Manhattan in Reverse

April 9, 2012
Best known for his lengthy space operas (The Dreaming Void, etc.), Hamilton clearly demonstrates his skill with shorter lengths in this collection of seven stories, published in the U.K. in 2011. Many of the stories adopt the form of mysteries, including the time travel story “If at First...” and the novella “Watching Trees Grow,” which use science fictional speculation as the underpinning of the mystery. “The Forever Kitten” is a brief and understated but still disturbing tale of the use of antiaging treatments. The title story and “The Demon Trap” feature investigator Paula Myo, star of Hamilton’s Commonwealth books, and serve as an excellent introduction to that series. The stories stand on their own without separate introductions or other context, demonstrating Hamilton’s ability to handle a variety of topics, while repeated themes give the stories the feel of a connected narrative or discussion rather than separate pieces.