Make Shift
Dispatches from the Post-Pandemic Future
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- £11.99
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- £11.99
Publisher Description
Science fiction stories of ingenuity, grit, and inspiration.
This new volume in the Twelve Tomorrows series of science fiction anthologies presents stories that envision how science and technology--existing or speculative--might help us create a more equitable and hopeful world after the coronavirus pandemic. The original stories presented here, from a diverse collection of authors, offer no miracles or simple utopias, but visions of ingenuity, grit, and incremental improvement. In the tradition of inspirational science fiction that goes back to Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, these writers remind us that we can choose our future, and show us how we might build it.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The sober but hopeful sixth installment of hard SF anthology series Twelve Tomorrows (after Entanglements) offers visions of "more resilient, more just" post-Covid futures. Editor Lichfield's international lineup excels when focused on human impact, while weaker entries rely too heavily on stereotypes or invented technology. Madeline Ashby's uneven "Patriotic Canadians Will Not Hoard Food!" devolves into defeating rhetorical straw men, and Ken Liu's dry, allegorical "Jaunt" explains ideas rather than utilizing them. But a breathtaking portrayal of parental intimacy anchors Indrapramit Das's Murakami-esque "A Necessary Being," which traces Kolkata's rewilding through the eyes of a lost girl and the mecha pilot who adopts her. The Sherlockian "The Price of Attention" by Karl Schroeder, about an autistic forensics consultant's kidnapping case, is a soulful tribute to coping and growth. Adrian Hon delicately explores the nuances of self-governance movements, diaspora, and how art meets technology in the standout "Little Kowloon." Also included is Wade Roush's interview with Afrofuturist Ytasha L. Womack, which reframes short fiction as "a way of problem-solving futures." At their best, these intelligent, emotional, and vibrant stories show a compassionate way forward through an ongoing crisis.
