This is essentially a collection of short stories imagining what war might look like in the future. There's an amazing bunch of contributors from all sorts of backgrounds included and, as a result, the stories are all hugely different.
If you remember, earlier in the year I reviewed The New Voices of Fantasy which was a similar length anthology. I remember feeling myself heading towards a bit of a reading slump as I read it and I was a little concerned that this collection would have a similar effect. While it did take me longer to read than just reading a book might, I found this collection much more engaging and it was a lot easier to keep reading.
It's always hard to review collections like this because how do you go about reviewing fourteen different stories? Instead I'm going to pick out my three favourite stories so you know what to look out for when you're reading.
The Moon is Not a Battlefield, Indrapramit Das
This is a phenomenal story written from the perspective of an Indian veteran of the war on the Moon. Not only is it a wonderful look at how war might work in such an unusual environment, but it also makes an important point about how we treat veterans today and the myth that joining a war effort might save your life.
Weather Girl, E.J. Swift
This is another great story, this time written from the perspective of a woman who has the job of disguising or revealing typhoons, the destruction they wield being used to the benefit of the war effort. It's a bit of a reality check as to how far governments will go in war and how we could be manipulated by the news receive. It's simultaneously the story of one woman's struggle against her own conscience.
Conversations with an Armory, Garth Nix
Garth Nix is an amazing writer, this short story is no exception. Much like Illuminae Nix explores how humans might interact with a slightly morally dubious AI in a crisis situation. This is a sometimes amusing story that was a welcome break (some of the stories get a little dark).
I think that these stories of war in the future are a great way of exploring and engaging with this issues of war in the present. Not only was this a way to discover new authors, it was far more of a thought provoking read than I was anticipating.
My rating: 5/5 stars
Infinity Wars is being published by Solaris on the 12 of September if you want to grab yourself a copy.
By the way, I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
