Live Without a Net

Lou Anders edits Live Without A Net, a fine anthology of stories from masters of speculative fiction. 18 short stories diverge from the popular futuristic visions of a cyber-controlled future to consider alternative futures where cyberspace does NOT rule. Here you'll find winners by Brin, DiFilippo, and others who present startlingly different worlds.

This is an excellent compilation of stories. If you are interested in understanding how science fiction and fantasy are morphing into a new and facinating genre, then I highly recomend this book. It is a snapshot of the medium as it reaches a tipping point and shoots into the future. I have bought 4 books from authors whose short stories I read in this anthology. I highly recommend this book not only for the content, but also for the reading lists it will help you build.

The underlying premise to this eighteen story collection is based on no Internet communicating between the many to the many. This reviewer not only read the book, but also asked her college IT major son do so too (that in of itself is a miracle that he left the hyper realm for the printing realm). Based on this unscientific sample of two (still 67% of the household population), the reaction to the tales will differ depending on the age (and experiences) of the reader. Those ancient baby boomers and fountain of youth older generations know first hand an unwired world of dial phones in which the consumer could choose any color as long as it was black. To that group, the stories will seem like alternate history as it is not much of a stretch to believe that the alternatives might have been viable at one time. To those whose braces are wireless cell phones from the birthing room, the book will still find reading it fun, but it will feel more like a fantasy or science fiction anthology.The tales are cleverly written so that the much of the audience, regardless of age or experiences, will find LIVE WITHOUT A NET as an entertaining short story medley that is worth the time away from hyperspace HTML to enter the world of printing text.Harriet Klausner

For me the best picks from this volume are those where the authors really get to grips with the idea of a future that has not followed the usual technological route, particularly Di Filippo and Rucker. On the more traditional SFnal front Melko and Del Stone Jr provide more than the bigger names of Brin and Baxter, and Resnick/Kenyon, Hutchinson, Meaney and Stross provide top quality stuff. All in all, an interesting varied collection, and well worth the shelf-space....

This anthology was my first exposure to Lou Anders' work as an editor, and I found myself very, very impressed.I'm a choosy SF reader, and anthologies in particular drive me nuts. I've been rereading DANGEROUS VISIONS for years, and the one bright spot annually is Windling and Datlow's BEST FANTASY AND HORROR - basically, I have to be force-fed anything new.I was offered an advance copy of LIVE WITHOUT A NET, started reading with no small trepidation, and found myself devouring it. Anders' choices are stunningly good, and his taste in material impeccable. Swanwick, Roberson, and Meaney's contributions may be some of the finest short fiction I've ever read, and the rest of the material held a similar line of quality.Quit reading this and just go buy the book. Trust me - it's worth the price and then some.