This book of long stories is something I picked up after finishing the Hyperion saga. It contains one more story set in that universe as well as four others.

The first one "Looking for Kelly Dahl" provided some interesting insights on his views of teaching, but overall I found it a bit lackluster. I really just didn't care about either of the main characters. He seemed like a creepy pedophile and she was the over-sexed figment of his imagination. **/*****

"Orphans of the Helix" is the story that I picked up this book for and it did not disappoint. It added more story to some of the interesting cultures of the Hyperion universe. It also managed to add another dimension to the world's plot. Loved it. *****/*****

"The Ninth of Av" is a prequel to his "Ilium" ans "Olympos" duology. However; I didn't find it too interesting. Maybe if I read the duology it'll make more sense. People discover a conspiracy to kill all of their kind (the jews) off... ***/*****

"On K2 with Kanakaredes" is the tale of a group of climbers who mush take an alien on a climb up the most treacherous mountain on earth. I loved this one. All the characters, including the alien were believable and likable. The universe portrayed in this story deserves another look. *****/*****

The final story, "The End of Gravity" is about the decline of the Russian space program. I certainly enjoyed it, but the end did get a bit weird. ****/*****

This is something to read after you have read something else by Dan Simmons. You'll definitely appreciate it more.

Three out of five stars for three out of five enjoyable stories. But, putting the novellas aside for a moment, one of the highlights of this volume was Simmons' lengthy introductions to each of the five tales. There's no doubt that Simmons is one of the best writers in the SF and speculative fiction genre at the moment; once you've read his introduction, you'll realise that the chief subscriber to this opinion is Dan Simmons himself. That might sound like criticism, but I'm all for writers having high opinions of themselves as long as they maintain their standards accordingly. Simmons does this with aplomb.

These five stories are as diverse in their themes as they are in their qualities. Reading other reviewers comments, it seems clear that there are a few really good stories here and a couple of really average ones. It's just that no two readers can agree on which stories should fall into what category. For my money, the safe bet is that the first story, "Looking for Kelly Dahl", is the best of the bunch. For starters, it's a textbook exercise in short story writing, and it effectively utilises that oft-abused literary technique, the flashback.

The second story, a expansion of Simmons' Hyperion universe, is a solid piece of character-light sci fi fun, and should be read by all seeking a benchmark of quality and originality in short science fiction.

"The Ninth of Av" is simply self-indulgent. Simmons takes what I thought was the weakest element of his Ilium/Olympos universe and creates a novelette which would surely be incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't read those two (lengthy and complex) novels. There's nothing I find more disappointing than a work of fiction that cannot be deciphered - let alone enjoyed - without prior knowledge of a related text.

A fairly pulpy story follows, entitled, "On K2 With Kanakaredes". The title is pure Philip K. Dick (Dick once said that he was hopeless at coming up with titles, as the front covers of his otherwise excellent books will attest), which is ironic, given the vociferous defence of "The Ninth of Av" that Simmons mounts in his introduction to the previous story in the collection. But, titles aside, this is another solid piece of work, which could be accused of plagiarising elements from the memorable South African SF film "District 9" had it not been written a decade prior to the film's release. Some readers might find the aliens purpose in visiting Earth a bit airy-fairy, but it's an enjoyable tale.

I can only imagine that Simmons forgot that he was supposed to be writing SF and speculative fiction when he sat down to work on the fifth story, "The End of Gravity". As a treatise outlining philosophical reasons for a concerted return to space, I enjoyed it and agree with it in its entirety. There are some highly quotable passages in this story and in "On K2" which remind us that we, as a species, can't expect to get something for nothing, and that winning new territory requires a proportionate sacrifice in blood; to quote Mr Rasczak from "Starship Troopers" (the movie), "Something given has no value." Also, as an emotional psychodrama, this fifth story has some value. But it seems to be a story in search of an idea - or is it the other way round? Of the five tales in this collection, "The End of Gravity" was the one that most felt like it had been slapped together, or like Simmons had recalled it from story idea limbo when he found he was one novelette short of a full volume.

And where Dan Simmons is concerned, I sue that expression literally as well as euphemistically. Seriously though, Dan - I love your work.

This is a nice look at some short work by Dan Simmons, particularly useful if you need a little Simmons but don't fee up for a thousand-page epic. This collection includes five science-fiction(ish) tales, both connected and unconnected to his popular SF epics. Most of these stories are highly enjoyable and short enough to read in just a couple of sittings. Dan Simmons fans will find this collection excellent, and all readers will find it highly enjoyable.

"Looking For Kelly Dahl" is my personal favorite of the stories, and tells of a troubled grade-school teacher and his bizarre experiences after attempting suicide. Sort of a ghost story, but more SF, this one involves the troubled teacher in a deadly (and unfair) game of survival against his even more troubled ex-student. It may sound weird (and is), but this story showcases Simmons' abilities to great advantage. [5-stars]

"Orphans of the Helix" takes place in the Hyperion universe, and follows a long-voyaging space ship as its crew encounters distant relatives on the outer edges of space. The story looks at the value of life as the characters are faced with a tough decision involving helping one race of aliens to the possible detriment to another, or risking their own skins by gambling with warp drives in contained space. The story doesn't include any of the characters from the novels, but fans of the series will still enjoy this one more than those unfamiliar. [4-stars]

"The Ninth of Av" is a somewhat bizarre tale set in pre-Ilium days, and focuses on the secret plots and life in a future of aimless leisure. Those not familiar with the ILLIUM saga may find this one confusing, as the Voynix, e-Ring, ect are not explained at all (in the normal Dan Simmons manner). The strangest thing about this story was the forced inclusion of anti-Semitic rallies and Islamic hatred, without really being clear on what the purpose was.. Maybe I missed something here, but "The Ninth of Av" fell short for me. [3-stars]

"On K2 with Kanakaredes" is my second favorite story in the collection. It is actually a rather weird tale as well, and takes us on a journey to master one of the most deadly mountains on Earth. The twist is that this mountain climbing group is forced to include a distrusted and scorned alien among their group (for political reasons). The story is very real-feeling and powerful, and focuses on the bonds of trust and respect that can develop through trying times, even between very different "people". [5-stars]

"The End of Gravity" tells of a cynical American journalist that is sent to Russia to research the old USSR space program. While there he discovers a proud history, an interesting people, and a beautiful Russian scientist. Its a good story, but seems incomplete. It does have some very interesting (and I assume true) information about the history and successes of the Russian space agency. [4 stars]

All in all, this is a very enjoyable collection of some diverse Dan Simmons material. I think most of these have been published previously in other collections, but one or two may be here as originals. In the end, this one is well worth your precious reading time. Recommended.

A collection of short stories by the author of the Hyperion books. Good stuff, I think. Simmons is not lyrical, by any means, but he comes up with some great plots and ideas. "Searching for Kelly Dahl," a story about a school teacher and his former student, in which the latter's troubled home life drives her so far inward she... can control reality, and tosses the teacher into invented worlds, often based on his former lessons. That sounds terrible. It’s actually kind of a beautiful, a paean to the landscape of Colorado, and to learning. "Orphans of the Helix" takes place in the Hyperion universe, and although I enjoyed it the first time I read it, immediately after Hyperion, its origins as a Star Trek script show through on re-read. Still, space butterfly people are cool. The other stories are fun too, though I lack the background to get "The Ninth of Av," I think.