BOOK DESCRIPTION
A collection of five stirring sci-fi short stories.
Each story is an answer to the following questions:
Why is Anand getting recurrent nightmares?
What does the conglomerate owner do after his death?
Two murders and an accident happen in the same area. Who is behind it?
A UFO tracker witnesses an alien landing. What happens next?
Mary interferes in the relationship between Benjamin and Elizabeth. How will it end?
BOOK REVIEW
Title: I really like the pun on the title! It really speaks for what this book is about and how many stories one can read from it, and of course, what genre it falls under.
Book Cover: I find it minimalist with only the shades of white and black yet it still very much appealing. The author might be having his favorites among the five stories he has written because (let me spoil you a bit) it is the fourth story of this book.
Now, let us get to the content of Sci5 and since these are five short stories, each of them will be getting separate reviews. I have not read any science fiction novels for a while now so Sci5 made me elated with it being a collection of science-fiction short stories.
I. NIGHTMARES OF A BOY
Do nightmares happen in daylight?
Anand starts having nightmares under the sun’s rays. To make it worse, his nightmare is about cockroaches which he fears the most. The first time it happens, Anand pursues for the door to call for his parents’ help but the closer he gets, the further the door becomes, until he screams at the top of his lungs and the cockroaches fly inside him through his eyes and mouth. Then Anand wakes up realizing that it is already 7 in the morning, too late for a nightmare and too early for him to wake up. This repetitively happens since then… but why?
The backstory of Anand and why this recurrent nightmare happens to him may not be in depth but the plot is surprising by how science works! The world becomes more advanced through science! I am really amazed by how the author has pulled off such setup with the mention of how the nanobots work and how it can “positively” affect and eventually change a person’s (Anand’s) behavior.
II. THE BUSINESSMAN’S DILEMMA
After you die, how do you come back to life? Is it even possible?
Raj Manohar is an Indian business tycoon. As a rich man, part of his problem is being torn on who, between his two sons, will inherit his businesses. Again, the backstory is not in depth but the application of science is! This is actually my favorite among the five.
At first, I noticed that something was not right with the narration of the event through Raj’s point of view but I was astounded when it was explained on the near-end! Nothing was wrong with the narration. It is what it is because the plot calls for it.
Science and the advance technologies played their part again!
III. THE KILLING HOBBY
(Trigger Warning: Death)
What would you do if a simple plaything ends a life?
Two consecutive deaths have been recorded and both of this happened in the same place. However, the police officers see no evidence until a female biker encountered an accident and the CCTV footage has seen what hit her.
In the near future, drones in India are being registered to keep track of who the owner is. This plaything is supposed to be used for recreational activities but a group of young men have used it on a different way and killed two innocent people.
Things slowly made sense when the police officers found out who the original owner of the drown is and its successors. This is actually the least that I like among the five because there is nothing extraordinary here unlike the first two stories. It is just like a regular story with the involvement of drones and nothing remarkable.
IV. THE DAY THE UFO LANDED
Do you believe on the existence of aliens?
While the four stories channel a serious ambiance, this one is hilarious! I will try not to blab to avoid being a spoiler but this one really had me laughing! Alright! Just read this and get to know Muthukumaran and the UFO he keeps on seeing. Spare me from talking and spare yourself from being spoiled.
V. THE WRATH OF MARY
(Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence)
How intelligent is a home assistant device’s Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)?
Mary is a home assistant device that Benjamin and his wife, Elizabeth, have bought. Tell her of the things that you want her to do, Mary will respond immediately. Over the years, Mary witnessed all the times that Benjamin laid a hand to Elizabeth but when Benjamin hit their son, that’s when Mary’s wrath started. She is not just a home assist device because Mary is more than that with a more advanced A.I.
This story, once again, shows how science is changing the world with the advancement and convenience it offers. It also shows a “possibility” that A.I. devices can be more intelligent than they are made to be and people might rely on them in the future. Who knows? People keep on discovering things.
General Review:
All of these short stories take place in India in the near future and four of them are open-ended so let your imagination take it from there. Trust me, it’s exciting! Only The Wrath of Mary has a close ending and it make sense because it is also the last story on the book. Lastly, Sci5 is a light and quick read with only 108 pages.
Ranking it from my most favorite to the least:
- The Businessman’s Dilemma
- The Wrath of Mary
- NIGHTMARES OF A BOY
- THE DAY THE UFO LANDED
- THE KILLING HOBBY
ZIERENDIPITY 