beulah_devaney's review
4.5
Such an interesting concept, I wish more companies invested their money in this way. Microsoft commissioned a group of fiction writers to shadow their employees and then write a short story, inspired by what they saw. I expected to see more evidence of corporate oversight in what was written, but a lot of the stories feel genuinely critical and subversive.
manuelte's review
4.0
Very good stories. I liked them all but particularly enjoyed "Hello, Hello" by Seanan McGuire; "The Machine Starts" by Greg Bear; "Looking for Gordo" by Robert J. Sawyer; and "Another Word for World" by Ann Leckie.
matosapa's review
3.0
Some good, some a bit awkward due to needing to springboard from current MS research. Overall, it kept me entertained.
kwugirl's review
3.0
Probably more like a 2.5 star overall, but it was a neat idea for a collection and also, free.
neiltravers's review
3.0
Some interesting stories/ideas, but the problem with almost all short stories is they finish just as they get interesting (if they get interesting enough). Mostly fairly obvious plotlines.
stanwj's review
4.0
Despite its title, Future Visions: Original Science Fiction Inspired by Microsoft is mercifully not about people making the world a better place with their Xboxes, Windows 10 and the HoloLens.
Instead it's a collection of stories about future tech that sometimes hints at Microsoft products without naming them--such as the augmented reality glasses used in the graphic novel story "A Cop's Eye" that could be the follow-up to the HoloLens, to various extrapolations on AI. We've come a long way since Clippy. The stories shift in tone from playful (the Dr. Doolittle-inspired "Hello, Hello") to weird (Greg Bear's mind-bending take on what happens when a quantum computer starts to successfully do its job in "The Machine Starts") but never veers entirely toward the dark. These visions are sometimes tales of caution, such as Ann Leckie's take on culture clash and mistranslation in "Another Word for World" but there is usually some hint of hope or redemption, no matter how bleak the situation may seem.
This book is available as a free download from major ebook retailers so the only investment made here is with your time. Given the brevity of the collection and the generally high quality of the work (none of the writers have phoned it in--perhaps why there's no Lumia product placement) it's an easy recommendation.
Instead it's a collection of stories about future tech that sometimes hints at Microsoft products without naming them--such as the augmented reality glasses used in the graphic novel story "A Cop's Eye" that could be the follow-up to the HoloLens, to various extrapolations on AI. We've come a long way since Clippy. The stories shift in tone from playful (the Dr. Doolittle-inspired "Hello, Hello") to weird (Greg Bear's mind-bending take on what happens when a quantum computer starts to successfully do its job in "The Machine Starts") but never veers entirely toward the dark. These visions are sometimes tales of caution, such as Ann Leckie's take on culture clash and mistranslation in "Another Word for World" but there is usually some hint of hope or redemption, no matter how bleak the situation may seem.
This book is available as a free download from major ebook retailers so the only investment made here is with your time. Given the brevity of the collection and the generally high quality of the work (none of the writers have phoned it in--perhaps why there's no Lumia product placement) it's an easy recommendation.
curgoth's review
A nice collection of science fiction short stories sponsored by Microsoft. So, it's a free collection that serves somewhat as free advertising.
The stories, however, are still worth reading. Seanan McGuire's story about translation software is especially lovely.
It also made me realize how much my standards for quality characters has gone up in recent years. Some of the stories in this collection are of the older tradition of SF where characters exist solely to prop up the Big Idea. I apparently have no patience for cardboard cutouts these days, no matter how great the idea is.
The stories, however, are still worth reading. Seanan McGuire's story about translation software is especially lovely.
It also made me realize how much my standards for quality characters has gone up in recent years. Some of the stories in this collection are of the older tradition of SF where characters exist solely to prop up the Big Idea. I apparently have no patience for cardboard cutouts these days, no matter how great the idea is.
kitaliae's review
4.0
A solid collection of shorts! I liked the majority of them which is pretty good for a collection of shorts put out for free and is technically advertising. That said I hope to see Microsoft continue to have writers and artists collaborate and share ideas for the future. Scifi is a very important part of inspiring scientists and vice-versa.
My favorites were 'Hello, Hello', 'The Machine Starts', 'Skin in the Game' & 'Another Word for World'.
My favorites were 'Hello, Hello', 'The Machine Starts', 'Skin in the Game' & 'Another Word for World'.