Book Reviews and More: Stargazer

Friday, 11 October 2024

Stargazer - Cedar Sanderson

Stargazer

Cedar Sanderson

StonyCroft Publishing

ASIN B0079O9W1S

This is the twenty-fourth volume from the masterful pen of Sanderson that I have read. This one was originally published or has a copyright date of 2012, long before I heard about her and her works.

The description of this volume states:

“A short story of a woman who looks to the stars as she tries to protect her children and offer them a future. In a world with no escape for those who cannot undergo a genescan, a fugitive mother has vanishingly few options left to her. Ultimately, only her sacrifice can change the world… but what becomes of the children?””

About Cedar at the front of this volume we are informed:

“Cedar Sanderson, mother of four and aspiring author, grew up without television in the Alaskan bush. This and learning to read at age four have skewed her world toward books. A house full of books and a part-time librarian job keep that going to this very day. She writes what she wants to read herself, and hopes someday her children will like her books. Until then, they all live together on a farm in New Hampshire and read late into the night. She writes because she can't help it, gets a story stuck in her head and has to write it out or it bothers her. Which has led to enjoying the crafting of stories over the years, but she didn't seek to become published for a long time - she was content just to write. Now, she'd like to share some of her work. She has been published in the ezine Something Wicked.”

Unlike some of her other short works she does not give us any information on the origin of this story. Which is a great pity as there is so much I would like to know about this story and how it came to be. I am also curios about the events after this story. If there was scanning at the spaceport did someone ever come after them? Did the world change and it what ways. And did our good Doctor keep his promises and what lengths did he need to go to do so. I finished this 5 days ago and am still often thinking about it.

This was a very powerful little story. From the get go we know there is not going to be a happy ending for all. But the events that transpire over these few pages leave a lasting imprint.

I first encountered the works of Cedar several years back in Cracked: An Anthology of Eggsellent Chicken Stories, and after reading her piece there knew I had to track down and read more from her pen. I was asked recently why I keep mentioning this anthology in my reviews of Cedar’s books, in part it was just an excellent anthology, in part there are several contributors whom I am trying to read all their books now, and in part because I am so thankful to have stumbled upon Cedar’s works in it!

Another excellent read from the pen of Sanderson. I have been terribly impressed with all of Sanderson’s writing that I have read including those published under the name of Lilania Begley. I can easily recommend this story if you like it a story told in a classic science fiction manner. In some ways in reminds me of some of the Alfred Bester I have read. An excellent story I can easily recommend.

Books by Cedar Sanderson:

Lab Gremlins

Warp Resonance

The Dwarf's Dryad

One-Eyed Dragon

Memories of the Abyss

Little Red-Hood and the Wolf-man

The Violet Mouse

Stargazer

The Eternity Symbiote

Plant Life

Sugar Skull