This collection of short stories is a treat, particularly if you like your science fiction with an edge to it. I don’t read nearly as much hard SF as I used to, probably because I got tired of the story taking backseat to the science, but Peter Watts doesn’t make that mistake in any of these gems. They are all deeply rooted in character, story and the perversities of human nature. In particular, I liked the first story, “A Niche”, in which we discover how being mildly insane may help us get to the next level, evolutionarily speaking. I also loved “Bulk Food”, which is a twisted tale of aquarium shows, vegan-rights activists, and what happens when we learn to speak with Orca whales. Incidentally, both can be found online at his website: http://www.rifters.com/real/shorts.htmBonus facts: he’s Canadian, he’s a hell of a nice guy, and the author of four novels: Rifters 1, Rifters 2, Rifters 3 & Blindsight!
