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Seeking Fiction from the last few years that incorporates emerging technology developments, I happened on this book. Although featuring different authors, the book has the feel of different aspects of Vonnegut’s “Complete Stories” (see my review) and raises some interesting considerations for our times. The only limitation is that its appearance came earlier leaving one to wonder what the stories will be forthcoming after more recent occurrences even while enjoying the skill and prescience of these offerings.
The book’s contents consist of and Introduction and 14 chapters. The chapters are the respective short stories, namely: (1) Mother of Invention, (2) No Me Dejes, (3) When Robot and Crow Saved East St. Louis, (4) When We Were Patched, (5) Domestic Violence, (6) Mr. Thursday, (7) A Big and Fearful Star, (8) Overvalued, (9) Safe Surrender, (10) Lions and Gazelles, (11) Burned-Over Territory, (12) Mika Model, (13) The Starfish Girl, and (14) The Minnesota Diet. At the end of the book comes information about the authors and the editorial set-up for Future Tense Fiction.
Parts that stood out for me were the character and introduction of the book as well as particular aspects of the various stories. Firstly, it was refreshing to see the majority of women involved as editors and authors and their view on the value of fiction. For instance (in Kindle Location 68), they express that “A good science fiction story can help re-sensitize us by showing us people dangling over different technological precipices, or realizing their potential in once-unimaginable ways.” A little later (in Location 78) they indicate “Fiction has the ability to transport us into a panoply of possible visions of the future, and to grasp at the weirdness of our pervasive interactions with science and technology.” However, (in Location 80-81), these curators admit that such stories also convey the “. . . experience . . . [and] consequences . . . expected and unforeseen, of living in a technological world in perpetual flux.” Such remarks also has me thinking of the importance of such deep reading in general as high lighted by MaryAnn Wolf in her “Reader Come Home” (see my review).
In terms of the stories, all were interesting, but I was particularly affected by several titles as they included allusions to conditions or situations identifiable through my own background and circumstances. Specifically, Nnedi Okorator’s “Mother of Invention” captivated as it deals with a Nigerian woman about to give birth dealing with allergies and a “pollen tsunami” due to climate change with the help of an AI like “Smart House.” Mark Stasenko’s “Overvalued” treats a future where college tuitions are so out of control that hedge funds prosper as a means to finance potential prodigies. In Meg Elison’s “Safe Surrender” there is an earth/other planet mixed adopted person trying to learn about his birth parents via Security Cams, DNA records, uncovered witnesses, vintage AI and interplanetary travel. Maureen McHugh’s “The Starfish Girl” struck a nerve as it is about genetic modification used to help heal lady gymnast injuries especially when reading the piece during the 2024 summer Olympics which made it more meaningful at the time. Charlie Jane Anders’ “The Minnesota Diet” utilizes self-driving tractor trailer trucks and a smart city that self repairs itself to examine the consequences of supply chain issues not unlike those encountered in more recent times.
Among the book’s drawbacks is that it was published in 2019 and much occurred after its appearance. The Covid pandemic effected our lives in so many ways and within the last year or so much has been made regarding the hype and prospects concerning AI. Along these lines, books such as Mollick’s “Co-intelligence,” Pursell and Walker’s “Outsmarting AI,” and Ishiguro’s “How High We Can Go in the Dark” come to mind (see my reviews).
Although, technology developments continue, this book of short fiction stories helps expand perspectives and considerations as related impacts unfold . I look forward to further such volumes to help detect future differences and help keep our sensibilities up to date.
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