The Eighth Science-Fiction Megapack
Posted by Jeff Soyer on Jul 6, 2014 in Science Fiction | 0 comments
This series has become a staple purchase for me. The Eighth Science-Fiction Megapack is a terrific bargain for just 99-cents. Hours — and I do mean hours — of enjoyable reading. I wasn’t crazy about the very first one, but following that, these books have presented a very nice, representative mix of the genre. Some stories are older, but most are of recent vintage, culled from various sci-fi magazines and collections of originals.
Several stories deserve special mention:
The True Dark, by Pamela Sargent is really a horror story that reminded me of Serling’s “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street,” but it’s way scarier.
Robots Don’t Cry, by Mike Resnick, is a superb account of a robot that remains loyal to a child long gone. It might seem a bit dusty in the room you’re reading it in
Way Down East, by Tim Sullivan, is the story of honoring an alien’s last wish. A humorous, though melancholy story (there are several in the collection).
Consequences of Steam, by Michael Hemmingson, is a time travel story — always a favorite of mine — about needing more than one try to ‘get it right’ in a desire to live in the past.
Outside Looking In, by Mark E. Burgess, is an action tale of the old theory that our universe might just be a lab experiment in some other universe. Clever ending.
After All, by Robert Reginald, is a weird (but in a good way) post-post-apocalyptic story about a survivor and his unusual friends.
Monkey On His Back, by Charles V. De Vet, reminds us that you can’t escape your past, especially a mercenary one.
My favorite, and worth the price of admission all by itself, is The Survivors, by Tom Godwin. This is a harrowing account of abandonment on and having to survive on a hostile, alien world type of story, but very well done, and if it takes a thousand years — revenge is still sweet. Nearly novel length, if you enjoyed the Genellan series by Scott Gier, you’ll love this entry.
The Eighth Science-Fiction Megapack is a winner!
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