by Kate Wilhelm
First published 2014
This collection opens with "Semper Fi" and "Baby, You Were Great," two science fiction stories that showcase Wilhelm's exploration of technology's impact on human relationships. The protagonists navigate worlds where advanced systems blur the lines between authentic experience and artificial simulation. In one story, characters grapple with loyalty and identity in a military context, while the other examines the commodification of human emotion through futuristic entertainment technology. The tension builds as each protagonist confronts the cost of living in societies that prioritize efficiency over genuine human connection. Wilhelm weaves these narratives between seven original poems and personal autobiographical introductions that reveal her creative process. The stories ask whether we can maintain our humanity when technology offers seemingly perfect alternatives to messy, unpredictable real life. Each piece in the collection returns to the same emotional core: the irreplaceable value of authentic human experience, even when artificial substitutes promise to be better than the original.
Genres: short-stories, science-fiction, literary-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, identity
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
86 pages · Kindle Edition · Gateway