Dystopian Tale

A collection of SF stories explores human connection in the near and unpleasant future.

Most of Atkins’ 10 tales in this volume are quite lengthy, leading offwith two novelettes: Here We Go Again, in which a “Human Engineered Intelligence” is placed on trial for murder, and Ascensor Physics, in which a death row inmate is paired with a genetically engineered, “mostly human” woman in a space exploration tale redolent of SF’s golden age. The collection also includes four stories of near-novelette length that feature characters yearning for intimacy in futures turned bad. While none of the tales feels padded, they sometimes exhibit an exuberant laxness of prose (“It was unending, seeming to go on for a long time. He had nothing totell time”). But such is Atkins’ vigor, readers will likely sweep past such awkward phrasings.

The stories’ lengthiness, meanwhile, allows for worldbuilding that encompasses several themes in any given tale. Climate disaster is one motif, seen most prominently in “Lessons From the Breadbasket,” in which an agronomist leaves heat-ravaged Earth to work on an alien planet whose native inhabitants are in danger of repeating humanity’s errors. Climate disaster is also evident in “The Plunge,” in which drastic attempts to counter rising temperatures have sent the planet spiraling toward a new ice age, and “Mirage,” in which a widower and climate refugee must trek for water along with all the women.

Atkins writes in the past tense through male characters. “The Plunge” and “Mirage” are narrated by misogynistic protagonists and portray women as the more virtuous, silent partner in humanity’s misfortunes. “Mirage” also depicts rampant wealth disparity, which is explored further in “Squeezing Lemons” and in “Richland,” in which two malcontents attempt to sabotagea town’s digital currency and topple its wealthy elite.

Atkins’ arrangement of stories is astute, and the themes tend to flow from one tale to the next. The only extraneous inclusions are the short palate cleansers “That’s Natural” and “The Alien Con” and perhaps the murder mystery “Phobos Phobia,” though these offerings do contribute to a recurrent sense of a dog-eat-dog future. While few of the stories have happy endings, several wrap up with modest twists and small victories. The overall effect is sobering but with a buoyancy of spirit.

Dour in content yet lively in execution; a well-balanced collection of tales.

- Kirkus Reviews