Author(s): Annie Reed, Blaze Ward, Cat Rambo, Craig Martelle, Dean Wesley Smith, Ian Douglas, Jim Gotaas, Marc Scott Zicree, Mark Leslie Lefebvre, Mike Baron, Peter David, Robert Jeschonek, Ron Collins,
Decadium #1
Genre(s): Short Stories, Space Opera,
Publisher: Pie Press Publishing
Date Pubished: January 1, 2021
256 Pages

Lovers of wild science fiction stories rejoice! Space: 1975 is a short story anthology with one thing in common: they are all science fiction stories written in the crazy style of the 1970s. Break out your bell-bottoms, keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle, and let these fabulous authors take you on rides of fancy.

I love older science fiction. There’s something about the stories of the time that didn’t strive for perfection. Maybe it’s because they didn’t have the internet that would attack them for any little fact they got wrong. I don’t know. Instead of striving for perfect facts, they wrote the best stories. The ’70s just took this to the next level. They never let science get in the way of good fiction.

These stories don’t just let the spirit of the 70’s shine in their stories; they let the ’70s themselves shine. Some are set in the decade. Others feature future societies that are hung up on the decade. No matter the connection, the decade is enshrined in some way or other in each story.

Some of the authors took this opportunity to write short stories that fit into a larger universe. I have not personally read, or in one case watched, any other stories from these universes yet, but now I definitely plan to. I’m sure this was calculated for these authors to get people interested in their other work. But don’t take this to mean these stories are basically advertisements or leave you with cliffhangers. They are very much their own self-contained stories that can be enjoyed and fully understood on their own.

This anthology is one of the best short story collections I have read. They are fast-paced. They range from outrageous superheroes to mystery. Some offer social commentary; others are just fun. All of them are entertaining, well-written, and worth a read.