Review: The Eighth Science Fiction Megapack is a Winner
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 21, 2014
This series has become a staple purchase for me. The Eighth Science-Fiction Megapack is a terrific bargain for just 99-cents. Hours -- and I do mean hours -- of enjoyable reading. I wasn't crazy about the very first one, but following that, these books have presented a very nice, representative mix of the genre. Some stories are older, but most are of recent vintage, culled from various sci-fi magazines and collections of originals.Several stories deserve special mention:The True Dark, by Pamela Sargent is really a horror story that reminded me of Serling's "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street," but it's way scarier.Robots Don't Cry, by Mike Resnick, is a superb account of a robot that remains loyal to a child long gone. It might seem a bit dusty in the room you're reading it inWay Down East, by Tim Sullivan, is the story of honoring an alien's last wish. A humorous, though melancholy story (there are several in the collection).Consequences of Steam, by Michael Hemmingson, is a time travel story -- always a favorite of mine -- about needing more than one try to 'get it right' in a desire to live in the past.Outside Looking In, by Mark E. Burgess, is an action tale of the old theory that our universe might just be a lab experiment in some other universe. Clever ending.After All, by Robert Reginald, is a weird (but in a good way) post-post-apocalyptic story about a survivor and his unusual friends.Monkey On His Back, by Charles V. De Vet, reminds us that you can't escape your past, especially a mercenary one.My favorite, and worth the price of admission all by itself, is The Survivors, by Tom Godwin. This is a harrowing account of abandonment on and having to survive on a hostile, alien world type of story, but very well done, and if it takes a thousand years -- revenge is still sweet. Nearly novel length, if you enjoyed the Genellan series by Scott Gier, you'll love this entry.The Eighth Science-Fiction Megapack is a winner!