I added this to my shelves because it included a story by an author I'd read before, I believe. It's complicated - I'd read a story by someone publishing under a certain name - the book had a Twitter handle to look up; I looked up the handle, which lead to a different author name, which lead to me reading this story here. But it still might not be the same author. That "other" author name being Arden Ellis, I put here to remind myself because I probably wouldn't remember otherwise

There are only five stories in this collection of stories, so I might get around to reading the others, and therefore being able to mark this read, and rated. Or maybe not. It looks like one of the five is a second part to a story I haven't read. Eh, whatever. I read the rest of them.

Good Boy — M. Douglas White
A story about a dog. And the future. And conflict. From the dog's point of view.

The easiest way to remind myself of what this story is about would be to say something like "Terminator, from a dog's point of view", mixed with a generation ship.

Rating: 5.0

March 14 2021

Cactus and Lizard — Hannah Costelle
A young boy and an old woman drive around on sand looking for a mirage city.

Rating: 3.4

March 14 2021

Lingua Franca — Amelia Fisher
When I started reading, way back when, I liked reading short story collections, mainly "best of the year" Science Fiction collections. Old copies, mostly. Books with "Best of 1968" and the like on them, or earlier (or later). I mention because I'd pick up trends - there tended to be certain types of themes/stories/ideas that would pop up for a certain time period. And I haven't read "best of" collections in a good long while, so I'm very out of practice at spotting trends. Except, I've noticed one specific one for science fiction short stories published recently.

Several of the few I read recently seemed to have a specific theme: those who embrace technology, and those who do not. Not exactly a new theme - except it keeps coming up in a similar way: those that do not "embrace technology" can keep their thoughts to themselves, etc. etc. but tend to be very poor and with zero possibility of advancement unless they "embrace" this tech. And, almost always, part of the "embracing the tech" involves implanting things that cause people to basically know the thoughts, feelings, etc., of everyone else around you. Why the heck this keeps coming up: adding an implant in your brain to help you tech-wise has only one possible outcome: everyone learns everyone's else's thoughts. Never does it seem as if there are any safeguards, or even why adding one implant would immediately leap to that outcome.

Eh. So. That's what happens, somewhat, in this story. There's "Casters" (those that have technology implants) and non-casters. The main character comes from a group of humans who do not believe in adding implants (I'm now darting to thoughts of anti-vaxers fearing "chips" being implanted by vaccines). The main character works "in the city" as someone who grew up talking out loud. She works with a "teacher" type, who is working with city kids who have to, because of school reasons, need to be able to speak a language out loud (or possibly just learn the language, and part of learning it, part of helping learn it is to hear it out loud).

The teacher, who is female, and the main character, who is also female, apparently are in a relationship. And sleep together. Though what is seen is more the main character (Vaun) and the teacher type (Far) arguing about Vaun not using an implant. And how Far can get one for her. And stuff.

Depressing story to read, and one I'm getting tired of reading.

Rating: 3.7

March 14 2021

Holding — John Adams
I see dead people.

Rating: 3

March 14 2021

Tower of Mud and Straw II: The Adversary — Yaroslav Barsukov
Stuff happens involving a tower.

rating: 1

March 14 2021

overall 3.22 rating. ( )