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War is becoming increasingly 'SF-ized' with remotely controlled attack drones and robot warriors already in development and being tested. Over the past 100 years the technology of war has advanced enormously in destructive power, yet also in sophistication so that we no longer seem to live under the constant threat of all-out global thermonuclear cataclysm. So what will future wars be like? And what will start them: religion, politics, resources, refugees, or advanced weaponry itself? Watson and Whates present a gripping anthology of SF stories which explores the gamut of possible future conflicts, including such themes as nuclear war, psychological and cyberwars, enhanced soldiery, mercenaries, terrorism, intelligent robotic war machines, and war with aliens. All the stories in this collection of remarkable quality and diversity reveals humankind pressed to the limits in every conceivable way. It includes 24 stories with highlights such as: The Pyre of the New Day' - Catherine Asaro. The Rhine's World Incident' - Neal Asher. Caught in the Crossfire' - David Drake. Politics' - Elizabeth Moon. The Traitor' - David Weber. And others from: Dan Abnett, Tony Ballantyne, Fredric Brown, Algis Budrys, Simon R. Green, Joe Haldeman, John Kessel, John Lambshead, Paul McAuley, Andy Remic, Laura Resnick, Mike Resnick & Brad R. Torgersen, Fred Saberhagen, Cordwainer Smith, Allen Steele, William Tenn, Walter Jon Williams, Michael Z. Williamson, Gene Wolfe.… (meer)
I had high expectations, since I love military scifi, but was pretty disappointed. First, I expected military like in ”combat”, but almost all of the stories happen after wars, before wars, collateral to wars or from the POV of non-combatants. Second, I liked about a quarter of the stories, but the rest felt ok at best (some, quite numerous, I really disliked). The main problem was that I found many to be over-precious, over-worded and lame, the kind of stories meant not to entertain or enthrall, but to show off how amazing the author is. They weren't. The average would be 3/5, but the anthology as a whole felt less, the reason being the same: I disliked the kind of scifi Watson&Whates chose, for being "too much for too little", and in the future I'll avoid their anthologies (like Datlow's or JJ Adam's; from Whates this is my second try, both disliked). The kind I love is that chosen in anthologies by Greenberg, Mike Ashley, Sterling, Stephen Jones, Dozois - in that order. The 6/24 stories I liked here were: Peacekeeper • (2012) 19 pages by Mike Resnick, Brad R. Torgerson • Storming Hell • (2009) 8 pages by John Lambshead • The Horars of War • (1970) 19 pages by Gene Wolfe • The Game of Rat and Dragon • (1955) 17 pages by Cordwainer Smith • Winning Peace • (2007) 27 pages by Paul J. McAuley • The Wake • (2011) 14 pages by Dan Abnett About 3-4 others from 24 were ok. 14-15/24 were lame at best... ( )
I've read quite a few SF short story collections in the last month or so, and this is definitely on the better end of the scale. The editors have picked a good range of authors with varying styles, but with the underlying theme of war in SF. As a pacifist I'm no fan of war, but it is an often repeated theme in SF. Several of the authors in this collection are ex-military who've served in war zones and thus their descriptions of the mixture of horror, tedium and displacement in wars come across as fairly realistic. There's also an underlying current of the struggle between peace and war - several of the stories are actually post-war stories of how people and races can adjust to peace after fighting, especially if the "winner" isn't the group you might root for. ( )
War is becoming increasingly 'SF-ized' with remotely controlled attack drones and robot warriors already in development and being tested. Over the past 100 years the technology of war has advanced enormously in destructive power, yet also in sophistication so that we no longer seem to live under the constant threat of all-out global thermonuclear cataclysm. So what will future wars be like? And what will start them: religion, politics, resources, refugees, or advanced weaponry itself? Watson and Whates present a gripping anthology of SF stories which explores the gamut of possible future conflicts, including such themes as nuclear war, psychological and cyberwars, enhanced soldiery, mercenaries, terrorism, intelligent robotic war machines, and war with aliens. All the stories in this collection of remarkable quality and diversity reveals humankind pressed to the limits in every conceivable way. It includes 24 stories with highlights such as: The Pyre of the New Day' - Catherine Asaro. The Rhine's World Incident' - Neal Asher. Caught in the Crossfire' - David Drake. Politics' - Elizabeth Moon. The Traitor' - David Weber. And others from: Dan Abnett, Tony Ballantyne, Fredric Brown, Algis Budrys, Simon R. Green, Joe Haldeman, John Kessel, John Lambshead, Paul McAuley, Andy Remic, Laura Resnick, Mike Resnick & Brad R. Torgersen, Fred Saberhagen, Cordwainer Smith, Allen Steele, William Tenn, Walter Jon Williams, Michael Z. Williamson, Gene Wolfe.
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(2.8)
1
First, I expected military like in ”combat”, but almost all of the stories happen after wars, before wars, collateral to wars or from the POV of non-combatants.
Second, I liked about a quarter of the stories, but the rest felt ok at best (some, quite numerous, I really disliked). The main problem was that I found many to be over-precious, over-worded and lame, the kind of stories meant not to entertain or enthrall, but to show off how amazing the author is. They weren't.
The average would be 3/5, but the anthology as a whole felt less, the reason being the same: I disliked the kind of scifi Watson&Whates chose, for being "too much for too little", and in the future I'll avoid their anthologies (like Datlow's or JJ Adam's; from Whates this is my second try, both disliked). The kind I love is that chosen in anthologies by Greenberg, Mike Ashley, Sterling, Stephen Jones, Dozois - in that order.
The 6/24 stories I liked here were:
Peacekeeper • (2012) 19 pages by Mike Resnick, Brad R. Torgerson
• Storming Hell • (2009) 8 pages by John Lambshead
• The Horars of War • (1970) 19 pages by Gene Wolfe
• The Game of Rat and Dragon • (1955) 17 pages by Cordwainer Smith
• Winning Peace • (2007) 27 pages by Paul J. McAuley
• The Wake • (2011) 14 pages by Dan Abnett
About 3-4 others from 24 were ok.
14-15/24 were lame at best... (