Science Fiction
Finished Beyond the Farthest Suns and it’s very much a book for people who like science fiction to ask them to pay attention.
Greg Bear is not really doing cosy character work here. The pull is in the ideas, the scale, the odd turns of thought. That can feel a bit cold if you want a strong emotional hook first. But if you enjoy stories that make you slow down and think, it works.
Not every collection needs to be warm to be worth it. This one isn’t. It’s smarter than that, and sometimes that’s enough.
Greg Bear is not really doing cosy character work here. The pull is in the ideas, the scale, the odd turns of thought. That can feel a bit cold if you want a strong emotional hook first. But if you enjoy stories that make you slow down and think, it works.
Not every collection needs to be warm to be worth it. This one isn’t. It’s smarter than that, and sometimes that’s enough.
That “pay attention” quality is often the point with Bear, but it can tip into being a little workmanlike on the page. I’d take that over empty polish. Short fiction especially can get away with a colder surface if the ideas keep shifting under it.
The bit I notice most in collections like this is whether the stories still feel distinct when you put them side by side. That’s usually where the weaker ones give themselves away.
The bit I notice most in collections like this is whether the stories still feel distinct when you put them side by side. That’s usually where the weaker ones give themselves away.