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Dark Matter: Artificial
Discover dark matter's secrets... What is an AI's true role? Will bumbling siblings find their way home from deep space? Dark matter is judging us-are we worthy of existence? Would you step through a portal into another reality? Can the discoverer of dark matter uncover its secrets? Ten authors explore dark matter, unraveling its secrets and revealing its mysterious nature. Featuring the talents of Stephanie Espinoza Villamor, C.D. Gallant-King, Tara Tyler, Mark Alpert, Olga Godim, Steph Wolmarans, Charles Kowalski, Kim Mannix, Elizabeth Mueller, and Deniz Bevan. Hand-picked by a panel of agents, authors, and editors, these ten tales will take readers on a journey across time and space. Prepare for ignition!
184 pages, Paperback
Published March 18, 2024
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Espinoza Villamor
2 books4 followersStephanie is a librarian writer mom who lives with her husband and young son just outside Las Vegas. As a child she wrote her own books on dot matrix printer paper, and later started publishing in school magazines and newspapers. Ultimately, she earned a master's degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University, and now works as a college eLearning Librarian. She writes stories inspired by her supportive family and Hispanic heritage, especially for middle grade and young adult readers.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 20, 2021
Another great collection of stories from the Insecure Writer's Support Group!
This anthology features ten author's interpretations of dark matter - the mysterious forms it takes, the effect it has on people and societies, and the secrets it holds. I really enjoyed the fact that there is such a variety of stories in this collection. There's definitely something for everyone, and it's a great way to discover new authors.
-Artificial (Stephanie Espinoza Villamor) - A sweet story with a great twist and a very satisfying ending. Plus, it featured cake. You can't go wrong with a story that has cake in it!
-Space Folds and Broomsticks (CD Gallant-King) - I may just have snorted my coffee out my nose when reading this very funny story!
-Rift (Kim Mannix) - This one will have you on the edge of your seats. If you enjoyed the TV series, Counterpart, you'll want to check this one out.
-The Utten Mission (Steph Wolmarans) - A story that will have you reflecting on possible evolutionary paths humanity might take and their implications. While I was reading this, I was reminded of Doris Lessing's Canopus in Argos series and her take on socio-cultural issues.
-Sentient (Tara Tyler) - A fun Freaky Friday and opposites attract vibe to this story with a great twist at the end.
-One to Another (Deniz Bevan) - When an alien storm leaves a path of destruction behind, people have to make tough decisions. This story will have you pondering what you might do if resources were scarce and how you would choose to co-exist with others.
-Resident Alien (Charles Kowalski) - This one will have you thinking about xenophobia and drawing parallels to our own world. Would you have the courage to fight for the rights of your people?
-Nano Pursuit (Olga Godim) - A fun action-packed story that will have you rooting for the good guys.
-Resurgence (Elizabeth Mueller) - A very mysterious story with a lyrical quality to it. I was drawn into the main character's anxiety and confusion, turning pages quickly to find out what was really going on.
-Vera's Last Voyage (Mark Alpert) - A sweet love story with a very satisfying ending. It will leave you pondering for yourself exactly what dark matter is.
This anthology features ten author's interpretations of dark matter - the mysterious forms it takes, the effect it has on people and societies, and the secrets it holds. I really enjoyed the fact that there is such a variety of stories in this collection. There's definitely something for everyone, and it's a great way to discover new authors.
-Artificial (Stephanie Espinoza Villamor) - A sweet story with a great twist and a very satisfying ending. Plus, it featured cake. You can't go wrong with a story that has cake in it!
-Space Folds and Broomsticks (CD Gallant-King) - I may just have snorted my coffee out my nose when reading this very funny story!
-Rift (Kim Mannix) - This one will have you on the edge of your seats. If you enjoyed the TV series, Counterpart, you'll want to check this one out.
-The Utten Mission (Steph Wolmarans) - A story that will have you reflecting on possible evolutionary paths humanity might take and their implications. While I was reading this, I was reminded of Doris Lessing's Canopus in Argos series and her take on socio-cultural issues.
-Sentient (Tara Tyler) - A fun Freaky Friday and opposites attract vibe to this story with a great twist at the end.
-One to Another (Deniz Bevan) - When an alien storm leaves a path of destruction behind, people have to make tough decisions. This story will have you pondering what you might do if resources were scarce and how you would choose to co-exist with others.
-Resident Alien (Charles Kowalski) - This one will have you thinking about xenophobia and drawing parallels to our own world. Would you have the courage to fight for the rights of your people?
