Infinite Stars
★★★★★
I’m not a fan of military SF, and this selection from some of the best in that field didn’t change that opinion. Similarly, far too much of the space opera took me back to reading Doc Smith as a kid. But there were some memorable stories, and overall, I’d say half of this anthology was worth the time - it just would’ve been better with stricter editing.
The Borders of Infinity (Verkosigan), Lois McMaster Bujold (1989) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Miles enters the perfect prison and has to work his way to the top to organise an escape. I was invested throughout this elegantly written character drama.
Region Five (Red Series), Linda Nagata (2017) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A squad evac is derailed when civilians are in the firing line. Nagata explores the tension between orders and morality, with problematic mind control thrown in for good measure.
Duel on Syrtis, Poul Anderson (1951) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A tightly written chase through an anamist ecology between an arrogant tech-equipped hunter and an indigenous native.
Twenty Excellent Reasons (The Astral Saga), Bennett R. Coles (2017) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An extraction from a war zone goes south when the wingman crashes. Jack has to weigh up lives and take desperate measures to get the survivors to orbit.
Renegat, Orson Scott Card (2017) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The speaker for the dead is sent to investigate a poisoning and opine on the sentience of an alien species.
Binti, Nnedi Okorafor (2015) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A girl earns a place at a prestigious off-planet University, but en route her transport is attacked and she alone can negotiate with the aliens.
Night Passage (Revelation Space), Alistair Reynolds (2017) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Contact with a big dumb object reveals divided loyalties as the crew faces an unpleasant demise.
The Ship Who Sang, Anne McCaffrey (1961) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A poignant tale of a ship piloted by a human brain and its human captain.
The Iron Star, Robert Silverberg (1987) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A ship exploring a supernova remnant makes cautious first contact, learning what it means to be truly alien.
Shore Patrol (Lost Fleet), Jack Campbell (2017) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Shore leave gets raucous - I liked the humour.
The Good Shepherd (Legion of the damned), William C. Diet (2017) ⭐⭐⭐ The Wages of Honour (Skolian), Catherine Asaro (2017) ⭐⭐⭐ Our Sacred Honor (Honorverse), David Weber (2017) ⭐⭐⭐ The Waters of Kanly (Dune), Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson (2017) ⭐⭐ The Game of Rat and Dragon, Cordwainer Smith (1955) ⭐⭐ Last Day of Training, Dave Bara (2017) ⭐⭐ Reflex (CoDominium), Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (1982) ⭐⭐ Imperium Imposter (Imperium), Jody Lynn Nye (2017) ⭐⭐ Cadet Cruise (Lt. Leary), David Drake (2017) ⭐⭐ All in a Day’s Work (Vatta’s War), Elizabeth Moon (2017) ⭐ How to be a Barbarian in the Late 25th Century (Theirs Not to Reason Why), Jean Johnson (2017) ⭐ Stark and the Star Kings (Eric John Stark), Leigh Brackett & Edmond Hamilton (2005) ⭐ Twilight World (StarBridge), A. C. Crispin (1989) ⭐ Taste of Ashes (Caine Riardon), Charles E. Gannon (2017) ⭐
