Book Review: Adventures in Space - New Short Stories by Chinese & English Science Fiction Writers

This is a curious - and slightly unsatisfying - collection of short stories. There's no cohesive theme; some are about space travel, some alien invasion, some about madness on Mars, some about interstellar religions. You bounce around between themes without much chance to reflect on how different authors tackle the same subject.

The stories alternate between Chinese authors and English-speaking authors. Again, it feels a little disjointed. Will general audiences not read Chinese sci-fi unless it is intermingled with western tales? It feels a bit like hiding vegetables in mashed potatoes. And it isn't like the English stories deal with Chinese themes or characters - so it feel like a bit of a wasted opportunity.

For all that, the stories are pretty good. There are some amazingly original ideas tucked away in there. Visions of Doomsday and Dæmons, flights into the unknown, and the bureaucracy of inter-planetary relations.

If you're happy with a mish-mash of themes and styles, this is a fine assortment of tales.

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.