-Nano Pursuit (Olga Godim) - A fun action-packed story that will have you rooting for the good guys.
-Resurgence (Elizabeth Mueller) - A very mysterious story with a lyrical quality to it. I was drawn into the main character's anxiety and confusion, turning pages quickly to find out what was really going on.
-Vera's Last Voyage (Mark Alpert) - A sweet love story with a very satisfying ending. It will leave you pondering for yourself exactly what dark matter is.
May 13, 2021
There were a few stories that stood out to me: 'Artificial' was quite good; though I found 'Utten Mission' to be a bit of a confusing read, with not a lot of context; 'One to another' was a weird story that goes back to a time of no convenience. Overall, these stories were well written, sci-fi fans are likely to enjoy this book. I got an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2021
I really enjoyed this anthology from the Insecure Writers Support Group.
There's an excellent mix of stories here covering all aspects of SF. It's also introduced me to some rising stars within the writing community, so I'll be keeping an eye out and adding their works to my TBR.
If you're looking for some well written bite-sized SF stories to whet your appetite then check this anthology out!
There's an excellent mix of stories here covering all aspects of SF. It's also introduced me to some rising stars within the writing community, so I'll be keeping an eye out and adding their works to my TBR.
If you're looking for some well written bite-sized SF stories to whet your appetite then check this anthology out!
June 28, 2021
**I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
As always with an anthology, I like to review each story individually, then talk about the collection as a whole.
Artificial by Stephanie Espinoza Villamor
-5/5 stars. Super interesting! I kind of saw it coming, but also didn’t at the same time. I really wanted more of this story because it was super intriguing. Great start to these short stories!
Space Folds and Broomsticks by C.D. Gallant-King
-3.5/5 stars. This was a really funny one with a twist I didn’t see coming! It was entertaining, but it took me a while to get into it.
Rift by Kim Mannix
-5/5 stars. This was so good!! I’m a firm believer in alternate realities and parallel universes, so this one was right up my alley! I honestly could have read a whole novel on this story! My favorite so far.
The Utten Mission by Steph Wolmarans
-2/5 stars. I didn’t care for this one. It was pretty confusing with very little context. It was very, very scientific, and I really have no idea what the point of the story was.
Sentient by Tara Tyler
-4/5 stars. This was a really intriguing and interesting story! I enjoyed it a lot, but I wish it had been just a bit longer. The ending was a little confusing.
One to Another by Deniz Bevan
-4/5 stars. This was a really interesting story. It makes you think about what would happen if an apocalypse happened, and let’s be honest.. after 2020, it isn’t that far fetched. Haha!
Resident Alien by Charles Kowalski
-4/5 stars. I really enjoyed this one! I was impressed by the main character’s drive. A lot of the politics definitely are relatable to today’s world, and it makes you think how hard people before us, now, and who will come after us have and will have to continue to fight for their rights. Very good story!
Nano Pursuit by Olga Godim
-3.5/5 stars. This was a fun story! It wrapped up a little too easily for me, but overall good! I wish there were a bit more storyline and context, but I did enjoy Alexa’s character.
Resurgence by Elizabeth Mueller
-5/5 stars. This was so good! The writing was lyrical, and kept me hooked. I needed to know what happened. I was captivated by the main character’s anxiety. There was a twist I didn’t see coming, and I always love that!
Vera’s Last Voyage by Mark Alpert
-4/5 stars. This was a sweet, but sad love story. It was a bit too scientific for me, but I overall enjoyed the thought behind it.
As a whole, I really enjoyed this anthology! There were some really great stories! Science Fiction isn’t really a genre I typically lean toward, frankly just because it doesn’t interest me as much. But these stories were so entertaining, and I’m really happy I had the opportunity to read them!
Thanks so much to the publisher for sending it to me to review!
Thanks for reading! (:
Blog post:
https://katelynpdickinson.wordpress.c...
As always with an anthology, I like to review each story individually, then talk about the collection as a whole.
Artificial by Stephanie Espinoza Villamor
-5/5 stars. Super interesting! I kind of saw it coming, but also didn’t at the same time. I really wanted more of this story because it was super intriguing. Great start to these short stories!
Space Folds and Broomsticks by C.D. Gallant-King
-3.5/5 stars. This was a really funny one with a twist I didn’t see coming! It was entertaining, but it took me a while to get into it.
