Shine: a collection of gems that throw light on a brighter future. Some of the world’s most talented SF writers (including Alastair Reynolds, Kay Keyon and Jason Stoddard) show how things can change for the better. From gritty polyannas to workable futures, from hard-fought progress to a better tomorrow; heart-warming and mind-expanding stories that will (re-) awaken the optimist in you!
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About the Author
Jetse de Vries has been writing SF since 1999 and had his first story published in 2003. He’s been part of the editorial team for renowned SF magazine. Shine is his first anthology.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Detra Fitch
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The Earth of Yunhe by Eric Gregory
The world is covered in ash. One young man can revive it all. Problem is that no one in his home town believes him.
**** 4 Stars! Optimistic. Imaginative. A good start to the anthology. ****
The Greenman Watches the Black Bar Go Up, Up, Up by Jacques Barcia
A mysterious group of young people ask a self-employed sustainability analyst to do some very quick work for them. But what is the real product and what is really going on?
**** 4 Stars! Mysterious, vague, and a bit confusing until all the pieces begin to fall into place. ****
Overhead by Jason Stoddard
Insurance scams are all around. FOLR (Fund of Last Resort) has a small colony on the moon. When ruthless corporation big-heads decide to stop everything, those on the moon do what they must.
***** 5 Stars! So possible that it makes me shiver in fear for the future. Outstanding! *****
Summer Ice by Holly Phillips
The city has morphed from wealth to poverty. Water is scarce, lawns and parks are gone, and people labor over needed plants. Heat abounds. Can someone ever call such a place home?
**** 4 Stars! Basically a story of acceptance and moving onward to make things better. Well written and gripping. ****
Sustainable Development by Paula R. Stiles
In a small African village, the men have their robotic toys and the women have their mind-numbing work. That is, until the ladies find the right attachments.
**** 4 Stars! Very short story and very well done. ****
The Church of Accelerated Redemption by Gareth L. Powell & Aliette de Bodard
Does an AI simply execute its programmed instructions or can it actually become genuinely intelligent?
**** 4 Stars! Though the plot line about machines becoming self-aware is not new, this story will give you a short pause. Interesting and compelling. ****
The Solnet Ascendancy by Lavie Tidhar
A small backward island, not even with internet capabilities. But what if, by using old and discarded equipment, the internet can be accessed? What if the locals soak up knowledge like a sponge? And what if the environment even lends a hand?
**** 4 Stars! An optimistic, rags-to-riches story. Written in such a way that all can easily understand, be they DOS-illiterate or total geek-gurus. ****
Twittering the Stars by Mari Ness
A five-man crew has been sent out to mine lithium and iridium from an asteroid on the other side of the galaxy.
***** 5 Stars! This story follows the female microbiologist who is in charge of the plants. The entire story is written as if she is sending very short messages to various of her friends back on Earth. She is using the Twitter site, so the last message she sent is the first seen in the story. This means I, as the reader, must start from the end of the story and read backwards to the beginning (if I want to read the messages in order of events as they happen). As I began, I thought this would be the worst story in the anthology. Once finished, I concluded this story to be the absolute best! I read it twice. Stellar! *****
Seeds by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A company has made the perfect seed. But nothing is ever really perfect.
**** 4 Stars! Very short story and well done. ****
At Budokan by Alastair Reynolds
People in the music business are always looking for the next big thing. This time they think outside the box.
**** 4 Stars! I admit that this one creeped me out a bit. Interesting look at the future of music. ****
Sarging Rasmussen: A Report (by Organic) by Gord Sellar
What if you could use pick up lines for saving the Earth? And what would happen if you teamed up with someone your equal when it came to smoozing others?
*** 3 Stars! This shows how slick some are at networking. Good story. I must admit thought, Organic reminds me of a shady used car salesman. ***
Scheherazade Cast in Starlight by Jason Andrew
As a government attempts to oppress its citizens, especially the females, one young lady fights back.
*** 3 Stars! A very short story set in Iran. An optimistic look forward. ***
Russian Roulette 2020 by Eva Maria Chapman
In a future where most everyone is hooked up to the internet via gadgets, such as computers in the form of a sleeve worn wrapped around an arm, there are still some that only use the net sparingly.
