cover image Stellaris: People of the Stars

Stellaris: People of the Stars

Edited by Les Johnson and Robert E. Hampson. Baen, $16 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-4814-8425-1

This grab-bag anthology proves that scientific fiction and scientific speculation don’t always hold the same appeal. The compilation of futuristic tales and science-backed essays spans an array of speculative topics around what human life among the stars might look like. In William Ledbetter’s “Bridging,” spy Judel learns that Earth plans to harmfully colonize the alien world of his beloved Sofie. Johnson’s own “Nanny” contrasts the perspectives of Manuel Delance, the first officer for a 35-year mission to populate a new planet, and Angela, a young woman artificially birthed on the planet years later. The editors’ essay, “Homo Stellaris,” is an in-depth but puzzling theorization of how to best send humans to live on other worlds. Though some stories offer a captivating vision of life in the future, the entertainment factor is often cut short by harsh scientific pedantry. Readers hoping for the traditional awe of space fantasy will feel jostled by this compendium of mismatched voices. (Sept.)