strain with stories secondary to big series.
- The lost fleet: ISHIGAKI by Jack Campbell.
The most meh of meh's.
- Wayfarers: A good heretic by Becky Chambers.
Nice! Love! Love! Can't fangirl Chambers enough.
- Misfit by Robert A. Heinlein.
I am not in 1939, so this was boring as hell.
- A Thousand Worlds Story: A Beast for Norn by George R.R. Martin.
Light and interesting, but not quite there yet.
- Skipjack: The devil in the details by Susan R. Matthews.
Hmmmm... Not much to say.
- Ender's Game: Messenger by Orson Scott Card.
Skipping this one, I am not mad, you know.
- A Lensmen Story: The Vortex Blaster by Edward E. Smith.
In a nutshell: Neal Cloud, atomic physicist has a big brain and big balls. Neal Cloud, atomic physicist is boring.
-A confederation story: First in by Tanya Huff.
Eh?! I had fun with this one!
- The lost fleet: ISHIGAKI by Jack Campbell.
The most meh of meh's.
- Wayfarers: A good heretic by Becky Chambers.
Nice! Love! Love! Can't fangirl Chambers enough.
- Misfit by Robert A. Heinlein.
I am not in 1939, so this was boring as hell.
- A Thousand Worlds Story: A Beast for Norn by George R.R. Martin.
Light and interesting, but not quite there yet.
- Skipjack: The devil in the details by Susan R. Matthews.
Hmmmm... Not much to say.
- Ender's Game: Messenger by Orson Scott Card.
Skipping this one, I am not mad, you know.
- A Lensmen Story: The Vortex Blaster by Edward E. Smith.
In a nutshell: Neal Cloud, atomic physicist has a big brain and big balls. Neal Cloud, atomic physicist is boring.
-A confederation story: First in by Tanya Huff.
Eh?! I had fun with this one!
October 15, 2022
Mas has a few heretical questions for her mother, thankfully they are happy to answer, but they warn not to ask such questions at school and especially not around the priests. I think none of the info covered here is new to the series and you can consider this short story a series introduction, however I'm starting here so I can't confirm that.
At a certain age Mas' people, the Sianat, are infected, a process in which they become plural by taking on a host, called a Whisperer, and in doing so they acquire a mathematical prowess that allows them to understand the fundamental nature of the universe. Or something like that 🤔. Anyway, the time for that transition has come, for Mas.
“I feel dizzy,” Mas said, then paused, remembering what she was—they were now. Host and hosted, two in one. “We feel dizzy.”
Something has gone wrong with the process and Mas is feeling confused and unworthy. All that Mas wants is to run home to her mother but they can't do that. They are afraid of being open about the issue lest they be branded heretic.
"Despite Mas’ will and readiness, some shadowy part of them had rejected the Whisperer."
Well, ignoring the issue, Mas is certified and takes their first job. The Wayfarers universe apparently has a plethora of alien species living and working together. Their new boss is a Harmagian and we meet Aandrisks and Aeluons too. Eventually, though, pretending that everything is ok becomes too much to bear and Mas confides in their new boss.
“Enough of that talk. Stars and fire, if you’re going to keep living with this, your first step is to find a way to stop hating yourself for it.”
Well, the move turns out to be the right one and the Harmagian captain offers some truly sage advice. The two forge a friendship and the captain helps Mas find herself again.
I loved this. And I recommend you read it, if you aren't sure about whether to start the series. You'll get a very good idea of what's in the Wayfarers universe. And I say bring it on.
At a certain age Mas' people, the Sianat, are infected, a process in which they become plural by taking on a host, called a Whisperer, and in doing so they acquire a mathematical prowess that allows them to understand the fundamental nature of the universe. Or something like that 🤔. Anyway, the time for that transition has come, for Mas.
“I feel dizzy,” Mas said, then paused, remembering what she was—they were now. Host and hosted, two in one. “We feel dizzy.”
Something has gone wrong with the process and Mas is feeling confused and unworthy. All that Mas wants is to run home to her mother but they can't do that. They are afraid of being open about the issue lest they be branded heretic.
"Despite Mas’ will and readiness, some shadowy part of them had rejected the Whisperer."