**** 4 Stars! An interesting story. Well written with believable characters. ****
Castoff World by Kay Kenyon
Child is almost seven-years-old. She and her Grappa live on a small ship made out of refuge. Nora began as a seed with nanobots. She was put into the ocean and programmed to clean up the garbage. Nora made the small refuge ship. Though Grappa did not seem to believe it, Nora has been getting smarter. When Child is finally all alone on the ship, Nora continues to take care of her.
***** 5 Stars! A fascinating blend of primitive and high tech. This story grabbed me quickly, getting better and better as I read onward. *****
Paul Kishosha's Children by Ken Edgett
When Paul finds out his mother is dying, he leaves the States and returns to Tanzania. Leaving his NASA career behind, Paul begins teaching children about the planets. He captures their attentions by using characters from a story he had made up long ago about a Martian named Joe.
**** 4 Stars! A light-hearted story. The author has done a great job blending together outer space and down-home Earth. ****
Ishin by Madeline Ashby
Ishin is a surveillance co-op involving tiny unmanned aerial systems. But these two men deal with more than simply Tink.
**** 4 Stars! A bit confusing at times, but also an interesting look at tiny surveillance possibilities. Very enjoyable. ****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
The world is covered in ash. One young man can revive it all. Problem is that no one in his home town believes him.
**** 4 Stars! Optimistic. Imaginative. A good start to the anthology. ****
The Greenman Watches the Black Bar Go Up, Up, Up by Jacques Barcia
A mysterious group of young people ask a self-employed sustainability analyst to do some very quick work for them. But what is the real product and what is really going on?
**** 4 Stars! Mysterious, vague, and a bit confusing until all the pieces begin to fall into place. ****
Overhead by Jason Stoddard
Insurance scams are all around. FOLR (Fund of Last Resort) has a small colony on the moon. When ruthless corporation big-heads decide to stop everything, those on the moon do what they must.
***** 5 Stars! So possible that it makes me shiver in fear for the future. Outstanding! *****
Summer Ice by Holly Phillips
The city has morphed from wealth to poverty. Water is scarce, lawns and parks are gone, and people labor over needed plants. Heat abounds. Can someone ever call such a place home?
**** 4 Stars! Basically a story of acceptance and moving onward to make things better. Well written and gripping. ****
Sustainable Development by Paula R. Stiles
In a small African village, the men have their robotic toys and the women have their mind-numbing work. That is, until the ladies find the right attachments.
**** 4 Stars! Very short story and very well done. ****
The Church of Accelerated Redemption by Gareth L. Powell & Aliette de Bodard
Does an AI simply execute its programmed instructions or can it actually become genuinely intelligent?
**** 4 Stars! Though the plot line about machines becoming self-aware is not new, this story will give you a short pause. Interesting and compelling. ****
The Solnet Ascendancy by Lavie Tidhar
A small backward island, not even with internet capabilities. But what if, by using old and discarded equipment, the internet can be accessed? What if the locals soak up knowledge like a sponge? And what if the environment even lends a hand?
**** 4 Stars! An optimistic, rags-to-riches story. Written in such a way that all can easily understand, be they DOS-illiterate or total geek-gurus. ****
Twittering the Stars by Mari Ness
A five-man crew has been sent out to mine lithium and iridium from an asteroid on the other side of the galaxy.
***** 5 Stars! This story follows the female microbiologist who is in charge of the plants. The entire story is written as if she is sending very short messages to various of her friends back on Earth. She is using the Twitter site, so the last message she sent is the first seen in the story. This means I, as the reader, must start from the end of the story and read backwards to the beginning (if I want to read the messages in order of events as they happen). As I began, I thought this would be the worst story in the anthology. Once finished, I concluded this story to be the absolute best! I read it twice. Stellar! *****
Seeds by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A company has made the perfect seed. But nothing is ever really perfect.
**** 4 Stars! Very short story and well done. ****
At Budokan by Alastair Reynolds
People in the music business are always looking for the next big thing. This time they think outside the box.
