Mash Up

Mash Up a collection of stories from famed editor Gardner Dozois seeks to elevate the science fiction field by collecting stories that were inspired by famous first lines in literature. The book is multifaceted with some lesser-known writers, some very very famous novels, and some interesting politics to boot. This is a good year for the politics, with it being an election year. One finds here works inspired by Shakespeare, Dickens, Melville, but also the Communist Manifesto, the Declaration of Independence and the Bible. These inspirations, as one might imagine, have been tough acts to follow.

Some great writers have been assembled. Some are staples in the field, like Nancy Kress, Allen Steele, Tad Williams, and Mike Resnick. Others are famous newbies, such as Lavie Tidhar, Daryl Gregory, and James Patrick Kelly. There are all sorts of tales — some humorous, some profound, some political, and some sexy. Included also is a Mary Robinette Kowal’s award-wining story “The Lady Astronaut of Mars.” Hard though for those included to live up with auspices of the inspiration. The book did, however, take almost ten years to be realized. Sadly, there did not seem to be a genre book with a first line they found inspiration from.