Well written stories, but didn't go anywhere and were pretty dated. ( )

A medley of short science fiction, with a wide and vibrant range of ideas. There are touches of whimsy, spots of philosophy, prods at political and social ideas, and I found it an enjoyable read, if a bit dry at times and perhaps having too much "tell, don't show". I particularly enjoyed "The Small Stones of Tu Fu", the least scientific of them. Others sometimes felt short on characterisation, or slightly unclear; and in general there's quite a negative tone to the stories. At times, they felt quite dated, harping on Capitalism and Communism, or depicting women as wives or whores (occasionally with superficial social changes, like short-term marriage, that don't change the relationship dynamic). There's also a slightly uncomfortable tendency to depict the First/developed/white world against the Third/primitive/black world (his words, not mine), both in setting, and in characters' opinions. In general the sociopolitical contrasts and blocs, and people's ways of thinking, do tend to feel quite dated. Nevertheless, I found it an enjoyable and interesting read, with some entertaining sideways looks and a bit of poeticality. ( )