What happens when humankind traverses the stars, manipulates time, creates lifelike bots, and trusts artificial intelligence? Through twenty-five short stories of obsession, greed, vengeance, and botched resurrections, award-winning author, J. A. Taylor explores the dark nature of humanity and the need for the dawn of a new cosmos.
J.A. Taylor started believing he could write when he won the first short story contest he ever entered. He enjoys writing flash fiction stories with O. Henry style twists. He is the creator of SciFiShorts.pub & FantasyShorts.pub, and coiner of Centinas and Pentinas. Get his newsletter at jataylorwrites.com or write with him at sfswriters.com.
As stated in the introduction, JA Taylor "traverses the broken nature of humanity" through this series of short stories. I'm admittedly not a regular science fiction reader, but I found connections to brokenness and struggle portrayed in the stories' characters. I particularly enjoyed "A Broken Conscience" that explores a father's expectations of his son and "The Horizon" which gives a vibrant portrayal of what could be beyond this life. I'm thankful that JA Taylor took the time to write these stories.
I’m not a huge Sci-fi fan, and I’ve never been much for short stories. But I loved this compilation of flash fiction. Another reviewer said she could read a whole book about each one of them, and I agree. I was drawn into each quickly and left wanting more.
What an adventure through the depths of human brokenness. Not only did this collection of short stories capture my imagination, but it managed to evoke sometimes visceral responses, which surprised me in a great way. It is uncanny, yet such a joy, to be pulled so deeply into a short story, investing in the characters, and then be completely shocked at the inevitable twists and turns at the end of each one. I typically never saw the ending coming- that’s a huge hat tip to Taylor. He could likely turn any one of these short stories into a full length novel (and I would gladly read them), but the experience of reading all of them together is a special experience in itself and one I highly recommend!
While this collection of Sci-Fi shorts captures my imagination, it also prompts me to evaluate myself. J.A. Taylor draws the reader into worlds one can only dream up with vivid writing that provokes the emotions and the mind simultaneously. I'm genuinely grateful for these stories. They've given me an opportunity to look in the proverbial mirror. Yes, the stories are entertaining... but they give you an opportunity to see yourself through each character. "I'm not that different" was a phrase that constantly came to mind as I read. I highly recommend this book to anyone that can read :)
these shorts are great, with so many little twists woven into each tale. I confess though, i need to go back over a few again where my first read was unable to unlock the mystery clues given. this guy is smart, his ideas are clever, so don't think you can just flick through this book and be rewarded with an instant punchline. Like a fine whiskey you have to let each each sip touch every part of your pallet before you take another.
J.A. Taylor has put together a collection of short stories that are simultaneously entertaining and thought provoking. Galactic Rejuvenation pushes the reader to think about their own brokenness while also smiling at the dark side of human nature as it exposes our want for our own perception of justice. I particularly enjoyed “For the Love of Vanity” and “Galactic Green”.
Fantastic writing by Taylor. I love these short stories, full of strange places and characters, reminiscent of the old classic sci-fi tales. I highly recommend this book!