Well, ignoring the issue, Mas is certified and takes their first job. The Wayfarers universe apparently has a plethora of alien species living and working together. Their new boss is a Harmagian and we meet Aandrisks and Aeluons too. Eventually, though, pretending that everything is ok becomes too much to bear and Mas confides in their new boss.
“Enough of that talk. Stars and fire, if you’re going to keep living with this, your first step is to find a way to stop hating yourself for it.”
Well, the move turns out to be the right one and the Harmagian captain offers some truly sage advice. The two forge a friendship and the captain helps Mas find herself again.
I loved this. And I recommend you read it, if you aren't sure about whether to start the series. You'll get a very good idea of what's in the Wayfarers universe. And I say bring it on.
didnt-finish
June 19, 2022I grabbed this collection from the library just planning to read "A Good Heretic", since I'm currently reading the Wayfarers series. As so often happens, once I was holding the book I got curious about the other stories and tried out some of them. I wasn't enjoying most of them that much, so I decided not to finish.
Ishigaki: 2/5
A Good Heretic: 3/5
Misfit: 3/5
A Beast for Norn: 3/5
The Devil in the Details: 1/5
Messenger: 2/5
The Vortex Blaster: 1/5
Ishigaki: 2/5
A Good Heretic: 3/5
Misfit: 3/5
A Beast for Norn: 3/5
The Devil in the Details: 1/5
Messenger: 2/5
The Vortex Blaster: 1/5
May 13, 2022
Lovely short story telling some of the background on Mas, a Sianat that we meet briefly at the end of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. I honestly didn't really remember them since it's been years since I read the book, but I quickly re-remembered what we learn about the Sianat culture in the books.
November 26, 2019
Only read the Becky Chambers short story.
September 5, 2022
A very nice little short story giving some details about the Sianats and Mas in particular. Nothing mind blowing, but very nice. Very sweet.
August 18, 2024
Review only for “A Good Heretic,” by Becky Chambers,
🐙🐙🐙🐙🐙
“…a short story by Becky Chambers that is part of the Wayfarers universe, taking place before the events of the main series. […] The story focuses on Mas, a Sianat …“
(text from the Wayfarers Wiki, be careful what you look at, there will be spoilers)
This was lovely. Becky Chambers is comfort food. Her writing makes me happy. Despite that I still have some unread backlog. So many books, so little time.
Apparently Mas appears in The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. I don‘t remember her, but it‘s been a few years since I read the first book in the Wayfarers series.
🐙🐙🐙🐙🐙
“…a short story by Becky Chambers that is part of the Wayfarers universe, taking place before the events of the main series. […] The story focuses on Mas, a Sianat …“
(text from the Wayfarers Wiki, be careful what you look at, there will be spoilers)
This was lovely. Becky Chambers is comfort food. Her writing makes me happy. Despite that I still have some unread backlog. So many books, so little time.
Apparently Mas appears in The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. I don‘t remember her, but it‘s been a few years since I read the first book in the Wayfarers series.
January 4, 2020
Oh gosh, how does any collection live up to its own hype of being "the definitive anthology of space opera", especially when it's the second of a series? Tho perhaps the series altogether is meant to be definitive?
Regardless, if you love you some space opera, this is a great place to not only immerse yourself in some of the finest representatives of the genre, but also to discover brand new authors and series you might not have been familiar with before. A particular delight of discovery for me was Weston Ochse and his deadpan look at alien invasion with The End-Of-The-World Bowling League, a story that expands on the Grunt Universe. I was also thrilled to make the acquaintance of Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series via its original representative in this volume, Ishigaki, as well as Kristine Kathryn Rusch's Diving series with the inclusion of Lieutenant Tightass. Another terrific story from a new-to-me author was The Traitor by David Weber, who also contributes a charming introduction. While his Honor Harrington series has been perpetually on my radar, this is the first time I've ever actually read his work, and I'm much the better for it (tho I can understand how his wife is not a fan of the ending of this particular story.)
