I ain't dead yet

I think I'm finally starting to get better. For the last few days all I've done is sleep, sleep, and sleep. I've been so wiped out by this cold that I haven't even been reading. Today I managed to stay conscious most of the day, which is a notable change. During this strange fit of consciousness I got some housework done.

reading (Future Boston)

On March 4th I started re-reading "Future Boston." I finished it in the midst of my fever on the 7th. I think this is the fourth time I've read this book in its entirety, along with reading some of the stories in it when they were first printed in "Asimov's" back in the day. If you couldn't tell by the fact that I've read it multiple times, I'll say right up front I like this book a lot. I'll save my personal reasons for liking it for a different post because it has as much to do with my life as it does the book.

"Future Boston" is a collection of short stories written by a handful of authors. All the stories take place in a shared universe with characters overlapping here and there. The book runs chronologically from what was the near future when it was published (1990) to a century later. All of the stories take place within the metro area of Boston, as the title implies.

The winners here are the early stories. They flow along naturally, each providing independent story while showing progress in the shared universe. Some of the later stories begin to feel pasted together and premeditated. Despite the superstructure showing through here and there, the overall collection is strong. The authors set out to accomplish something unusual and I think they succeeded.

19 "Future Boston" edited by David Alexander Smith