Reflection by Adam Ostaszewski is a terrific collection of six long stories that are staged against different worlds, mostly in future. Adam’s writing is cohesive and a little bit tough for the first time readers. But for compulsive readers of short stories, this is a great book.

The book can be remembered for its fine detailing of scientific futuristic world. I really liked the first story in the collection – Reflection – it was set on Earth but the author showed that ways of transport has changed completely. People can now travel to continents in a matter of few hours via space stations and shuttles. Well, it is a murder mystery at the façade but looks like a fantasy thriller story where the dead and its investigator both reach at the same place.

This book offers 6 long stories like murder mystery in Fineasia station, Arcadia planet story, Iraq of 2035 where British and Poland are shouldering each other to grab a file that possibly contains secret work of Saddam Hussain. Except the story ‘Meeting’ all stories are set in some other world and time (mostly future). The book depicts how things could go in future. The stories carry the common yet riveting themes such as murder mystery, lineage, colonization of planets in space, mutiny in a spaceship, and so on. I must say that this book is a breather for a change. Adam’s stories are set in different tone, slightly off the conventional track. But due to this reason, the collection is exciting and a pleasure to read. But the con side is that it looks solely focuses on sci-fi readers.

Our View on the Cover:

It is a splendid cover bifurcated into two segments, the first one shows the impact of advanced technology like bridges and stations, and the below one depicts a space shuttle in some other planet. The cover reflects the world that we going to enter on the hinges of technology and artificial intelligence.

Our Verdict on the Book:

The collection is purely a work of science fiction. Out of 6 stories, 5 go in the sci-fi genre. Since it is a collection of short stories, there are no proper antagonists or protagonists. However, readers will remember some of the characters from the stories. The voice and backdrop of the stories act as antagonists. This is a tough book to read, it is not meant for light readers, one needs to devote time to get acquainted with its know-how and other themes. Adam’s narration is strong and to the point. But yet stories are way long than needed. Overall, a good serious read for fantasy cum sci-fi and dystopian readers.