If I'm being perfectly honest, tho, I picked up this book because of authors I was already familiar with and was panting to read more of. Top of that list is Curtis C Chen, whose Codename Kangaroo novels I adore. His original short, Fire In The Pocket, is a terrific look at a young Kangaroo and the beginnings of one of his most important professional partnerships. I was also really excited to read Becky Chamber's A Good Heretic: I've been meaning to read her Wayfarers series for ages and this story only served to heighten my excitement at hopefully finding time for the first book soon. I was familiar with C. L. Moore's fantasy work (Black God's Kiss is a classic) but had never read any of her space westerns: Shambleau was exactly as unsettling and terrific as you can expect from an author who believes love to be the most devastating force in the universe. For some reason, I was surprised to discover here that Gardner Dozois wrote short stories in addition to compiling them. The inclusion of his A Special Kind Of Morning underlines his excellent taste in addition to highlighting his own skill at writing in the genre.
Special mention goes to A Beast For Norn, which is the only one of the 26 stories here I've encountered previously. Everyone and their mom knows George R. R. Martin for Game Of Thrones, but far fewer are familiar with his terrific Haviland Tuf stories, of which ABFN is an excellent example (tho my personal favorite is Guardians, because yummy.)
I'm not 100% sure of how well this volume fulfills the remit of space-opera-definitive but I definitely had a good time exploring the universes with the stories included here. Some worked better than others, but I was overall impressed with how I didn't often feel like I was missing a huge chunk of information because a story was set in a larger, established universe. Bryan Thomas Schmidt has done a great job curating a collection that will whet the reader's appetite for discovery with tantalizing glimpses into whole galaxies of space fiction that deserve to be more widely read. Recommended.
Regardless, if you love you some space opera, this is a great place to not only immerse yourself in some of the finest representatives of the genre, but also to discover brand new authors and series you might not have been familiar with before. A particular delight of discovery for me was Weston Ochse and his deadpan look at alien invasion with The End-Of-The-World Bowling League, a story that expands on the Grunt Universe. I was also thrilled to make the acquaintance of Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series via its original representative in this volume, Ishigaki, as well as Kristine Kathryn Rusch's Diving series with the inclusion of Lieutenant Tightass. Another terrific story from a new-to-me author was The Traitor by David Weber, who also contributes a charming introduction. While his Honor Harrington series has been perpetually on my radar, this is the first time I've ever actually read his work, and I'm much the better for it (tho I can understand how his wife is not a fan of the ending of this particular story.)
If I'm being perfectly honest, tho, I picked up this book because of authors I was already familiar with and was panting to read more of. Top of that list is Curtis C Chen, whose Codename Kangaroo novels I adore. His original short, Fire In The Pocket, is a terrific look at a young Kangaroo and the beginnings of one of his most important professional partnerships. I was also really excited to read Becky Chamber's A Good Heretic: I've been meaning to read her Wayfarers series for ages and this story only served to heighten my excitement at hopefully finding time for the first book soon. I was familiar with C. L. Moore's fantasy work (Black God's Kiss is a classic) but had never read any of her space westerns: Shambleau was exactly as unsettling and terrific as you can expect from an author who believes love to be the most devastating force in the universe. For some reason, I was surprised to discover here that Gardner Dozois wrote short stories in addition to compiling them. The inclusion of his A Special Kind Of Morning underlines his excellent taste in addition to highlighting his own skill at writing in the genre.
Special mention goes to A Beast For Norn, which is the only one of the 26 stories here I've encountered previously. Everyone and their mom knows George R. R. Martin for Game Of Thrones, but far fewer are familiar with his terrific Haviland Tuf stories, of which ABFN is an excellent example (tho my personal favorite is Guardians, because yummy.)
I'm not 100% sure of how well this volume fulfills the remit of space-opera-definitive but I definitely had a good time exploring the universes with the stories included here. Some worked better than others, but I was overall impressed with how I didn't often feel like I was missing a huge chunk of information because a story was set in a larger, established universe. Bryan Thomas Schmidt has done a great job curating a collection that will whet the reader's appetite for discovery with tantalizing glimpses into whole galaxies of space fiction that deserve to be more widely read. Recommended.
Read
February 13, 2021I only read Becky Chambers' short story, A Good Heretic, but oh my goodness I forgot how much I love her Wayfarers world. I'm so excited for the new book to come out!
Mas was very sweet, and the captain was very lovely, and just everything about this story was so hopeful and happy. Just what I needed.
Mas was very sweet, and the captain was very lovely, and just everything about this story was so hopeful and happy. Just what I needed.
