Ten Planets collects several short sci-fi stories from Mexican author Yuri Herrera. Modern sci-fi exists in a place far removed from the speculative writing of authors like Ray Bradbury, who strikes me as a clear influence on Herrera. Much of established writing predicted futures and technologies, which have now materialised in differing levels through our society; Ten Planets focuses more on the existence of new technologies and their effect on the human condition.
We live in a world that is more interconnected than ever, with multiple instantaneous channels of information and communication, but Ten Planets deals with the distance in relationships and polarising socio-political dogma. The 24-hour news cycle is referenced through a human traversing Mars to gather information; flat earth theories are addressed as a critique of extreme opinions and an unwillingness to collaborate and share knowledge, while the constant search for approval via a constructed reality on social media is pored over elsewhere.
In an ever-growing world where our basic human needs have been met, technology can serve a purpose of pushing us further away from one another instead of connecting us.
Ten Planets, Yuri Herrera (And Other Stories)
Price: £9.99. Info: here
words GARETH MOULE
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