Insistence of Vision by David Brin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley, I can explore the new Short Story collection from David Brin, one of my favorite authors. Yay!

So after reading a few of the stories, I came to the final conclusion that they're too good, too integrated to talk about except in the most general of terms without giving away practically everything. So I'm going to remain vague. I'll leave a few of my observations from before within a well, and talk, instead of my emotional reactions. :)

I loved this book. I've had the pleasure to read all of Brin's works, including all the short stories that were published in Otherness and before, so I already knew what I was getting into. He's always been a devotee of the need to be original, and I'm very pleased to say he maintains the ideal.

Strange and fascinating societies, are built upon or extrapolated from trends and new ideas, and in the tradition of some of my favorite short stories, they all come with either a clear message or a very nice zinger.

Chrysalis was one of those for me.

The stories with the Coss in them have really been sparking my imagination, too, because by his own admission, Brin has been toying with a new grand epic involving them, and from the three stories here, I am thoroughly impressed and delighted. To say I want more is to oversell understatement.

Something I've noticed before about Brin's writing really stands out in spades in this collection, and anyone who loves the grand SF tradition of conversing with the authors through the stories will know what I mean. He continues the dialogue, but even better, he goes on to name-drop so so many authorial debts, peers, and humorous walk-ons. I've had the pleasure to read almost all of them or know about them, so enjoying this little game has been a particularly nice treat. Brin's very well read in the SF field, and not only his roots are showing, but we should never forget that he has planted tons of his own that we should all remember and admire.

I know I do. Which is why I'm going to send out a call for "MORE!" Please? I've missed my favorite go-to SF author, giving us such breathtakingly real worlds and situations, complicated societies, and breathtaking adventure.

The zingers are always a grand treat, too! Few authors can pull of the kinds of layered plot twists as Brin, and this collection just proves to me that he hasn't lost a speck of his verve.

Please, please, please, give us more! :)


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