REVEIW: In the Stars I'll Find You by Bradley Beaulieu

In the Stars I'll Find You by Bradley Beaulieu
Publishing Information: Paperback; 214 pages
Publisher: Quillings Literary Services; 1 April 2016
ISBN: 978-1939649188
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Amazon

Synopsis: "Bradley P. Beaulieu’s latest story collection features his science fictional work, from exploring far-flung worlds to finding what it means to be human through artificial intelligence to the cost of dividing ourself through the use of technology. In the Stars I’ll Find You & Other Tales of Futures Fantastic contains 10 stories that explore our very human relationship with technology, some in print for the first time."


After reading Bradley's Twelve Kings in Sharakhai (review here) and loving every minute of it, I decided to help fund his Kickstarter campaign and check out his short story collection.

As with all collections I will give you a brief synopsis of the book and them my rating A-F (graded just like you would in school), followed by an overall grade for the collection itself.


TABLE OF CONTENTS:

In the Stars I’ll Find You – Erin O’Shea finds herself at odds with her sister, Tara, and it’s only after a mission to a habitable planet, light years distant from Earth, that Erin truly understands her sister’s point of view, but by then it may be far too late to reconcile. GRADE B

Compartmentalized – Mitch has been hiding something. The trouble is, he no longer has any idea what it is, not after he’d submitted himself to a new procedure known as compartmentalization. There’s a part of Mitch that wants to learn more, but another part is desperate to keep it from him. GRADE B+

Upon the Point of a Knife – Jonah is an orphan who runs the streets of 1800?s Providence, but everything changes when an old man approaches him and offers him a knife that doesn’t draw blood, but one’s very soul. GRADE A

Chasing Humanity – The world has been waiting for the transcendence of artificial intelligence for decades. It finally arrives, but the AI is immediately plunged into mystery when it, and its creator, both disappear. GRADE B

Bloom – A scientist struggles to contain a viral outbreak that threatens the world’s food supplies, “Bloom” is a story of heroism even in the face of unstoppable political forces. GRADE C

Born of a Trickster God – Part two of The Rümayesh Triptych, a trio of tales set in the world of The Song of the Shattered Sands. In this installment, Çeda learns more of Rümayesh, the powerful creature that has been living hiding in the streets of Sharakhai for centuries. GRADE A

No Viviremos Como Presos – Miguel only has his grandfather’s best interests at heart, but when his grandfather starts talking about an organization whose motto is “We will not live as prisoners,” Miguel becomes worried. GRADE C

And a Girl Named Rose – A ship’s AI struggles with the loss of its human cargo. When one of the last, a girl named Rose, threatens to leave as well, it strikes emotions in the ship it didn’t realize it had. But does it happen to late to save Rose? Grade B

Flashed Forward – A story about a man who kickstarts his leap into the future. As is normal for Kickstarter’s, it’s only after the project funds that things get really interesting. GRADE A

Quinta Essentia – Sean Brannon’s body was ruined by David Lock, a scientist driven by his quest to unlock the secrets of Quinta Essentia, the most elusive of the magical elements. However, it’s only after the Jovians land that Sean and David both discover the real secrets of the fifth element. GRADE B

Overall 8/10