Review: Dark Beyond the Stars
Dark Beyond the Stars is a collection of eleven stories that take us into space, to other times or other places, all with the common theme of expanding our minds to the possibilities surrounding ourselves.
With all collections, it's difficult to review the collection without looking at the individual parts and how they relate to each other. Though most of the tales seem to have a theme of an individual and his/her decision possibly changing the course of the world, some stories instead take a much more personal turn, such as "Containment" by Susan Kaye Quinn, where we are taken into the mind of an AI and his personal battle against his programming to be more than his Ascender Masters wish him to be. Jennifer Foehner Wells' "Carindi" is another story that concentrates on a small population, telling the story of two survivors of the plague that killed off their entire ship.
While every story is complete, not every tale had an ending, or at least not a happy ending. In most cases, however, there is a glimpse of hope, something the characters are striving toward. In Anne Bellet's "Nos Morituri Te Salutamus", the characters aren't just reaching for hope, but are willing to sacrifice themselves for it. Beth's sacrifice in "Protocol A235" may seem clear-cut to most readers, but what would you do in that situation? "2092" by Rysa Walker is the saddest story for me, because we are left not really knowing what had happened or what will... but it certainly didn't go as planned, and one character's guile seems to have sabotaged those with the best intentions.
All of the stories in this collection, the ones I've mentioned and the ones I haven't, are well-written and intrigued me. In fact, after reading many of the stories, I found myself looking up the authors online, wanting to read more of what they've done! If you're a fan of science fiction, I encourage you to take a look at this book, since there is something for pretty much everyone, from artificial intelligence to space battles, and aliens to time travel.
I received a early copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
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