Shine Anthology Review
Apr. 22nd, 2010 01:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jasonandrewhttp://futurismic.com/2010/04/22/book-review-shine-an-anthology-of-optimistic-science-fiction-by-jetse-de-vries-ed/
Stepping a little further out in time, Mari Ness’ “Twittering The Stars” echoes Stoddard’s dreams of humans beyond the gravity well, though her spacepersons are on a scientific mission; the reversed Tweet-stream format is a Zeitgeisty update on the epistolary or diary-style story that will look dated long before its underlying theme of the fragility of human life in space does. Last but not least among what we might label the ‘hard optimist’ stories are two short and almost literary pieces: Paul Stiles’ “Sustainable Development” is a homily about foreign aid, technology and gender in Africa, and “Scheherezade Cast In Starlight” by Jason Andrew draws hope – and emotional clout – from the role of social media in the recent democratic protests in Iran.
Stepping a little further out in time, Mari Ness’ “Twittering The Stars” echoes Stoddard’s dreams of humans beyond the gravity well, though her spacepersons are on a scientific mission; the reversed Tweet-stream format is a Zeitgeisty update on the epistolary or diary-style story that will look dated long before its underlying theme of the fragility of human life in space does. Last but not least among what we might label the ‘hard optimist’ stories are two short and almost literary pieces: Paul Stiles’ “Sustainable Development” is a homily about foreign aid, technology and gender in Africa, and “Scheherezade Cast In Starlight” by Jason Andrew draws hope – and emotional clout – from the role of social media in the recent democratic protests in Iran.