Anders, Lou, ed. Futureshocks: Stories.

ANDERS, Lou, ed. Futureshocks, stories. Penguin, Roc. 307p. c2006.0-451-46065-0. $14.96. SA

What would happen if you knew the future; could you do anything about it? What if 11-year-olds were conscripted into the military? Is there really a panacea for most illnesses? Do we really need our bodies in order to exist? Can cloning lead to political advantage? Could you see the face of God and survive? These are just a few of the 16 "what ifs" that are addressed in this collection of near-future short stories. Taking its name from Toffler's predictive nonfiction work, this story collection serves as a set of cautionary tales. By the end, the reader will probably say, "Don't mess around with reality." In one story, a professor thinks that providing a level playing field for the Native Americans would have prevented their extermination by the European explorers; when he "seeds" the parallel past with hardy maize and horses so that the Americans can advance their civilization earlier, the professor finds out that he has, in effect, destroyed the people on both sides of the ocean--as well as Asia.

These stories are not really shocking or gruesome. Rather, they are "high concept" ruminations about possible dark futures. The contributors include both new and seasoned award-winning SF authors, so the writing is high quality. Not all the stories are equally convincing, but they all give one pause. Dr. Lesley Farmer, Lib. Svcs., CSULB, Long Beach, CA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.