August 7, 2021
I would have liked this story to be longer, not just in the sense that I want more of stories I like, but because there is a whole society of people left unexplored. How do you transition into that world once you've been cured? How to do intact with its values? The story felt cramped.
August 1, 2023
Becky Chambers - A Good Heretic (****)
(31. 07. 2023.)
Zgodna kratka pričica (svega 28 strana) koja je objavljena samo u ovoj antologiji i nigdje drugdje. Od antologije sam ciljano zasad samo nju pročitala.
Žao mi je što ju nisam pročitala prije prve knjige (Dug put k malom, gnjevnom planetu) jer bi mi onda neke stvari bile jasnije.
Globalni ciljevi: nastavak serijala
(31. 07. 2023.)
Zgodna kratka pričica (svega 28 strana) koja je objavljena samo u ovoj antologiji i nigdje drugdje. Od antologije sam ciljano zasad samo nju pročitala.
Žao mi je što ju nisam pročitala prije prve knjige (Dug put k malom, gnjevnom planetu) jer bi mi onda neke stvari bile jasnije.
Globalni ciljevi: nastavak serijala
July 30, 2021
I took out the book just to read the Wayfarers story because I needed a little pick me up. It wasn't as complex or deep as the novels, but it was just as rich and warm. One of the main reasons that I really wanted to revisit the crew of the Wayfarer was to get some closure on Ohan. This came close to being what I wanted: I still want to know what happens after the cure, but it gave me some more insight into the culture of the Sianat, which I really enjoyed learning about.
June 18, 2021
A love a short story that creates a full world and has a solid beginning, middle and end. The story is a well written slice of the Wayfarers' universe, filling in information for those of us reading the series, but providing a complete a satisfying experience for anyone who is only reading the short story.
August 18, 2021
spent like an hour looking for a way to read this online instead of having to buy the collection lol. worth it! ends a bit too abruptly for me but otherwise a solid expansion of the Sianat species lore and a nice lyrical sendoff for minor character Mas from the Wayfarers series. Becky Chambers never disappoints.
3.5/5
3.5/5
July 10, 2022
I would read everything that Becky chambers writes. This was a short story about the sianat mas that we meet on Arun in the first book. Becky chambers amazingly makes the outliers feel okay. I love this about her works. As different as you can be but still same and one at heart. Wayfarer series is amazing and i highly recommend this to everyone who's remotely interested in scifi
June 22, 2021
This was great because Sianats were extremely mysterious to me in the first Wayfarer book. I'm utterly devastated to now be completely out of Wayfarer books. I could honestly read 100 books in this series.
June 23, 2021
I think it best to read this after you've been introduced to the Sianats. This packs a quick one-two punch when it comes to that feeling like you're different in a bad way as well as addresses the internal critique of never feeling like enough. I wish I had this to read in high school!
July 7, 2021
A mini entry to the Wayfarers books that colors in some of the unanswered questions about the sianat featured in book 1. I wish I'd read this closer to finishing book 1 as I know there's overlap there but I barely remember it, but this was still very enjoyable and very quick.
July 6, 2021
Very good and definitely enjoyable, but it is a short story so I am left unsatisfied. I was just getting into it when it ended.
February 2, 2022
The only reason this is 4 stars is because it’s I WANT MORE! A great insight into the Sianats species just wish there was more of it ❤️ hopefully Becky releases some more Wayfarers stories one day.
December 24, 2022
This is a good anthology for comparing the way SF used to be and the way it is now. The field has changed, and the most significnt change is the increase in female writers. Indeed, female writers who have done an MFA in Creative Writing are coming to dominate the field, shaping the direction it's moving. You could use the stories and authors here to plot a graph of how the field has changed. (Notice I didn't say 'improved'.)
Here's my opinion of the contensts:
IntrToduction - David Weber
The Lost Fleet: Shigaki- Jack Campbell - Remember when they said you couldn't just set a Western in outer space and call it science ficiton? This doens't hold true for sea stories. If C. S. Forester were alive , he could probably sue. He certainly should.
Wayfarers: A Good Heretic - Becky Chambers - SF = YA, forever.
Misfit, AKA "Cosmic Construction Corps" - Robert A Heinlein
A Thousand worlds: A Beast for Norn (Haviland Tf) - George R.R. Martin
Skipjack: The Devil in the Details - Susan R. Matthews
Ender's Game: Messenger - Orson Scott Card - When will it end?
