Faraway and Forever by Nancy Joie Wilkie REVIEW

Summary:

This collection of novelettes takes the reader from the not-too-distant future to a time when travel between worlds is a common occurrence. Each stop along mankind's journey outward to the stars is accompanied by a deeper look inward - from examining how extraterrestrial beings might use out own biology against us to whether a human consciousness can survive in a virtual environment to how wishes are really granted. Original and thought-provoking, these stories - which include an interstellar religious thriller involving a second coming of Christ - will stimulate the intellect and engage the imagination.

My Thoughts:

"Once Upon a Helix" is the first story. Gunther Trent heads a program to find extraterrestrial life, which is a field that is now looked down upon because humanity has given up. He is woken up in the middle of the night by his assistant who excitedly tells him that there appears to be a message from life beyond Earth. Catherine Arkette is a biologist who discovers a previously unknown nucleotide. They unexpectedly meet and find out that what they found is connected. This was a really good first story. Despite being short, Gunther and Catherine are believable characters with a surprising amount of depth. I would love to read a full-length novel version of this.

"The Goldfire Project" is the second story. It follows Edwards, a pancreatic cancer patient who wants to find a way to keep living despite the fact that he is untreatable. He tries a couple of clinical trials, the first of which does nothing. The second involves uploading his conscience into a computer. This works, and Edwards meets Goldfire, an old artificial intelligence who has since developed a conscience and wants to experience heaven. When Edwards learns of the loneliness of being stuck inside a computer, he makes the decision to reverse the treatment and promises to take Goldfire back with him. I would also very much like to read a full-length novel version because this concept is so intriguing to me.  

"Half the Sky" follows Madison Mills, who lived her whole life in an orphanage on another planet. She finds out that her parents are still alive, and wrestles with whether she should meet them or not. She ends up seeking out her mother, and is disappointed, having herself question whether she wants to meet her father. I didn't like this one as much as the other ones. Madison is not nearly as developed as the previous characters, and the story seemed empty compared to the others.

"The Wishbringer" is about how wishes are granted. Jonathan, a reporter, visits another world where a man grows and harvests people's wishes and learns all about the process. He decides to make a wish of his own, but it happens in an odd way, leading him to unwish it at the end. In my opinion, this story was better than the previous one. It was a really interesting concept to me, and was done so well. I think that this one was perfect for the short story form.

"The Last Sunday of Summer" is about a girl named Summer who has been given the mission to deliver a religious text to Vatican Prime by a murdered nun. The text is considered to be hearsay on Solus II. This is probably my favorite of all the stories. There is just something so captivating about people who are so willing to risk death for their religion.

Overall, I would definitely recommend giving this set of short stories a try.

My Rating: 4 stars