BOOK TITLE: Future
Past
ISBN: 9789382473909
AUTHOR: Subrat
Sahoo
GENRE: science
fiction
NUMBER OF PAGES: 127
FORMAT: Paperback
SERIES / STANDALONE: Standalone
/ Short stories
REVIEW BY: Dhivya
Balaji
HOW I GOT THIS BOOK: The
author’s representative sent us a Review Copy. We thank her for this!
REVIEW:
Future past is a book of eight short
stories and a poem, each with a different theme.
In An Outside:
A spaceship and its crew find
themselves faced with a queer barrier in space. A time warp pushes them into an
outside. The crew has no idea what constitutes the barrier. It seems to be
living and pulsing. Meanwhile, a patient onboard gets seriously ill and no
treatments seem to work. When the connection between these two is revealed, the
reader is surprised. Well written, though really unpredictable story.
Never A Next:
A test for the feasibility of a
robot. A thrilling chase and a twisted end make this short story readable,
though the sudden jump in context is confusing. Easy language, narrated in
first person, so the twist in unforeseen. Clear visuals all through the story.
Rites Of Passage:
A beautiful female from another planet
visits earth for research. Her host, a young man, is naturally attracted
towards her. But when the decent man decides to act upon his attraction, the
consequences are far reaching. The story is descriptive, gentle, explanatory
and the ending, though vague, fits the short story mould well.
Future Past:
The title story. A scientist in earth
creates an experiment for time warp and when he tests it, something from the
past hurtles forward, breaking down the boundaries of time. Based on an
unexplained fact of history, this story is one different experience that leads
us to delve into research for the historical fact. The language is good, the
last paragraph is excellent.
The Good, The bad and the Gone:
A kid tries to raise a pet and is
given one by his father, who is a scientist. The mother, who is against
creature abuse, is torn between seeing her son happy and freeing the creature.
When the suspense of the creature’s species is revealed, the story takes the
reader for a nice bumpy surprise. Nicely written, far fetched, teases the
alternate perspective of the mind.
Simple Physics:
A substitute professor teaches a class
simple quantum physics. On one topic, an average grade student brilliantly
provides a simple solution for a very complex war. But as they say, simple
physics can be used only once, and better methods should be used for better
results the next time. Too much of technical jargon makes the story less
interesting for anyone who doesn’t like physics. To understand the crux, you
need to read till the penultimate page, and you will have the patience only if
you love physics, or hate leaving stories unfinished.
Mastering God:
A short but heavy poem about the
concept of God creating Man and Robots being Man made creations. Depth of
meaning, clarity and brevity make this one of the best pieces of the book.
Reprieve:
Shortest story. A spaceship is bounded
towards an unknown planet that has resources aplenty. But the crewmember of the
spaceship decides to buy the planet some more time. Nicely written, but abrupt
and leaves you gaping to search for a page more.
The Story Of The Greatest Event
That Never Happened:
In future, a part of a spaceship acts
as a time warp. Crew members age dramatically, the engines are running but the
ship is not moving, stuck between two time frames. Back in the present, in
earth, a random man hears the messages from the spaceship and the logs of the
captain. Longest story of the lot, with emphasis on time warp.
WHAT I LIKED: The
bold, new concepts.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER: Some
technical jargon and abrupt endings, though interesting to a sci-fi enthusiast
are not entertaining to a normal reader.
VERDICT: Go
for it if sci-fi is your fare.
RATING: 3.8/5
EDITIONS AVAILABLE: Paperback
PRICE: Rs.
125 for paperback
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