All American Alien Boy: The United States As Science Fiction, Science Fiction As a Journey; A Collection

Rating:
Summary: Down to Earth stories set in a science fictional backdrop
Review: Allen Steele, well known for his novels The Jericho Iteration and The Tranquility Alternative shows us where his true talents lie...the short story/novella. This collection is full of insightful short fiction which uses science fiction not as a driving force behind the story, but rather as a backdrop. From the story "Lost in the Shopping Mall" which uses VR as the setting for a story about teen angst, to "Hunting Wabbit" in which the fact that the Earth is about to be destroyed is completely ancillary to a story about critics, authors, and the the relationships they share.
Each story is accompanied by the authors musings on his motivations behind the story and it is precisely this that makes this an excellent read even if you've read all the stories contained herein before.