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erbridge's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
minhuitstella's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely things to ponder
Each of these stories have an aspect that brings thoughts of what could happen. Each are a cliffhanger though, so if you don't like them, realize that is the point of these stories, to get you to think, what if...
Each of these stories have an aspect that brings thoughts of what could happen. Each are a cliffhanger though, so if you don't like them, realize that is the point of these stories, to get you to think, what if...
ivanyv's review against another edition
3.0
A lot of very interesting stories, some which I could really see (and wish they were) in a full book. Unfortunately most endings just fell flat for me.
sambridi's review against another edition
3.0
Some amazing sci-fi gems in here! I love the original ideas that the author presented. Although sometimes the stories got too technical with very little plot.
Top favorites:
The Safe-deposit Box: My favorite story in the book! Reminded me a bit of 7 and a half death of Evelyn Hardcastle.
The Moral Virologist: This one is pretty great too. Scientist who is also a religious fanatic.
Other favorites:
The Infinity Assassin: Easy to get lost in the mathematical details, but overall such a novel concept!
The Hundred Light-year Diary
Learning to be me/Closer: The stories are okay, but the concept of "jewel" is pretty cool and scary.
Appropriate Love: It was scary how close to reality this one felt! Treating women's body as property while allowing her no control over it
Top favorites:
The Safe-deposit Box: My favorite story in the book! Reminded me a bit of 7 and a half death of Evelyn Hardcastle.
The Moral Virologist: This one is pretty great too. Scientist who is also a religious fanatic.
Other favorites:
The Infinity Assassin: Easy to get lost in the mathematical details, but overall such a novel concept!
The Hundred Light-year Diary
Learning to be me/Closer: The stories are okay, but the concept of "jewel" is pretty cool and scary.
Appropriate Love: It was scary how close to reality this one felt! Treating women's body as property while allowing her no control over it
marsican's review
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jakej's review
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Perfect except for The Moral Virologist and the one where the couple has a genetically engineered super-intelligent baby
ddrake's review against another edition
5.0
Truly spectacular short fiction. I can hardly believe that Egan wrote these stories over just a few years; many authors would love to write this many amazing stories over the course of the entire careers, to say nothing of three or four years.
For just one example: a couple stories feature the "Ndoli device" or "jewel", a device implanted in one's brain that records the activity, eventually building a perfect model so that a person can get rid of their regular brain and switch their consciousness over to the jewel. As I was reading those stories, I also saw this New York Times article on "a pacemaker for the brain" -- a brain stimulation device for treating depression; it only works after the researchers observed the patient's brain activity for a while so they could program the device to react to her particular brain patterns. It's exactly the same idea, but it's here, now. It's not a story.
Part of Egan's brilliance, it seems, is in writing fiction that eventually becomes nonfiction...
For just one example: a couple stories feature the "Ndoli device" or "jewel", a device implanted in one's brain that records the activity, eventually building a perfect model so that a person can get rid of their regular brain and switch their consciousness over to the jewel. As I was reading those stories, I also saw this New York Times article on "a pacemaker for the brain" -- a brain stimulation device for treating depression; it only works after the researchers observed the patient's brain activity for a while so they could program the device to react to her particular brain patterns. It's exactly the same idea, but it's here, now. It's not a story.
Part of Egan's brilliance, it seems, is in writing fiction that eventually becomes nonfiction...
jbmeerkat's review against another edition
5.0
Great book! Not all stories I liked (or maybe didn’t understand), but it was a fascinating reading anyway.
Some stories are pretty complex because it is a hard science fiction, so be ready for that.
Some stories are pretty complex because it is a hard science fiction, so be ready for that.
ajam's review against another edition
5.0
Reading a story a week on average since December of last year and still can't grasp some of the implications of the tremendous amounts of ideas Egan has put in these mere 20ish paged stories.
Call it a paradigm shift, call it an apotheosis, call it metamorphosis or whatever fancy word you can come up with because once you read this, there is no word describing the feeling, the epiphany, elation; the likes of which I have not seen/felt other than in the works of Ted Chiang and a select few others.
I am not doing a good job reviewing this book, just read it already.
Call it a paradigm shift, call it an apotheosis, call it metamorphosis or whatever fancy word you can come up with because once you read this, there is no word describing the feeling, the epiphany, elation; the likes of which I have not seen/felt other than in the works of Ted Chiang and a select few others.
I am not doing a good job reviewing this book, just read it already.