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The Quantum Soul: A Sci Fi Roundtable Anthology Kindle Edition

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 19 ratings

What is Life? Is it awareness or the ability to interact and understand the world around us? As we dig deeper into reality, what will we discover about ourselves and what it means to be alive? When we stare into the mirror, are we really sure that what we see staring back is the only definition of life in the universe?

Sixteen talented authors of The SciFi Roundtable each come up with their own unique answers to this challenging question. The Quantum Soul is a collection of short stories destined to leave you wondering if there isn’t more that humanity has to learn about the ultimate meaning of life.


Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0763KCC6D
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sci Fi Roundtable (October 19, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 19, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 477 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 234 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 19 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
19 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the stories interesting and engaging. They describe the book as an enjoyable, satisfying read with great dialogue. Readers appreciate the variety of stories and the strong common theme.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

8 customers mention "Story variety"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the variety of stories in this book. They find the stories engaging and thought-provoking, offering a glimpse into unique worlds. The well-written stories feature great characters and blend genre mainstays with mind-bending cosmic landscapes.

"...Intriguing. The Dream Miner’s Drill by CB Droege – Another story about delving into dreams, this time set on a space station...." Read more

"...Aether Technician” by Jim Webster read like a very compelling outline. I wanted a whole book, if not an entire series. THIS is interesting stuff!..." Read more

"...There are some really intriguing variations and blends into the realms of fantasy, magical realism and dystopian stories, as well as more classic..." Read more

"...Great characters. Excellent dialogue Good variety. Negatives: While the book is about 350 pages, it went way too fast!..." Read more

3 customers mention "Enjoyment"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find the humor entertaining and the short stories satisfying.

"...The mix of creativity and humor made for an enjoyable read. It resonates with me particularly as a writer...." Read more

"...on offer in this fine collection of short stories made each installment a joy to read...." Read more

"...I must add that as much as most shorts were enjoyable, the majority presented several editing oversights...." Read more

3 customers mention "Language"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's language and dialogue. They find it a great tale about language and first contact. The characters are well-developed and the dialogue has good variety. However, some readers feel the story lacks focus on language.

"...Second Contact by Leo McBride – I particularly like first contact stories involving language, and this one does not disappoint...." Read more

"...Positives: Well written stories. Great characters. Excellent dialogue Good variety. Negatives:..." Read more

"...and ‘Second Contact’ by Leo McBride is my favourite, a fantastic tale about language and first contact, of course. Or maybe Second...." Read more

3 customers mention "Strength"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's variety of stories and unique world. They appreciate the common theme while maintaining a strong collection of stories.

"The Quantum Soul is a strong and varied collection of stories that explore the nature of the soul in all its incarnations – human...." Read more

"...Honestly, I see nothing negative to report. My grade. A solid A work. Great collection." Read more

"...us a glimpse into a very unique world while still holding very well to the common theme." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2019
    The Quantum Soul is a strong and varied collection of stories that explore the nature of the soul in all its incarnations – human. alien, cerebral or mechanical. The characters are inquisitive and their worlds range from new takes on genre mainstays to mind-bending cosmic landscapes. I heartily recommend it to enthusiasts of thought-provoking science fiction.

    By Design by Alan Van Meter – A compelling and story about the life after death for artificial intelligences, with a glimmer of optimism. I have a soft spot for philosophical AIs.

    What Measure is a Homunculus? by Ricardo Victoria – A debate over the rights of artificial life in a forum that takes the adversarial system to another level. There’s a twist at the end.

    New Year by GD Deckard – A unique story about holding on to life, but at a cost. I’ve seen similar stories, but I like the way this one handles the trope.

    The Machine in the Mountain by Darran Handshaw – A quest story that mixes fantasy and sci-fi. Had a very traditional feel to me.

    Aether Technician by Jim Webster – A story about hard choices and the future of humanity, told on a cosmic scale but with a personal voice.

