I’ve actually either never read any hard sf, or have read so little that I’ve forgotten it all.  I overall enjoyed the pieces from this week.  I’m not sure if it’s a fair comparison, since it’s the only novel, but The Martian is my favorite piece of the module.  My only complaint is that, in some places, it’s a little too much actual science for my tastes.  I generally prefer my fiction to be free of that level of chemistry.  However, I really do like this book; it’s interesting and captivating.

Of the short stories, “Down and Out on Ellfive Prime” is my favorite. It has the perfect mix of logic and emotion.  It also has great characterization and does a really good job of unfolding personality traits as they’re needed.  Zen is portrayed as a shady, possibly greedy, outlaw.  We aren’t given the impression that he would necessarily care about the survival of the colony, but he doesn’t hesitate to put all of his effort into the cause when the time comes.  And Almquist’s wisdom keeps growing layers, ultimately proving itself when he lets Zen go not just for the sake of all the scams still out there, but also because it’s the smartest move for the future of the colony, as well as for his own best interest.

I think “Down and Out” is touching without becoming overly sentimental the way “Cold Equations” is.  I actually find it ironic how sappy “Cold Equations” is, considering that it’s supposed to be about the hard, emotionless facts of physical law.  I found the whole story pretty trite and a little obvious.  It definitely doesn’t help that the story’s entire premise is inherently sexist.  And I don’t subscribe to the notion that one person’s life is worth more than another.  It doesn’t make sense to me that anyone other than a young girl would get a swift execution without a second thought.  And what’s worse, the execution of this doomed damsel trope isn’t tasteful or subtle, but just comes off tacky and overdone.

I like “It’s Great to be Back” much better than the Godwin piece, but I don’t love it.  It doesn’t make complete sense to me that the couple would be so eager to leave Luna City and would so quickly and completely change their minds once they got to Earth.  It’s especially strange since they’ve been to Earth, and can’t have completely forgotten what it’s like.   But I’m willing to accept that they romanticized Earth in their absence and were, in the meantime, converted to true Lunatics.  And once I do that, it’s actually a pretty relatable story about how people often change and outgrow their past comforts and identities.