A thousand years from now, the world will undoubtedly be a very different place, possibly even completely unrecognizable. Despite this, fourteen authors have taken it upon themselves to try and depict an Earth of the far future. Will humanity even exist as we know it? The answers are sure to fascinate. John Helfers starts the collection off with “Afterward,” which reads like an obituary to a race destroyed by a massive catastrophe. His lovingly detailed description of a world slowly reclaiming itself over the centuries is powerful and memorable.

Kevin J. Anderson speculates that even in the far future, there’ll be people wanting to Get Away From It All, such as in this tale of backpackers on an alien planet, in “Landscapes.” Brian Stableford turns in a story of genetic experimentation and desire with “Dr. Prospero and the Snake Lady.” Dean Wesley Smith’s “Nostalgia 101″ teaches those blessed with an extraordinarily long lifespan that it’s better to look to the future, rather than dwell in the past.

Sarah Hoyt’s “Go Tell The Spartans” examines the potential role of women once humanity’s ready to spread across the universe, and asks the question: What will we leave behind to make the journey? Mickey Zucker Reichart looks at conflict in the far future in “In His Own Image.” “Bitter Quest,” by Jim Fiscus, looks at a world where humanity has actually regressed after a series of plagues.

With other stories by Jack Williamson, Allen Steele, Robert Metzger, George Zebrowski and more, this collection brings together some of science fiction’s best visionaries for some thought-provoking results. One thing is for certain: wherever, whatever, we are in a thousand year’s time, it’ll be as interesting as these stories conjecture.

Originally posted on SF Site, 2006