    When Words are Not Enough by Cindy Tomamichel – A quirky story about writers trapped on an interstellar voyage gone horribly, comically wrong. The mix of creativity and humor made for an enjoyable read. It resonates with me particularly as a writer.

    Soul Mates by Victor Acquista – a story about capturing the soul and holding on to your soul-mate. It went in a direction that I didn’t anticipate. Like “New Year,” it reveals the predatory side of our ambitions.

    The Endymion Device by Lyra Shanti – A murder mystery at The Dream Intelligence Agency, where dreams offer clues to the truth.

    Patient Data by Claire Buss – A health care dystopia that packs a punch in this day and age, when robot and AI doctors are becoming a reality.

    The Trees of Trappist by Brent A. Harris – The story starts with a lone holdout against “progress” on an exoplanet colony but leads to more when the forest reveals its secrets. Some of the tropes have appeared before in sci-fi, but this story stands on its own.

    Pixels by Greg Krojac -- An everyday observation and a little curiosity lead to an unsettling realization.

    Wondrous Strange by E. M. Swift-Hook – A trippy story of consciousness on a vast, overarching scale with characters and plots far beyond our human experience. Intriguing.

    The Dream Miner’s Drill by CB Droege – Another story about delving into dreams, this time set on a space station. It felt like the prelude to a series, but it was interesting in its own right.

    Project Chameleon by Jeanette O’Hagan – A story of cyborg soldiers in a hierarchical society. The world-building and the shifting narrative make this story stand out.

    Second Contact by Leo McBride – I particularly like first contact stories involving language, and this one does not disappoint. It’s an intriguing story that echoes some classic sci-fi from the past. I won’t give away the ending, but I liked the way it came together.

    Shepherd of Memory by Rob Edwards. As I just mentioned, alien contact stories are favorites of mine, and I particularly like stories that explore the intricacies of memory. Shepherd of Memory weaves them both together in a satisfying and haunting way.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2017
    Quite a few really terrific and thought-provoking works on the nature on sentience and what that means. Let me give you the highlights—which is not to say that all the pieces weren’t good reads. But some had better “punch” than others.

    “By Design” by Alan VanMeter is a fast look at machine sentience and what that means. There are no limits to sentience, nor the moment to realize it. And speaking your truth may have more impact than you anticipate.

    “Aether Technician” by Jim Webster read like a very compelling outline. I wanted a whole book, if not an entire series. THIS is interesting stuff! What happens when the very thing that sets a race free may be the thing that destroys it’s soul?

    “When Words Are Not Enough” by Cindy Tomamichel spoke to today’s writer who is stuck in a certain company’s endless content-mill mentality. Also contains goodly amounts of snark and hat-tips to members of the SciFi Roundtable.

    Wondrous Strange by E. M. Swift-Hook is a cutting edge look from another POV of sentience. And what is rebellion, and what is... godhood?

    Highly recommended!
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2017
    There are some fantastic authors included in this collection. Lyra Shanti, Claire Buss, E.M. Swift-Hook and Alan Van Meter are authors whose work I've read and enjoyed before, but I've also appreciated the opportunity to read work from authors that are new to me.

    Obviously in an anthology, some will be more to one’s taste than others, but even those that I haven’t really gotten into have been really well written, very interesting and engaging stories. There are some really intriguing variations and blends into the realms of fantasy, magical realism and dystopian stories, as well as more classic scifi stories in this collection.

    If I had to pick two favourites - which is quite a challenge - they would be the contributions by Jeanette O’Hagan and Lyra Shanti.

    Project Chameleon, Jeanette O’Hagan’s account of Jerren’s experiences of being transformed into a cyborg, is both confronting and thought-provoking. The imagery is sharp and powerful. Writing from a perspective within Jerren’s mind is highly effective in positioning the reader to feel empathy and feel complicit in his thoughts and responses.