Lensmen: The Vortex Blaster - E. E. Smith - the good old stuff
Confederation: First In - Tanya Huff
Frontier ABCS - Seanan Maguire - this woman is indefatigable!
Kangaroo: Fire in the Pocket - Curtis C Chen
Liaden: Dark Secrets - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Dream Park: The Lady or the Tiger - Larry Niven & Steven Barnes - a bit of a sequel to the Dream Park series that doesn't really do it justice. But it's stil Niven and Barnes!
Earthman, Come Home - James Blish
A Special Kind of Morning - Gardner Dozois
Respect - David Farland
Kris Longknife: Boot Recruit - Mike Shepherd
Northwest Smith: Shambleau - C. L. Moore - rightly hailed as the advent of good characterisaton in SF
Polity: The Veteran - Neal Asher
Grunt: The End of the World Bowling League - Weston Ochre
Fremont's Children: Death, Butterflies and Makers of War - Brenda Cooper - the title sounds like James Tiptree Jr.
Pip and Flinx: Sideshow - Alan Dean Foster
Diving: Lieutenant Tightass - Kristine Rusch
Saga of Seven Suns: Feet of Clay - Kevin J Anderson
Bolo: The Traitor - David Weber
Rescue Party - Arthur C Clarke
Cold Sleep - C J Cherryh
Okay, I didn't read much past the Niven & barnes, but I'll be revisiting for the Blish and the Clarke. Four stars because it does take examples from the good SF of the past and isn't obsessed with promoting the friends of the editor (except, maybe, the Chambers).
Here's my opinion of the contensts:
IntrToduction - David Weber
The Lost Fleet: Shigaki- Jack Campbell - Remember when they said you couldn't just set a Western in outer space and call it science ficiton? This doens't hold true for sea stories. If C. S. Forester were alive , he could probably sue. He certainly should.
Wayfarers: A Good Heretic - Becky Chambers - SF = YA, forever.
Misfit, AKA "Cosmic Construction Corps" - Robert A Heinlein
A Thousand worlds: A Beast for Norn (Haviland Tf) - George R.R. Martin
Skipjack: The Devil in the Details - Susan R. Matthews
Ender's Game: Messenger - Orson Scott Card - When will it end?
Lensmen: The Vortex Blaster - E. E. Smith - the good old stuff
Confederation: First In - Tanya Huff
Frontier ABCS - Seanan Maguire - this woman is indefatigable!
Kangaroo: Fire in the Pocket - Curtis C Chen
Liaden: Dark Secrets - Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Dream Park: The Lady or the Tiger - Larry Niven & Steven Barnes - a bit of a sequel to the Dream Park series that doesn't really do it justice. But it's stil Niven and Barnes!
Earthman, Come Home - James Blish
A Special Kind of Morning - Gardner Dozois
Respect - David Farland
Kris Longknife: Boot Recruit - Mike Shepherd
Northwest Smith: Shambleau - C. L. Moore - rightly hailed as the advent of good characterisaton in SF
Polity: The Veteran - Neal Asher
Grunt: The End of the World Bowling League - Weston Ochre
Fremont's Children: Death, Butterflies and Makers of War - Brenda Cooper - the title sounds like James Tiptree Jr.
Pip and Flinx: Sideshow - Alan Dean Foster
Diving: Lieutenant Tightass - Kristine Rusch
Saga of Seven Suns: Feet of Clay - Kevin J Anderson
Bolo: The Traitor - David Weber
Rescue Party - Arthur C Clarke
Cold Sleep - C J Cherryh
Okay, I didn't read much past the Niven & barnes, but I'll be revisiting for the Blish and the Clarke. Four stars because it does take examples from the good SF of the past and isn't obsessed with promoting the friends of the editor (except, maybe, the Chambers).
July 18, 2024
Some excellent mini space operas, showing that one doesn't have to write huge epics. Some stories I DO hope to see in larger novel form though. I'd say I enjoyed 85% of the stories within this Anthology.
December 4, 2022
A very good collection of short stories about space travel, alien interactions, galactic battles, etc. Many of the stories were supplements to a series, but they worked well as stand-alones (I had only read two of the series, and I enjoyed most of the stories even if I wasn't familiar with the series). I am a fan of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series, and "A Good Heretic" was a real treat!