**** 4 Stars! I admit that this one creeped me out a bit. Interesting look at the future of music. ****
Sarging Rasmussen: A Report (by Organic) by Gord Sellar
What if you could use pick up lines for saving the Earth? And what would happen if you teamed up with someone your equal when it came to smoozing others?
*** 3 Stars! This shows how slick some are at networking. Good story. I must admit thought, Organic reminds me of a shady used car salesman. ***
Scheherazade Cast in Starlight by Jason Andrew
As a government attempts to oppress its citizens, especially the females, one young lady fights back.
*** 3 Stars! A very short story set in Iran. An optimistic look forward. ***
Russian Roulette 2020 by Eva Maria Chapman
In a future where most everyone is hooked up to the internet via gadgets, such as computers in the form of a sleeve worn wrapped around an arm, there are still some that only use the net sparingly.
**** 4 Stars! An interesting story. Well written with believable characters. ****
Castoff World by Kay Kenyon
Child is almost seven-years-old. She and her Grappa live on a small ship made out of refuge. Nora began as a seed with nanobots. She was put into the ocean and programmed to clean up the garbage. Nora made the small refuge ship. Though Grappa did not seem to believe it, Nora has been getting smarter. When Child is finally all alone on the ship, Nora continues to take care of her.
***** 5 Stars! A fascinating blend of primitive and high tech. This story grabbed me quickly, getting better and better as I read onward. *****
Paul Kishosha's Children by Ken Edgett
When Paul finds out his mother is dying, he leaves the States and returns to Tanzania. Leaving his NASA career behind, Paul begins teaching children about the planets. He captures their attentions by using characters from a story he had made up long ago about a Martian named Joe.
**** 4 Stars! A light-hearted story. The author has done a great job blending together outer space and down-home Earth. ****
Ishin by Madeline Ashby
Ishin is a surveillance co-op involving tiny unmanned aerial systems. But these two men deal with more than simply Tink.
**** 4 Stars! A bit confusing at times, but also an interesting look at tiny surveillance possibilities. Very enjoyable. ****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Science fiction is not a cheerful genre. You might think that people preoccupied with the future would be purveyors of all that is happy and uplifting-flying cars, wonder cures, brave new worlds, friendly aliens, robot maids-a merry universe filled with optimistic geekery.
You'd be wrong, mostly. Oh, the happy-sappy stuff is out there, but it's dominated by gloomy, grimy, horrific tales of Humanity Gone Wrong. Stories that wake you in the wee hours to whisper in your ear, "You will all die-or you will desperately wish you had."
Enter Shine, "an anthology of near-future optimistic science fiction." Editor Jan de Vries has collected 16 stories with a common theme: There is hope for the future. Is he peddling naive visions of rainbows and lollipops? Hardly. de Vries is convinced that getting to the future is going to be an uphill climb. It will require blood, sweat, and ingenuity. We will fall along the way, and we will pick ourselves up and keep going. We will never surrender, and we will win through.
Lofty sentiments-more worthy, I think, than your run-of-the-mill apocalyptic death cult dystopias, though I expect it will take something more than a stiff upper lip to set things right on `ol Terra del Sol, and I consider myself an optimist.
At any rate, these are some thoughtful, well-written stories that don't settle for easy answers. Like all speculative fiction, they are children of the times that spawned them. There's a preoccupation with Green issues and technology. Transhumanism, the melding of mind and machine, pops up quite a bit. There are fewer space travel/colonization stories than I expected, but Shine focuses on the near future, wrestling with problems we experience now or expect soon. The authors are multinational, offering some fresh perspectives set in unusual locales.
An exhaustive review of all the stories would be too time-consuming, and I've rambled enough. It's a good anthology. If you're hankering for optimistic, sophisticated sci-fi, it's here. Buy, read, enjoy, and prepare to be challenged a little. A few of the stories include rough language and adult situations, so if you're sensitive to that, be forewarned.
You'd be wrong, mostly. Oh, the happy-sappy stuff is out there, but it's dominated by gloomy, grimy, horrific tales of Humanity Gone Wrong. Stories that wake you in the wee hours to whisper in your ear, "You will all die-or you will desperately wish you had."
Enter Shine, "an anthology of near-future optimistic science fiction." Editor Jan de Vries has collected 16 stories with a common theme: There is hope for the future. Is he peddling naive visions of rainbows and lollipops? Hardly. de Vries is convinced that getting to the future is going to be an uphill climb. It will require blood, sweat, and ingenuity. We will fall along the way, and we will pick ourselves up and keep going. We will never surrender, and we will win through.
Lofty sentiments-more worthy, I think, than your run-of-the-mill apocalyptic death cult dystopias, though I expect it will take something more than a stiff upper lip to set things right on `ol Terra del Sol, and I consider myself an optimist.
At any rate, these are some thoughtful, well-written stories that don't settle for easy answers. Like all speculative fiction, they are children of the times that spawned them. There's a preoccupation with Green issues and technology. Transhumanism, the melding of mind and machine, pops up quite a bit. There are fewer space travel/colonization stories than I expected, but Shine focuses on the near future, wrestling with problems we experience now or expect soon. The authors are multinational, offering some fresh perspectives set in unusual locales.
An exhaustive review of all the stories would be too time-consuming, and I've rambled enough. It's a good anthology. If you're hankering for optimistic, sophisticated sci-fi, it's here. Buy, read, enjoy, and prepare to be challenged a little. A few of the stories include rough language and adult situations, so if you're sensitive to that, be forewarned.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By M. Serruya
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
What a great idea! A refreshing change from dystopian visions yet in a manner that isn't really 'utopian' either, but intelligently optimistic.
My favorites were:
The Earth of Yunhe by Eric Gregory
Summer Ice by Holly Phillips
Overhead by Jason Stoddard
Church of Accelerated Redemption, Gareth L. Powell & Aliette de Bodard
Russian Roulette 2020 by Eva Maria Chapman
Although not the most 'sci-fi-ish' or technical, Holy Phillip's piece was by far the most beautifully written, reminiscent of Walker Percy, Michael Chabon and Virginia Woolf. In this sense she might be a kind of heir to Ray Bradbury in bringing such skill with style and metaphor to the sci-fi genre.
I feel like Russian Roulette 2020 would be a great story to assign to teenagers and discuss- the author definitely has her fingers on the pulse of 2010.
Stoddard, Powell & de Bodard and Gregory's stories have clever ideas, pacing and make you want to jump up and cheer.
I heartily look forward to reading more stories by these authors and more anthologies by this editor.
My favorites were:
The Earth of Yunhe by Eric Gregory
Summer Ice by Holly Phillips
Overhead by Jason Stoddard
Church of Accelerated Redemption, Gareth L. Powell & Aliette de Bodard
Russian Roulette 2020 by Eva Maria Chapman
Although not the most 'sci-fi-ish' or technical, Holy Phillip's piece was by far the most beautifully written, reminiscent of Walker Percy, Michael Chabon and Virginia Woolf. In this sense she might be a kind of heir to Ray Bradbury in bringing such skill with style and metaphor to the sci-fi genre.
I feel like Russian Roulette 2020 would be a great story to assign to teenagers and discuss- the author definitely has her fingers on the pulse of 2010.
Stoddard, Powell & de Bodard and Gregory's stories have clever ideas, pacing and make you want to jump up and cheer.
I heartily look forward to reading more stories by these authors and more anthologies by this editor.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The future is up to you. Get to work!
Most people seem to seek optimism through religious belief. In a sense, religious documents such as the Bible were the first science fiction stories, imaging how the world was... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Modesty Press
1.0 out of 5 stars
I wanted to believe...
SHINE is a sadly depressing collection of dark stories, which are set in a dystopian nightmare world of tomorrow. Read more
Published 23 months ago by E.S.S.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth Plundering and Well-Edited
When I'm running low on new authors, I buy an anthology. I found _Shine_ when it was mentioned as proof-of-life in an [otherwise mediocre] article re-hashing the "Is Science... Read more
Published on March 20, 2011 by SEM
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good stories, just not my type
The stories all appear to be well-written but I didn't make it past the first few pages for most of them.
Just not my type of sci fi. Read more
Just not my type of sci fi. Read more
Published on February 8, 2011 by Learner
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