10 Futures (Michael Pryor, Woolshed Press)

Sam and Tara are best friends. Sam has an artistic bent and loves working with his hands, while Tara is passionate and driven by social justice. Across the 21st century and into the 22nd, these things are the only constants. These 10 short stories explore a range of possible futures, investigating social and technological possibilities ranging from the astonishing to the terrifying. Each future examines the implications of a potential development, from artificial intelligence to genetic engineering, global warming, cloning, financial collapse, life extension and more. Through the eyes of Tara and Sam, we experience 10 different scenarios for the next 100 years. Michael Pryor returns to the field of science-fiction to give us this collection of stories in the best tradition of futuristic speculation. Pryor combines his usual deft touch at characterisation with some well-informed futurism to produce an engaging range of stories. He explores ethical dilemmas that arise in worlds that we would consider utopias as well as much darker futures. The book is supported by an excellent selection of teacher resources aligned with the Australian Curriculum. This is a thought-provoking read for middle secondary students.          

Heath Graham is an educator currently working at the State Library of Victoria

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Category: Reviews