Books: The Year`s Top Hard Science Fiction Stories Vol. 4

 (Drivebycuriosity) -   I love science fiction. But I get often disappointed. Most of the so-called sci-fi books and movies tell just fantasy stories about wizards, dragons & princesses or post-apocalyptic horror stories. It became increasingly challenging to find real "science fiction", stories & novels which have science in it and are not pure fairy tales. So I am searching for hard science fiction which blends entertainment with sciences like physics, chemistry, biology, evolution and more.

Fortunately I found the anthology series "The Year`s Top Hard Science Fiction Stories" edited by Allan Kaster (amazon).  I just finished reading Vol. 4 which presented 15  stories originally published in the year 2019 (432 pages). Many stories are optimistic and deliver a "we can do it" message. They are pro science, pro technology and pro progress.

 There are 2 gems at least:

"At the Fall" by Alec Nevala-Lee. The story follows Eunice, a smart aquatic creature equipped with an artificial intelligence. Eunice was developed by scientists who want to protect the fauna on the ground of the ocean ground which might be endangered by mining rare metals. "At the Fall" blends lots of chemistry and ocean biology with a gripping story (this is a spoiler free blog).

 "This is Not the Way Home" by Greg Egan. Aisha had won a trip to the moon where she is supposed to stay a week, but complications arrive. The Australian author wrote a thriller based on physics & mechanics with a lot information about possible live on moon.

There are more appealing pieces, including another story by Greg Egan: "The Slipway".  Suddenly a strange new group of stars appears in the sky and keeps the scientists puzzling.  The fascinating story contains a lot of cosmology, physics and mathematics even though there are no equation lots of mathematics - pure hard science fiction as its finest.

There are more stories I enjoyed, including "On the Shore of Ligea" by Carolyn Ives Gilman. Seth is an astrobiologist who lives in Sweden. From there he remote controls a device on Titan, the biggest moon of Saturn, which leads to complication. A perfect blend of science and entertainment. 

"Sacrificial Iron" by Ted Kosmatka.  Doctor Nasmeth and Jason Zaya are the only passengers awake on a space ship on a centuries long journey to some the problem: They don´t like each other.

"The little Shepherdess" by Gwyneth Jones. Another story about mining on the ocean ground and its influence on deep sea fauna.

"The Ocean between the Leavers" by Ray Nayler. a young woman who works a a gardener in Istanbul, got stung by thorns which does a lot harm to her body. "The Ocean" is strange & surreal - not really science fiction - but I loved the style.

I really enjoyed the book and I learned a lot. I am looking forward to read the next volume of this series. In the moment of writing the Kindle version costs just $5.99 - a bargain.