eoffrey Landis' first collection of short science fiction contains 16 stories spanning his career from 1984 to date. Coming after publication of his first novel, Mars Crossing, last year, it is a timely showcase.
Most of the selections are the hard-SF problem-solving stories for which Landis is best known. In "A Walk in the Sun," a crash-landed astronaut must survive on the moon for a month waiting for rescue. In "Elemental," scientists use literally magical technology to save the Earth. "Ecopoiesis" involves mysterious deaths on an anaerobic-bacteria-covered future Mars. "Into the Abyss" is about diving into the watery depths of Uranus, while "Approaching Perimelasma" involves diving into a black hole. In "Outsiders Chance," a lone freighter pilot must outwit space pirates, while "The Singular Habits of Wasps" matches Sherlock Holmes against an alien invasion.
Other stories primarily feature memorable characters caught in seeming insolvable emotional dilemmas, with the hard-SF elements relegated more to the background. In "Across the Darkness," the first interstellar colony ship is manned by five lonely teen-age girls. "Rovik's War" is an intense story of a future war defending a devastated Boston, with a twist at the end that changes the interpretation of what went before. "Beneath the Stars of Winter" is a haunting story of Russian physicists trying to survive and continue their research in a brutal Stalinist labor camp. "Winter Fire" is an equally haunting tale of a young girl growing up amid a future war involving the siege of Salzburg, Austria.
Hard SF stories with heart
The best stories in Impact Parameter and Other Quantum Realities clearly demonstrate Landis' ability to combine bold hard-SF concepts and problem-solving plots with very memorable human characters. The collection includes most of the best of his award-winning short fiction to date. At least 10 of the stories were among the very best short SF in the year they were published, often being nominated for—and sometimes winning—major awards. All of his best work succeeds with strong elements of idea, plot and character. The few weaker stories tend to be short works based on interesting ideas but lacking in plot and/or characters.
Landis' sparse, transparent prose style is perfect for the type of story he writes best. Like Joe Haldeman, who contributes a fitting introduction to the collection, Landis makes his stories seem deceptively simple in their execution.
Best known for writing Analog-style problem stories, Landis clearly writes within the historical traditions of the genre, but nevertheless demonstrates uncharacteristic emotional as well as intellectual depth in his stories. "A Walk in the Sun" uses a simple hard-SF concept to create a timeless classic of hard SF that could have been written any time in the past 60 years. "Across the Darkness" demonstrates all of Landis' strengths in a unique and touching tale of teen-age girls on a one-way voyage to the stars. "The Singular Habits of Wasps" is a tale that matches the classic Sherlock Holmes stories in concept, style, plot and character.
Small presses continue to publish excellent SF short-story collections, and this is one that will truly reward your efforts to find and read.