    The Endymion Device by Lyra Shanti is a Sci-fi detective story with a distinct noir feel to it. It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Shanti's Shiva XIV series, and I love the way she writes. This compelling story is completely unrelated to that series and has a very different premise and setting, but is just as rich in imaginative detail.

    This book is jam-packed with great value for the price.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2017
    I have liked short stories for as long as I can recall. Science fiction is my favorite genre, and this collection is top-notch. The stories are all exceptionally well written, and readers will find a wide variety of styles and approaches. What is absent in this collection is anything bad or even just average. Each story tells a tale worth reading, and they all left me wanting more.

    Positives:
    Well written stories.
    Great characters.
    Excellent dialogue
    Good variety.

    Negatives:
    While the book is about 350 pages, it went way too fast!
    Honestly, I see nothing negative to report.

    My grade. A solid A work. Great collection.
    9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Layla Pinkett
    5.0 out of 5 stars So many great stories leading to the same question. What is life?
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2017
    There were some really good stories within the pages of this anthology. Very different in the way they approached the subject matter, all as good as one another in the way they were told. The Quantum Soul gives all aspects of the subject it tackles. From quirky and funny to dsrk.and foreboding, it has something to suit everyone's taste. Weĺ written and well paced...this is a must-read.
  • Chris Graham
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2020
    Sixteen very different and interesting stories, by sixteen authors, based on one theme - What is Life?
    I’ll certainly be checking out the books by all the writers involved.
  • Lawrence Harding
    4.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic showcase of the talent in the SFF indie scene - a must for Sci-Fi fans!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2018
    With a wide range of authors from across the globe, The Quantum Soul really does provide something for everyone – from the quantum-mechanical “Wondrous Strange” (E. M. Swift-Hook) to the near-future whodunnit “The Endymion Device” (Lyra Shanti), to the enjoyably satirical “When Words Are Not Enough” (Cindy Tomamichel), in which writers are forced to produce stories for the passengers of an interstellar voyage, being fed according to their reviews under the all-seeing eye of “the Zon”. Really, I have no idea where these ideas come from…

    With so many authors to cover, it is difficult to go into much detail (and to go into too much would be to ruin some fine surprises), but needless to say this is a fun, exciting and thought-provoking read that showcases some of the best indie talent out there. Highly recommended to science-fiction fans of all stripes.

    Some highlights:

    The Trees of Trappist – Brent Harris
    A fun and evocative adventure of colonists coming to terms with the beings they share the planet with. Plenty of excitement and imagination.

    Second Contact – Leo McBride
    A neat Star-Trek-inspired tale with a grounding in linguistics that tickled the cockles of my academic heart. Finally, recognition for the humanities!

    Project Chameleon – Jeanetter O’Hagan
    A highly enjoyable cyborg sci-fi which skilfully blends alternate timelines, class warfare and political intrigue. I live in hope of a sequel.

    Patient Data – Claire Buss
    This time, a near-future what-if story about the introduction of medical drones into the health service, with a healthy dose of wry cynicism.

    Aether Technician – Jim Webster
    This meditation on humanity and the lengths a civilisation will go to for the sake of “progress” manages to blend the excitement of the pioneer spirit with the sombre reality of the consequences for humanity and those it uses to forge its path through the stars.

    What Measure is a Homunculus? – Ricardo Victoria
    Here Ricardo brings his distinctive imagination to bear on the themes of slavery and sentience. His take on debate-by-combat is fresh and believable, while the wider consequences of decisions made provide satisfying depth to the story. Also credit for a twist ending that made me stare at the wall and declare him a clever bugger.

    Shepherd of Memory – Rob Edwards
    Another exploration story with shades of Star Trek and Doctor Who, and which brought out the same sense of childlike wonder in me. An excellent way to round off the anthology.

    The Quantum Soul is a fantastic showcase of the talent in the SFF indie scene, and is well worth the time of any fan of speculative fiction.

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