This book is a collection of short stories that caught my eye at the library. For some reason, I don’t normally read short stories, even by authors whose novels I enjoy. Maybe it’s an attention thing: I feel like I need a longer tale in order to really get invested.
But I’m glad I took a chance on this one, as the stories — all “feminist, fantastical tales of books and bikes” — were very enjoyable. Many of the ideas presented were really clever: medicines embedded in the pages of books so they could be smuggled via bike to those in need; the personality of a princess encoded into a book so she could deliver a plea for peace; women finding independence by asteroid-hopping on their solar cycles.
After finishing the book, I learned that it’s the tenth installment of a series called Bikes in Space by a really cool publisher called Microcosm in Portland. I’ll definitely be seeking out more of their books!