A wonderful sampling of compelling sci-fi narratives.
The Beginning & End of All Things: Stories of Man is a collection of eleven intriguing science fiction stories from a variety of talented authors. The stories vary in length, pace and style, but all of them fit solidly into the sci-fi genre. In one post-apocalyptic tale titled Todd, artificial intelligence robots have ravaged the world, and one man finds that he is not alone. The first human he’s seen in a long time, Todd, provides him with a lesson on humanity. Another story, The Legend of Bucaris, introduces us to a utopian society where each citizen’s contribution to the good of society is rewarded in points. This game-like way of life encourages all residents to become a positive influence on the world in order to increase their points. However, the main character of the story, Jasa, discovers that not everything is as wonderful as it seems in paradise.
Despite having been written by nearly a dozen different authors, all of these stories have at least two things in common. Firstly, they are all exceptionally well written, quickly immersing readers in the world of each story. Secondly, they all provide plenty of fodder for meditation about humanity and where we as humans are heading. Some, such as The Park are brief and witty in a Twilight-zone-esque fashion, while others like The Zero are considerably longer and lean more toward the eerie side. If, like me, you enjoy visiting cleverly written science fiction worlds, The Beginning & End of All Things has you covered. This collection of stories, which is both entertaining and thought provoking, provides a wonderful sampling of compelling sci-fi narratives.
