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lostlare 's review for:
FTL, Y'all!: Tales From the Age of the $200 Warp Drive
by Julie Gravelle, Iris Jay, Nathaniel Wilson, Earl T. Roske, Olivia Northrop, James F. Wright, Evan Dahm, Skolli Rubedo, David Andry, Jonathon Dalton, Seren Krakens, Cindy Powers, Molly Kennedy, C.B. Webb, Sunny, Cheez Hayama, N.N. Chan, C. Spike Trotman, Kay Rossbach, Chris Williamson, Alexxander Dovelin, Ainsley Seago, Little Corvus, Xia Gordon, Luz Bianca, Maia Kobabe, J. Piechowiak, Miss Jamie Kaye, Rachel Ordway, Mary Anne Mackey, Ahueonao, Mulele Jarvis, Blue Delliquanti, Paul Schultz, Jay Eaton
A short story anthology with some good stories, some really good stories, some nonsensical stories and some so short they seemed to be a feeling over an actual story. As some of them are extremely short I will be fairly short on my summaries and thoughts. It was an interesting read as a whole. I just wish more of the stories were more complete.
Soft Physics
By: Blue Delliquanti
This story (if there is even one) is told through a delivered internet package full of internet videos, chat, and articles following the concept of FTL influencers? I think I understand the ending, but the story (if there is one) was too fragmented to be understood without a lot of work.
Cabbage Island
By: Cindy Powers & Mulele Jarvis
Yu finds plans on the dark web to build a warp drive and builds it in hopes to escape an Earth full of political and environmental collapse. The feels.
M.S.P.I.P.S.P
By: Kay Rossbach
A story of a mother and her daughter traveling to Mars. It is basically about the trials and tribulations of getting through theairport space port. It was a fun read.
Lia
By: Alexander Dovelin
A short tale of the woman who helped build space travel with androids. I thought it was pretty.
Passing Through
By: Jamie Kaye & Sunny
Marty is having a phone conversation as he zips around the world with a transporter. This one was another story too abstract for me. I did like the art, though.
Ignition
By: Iris Jay (writer) & Skolli Rubedo (artist)
Astra Salvage is on a post-apocalyptic Earth with an assignment to recover an antique space rocket. I like the story. It had a good flow. I liked the characters as well. They are likable enough I wish I could go on more adventures with them.
Brilliant + Handsome
By: CB Webb
A couple kids (teens? adults?) are arguing whether or not the washing machine with an FTL drive is space worthy. This was more of a scene without a real end than a story. I think I can see what the creator was trying to do, but I think we needed more time with the characters or more than a single conversation of them arguing.
Space to Grow
By: NN Chan
SpaceAce is an astrobiologist out cataloging specimens from different planets and recording her adventures in an informational blog. This is a well formed story about internet bullying. I loved the art and the characters. I would love to read more, but the story was complete enough to not to need more.
FailSafe
By: Rachel Ordway
The unnamed character is trying to get home, but the ship’s onboard security systems will not let them. This is another one I feel is more capturing a feeling or moment rather than an actual story (though there is a feeling of rise and fall of action). It does perfectly capture desperation combined with anxiety and fear.
Finders Keepers
By: Ahueonao
A trio of young adults decide to travel to The Ozymandias, a luxury space station that is effectively abandon-ware in hopes for sweet sweet loot. This was great. It wasn’t anything deep, but the writing and the characters were so much fun. It is tied as my favorite from the collection.
Microwave
By: Jay Eaton
Rowan is traveling to a warp center with her constantly arguing uncles. I think this was an AMAZING coming-of-age or end-of-innocence story. This isn’t one of my favorites (I have a weakness for humor), but the creator did a great job.
Prodigal Sunset
By: James F. Wright & Little Corvus
A group of five teenagers of various alien species have two things in common; one, they all have the same deadly virus and two, they all have the same father? I had an extremely hard time understanding what was happening and then the story was just over. I felt like I was thrown in the middle of the story and didn’t get an end. I did like the character designs and how the virus was affecting them differently was interesting.
Story of a Rescue
By: Nathaniel Wilson
A brother and a sister are on a quest to find their step father who ran off to join a kind of space race. Normally, I am not a huge fan of people just sitting around just talking, but the writing was so entertaining that I have to make an exception. Also, the ending is the best. This tied for my favorite.
Words From the Dead
By: Jonathon Dalton
Meegan and Gabriel are trying to fund their astro-archeology research through video blogs even though the interest isn’t there until they find a new planet that has very intact “ruins.” I think the start was a little slow, but the ending was very good.
Solitary
By: David Andry (writer), Paul Schultz (art), Lucas Gattoni (letters)
The main character is doing time in a prison and gets the offer to live in a space colony to reduce his sentence. Very short with little dialog, but gets to the dark punchline very concisely without any extra fat.
Grandad’s Second Wife
By: Cheez Hayama and Earl T. Roske
Sergio is visited by his grandpa who entered Earth (more or less) illegally and forces Sergio to host his worm wife so that she will not be caught by immigration. I love this one. It is a little silly and cartoony, but I had so much fun.
