Pets In Space 6: A Science Fiction Romance Anthology Edited by Carol Van Natta ~ a Review

by MK French

In this anthology, eleven science fiction authors each provided a novella; proceeds from this book benefit Hero Dogs, a charity that trains dogs to be placed with veterans and first responders. In keeping with this theme, each of the eleven stories features a pet of some kind, from the familiar to the decidedly alien.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

October 2021; Pets in Space Books for Chavanch Press
ebook (1316 pages); science fiction

S.E. Smith's contribution, "Behr's Rebel," opens the volume. The heroine and her two plucky pets have to rescue a mercenary captain from certain execution, and of course, romantic shenanigans will ensue. Still, telepathic and telekinetic pets looking after me? Such a wonderful idea! Being a novella, we have a slower exploration of their backstories, the Big Bad hunting the captain, and the hero and heroine becoming lovers. The pets aren't just fun pieces of fluff, they play a role in the story and get the plot moving along, too.

From there, we have glimpses into futuristic cruises, truth-tellers, futuristic medical practice, sulking teens, shapeshifters, and the like. Animals are often companions, sometimes the reason why things go sideways. Because a lot of these novellas are part of a series, we also have a bit of background prior to each one beginning. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Veronica Scott's contribution "Star Cruise: Time Loop." Not only do we have a time loop, but our plucky heroine gets a chance to save 8000 people and get the guy of her dreams because of her actions. These are all fun stories, but the time loop is my favorite one of the bunch because of the fun way she played around with the time loop trope. All of these are really fun to read, with happily ever afters for everyone.

Buy Pets in Space 6 at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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