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320 pages, Hardcover
Published January 8, 2021
the stolen bacillus: 2.5/5
very short, but with a twist at the end that i didn't see coming.
the argonauts of the air: 2/5
according to wikipedia, this story was written before the actual first flight, which is kind of amazing, even if the story itself is nothing special.
the remarkable case of davidson's eyes: 4/5
i liked the concept of this story, it was fascinating, as most physics stuff actually is if i don't have to study it, and quite original. modern sci-fi books set in space use the warping of space-time a lot to explain travel in space, and i guess it was cool to see it in something written before the XX century. but the resolution happened out of the blue, with little to no explanation; i would've liked a more indepth analysis.
the plattner story: 4/5
the use of a fourth dimension to rotate a person on their axis in order to create a mirror image of themselves is disturbing and intriguing at the same time; these physics concepts are extremely cool. as with the preceeding story, though, there is no explanation for the extra-ordinary event that the narrator describes.
the sea raiders: 4/5
very creepy and a bit gruesome, i liked it.
the crystal egg: 3.5/5
the concept reminded me of the davidson's eyes story, but for once i would've preferred a shorter version.
the star: 2.5/5
this is basically the plot of a disaster movie, without a satisfying ending in which everyone dies.
the new accelerator: 4/5
if a chemical like the one in the story existed for real, i would probably abuse of it. mostly to catch up to my ever growing tbr.
a dream of armageddon: 4.5/5
the best short story of this collection, so far.
the land ironclads: 4/5
an interesting war story which managed to predict the future use of tanks in wwi as substitutes of cavalry. i couldn't help but feel troubled by the absolute indifference the more technological-advanced population displays in killing the less advanced soldiers; the use of science to build unstoppable war machines was chilling as well, even if it probably wasn't the author intention.
the door in the wall: 4.5/5
i loved this! it had a totally different vibe than the latter and it reminded me a bit of the chronicles of narnia; the ending provides some interesting thoughts about society's perception of death and raises a valid inquiry about the main character's state of mind. the perfect way to end a collection of short stories.
Gli venne in mente un bel titolo: «Genere umano contro Macchinario». Il giornalismo condiziona il cervello a ridurre tutto in frasi.Le corazzate di terra