I'm actually quite surprised, i don't know why but i wasn't expecting to like these 3 novellas that much. The writing is straightforward but.. i was going to say everything's easy to picture but thats not quite true, its just that everything has great... verisimilitude, lets go with that. I completely bought into each fiction even when elements were confusing or should have felt sillier if written differently.

Project Nursemaid [4/5]
This is so like a script for a low-budget 50's sci-fi film. Half-way through i realised i was picturing it all in black & white :P . It all takes place almost entirely in little offices as if they're trying to save money on sets :lol. Dashing young doctor as the protagonist, plenty of smoking, drinking and flirting, only some of the social issues would have prevented it being made into a 50's film. Really its just a professional drama with sci-fi elements, not sure why i liked it so much but i did.

Daughters of Earth [4/5]
Far less hard sci-fi than the previous one, this is an epistolary story and is somewhat confused and fragmented. Some elements akin to the show 'Earth 2' from the '90s. But at its core is about a woman trying to connect with her estranged/somewhat daughter. Reminded me of the voice over sections of 'Arrival' movie in places.

Homecalling [4/5]
Kind of like the [b:The Wee Free Men|34494|The Wee Free Men (Discworld, #30; Tiffany Aching, #1)|Terry Pratchett|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443764106s/34494.jpg|62580] in space... thats a terrible analogy. This one is almost philosophical, its cute and interesting and kind of messed up, Its a 'Disney' movie in waiting ;) . At one point i had to check if my e-copy was damaged, it wasn't, there's a bit of almost cut-up- technique used in places that part was confusing but makes sense given the strange circumstances. Kind of leaves you hanging at the end but provokes a lot of thoughts :) .

Edit: Available from the openlibrary.org . ( )

While these stories all have different settings and tones, the overarching theme is women in space. How do women, with their unique gift/burden of motherhood, react to the stress and glory of space? Meril handles this with a deft hand, creating real characters in real situations. They aren’t characterization or tropes of women either. Her characters are unique and as complex as real women. For anyone who enjoys solid science fiction and the female greats of early sci-fi writing, this is the perfect book. Worth reading.

Project Nursemaid: 3.5/5

Daughters of Earth: 4/5

Homecalling: 4/5 ( )