Dave Smeds

Raiding the Hoard of Enchantment consists of seven short fantasy tales. In each story, a female protagonist develops a bond with another to accomplish an important task. These bonds are not romantic. Rather, they are based sometimes on friendship but often on mutual need and/or sacrifice and although she is usually a willing participant, sometimes the task is forced on her without her consent but, no matter the difficulty or personal cost, they do what they know is right.

I won this book in show more the Librarything Early reviewers giveaway and wasn't sure what to expect. I have to say I loved these stories. They are beautifully written, beautifully plotted and a real pleasure to read. But above all, I loved the heroines. They were all strong, brave, and independent women, able of making their own choices based on what was right rather than on what was most beneficial to them.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. If, like me, you hate this new tendency in literature towards female protagonists who are abused and loving their abusers, then this is the book for you. I had never heard of author David Smeds before but I expect (and hope) to read more from him in the future. show less

We all have our reasons for reading science fiction. Me? I have at least a couple, and I found them both - well, eventually, at least - in Dave Smeds' collection of short stories, "Futures Near and Far." The title is appropriate, really, since some of the futures Smeds presents are far-off indeed, while others are quite near ... maybe a little TOO near for comfort.

When I read science fiction, I look forward to a chance to sit back and speculate on "what if?" Where might future developments show more in science and technology take us, and will we better for the direction and the distance S&T takes us into the future? Smeds' stories offered plenty upon which to speculate upon the first point, with a look at a variety of possible developments ... though with a particular emphasis on nanotechnology. As for the second (the "we") part, though, I found myself less-than-encouraged by the people who populate these speculative futures. By book's end, however, Smeds' words had me thinking that humans will probably be a mixed bag then (as they are now) ... and that in the end, things will be alright ... that the violent beatings our world will take from extreme cage fighters and callous corporate lawyers will be more than offset by a mother's love, by the support of a dedicated sensei, and by the awakened spirit of an interstellar homesteader, among others.

If only we could dispense with the introductions to the stories! Some are short, some are long, and none seem to contribute much to the story that is to follow. Don't get me wrong ... introductions CAN be useful, and add to the enjoyment of the story ... Arthur Clarke proved that in "Tales from the White Hart," and Isaac Asimov did as well in his "HUGO Award Anthologies." But such is NOT the case in "Futures Near and Far." But in the end, that is a small thing, really ... and I highly recommend the stories themselves.

One more thing ... Two of Smeds' stories, which revolve around the future of martial arts and artists, their practice and competition, get high marks from my son, who has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do ... sugo ha shasim nida! show less

The stories in Futures Near and Far often are bleak, but Dave Smeds also injects hope into his visions of the future. There's an overarching focus on nanotech's potential and its pitfalls. Some stories also explore the alienation that crises or changed environments can bring.

Smeds approaches this technologically advanced future with a gimlet eye, but he also is fascinated by the possibilities: part wariness, part enthusiasm, this dichotomy threads through all of the stories. Humans remain show more human, despite the outer packaging. They remain a messy, complex, yet immature species that sometimes get its right but often gets it wrong. show less

I’m always wary about single author short story collections when it’s an author I don’t already know. I’ve read a lot of science fiction that’s either bland or terrible, especially in recent years. Thankfully, Futures Near and Far was a pleasant surprise. This is a very well written collection of stories spanning written at various times from the 80s onwards. The stories generally take a single technological concept and looks at what the consequences of this might be.

The highlights show more for me were the three stories based around nanotechnology, with a future where “nanodocs” keep everyone permanently young and heal any injuries. Anyone who dies will even be brought back by them. The opening story starts the book off strongly, presenting a time where some people class suicide as a hobby and murder has become a minor crime.

The worlds in all these stories are similarly interesting and have been well thought through, with intriguing premises behind them. Some are better than others, and sadly my least favourite were the last two stories in the book, which were also the longest. They weren’t bad, but didn’t quite match the standards of the rest for me.

If there’s one thing that makes this book a bit wearying to read in one go, it’s the fact that the stories do generally take a rather dark look at things. People can be guaranteed to find new ways to do unpleasant things, and most of this book is looking at that side of things. There’s a cast of fairly unpleasant characters: murderers, corrupt lawyers, rapists, mimes… The stories are good though, and it’s not entirely without humour. Although the only purely comic piece in the book was disappointingly just a retelling an old joke with the bear replaced by an alien creature.

Anyway, I enjoyed this collection quite a bit and I’ll be interested to read some more of the author’s work in the future. Hopefully that future won’t be like the stories in this book. show less