The Senior Project
By: Maia Kobabe
Willow is the only person in her class that does not want to build an FTL drive for their senior project and instead wants to work on a project that will improve the Earth rather than escape it. I thought this story was nice. It turns into a story of camaraderie between her and another student who is working on a FTL drive. I like friendship stories.
My Stars and Garters
By: Ainsley Seago
A Victorian couple want to escape persecution via space travel. It is a pretty fun short story and oddly optimistic in the end.
Way Home
By: Evan Dahm
A couple with a young daughter travel to another planet (world?) to escape civilization. This is a haunting story of darkness and going native.
Soft Physics
By: Blue Delliquanti
This story (if there is even one) is told through a delivered internet package full of internet videos, chat, and articles following the concept of FTL influencers? I think I understand the ending, but the story (if there is one) was too fragmented to be understood without a lot of work.
Cabbage Island
By: Cindy Powers & Mulele Jarvis
Yu finds plans on the dark web to build a warp drive and builds it in hopes to escape an Earth full of political and environmental collapse. The feels.
M.S.P.I.P.S.P
By: Kay Rossbach
A story of a mother and her daughter traveling to Mars. It is basically about the trials and tribulations of getting through the
Lia
By: Alexander Dovelin
A short tale of the woman who helped build space travel with androids. I thought it was pretty.
Passing Through
By: Jamie Kaye & Sunny
Marty is having a phone conversation as he zips around the world with a transporter. This one was another story too abstract for me. I did like the art, though.
Ignition
By: Iris Jay (writer) & Skolli Rubedo (artist)
Astra Salvage is on a post-apocalyptic Earth with an assignment to recover an antique space rocket. I like the story. It had a good flow. I liked the characters as well. They are likable enough I wish I could go on more adventures with them.
Brilliant + Handsome
By: CB Webb
A couple kids (teens? adults?) are arguing whether or not the washing machine with an FTL drive is space worthy. This was more of a scene without a real end than a story. I think I can see what the creator was trying to do, but I think we needed more time with the characters or more than a single conversation of them arguing.
Space to Grow
By: NN Chan
SpaceAce is an astrobiologist out cataloging specimens from different planets and recording her adventures in an informational blog. This is a well formed story about internet bullying. I loved the art and the characters. I would love to read more, but the story was complete enough to not to need more.
FailSafe
By: Rachel Ordway
The unnamed character is trying to get home, but the ship’s onboard security systems will not let them. This is another one I feel is more capturing a feeling or moment rather than an actual story (though there is a feeling of rise and fall of action). It does perfectly capture desperation combined with anxiety and fear.
Finders Keepers
By: Ahueonao
A trio of young adults decide to travel to The Ozymandias, a luxury space station that is effectively abandon-ware in hopes for sweet sweet loot. This was great. It wasn’t anything deep, but the writing and the characters were so much fun. It is tied as my favorite from the collection.
Microwave
By: Jay Eaton
Rowan is traveling to a warp center with her constantly arguing uncles. I think this was an AMAZING coming-of-age or end-of-innocence story. This isn’t one of my favorites (I have a weakness for humor), but the creator did a great job.
Prodigal Sunset
By: James F. Wright & Little Corvus
A group of five teenagers of various alien species have two things in common; one, they all have the same deadly virus and two, they all have the same father? I had an extremely hard time understanding what was happening and then the story was just over. I felt like I was thrown in the middle of the story and didn’t get an end. I did like the character designs and how the virus was affecting them differently was interesting.
Story of a Rescue
By: Nathaniel Wilson
A brother and a sister are on a quest to find their step father who ran off to join a kind of space race. Normally, I am not a huge fan of people just sitting around just talking, but the writing was so entertaining that I have to make an exception. Also, the ending is the best. This tied for my favorite.
Words From the Dead
By: Jonathon Dalton
Meegan and Gabriel are trying to fund their astro-archeology research through video blogs even though the interest isn’t there until they find a new planet that has very intact “ruins.” I think the start was a little slow, but the ending was very good.
Spoiler
In retrospect I now get the title. Very clever.Solitary
By: David Andry (writer), Paul Schultz (art), Lucas Gattoni (letters)
The main character is doing time in a prison and gets the offer to live in a space colony to reduce his sentence. Very short with little dialog, but gets to the dark punchline very concisely without any extra fat.
Grandad’s Second Wife
By: Cheez Hayama and Earl T. Roske
Sergio is visited by his grandpa who entered Earth (more or less) illegally and forces Sergio to host his worm wife so that she will not be caught by immigration. I love this one. It is a little silly and cartoony, but I had so much fun.
The Senior Project
By: Maia Kobabe
Willow is the only person in her class that does not want to build an FTL drive for their senior project and instead wants to work on a project that will improve the Earth rather than escape it. I thought this story was nice. It turns into a story of camaraderie between her and another student who is working on a FTL drive. I like friendship stories.
My Stars and Garters
By: Ainsley Seago
A Victorian couple want to escape persecution via space travel. It is a pretty fun short story and oddly optimistic in the end.
Way Home
By: Evan Dahm
A couple with a young daughter travel to another planet (world?) to escape civilization. This is a haunting story of darkness and going native.