1. Jack Campbell “Ishigaki: A Lost Fleet Story” 2019 ****
2. Becky Chambers “A Good Heretic” 2019 *****
3. Robert Heinlein “Misfit” 1939 ****
4. George R. R. Martin “A Beast for Norn” 1976 *****
5. Susan R. Matthews “The Devil in the Details” 2019 *****
6. Orson Scott Card “Messenger” 2019 *
7. E. E. “Doc” Smith “The Vortex Blaster” 1941 ***
8. Tanya Huffis “First In” 2019 ****
9. Curtis C. Chen “Fire in the Pocket” 2019 ***
10. Seanan McGuire “Frontier ABCs” 2013 ****
11. Sharon Lee and Steve Miller “Dark Secrets” 2019 ****
12. Larry Niven and Steven Barnes “The Lady or the Tiger” 2019 ****
13. James Blish “Earthman, Come Home” 1953 *****
14. Gardner Dozois “A Special Kind of Morning” 1971***
15. David Farland “Respect” 2019 ***
16. Mike Shepherd “Kris Longknife: Boot Recruit” 2019 **
17. C. L. Moore “Shambleau” 1933 **
18. Neal Asher “The Veteran” 2004 ***
19. Weston Ochse “The End-of-the-World Bowling League” 2019 *
20. Brenda Cooper “Death, Butterflies, and Makers of War” 2019 ****
21. Alan Dean Foster “Sideshow” 2002 *****
22. Kristine Kathryn Rusch “Lieutenant Tightass” 2018 ****
23. Kevin J Anderson “Feet of Clay” 2019 ***
24. David Weber “The Traitor” 1997 *****
25. Arthur C. Clarke “Rescue Party” 1945 ***
26. C. J. Cheryh “Cold Sleep” 2019 ****
(all ©2019 are original to this volume)
1. Jack Campbell “Ishigaki: A Lost Fleet Story” 2019 ****
2. Becky Chambers “A Good Heretic” 2019 *****
3. Robert Heinlein “Misfit” 1939 ****
4. George R. R. Martin “A Beast for Norn” 1976 *****
5. Susan R. Matthews “The Devil in the Details” 2019 *****
6. Orson Scott Card “Messenger” 2019 *
7. E. E. “Doc” Smith “The Vortex Blaster” 1941 ***
8. Tanya Huffis “First In” 2019 ****
9. Curtis C. Chen “Fire in the Pocket” 2019 ***
10. Seanan McGuire “Frontier ABCs” 2013 ****
11. Sharon Lee and Steve Miller “Dark Secrets” 2019 ****
12. Larry Niven and Steven Barnes “The Lady or the Tiger” 2019 ****
13. James Blish “Earthman, Come Home” 1953 *****
14. Gardner Dozois “A Special Kind of Morning” 1971***
15. David Farland “Respect” 2019 ***
16. Mike Shepherd “Kris Longknife: Boot Recruit” 2019 **
17. C. L. Moore “Shambleau” 1933 **
18. Neal Asher “The Veteran” 2004 ***
19. Weston Ochse “The End-of-the-World Bowling League” 2019 *
20. Brenda Cooper “Death, Butterflies, and Makers of War” 2019 ****
21. Alan Dean Foster “Sideshow” 2002 *****
22. Kristine Kathryn Rusch “Lieutenant Tightass” 2018 ****
23. Kevin J Anderson “Feet of Clay” 2019 ***
24. David Weber “The Traitor” 1997 *****
25. Arthur C. Clarke “Rescue Party” 1945 ***
26. C. J. Cheryh “Cold Sleep” 2019 ****
(all ©2019 are original to this volume)
December 28, 2021
As with all Becky's books; it's awesome. All characters feels real and the story is interesting and very engaging, even though it is very short. But I liked it a lot. Will be on the hunt for more of Beckys books.
Important note: You don't have to buy the book just to read this novella. If you search for Infinite Stars on Google, it will appear as a search result and you can preview some chapters from the book, and this novella will be one of them. Wihoo!
Important note: You don't have to buy the book just to read this novella. If you search for Infinite Stars on Google, it will appear as a search result and you can preview some chapters from the book, and this novella will be one of them. Wihoo!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews