Ten Sigmas & Other Unlikelihoods (Paperback)

~ Paul Melko (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In the volume-opening title story, the nearly omniscient narrator sees a bloody, gagged woman in a truck, tries to prevent her death, and what happens next becomes a clever take on the familiar sf many-worlds device. “The Teosinte War” riffs fascinatingly on what might have happened were the Americas more densely populated when Europeans arrived, not to mention on the ethics of time travel. In the closer, “Snail Stones,” a couple of kids on a colony world discover that one of the native snails is being kept illegally by a jeweler who abuses it for his own gain; they fix the problem. Also on hand are vignettes from the universe of his just-published first novel, Singularity’s Ring, including “Strength Alone,” which opens that book, and “Summer of the Seven,” which takes on the issues of adolescence for a six-part person—and didn’t make it into the novel. All told, a satisfyingly meaty little collection, showing great potential for future work. --Regina Schroeder

Product Description

Paul Melko's first story collection pulls together the best of his science fiction, including the title story, "Ten Sigmas" and "Singletons in Love," both of which were reprinted in The Year's Best Science Fiction, edited by Gardner Dozois. Also in the collection is "Walls of the Universe," a short list finalist for the Nebula, Hugo and Sturgeon Awards in 2007. Several stories are set in the universe of his first novel, Singularity's Ring, from TOR Books in February 2008.

Product Details

• Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Fairwood Press, Inc (March 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978907868
• ISBN-13: 978-0978907860
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #948,344 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome collection!, May 8, 2008

By	Shaun Duke "Arconna" (Santa Cruz, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ten Sigmas is a short story collection from Fairwood Press, an independent, small press due out on March 14th. All of the stories have been published before, but for those that haven't read any of Melko's work this is a great quick-boot into his work, especially since Melko is a relatively new voice (he has a novel out called Singularity's Ring; the world that it is set in is the same world as three of the stories in this collection).
Ten Sigmas is an amazing collection of stories. It explodes with the title piece "Ten Sigmas", about a man connected to all his other selfs in alternate worlds and trying to stop a crime, and never lets up. Each story is unique and fantastic, and pretty much all of them are science fiction--except for the superhero one, which might be SF or it could be fantasy, or something else. The pod stories ("The Summer of the Seven", "Singletons In Love", and "Strength Alone") explore the future of a world where the Internet isn't the 'new wave' anymore, but collections of bonded humans, called pods, working together and sharing a consciousness are. There's even a story about traveling into other worlds ("Walls of the Universe") and one about the dangers of fiddling with the past ("The Teosinthe War"). I found myself engaged from start to finish, even during that superhero story ("Doctor Mighty and the Case of Ennui"), which had me smiling with it's exaggeration of the superhero cliches. There are more, of course, and each really pushes this collection into my top ten list for the year. They deal with issues of humanity and difference; the ethics of science and the stresses of inter-universe travel; single-consciousness and collective consciousness; the revenge of a former lover in a world of advanced policing technology and the genetic alteration and mistreatment of animals. Such a wide range of ideas and concepts give this collection the right touch of variation it needs to succeed.
Melko is truly a powerful voice in SF, if these stories are any indication of his talent. I think Robert J. Sawyer was right. There is a blurb on the cover that says "A stellar new talent." I agree, Melko is a fantastic new talent. There's something to be said about someone who can take a POV tense that I dislike and make me love it ("Ten Sigmas" for example). Science never gets in the way, but seems to enhance the stories that really utilize it, giving a realistic feel. I'd never really heard of Melko before this and now I'm really grateful to have had the opportunity to read some of his work. He is brilliant and original. It's hard to pick favorites here. I actually love all of these stories. That being said, if you like SF in the short form, this is a great collection to consider. Ten Sigmas is a great representation of just how good the short form still is (despite falling subscription sales).

(I've also done an interview with the author located here: [...])

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Promising, June 28, 2009

By	Bob E "ratman" (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews

Just when you think SF is dying, a talent like Melko comes along. Still early in his career, Melko has come up with two great shticks on which to build more stories and novels. This beautifully crafted collection includes examples of both, the alternant universe theme and the pod people theme. He has novels out using both themes that I intend to read next.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A collection of twelve fine science fiction tales, July 9, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

A collection of twelve fine science fiction tales, "Ten Sigmas & Other Unlikelihoods" is a deftly written anthology from author Paul Meiko, cited by Publisher's Weekly as a writer to watch. Filled with intriguing and interesting characters throughout, "Ten Sigmas & Other Unlikelihoods" is a top pick for anyone seeking a good science fiction short story collection and for community library collections. Also from Fairwood Press in the department of fine short fiction is "Where Angels Fear", by Ken Rand.