Future Washington (Paperback)

~ Ernest Lilley (Editor), Mike Clarke (Illustrator), Jane Lindskold (Collaborator), James Alan Gardner (Collaborator), Edward M. Lerner Steven Sawicki (Collaborator), Travis Taylor Jack McDevitt (Collaborator), B.A. Chepaitis Brenda W. Clough (Collaborator), Joe Haldeman Kim Stanley Robinson (Collaborator), L. Neil Smith Nancy Jane Moore (Collaborator), Sean McMullen Thomas Harlan (Collaborator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Future Washington is a collection of stories by noted science fiction writers from around the world, and the political spectrum, which looks at possible futures for the US capitol. Throughout the collection, Washington is faced with challenge after challenge, leading novelist and futurist Bruce Sterling to comment:

"…it sure was interesting that Washington is wrecked, drowned or comprehensively destroyed in practically every story in your collection."

But that’s not really surprising, because the future (and any good stories) is expected to be full of challenge. The important thing to take away from these stories is how the residents rise to meet those challenges, be they the rise of theocracy or the waters of the Potomac.

Colleen Cahill (Recommending Officer for Science Fiction and Fantasy at the Library of Congress) wrote:

"(these) stories take us to a D.C. that might be, with visions both light and dark, containing destruction, growth, humor and serious thought…whether the US government is alive and well, transformed by time or a distant memory, all the stories include a hint of the D.C. of today, making this a book for those of us who have lived or currently live in or near the city. It is the great writing and interesting visions of the future that make this a work for any who enjoying good reading." --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

A Word about WSFA

The Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) was started in 1947 by seven science fiction fans who met at that year’s Philadelphia Worldcon.

The association holds an annual convention, Capclave, held in the capitol area. Capclave 2005 will be held October 14-16 at the Hilton Washington Silver Spring with guests of honor Howard Waldrop, Patrick Nielson Hayden, and Teresa Nielsen Hayden.

You can visit our website and come by in October for Capclave…if you happen to be in Washington in the future.

Other books by WSFA Press: The Father of Stones by Lucius Shepard Through Darkest Resnick with Gun and Camera by Mike Resnick The Edges of Things by Lewis Shiner Home by the Sea by Pat Cadigan Jacket art by Mike Clarke Jacket design by Paul Haggerty and Ernest Lilley WSFA Press Washington Science Fiction Association, Inc., 10404 43rd Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705 . --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 290 pages
• Publisher: Wsfa Press (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962172545
• ISBN-13: 978-0962172540
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,574,585 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Is there a future for Washington DC ?, December 6, 2005

By	Gayle Surrette "omnivorous reader" (Brandywine, Maryland) - See all my reviews

Future Washington contains 16 stories from a variety of authors most usually not found in anthologies. The stories posit many different futures for the DC but most are dark and distopian in one way or another.

"Primate in the Forest" by Kim Stanley Robinson, "Hothouse" by Thomas Harlan, "Civil Disobedience" by Joe Haldeman, all have the area suffering from one degree of global warming or another as background.

"Ignition" by Jack McDevitt gives us an idea of what can happen with fundamental religion take over. Paranoia takes over a computer geek in Edward M. Lerner's "The Day of the RFIDs" but is he really that paranoid?

Jane Lindskold in "Tgers in the Capitol" has the original designer of the capitol area who is not all that happy with what was done with his designs. "Hallowe'en Party" by Nancy Jane Moore is basically directions and instructions for a future party in the DC area (the directions are only slightly off from those you'd get if you lived in this security conscious area now).

"Agenda" by Travis Taylor, "A Well-Dressed Fear" by B.A. Chepaities, "The Lone and Level Sands" by L. Neil Smith, "Hail to the Chief" by Allen M. Steele, and "The Empire of the Willing" by Sean McMullen, all deal with politics and intrigue on one level or another.

"Mr. Zmith Goes to Washington" by Steven Sawicki has my favorite aliens (from sfrevu.com's Damned Aliens Column) drop in for a Senate Hearing. "Indiana Wants Me" by Brenda W. Clough gives a look at what could happen to the DC area if Congress moved elsewhere. "Human Readable" by Cory Doctorow deals with the concept of who has access to IT and will it be economic status blind. "Shopping at the Mall" by James Alan Gardner give us a view of what would happen if Americans just disappeared one day.

All in all, there are stories to make you laugh out loud, shake your head in frustration, dispair, and agreement. Those that make you think maybe you should pay just a bit more attention to what are leaders are doing FOR/TO us in DC. Every story is strong with character, place, and plot. It's a good buy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clarification, August 15, 2006

By	Ed Lerner - See all my reviews

The story "The Day of the RFIDs," alluded to in the Daniel Miller review as a highlight of the FUTURE WASHINGTON collection, was actually written by Edward M. Lerner.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as I expected it to be, August 5, 2006

By	Daniel Miller (Washington, DC, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was kind of disappointed with this book, honestly--the stories are very hit-or-miss. The best one is by Kim Stanley Robinson, but it's an excerpt from a novel, not written for this collection--probably better to just read the novel. Another highlight is by Cory Doctorow, exploring the use of RFID tags and the Dept. of Homeland Security, although I felt like going up to him and whispering "Your ideology is showing". As for the others, some of them are amusing (particularly one near the end in which Democrats and Republicans have devolved into warring tribes--it reads like it was co-written by David Broder and Hunter S. Thompson), but only a few make a serious attempt at exploring an interesting future. More common are relatively shallow attempts at parody, such as one story in which Indiana real estate agents plant a nuclear bomb in DC and exploit the chaos to move the capital to Fort Wayne. Overall, the book doesn't have enough worthwhile material to make it worth buying. Check it out of a library for a few of the stories, but don't waste your time or your cash.