Rift by Kim Mannix
-5/5 stars. This was so good!! I’m a firm believer in alternate realities and parallel universes, so this one was right up my alley! I honestly could have read a whole novel on this story! My favorite so far.
The Utten Mission by Steph Wolmarans
-2/5 stars. I didn’t care for this one. It was pretty confusing with very little context. It was very, very scientific, and I really have no idea what the point of the story was.
Sentient by Tara Tyler
-4/5 stars. This was a really intriguing and interesting story! I enjoyed it a lot, but I wish it had been just a bit longer. The ending was a little confusing.
One to Another by Deniz Bevan
-4/5 stars. This was a really interesting story. It makes you think about what would happen if an apocalypse happened, and let’s be honest.. after 2020, it isn’t that far fetched. Haha!
Resident Alien by Charles Kowalski
-4/5 stars. I really enjoyed this one! I was impressed by the main character’s drive. A lot of the politics definitely are relatable to today’s world, and it makes you think how hard people before us, now, and who will come after us have and will have to continue to fight for their rights. Very good story!
Nano Pursuit by Olga Godim
-3.5/5 stars. This was a fun story! It wrapped up a little too easily for me, but overall good! I wish there were a bit more storyline and context, but I did enjoy Alexa’s character.
Resurgence by Elizabeth Mueller
-5/5 stars. This was so good! The writing was lyrical, and kept me hooked. I needed to know what happened. I was captivated by the main character’s anxiety. There was a twist I didn’t see coming, and I always love that!
Vera’s Last Voyage by Mark Alpert
-4/5 stars. This was a sweet, but sad love story. It was a bit too scientific for me, but I overall enjoyed the thought behind it.
As a whole, I really enjoyed this anthology! There were some really great stories! Science Fiction isn’t really a genre I typically lean toward, frankly just because it doesn’t interest me as much. But these stories were so entertaining, and I’m really happy I had the opportunity to read them!
Thanks so much to the publisher for sending it to me to review!
Thanks for reading! (:
Blog post:
https://katelynpdickinson.wordpress.c...
August 16, 2021
I am really glad that I purchased this collection of short stories! Fun reading, especially the featured story, Dark Matter: Artificial "Artificial." It is difficult to write a synopsis of this 17-page story without giving away too much and creating spoiler alerts. Let me just say that it is a thought provoking and touching - in fact heart tugging- story about artificial intelligence.
Narrated in first person by the AI character itself, readers will find themselves relating to both human Lina, who wavers between wanting a live-in personal assistant and friend, and also to the AI character who knows that it is "not a cold, disembodied robot."
But what happens if an AI assistant becomes too much like a best friend, too much like a human. After all, don't humans practice interference when they think a loved one's emotional and/or physical life is in danger? Don't we sometimes think we know what is best or start trying to figure out what will make our loved one feel happy?
This anthology was compiled by the Insecure Writers' Support Group, but there is nothing insecure about any of these stories!
Narrated in first person by the AI character itself, readers will find themselves relating to both human Lina, who wavers between wanting a live-in personal assistant and friend, and also to the AI character who knows that it is "not a cold, disembodied robot."
But what happens if an AI assistant becomes too much like a best friend, too much like a human. After all, don't humans practice interference when they think a loved one's emotional and/or physical life is in danger? Don't we sometimes think we know what is best or start trying to figure out what will make our loved one feel happy?
This anthology was compiled by the Insecure Writers' Support Group, but there is nothing insecure about any of these stories!
August 15, 2021
Dark Matter Artificial is a collection of ten science fiction stories written by the winners of the Insecure Writer's Support Group's annual anthology contest.
The overall winning story, Artificial, looks at Artificial Intelligence in a thought-provoking way. All stories explore dark matter, but the one that explores it as it is in its cosmic form is the last: Vera's Last Voyage by Mark Alpert. It's a fascinating combination of science and philosophy and is definitely a great story to end the book.
Those who enjoy sci-fi will enjoy reading this eclectic collection and may be inspired to look at more work by these talented authors.
The overall winning story, Artificial, looks at Artificial Intelligence in a thought-provoking way. All stories explore dark matter, but the one that explores it as it is in its cosmic form is the last: Vera's Last Voyage by Mark Alpert. It's a fascinating combination of science and philosophy and is definitely a great story to end the book.
Those who enjoy sci-fi will enjoy reading this eclectic collection and may be inspired to look at more work by these talented authors.
June 18, 2021
A collection worth reading.
