Strange Worlds

by Paul Clayton

[Kim Deister]

This collection of short stories was an extremely interesting read. In the warning above, the author states that these stories present thought-provoking moral situations and this was an accurate statement. There is a very definite school of thought behind these stories, and I am fairly certain that my personal beliefs and views are probably not the demographic for which this anthology was intended. However, this didn't in any way impede me from the deep thought and intellectual consideration that these stories inspire. It is safe to say that perhaps I took different messages from some of the stories than that which may have been intended, but that is the beauty of it... the ability to take something from them.

The Thing in the Box was not a happy story, but one filled with issues that challenge you to really think about life and priorities. There are themes of race and eugenics/selective breeding presented in a very stark and disturbing way. This was a story that has stuck with me, long after reading it. Remembering Mandy, too, was a story that makes you think about the value of technology and priorities in life. Just how much technology is too much? What is important to you, to important to sell out? I think my favorite story was Anything, a story that truly challenges you to think about human life, the value of it, and how far you would go to preserve it. This one was disturbing to me on so many levels, but one that caused me to really examine some things. Gentle One was another story that makes you look at humanity and the inherent prejudices that come along with it. The prejudice in this one is very extreme, but it makes a valid point about how the same issue can be seen so very differently. The final story in the anthology, 2038: San Francisco Sojourn; The Wrath of God, was disturbing in a different way. This presents a dystopian future with deep religious tones, very hell and brimstone. The world created is one that I hope never comes to pass.

The stories in this anthology make the reader think. They challenge beliefs and values and take you places that may disturb you. They all reflect a future that is plausible in reality, which truly deepens the "creepy" factor of the issues presented. In that way, these stories carry a bit of a cautionary warning. There are moral messages in them, many of which are definite statements on the presence or loss of faith. Again, because of my own personal values and beliefs, it is highly likely that I took a different perspective on many of these stories.

Things to love about Strange Worlds...

--The pull to challenge one's values, beliefs, and opinions on some rather intense issues.
-- he potential for some of these stories to represent a plausible future in our own reality.

My recommendation: A deeply intense read that will really make you think!