I cannot recall where on the internet I stumbled upon this recommendation in my quest for a good collection of Sci-Fi shorts. And good it is. Not in the stunning way of Ted Chiang’s Stories of Your Life and Others, but good in a quirky, unconventional way to make me want to read more of her work. 

Quirky Sci-Fi and fantasy is how I would describe this collection. The six stories are quite original and imaginative. Ms. Anders has a pleasant, crisp and flowing writing style that makes for easy and captivating reading even when a story left me scratching my head, missing a plot and without any satisfying discernible conclusion. E.g. Intestate. Family reunion, Cyborg dad, inheritance…? Felt like the story was leading somewhere promising only to end abruptly.

The first story, The Fermi Paradox is our Business Model, besides being a delightful read, ought to win the Hugo for a newly created category: Best title most representative of the story. (Sci Fi story titles are often perplexing and at times, unfathomable.) 

As Good as New was a lovely Sci Fi twist to the age old wish granting genie trope set in a dystopian-end of the world-last person standing circumstances.

The titular Six months, three days is about the romantic relationship destined to fail between two precognitive individuals: one who ‘remembers’ a single future and the other who sees many possible futures. A clear standout with some thought provoking surprises thrown in just when you think you know how this one’s going to end. I find stories which deal with the question of ‘free will’ particularly fascinating and this was no exception.

I deliberately stayed clear of Clover given it’s billing as the coda to her best seller All the Birds in the Sky which thanks to the experience of this book is now on my reading list.