The Arbitrary Placement of Walls

This collection of 17 stories puts together a solid case for Martha Soukup's preeminence among science fiction short story writers at the end of the 20th century. In her best efforts, such as "Living in the Jungle," the Nebula-winning "A Defense of the Social Contracts," and the absolutely stunning "The Story So Far," Soukup provides an intimate perspective on protagonists who are fundamentally alienated from the worlds in which they live. It's a perspective that also comes to bear on the eerily humorous "Alita in the Air," in which an unaccompanied child on an airplane refuses to meet her party at the gate and becomes a permanent passenger, and the poignant tale of two runaways, "Jones and the Stray." And we guarantee that, after reading "Good Girl, Bad Dog," you'll never think of Lassie in the same way again. --Ron Hogan