Space Inc [Mass Market Paperback]

The premise of this short story collection is quite simple yet very clever. These tales focus on employment in outer space in the distant future when the solar system and beyond are settled and are short hops away. The fourteen tales that make up this anthology are fun to follow as the audience, for the most part, will believe in the various worlds, species, and especially the assorted jobs. The want ads that open up each story are enjoyable in of themselves as they put the space twist to typical employment opportunities whether they are minimum wage custodial workers, professional blue-collar skills or office work.

The SPACE INC. collection entertains the audience who will finish the book and wonder with their present skills what job could he or she hold in outer space. As for moi, telecommuting as an intergalactic book reviewer using Babel to translate critiques into Martian (thrillers), Venusian (romance), or Jovian (epic fantasy) seems obvious so where is that want ad?

I highly recommend this book!

The stories contained are in the Hard SF category and set mostly in the near future and within our own solar system.

Some of my favourites are:

I KNEW A GUY ONCE - kept me laughing at how people don't change, no mater where they are.

COME ALL YE FAITHFUL - What an interesting story; what would it be like to be a priest on Mars?

CATALOG OF WOE - Really makes you think about the responsibility of colonizing new worlds.

A MAN'S PLACE - No job is unimportant in space!

Most of the stories are of high quality and the book is well worth the money!

Space Inc. (2003) is an SF anthology about future jobs. The editor is herself the author of many books about vocational choices as well as several interesting SF novels. The fourteen stories range from the sublime to the absurd.

Each tale is headed by a want ad (or other short document), usually describing requirements for the job that is illustrated within the story. Some are rather vague, whimsical or misleading.

- The Eightfold Career Path; or Invisible Duties by James Alan Gardner exemplifies both the sublime and the absurd, combining the Eightfold Path with tales of human foibles. In this story, Marco Polo listens to Kublai Khan relate parables that supposedly illustrate the path to enlightenment. The humor is obvious, but wisdom is concealed within.

- Porter's Progress by Isaac Szpindel tells the story of Pullman Porters and the heroic actions of Peter Dripps on the Venus Orbit line. This one is more fanciful than otherwise.

- Catalog of Woe by Mundy L. Klasky conveys the sad tale of Sarah in her job as a reference librarian for Jessup Universal Mining. She is torn between her conscience and her lover.

- Ferret and Red by Josephus Sherman relates the interaction of these mechanics with an avian sapiens species suffering from a superiority complex. The Birds consider humans to be inferior, much like Untouchables.

- A Man's Place by Eric Choi shows the importance of a good cook, particularly on Luna. He solves problems instead of making them.

- Dancing in the Dark by Nancy Kress relates the hopes and fears of a ballet teacher with squid-like students. She grows to like her students despite their appearance.

- The Siren Stone by Derwin Mak describes the concerns of a demolition crew on an asteroid that is haunted by touchable ghosts. Unfortunately, the Colonel can neither see nor hear the ghosts over the video link.

- Feef's House by Doranna Durgin depicts the conflicts of a duster -- a space drifter -- who is forced to take a permanent job. She finds herself in charge of a pet sitting center. Feef is her stinkiest charge.

- Attached Please Find My Novel by Sean P. Fodera illustrates the importance of a good editor. He starts a SF series and then discovers a new author with a great story. But the writer is an alien.

- Field Trip by S.M. and Janet Stirling recounts the trials of a tour guide on a space station. Thing are getting rather boring before the teenagers come aboard with their chaperone. Then interesting things start happening.

- Come All Ye Faithful by Robert J. Sawyer discloses the behavior of a Catholic priest tracking a supposed sighting of the Virgin Mary on Mars. He hitches a ride out to the site where the sighting allegedly occurred, near the Face on Mars.

- Riggers by Michael E. Picray divulges the dangers of tending the solar sails on an interplanetary craft. As the head rigger is busily training a new hand, the sun emits a flare.

- Suspended Lives by Alison Sinclair displays the life of a surgeon in orbit during a major disaster. Things get a little hectic for a full shift.

- I Knew a Guy Once by Tanya Huff exposes the secrets of a bartender on a space station. She takes over from a man who had his head whacked with a wrench. However, the official cause of death was his sucking chest wound.

These tales contain reality and fancy, humor and pathos, and humans and aliens. The writers seem to include a large number of Canadians, which provides a little more variety. All the stories are well-written and interesting. Enjoy!

Highly recommended for SF fans of all stripes. Few readers will turn away unsatisfied.

-Arthur W. Jordin

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