After a long hiatus I revisited the SF genre by reading The New Space Opera 2. Soon I was swept away, pleasantly lost in the imaginative worlds created by the authors of the 19 short stories included in this volume.

My favorites deal with people, or even aliens, that although living in a quite different place and time, had kept those feelings that make them and us human.

Not surprisingly my least favorite was "The Far End of History," which takes place in a future so technically advanced that humanity has evolved beyond its physical constraints, becoming too different for me to relate to. Yet the editors call this story a 'brilliant novella' which only shows how subjective our likes and dislikes are.

Here is a summary of my favorites.

"Utriusque Cosmi" and "Inevitable." Both deal with the paradoxes of time travel and the impossibility of changing the past. An old fascination of mine.

"Fearless Space Pirates," a humorous rendering of the making of a comic book hero.

"From the Heart," a different love story.

"Craklegrackle." The love between father and daughter propels this 'Sherlock Holmes' quest with a supernatural touch across galaxies.

"Chamaleons," an engaging spy story with cool gadgets in a planet both alien and familiar.

"The Tale of the Wicked." Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics are at the bottom of this tale that also nods to 2001: A Space Odyssey with the theme of a ship's AI taking control.

"Events Preceding the Helvetican Renaissance" deals with the nature of faith and its effects on society.

Most of these stories end with a clever twist that prompts you to re-read them again to fully understand them.

Highly recommended for SF lovers.