Sooner or Later Everything Falls into the Sea by Sarah Pinsker. 2019
I picked up this collection after reading online that Sarah Pinsker is one of best science fiction authors who works in primarily short form - that’s my catnip - and I’m glad I did. This is a very good collection with a style that flirts with magical realism while staying firmly in science fictional speculation. The stories sometimes have a Ray Bradbury-esque feel, but updated by a more pessimistic author. I also see shades of Ursula K Le Guin and Avram Davidson.
Sooner or Later Everything Falls into the Sea is rated 77%.
9 good / 2 average / 2 poor.
How do I arrive at a rating?
A Stretch of Highway Two Lanes Wide
Good. A rural young man receives a replacement bionic arm that may have memories of its own.
And We Were Left Darkling
Good. The hairs on the back of your neck will rise. A woman dreams of a baby, but then it arrives in the company of other dream babies and other women who dreamed of them.
Remembery Day
Good. The family of a war vet prepares her for “Remembery Day.”
Sooner or Later Everything Falls into the Sea
Average. Two women meet when one washes ashore in a lifeboat. Competent writing but I was never able to connect with it.
The Low Hum of Her
Poor. Robot Grandma story. This has been done to death for decades.
Talking with Dead People
Good. True life crimes are solved with AI is applied to recreations of the homes of the killers. And then friendship dynamics make it all spiral out of control.
The Sewell Home for the Temporally Displaced
Good. A short-short about a home for the displaced in time.
In Joy, Knowing the Abyss Behind
Good. This is haunting; one of my favorites in the collection. An architect on his deathbed with one last design to draw. Memories of a secret he designed years ago. The pain of family secrets and mystery of their discovery.
No Lonely Seafarer
Poor. Something about boats and sirens. Didn’t make any impact. Can barely remember.
Wind Will Rove
Good. The middle generations of a generational starship debate the importance of history, music, memory, rebellion, obedience, and family. I’d really love to see this expanded to novel length. I feel this should have even more time to deal with the effect of the themes on the characters.
Our Lady of the Open Road
Average. A destitute punk band travels a barren midwestern American landscape trying to book live performances in a world where everyone just watches VR concerts.
This story won the 2016 Nebula Award.
The Narwhal
Good. A captivating mood piece of a story in which two women drive cross-country in a car that looks like a Narwhal whale and then make a discovery that changes their entire perspective.
And Then There Were (N-One)
Great. My favorite story of the collection. Sarah Pinsker - this collection’s author - is invited to a conference populated by her doppelgängers from other quantum universes. And then there is a murder. A beautiful science fiction murder mystery that reminds me of the fun that Isaac Asimov had.
