Book Reviews and More: Encounter Science Fiction Short Stories and Novella

Tuesday, 11 August 2020

Encounter Science Fiction Short Stories and Novella - A.K. Frailey

Encounter
Science Fiction Short Stories & Novella
A.K. Frailey
A. K. Frailey Books
ISBN 9781712512968
ASIN B08236RFBZ

I have only read one novel from A.K. Frailey. But have intended to read more of them, and even have a few on my device ready to go. I have enjoyed many of the stories and reflections she has shared links to via social media, and greatly enjoyed them. Last year when I found out she had released It Might Have Been: And Other Stories and a collection of reflections, Heart Beats: Spiritual Being Human Journey. I immediately picked up both. I loved both of them. When I found out she had a new collection out, this volume, I grabbed it immediately and started reading it that day.

The short stories in this volume are:

Rain from a Cloudless Sky – Old Earth
Mirror Image – Old Earth
The Human Question – Planet Lux
Horizon Line – 34 years After Old Earth
Enemy Self
Dedication – Newearth
Invasion – Newearth
I Never Had A Son – Planet Lux
Alicina’s Journal – Newearth Year 25
Eldars – My Father’s Vision – Planet Crestar
Life of Gorth – Ingilium
Lugg the Mighty and the Oskilth Civil War – Planet Crestar
Omega’s Homecoming – Mystery Planet
Omega’s Creation – Mystery Planet
Hope’s Embrace: A Bhuaci Poem – Planet Helm
Save Our People From Despair – Planet Helm
This Devil Doesn’t Lie – Newearth
From Machine to Man – Newearth
Off-World Faith – Newearth
Romantic Reality – Newearth
Trust Me – Newearth
Never Forget – Planet Sectine II
Mirage – Mystery Planet
Mirage-Reborn – Newearth
Mirage-Reborn – We Are LuKan – Mirage Reborn
A New Life for Lucius Pollex – Space Alliance
Grace Nelson’s Murder – Newearth
Vera’s Wigs – Newearth
Jeremy Quinn – Bothmal Prison
Xavier Pax’s Illusion – Newearth Spaceship Docks
Yelsa’s Choice – Newearth
Jazzmarie – Spaceship Merrimack
Riko’s Uncle Clem – Newearth
Common Destiny – Newearth
Now I See – Old Earth
Out Last The Ages – Old Earth
They Might Be Right – Old Earth
Live – Old Earth
Impossible Beings – Old Earth
The Great Wall – Old Earth
We Would Cry – Old Earth
Of Gods and Men – Old Earth
That’s What Turns Heads – Old Earth
The Play Is The Thing – Old Earth
A Fresh Thought – Old Earth
Speck in the Universe – Old Earth
Live With That – Old Earth
A Tie That Can’t be Broken – Old Earth

The novella is:
To Make a Difference

Some of the characters and places in this collection are familiar from other works of Frailey’s that I have read. So in part it was like a visit with old friends. This collection is just shy of 400 pages of masterfully written stories. It is immensely entertaining.

After reading this collection I need to bump her unread novels way up in my ‘to be read pile’. I would need to read the collection again in order to pick a favorite story. There were so many great ones in the collection. Again while reading this collection I also thought about J.F. Powers, Powers was a master of short fiction. In his lifetime of work, he published 2 novels, and 5 collections of short stories. But both novels had multiple chapters that had been previous published as shorter fiction. I would love to see some of these pieces resurrected into a larger work. And know that I need to read the entire canon of Frailey’s fiction to put all the different stories into place. This is a great collection of short fiction. I only wish there was an index, or table of contents, but other than that it is another excellent collection, that I highly recommend. Check it out I am certain you will not be disappointed.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!