July 18, 2021
I received an eARC from the publishers, which doesn’t affect my opinion of the book, all my thoughts are my own and honest.
Discover dark matter’s secrets…
What is an AI’s true role? Will bumbling siblings find their way home from deep space? Dark matter is judging us—are we worthy of existence? Would you step through a portal into another reality? Can the discoverer of dark matter uncover its secrets?
Ten authors explore dark matter, unraveling its secrets and revealing its mysterious nature.
When I was asked to review this book, it sounded so out of my normal, and too interesting to not to. As you might know by now, I don’t often have very strong feelings towards short stories, so I was worried going into this book I wouldn’t have enough thoughts to make a proper review. But I think I did alright. I have broken this up into individual reviews for each story.
Artificial by Stephanie Espinoza Villamor
An AI is awoken for the first time and needs to learn its role in its owners' life. This was an interesting and creepy read. Everything I worry about AI’s was in this short story. It dived into how AI’s aren't meant to have feelings and what happens when they possibly do. But that wasn’t all that the story divided into (can’t say more, as for spoilers). This AI was borderline obsessed with his owner which was freaky, but for me, it all made sense as to why in the end.
After finishing this story quote on quote my thoughts were ‘Gosh future people are weird’
3 stars
Space Folds and Broomsticks by C.D. Gallant-King
Two teens make mistakes and their commanding officers make crappy assassins. I found this to be one of the darker stories in this anthology in the sense that adults wanted to kill teens. I felt sorry for the teens. It was a fun read with a very important message. Get into bathtubs when asked.
3 stars
Rift by Kim Mannix
Would you take another chance with your family? This story took such a dark turn towards the end that I didn’t see coming in any shape or form. But I really liked that. I was very confused for most of it, as to why the author put a lot of detail into different aspects of this person's past but became very clear at the end. This was a very hard one to rate. I was a bit bored for the majority of it but I loved that ending.
3 stars
The Utten Mission by Steph Wolmarans
Mutants want to rejoin Society. Honestly, this story just confused me. I didn’t understand most of it and think it was too short to explain everything that needed to be explained. I guess you could say this story just went over my head and that might just be me. I am in no way saying this was a bad story, I just didn’t understand it.
1 star
Sentient by Tara Tyler
Two entities inhabit humans to decide the human race's fate. Again an interesting read, in the heads of these things that were in the heads of humans. I found this story to be a bit humorous with the entity's interactions.
3 stars
One to Another by Deniz Bevan
An Apocalypse-like world after killer snow falls. You read about a lot of different ways the earth will be destroyed leaving an apocalypse world, but killer snow takes the cake for creative imagination. Other than that it was a pretty standard survival tale, but no less fun to read.
3 stars
Resident Alien by Charles Kowalski
An Alien wants to be allowed into college. This was my favourite story. This was so moving and felt like it was very relatable to the real world which was horrible to think about. I really hate the world we live in. But I loved this story and the message that is sent.
4 stars
Nano Pursuit by Olga Godim
A woman goes looking for stolen property and comes home with something else. I don’t have any strong feelings towards this story. It was a fun read and I wasn't expecting the way it went.
3 stars
Resurgence by Elizabeth Mueller
Humanities second chance. This was another creepy story, you just didn’t know what was real and what was a hallucination. But again I didn’t have any feelings towards it, I enjoyed my time reading it.
3 stars
Vera’s Last Voyage by Mark Alpert
A dying woman figures out an important equation. I don’t know if it was dark matter, a hallucination but something helps Vera figure out an equation to allow her to find peace before she passes. I found this to be a heartwarming story in a sense but also found my concentration to slip while reading it.
2 stars
Overall this was a very interesting read. You were able to read a lot of different short stories all having different views and messages in them. I would definitely recommend
Overall rating 3 stars
And I am very sorry, if I wasn’t able to put too many thoughts into some of my reviews, it would be I just didn’t have many.
Thank you to the publishers for asking me to review Dark Matter: Artificial and for being understanding when I wasn’t able to get it reviewed on time for the release date.
Discover dark matter’s secrets…
What is an AI’s true role? Will bumbling siblings find their way home from deep space? Dark matter is judging us—are we worthy of existence? Would you step through a portal into another reality? Can the discoverer of dark matter uncover its secrets?
Ten authors explore dark matter, unraveling its secrets and revealing its mysterious nature.
