Cat Pictures, Please: And Other Stories by Naomi Kritzer

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

With a title like that, how could I pass this book up?  Although I was not familiar with multi-award winning author Kritzer’s work, it didn’t take more than a story or two to convince me that all those Hugo, Locus, and Nebula nominations and awards were well deserved. While the trappings may vary—an alternate world where dragons live with Native Americans in the Old West or a town in Nazi Germany or a witch’s hut in a wood—the stories have realistic characters facing realistic problems. There’s also a gentle sweetness, even if the stories don’t end as I might have liked.

The title story, Cat Pictures, Please, is about a sentient AI who, well, likes to look at cat pictures.  But while looking at the pictures, it becomes interested in the lives of the people who post them and believes that it can help the people with their problems.  The trouble is that some people will just NOT take a hint. They’d rather moan about their current job that look at all the helpful job postings that are appearing in their online feed or the offers of free resume help.  It’s most frustrating.  This is a delightful tale that really carries the ring of truth.

The Wall is another intriguing story about a college student faced with an alleged time traveller who is trying to talk her into an impromptu trip to Germany for some reason.  The woman seems to know a lot about her, but is this some sort of scam?

What Happened at Blessing Creek is one of the grittiest stories, in which a group of pioneers are looking for a place to settle on Osage lands.  One of the group is a young girl who has some psychic powers and who is faced with a difficult choice, one which will have devastating consequences. 

The Good Son is the story of an Irish fae who is attracted to a mortal woman and who follows her to her home in Minnesota.  He soon finds out that the mortal world can be more complicated than he anticipated—especially in matters of the heart.

There are seventeen stories in all, and there’s not a clunker in the bunch.  This collection is highly recommended.  And don't let the cover put you off--this book is more about humans than technology.