RETURN TO GLORY - Jack McDevitt


 I've really been enjoying Jack McDevitt's Alex Benedict series (I just recently read and reviewed book #9 in that series) and it's because of those book that when I saw he had a collection of short stories available, I really wanted to read it.  I love the short story format.

Because I'm really only familiar with McDevitt through one series, I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy his short stories but as it turns out, I didn't need to be too concerned.  The stories are fantastic. 

For no particular reason, I have mentally categorized McDevitt as a 'hard' science fiction author (which typically means [to me] an excess of scientific jargon explaining, or justifying, how life works in these worlds, or at the very least, stories where the science matters) and hard science is not my interest. What a surprise, then, to read a story like "Arcturean Nocturne" - a boy-meets-girl story.  George just wants to go to space but on earth, Stephanie wants to compose a nocturne.  The fall in love and of course the opportunity comes along for George (and Stephanie) to take the trip of a lifetime to the stars, and back.  George books the passage but Stephanie wants to stay on earth to haer her dream of a nocturne realized.  A bit of 'O. Henry' give-and-take and the end result is absolutely heart-wrenching.  What a powerful story.

I really enjoyed "Tea Time With Aliens" - an AI, first contact story. 

Possibly my favorite in the collection is the titular "Return to Glory." Imagine generations into the future and much of the 21st century (and early) history is lost when a discovery is made of an old television show.  Except ... it's not the show ... it's a Star Trek fan film. That fan film becomes the genesis for a revival interest in those characters and new stories are developed for a new entertainment-starved generation.  But not only is Star Trek revived, but there's a renewed interest in science as well.

The last of my favorites was "The Cassandra Project" in which we learn that the NASA Apollo missions included some business we've never been told, in which the astronauts were sent to destroy or cover up the existence of someone else having been on the moon before man ever got there. This might be the most science-involved story and it's hard to fathom I might like something that suggests the Apollo missions were faked in some way (though not in the way deniers claim), but this really was a powerful story.

All the stories in this collection are good (the four mentioned above just stood out to me) and I have a new respect for McDevitt as author. He really knows how to tell a story and keep the people interesting and important to the reader.

This book contains the following:

Dangerous Information: An Introduction by Tom Easton
Unlikely Gifts:
The Emerson Effect
The Jersey Rifle
Voice in the Dark
Tau Ceti Said What?
The Oppenheimer Club
What’s the Point of Being Alive If You’re a Tree?
Deep Space:
Tidal Effects
Standard Candles
The Cat’s Pajamas
Enjoy the Moment
Arcturean Nocturne
Tea Time with Aliens 
Cosmic Harmony
The Gold Signal
High Hopes:
Crossing Over
Holding Pattern
The Big Downtown
Return to Glory
The Sunrise Club
Good News
Incoming Tech:
Variables
Eyes on the Prize
The Eagle Project 
Riding with the Duke
The Wrong Way
Bring On the Night
Looking Back:
Leap of Faith
Lake Agassiz
The Cassandra Project
Dig Site
Excalibur
Timely Visitor

Looking for good book? If you enjoy the short story format and like a good scifi yarn, Jack McDevitt's collection Return to Glory is really top notch.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

* * * * * *

Return to Glory

author: Jack McDevitt

publisher: Subterranean Press

ISBN: 9781645240730

hardcover, 576 pages

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