When I was asked to review this book, it sounded so out of my normal, and too interesting to not to. As you might know by now, I don’t often have very strong feelings towards short stories, so I was worried going into this book I wouldn’t have enough thoughts to make a proper review. But I think I did alright. I have broken this up into individual reviews for each story.
Artificial by Stephanie Espinoza Villamor
An AI is awoken for the first time and needs to learn its role in its owners' life. This was an interesting and creepy read. Everything I worry about AI’s was in this short story. It dived into how AI’s aren't meant to have feelings and what happens when they possibly do. But that wasn’t all that the story divided into (can’t say more, as for spoilers). This AI was borderline obsessed with his owner which was freaky, but for me, it all made sense as to why in the end.
After finishing this story quote on quote my thoughts were ‘Gosh future people are weird’
3 stars
Space Folds and Broomsticks by C.D. Gallant-King
Two teens make mistakes and their commanding officers make crappy assassins. I found this to be one of the darker stories in this anthology in the sense that adults wanted to kill teens. I felt sorry for the teens. It was a fun read with a very important message. Get into bathtubs when asked.
3 stars
Rift by Kim Mannix
Would you take another chance with your family? This story took such a dark turn towards the end that I didn’t see coming in any shape or form. But I really liked that. I was very confused for most of it, as to why the author put a lot of detail into different aspects of this person's past but became very clear at the end. This was a very hard one to rate. I was a bit bored for the majority of it but I loved that ending.
3 stars
The Utten Mission by Steph Wolmarans
Mutants want to rejoin Society. Honestly, this story just confused me. I didn’t understand most of it and think it was too short to explain everything that needed to be explained. I guess you could say this story just went over my head and that might just be me. I am in no way saying this was a bad story, I just didn’t understand it.
1 star
Sentient by Tara Tyler
Two entities inhabit humans to decide the human race's fate. Again an interesting read, in the heads of these things that were in the heads of humans. I found this story to be a bit humorous with the entity's interactions.
3 stars
One to Another by Deniz Bevan
An Apocalypse-like world after killer snow falls. You read about a lot of different ways the earth will be destroyed leaving an apocalypse world, but killer snow takes the cake for creative imagination. Other than that it was a pretty standard survival tale, but no less fun to read.
3 stars
Resident Alien by Charles Kowalski
An Alien wants to be allowed into college. This was my favourite story. This was so moving and felt like it was very relatable to the real world which was horrible to think about. I really hate the world we live in. But I loved this story and the message that is sent.
4 stars
Nano Pursuit by Olga Godim
A woman goes looking for stolen property and comes home with something else. I don’t have any strong feelings towards this story. It was a fun read and I wasn't expecting the way it went.
3 stars
Resurgence by Elizabeth Mueller
Humanities second chance. This was another creepy story, you just didn’t know what was real and what was a hallucination. But again I didn’t have any feelings towards it, I enjoyed my time reading it.
3 stars
Vera’s Last Voyage by Mark Alpert
A dying woman figures out an important equation. I don’t know if it was dark matter, a hallucination but something helps Vera figure out an equation to allow her to find peace before she passes. I found this to be a heartwarming story in a sense but also found my concentration to slip while reading it.
2 stars
Overall this was a very interesting read. You were able to read a lot of different short stories all having different views and messages in them. I would definitely recommend
Overall rating 3 stars
And I am very sorry, if I wasn’t able to put too many thoughts into some of my reviews, it would be I just didn’t have many.
Thank you to the publishers for asking me to review Dark Matter: Artificial and for being understanding when I wasn’t able to get it reviewed on time for the release date.
August 15, 2021
Dark Matter Artificial is a collection of ten science fiction stories written by the winners of the Insecure Writer's Support Group's annual anthology contest.
The overall winning story, Artificial, looks at Artificial Intelligence in a thought-provoking way. All stories explore dark matter, but the one that explores it as it is in its cosmic form is the last: Vera's Last Voyage by Mark Alpert. It's a fascinating combination of science and philosophy and is definitely a great story to end the book.
Those who enjoy sci-fi will enjoy reading this eclectic collection and may be inspired to look at more work by these talented authors.
The overall winning story, Artificial, looks at Artificial Intelligence in a thought-provoking way. All stories explore dark matter, but the one that explores it as it is in its cosmic form is the last: Vera's Last Voyage by Mark Alpert. It's a fascinating combination of science and philosophy and is definitely a great story to end the book.
Those who enjoy sci-fi will enjoy reading this eclectic collection and may be inspired to look at more work by these talented authors.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews