(Hard SF) Ryan’s the only person on a prospecting mission to an asteroid, so when he gets knocked loose, there’s no one he can call for help. (4,569 words; Time: 15m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
"The Use of Things," by Ramez Naam [bio] (edited by Ed Finn and Joey Eschrich), appeared in Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities, published on December 6, 2017 by Arizona State University.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: Given that the story stars with Ryan cartwheeling into space, the obvious plot is about saving him. Beyond that, Ryan ultimately recognizes that humans are a liability in space, not an asset, given sufficiently advanced technology. But the story also makes the point that humans are the only reason to go into space in the first place.
Con: Ryan is a fairly weak protagonist, having little or nothing to do with his own rescue. Instead, the CALTROPs rescue him, based on their own programming.
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Con: Ryan is a fairly weak protagonist, having little or nothing to do with his own rescue. Instead, the CALTROPs rescue him, based on their own programming.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Ramez Naam Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Possible parallels with"Saving Private Ryan" where the extreme cost was only outweighed by intangible benefits.
ReplyDeleteI didn't make that connection, but it's a good one.
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