Category Archives: Solaris Books

I Have Met Infinity

Meeting InfinityMeeting Infinity
Johnathan Strahan, ed.
Solaris Books
Paperback $14.99, ebook $8.99

Before we get started, I’d like to thank Solaris books for the review copy of Meeting Infinity.  It’s the fourth volume in the series of anthologies entitled Infinity Project.  I’ve not read all of them yet, but for the most part I’ve liked the ones I have read.  (The inaugural volume Engineering Infinity is reviewed here.)  Strahan’s taste is close enough to mine that I know any anthology he edits is probably going to have more stories I like than dislike.

Having said that, Meeting Infinity probably diverges from my taste more than most of his anthologies, although I did find myself liking the majority of the stories (including a few that I thought went off the rails into heavy-handed sociopolitical messages at the end).  It contains 16 stories.  They range from near future dystopias to far future scenarios.  Here are some highlights: Continue reading

The Solaris Book of New SF Rises Again

solaris_rising_the_new_solaris_book_of_science-fiction_250x384Solaris Rising
Ian Whates, ed.
Solaris Books
mass market paperback $7.99
ebook $6.99 Kindle Nook

A number of years ago, Solaris Books started an original anthology series entitled The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction. The series was edited by George Mann and ran to three volumes. I loved all three. They each contained solid science fiction in a number of subgenres. One of the best things about them was that, since Solaris is a British company, they contained stories by a number of writers who aren’t as well known on this side of the pond. This allowed me to discover some new favorites.

I’m not sure why the original series was discontinued, but I was sad to see it go. Fortunately, it’s back. And it’s been back a while. Solaris Rising was published two years ago. I usually don’t read anthologies in a short period of time, tending to dip into them between novels or when I have a spare minute. (That’s something I’m trying to change.) Solaris has become the Go-To publisher for top-notch anthologies, themed or unthemed. There are several sitting on the shelf I’m going to try to read over the next couple of months, including Solaris Rising 2, Edge of Infinity, and Fearsome Journeys (this one’s fantasy). Continue reading