cover image Ten Sigmas and Other Unlikelihoods

Ten Sigmas and Other Unlikelihoods

Paul Melko, . . Fairwood, $17.99 (260pp) ISBN 978-0-9789078-6-0

This far-ranging debut collection, featuring 12 reprints, highlights Melko's adaptability as he shifts from multiple universes to caped crusaders and from captured aliens to pet cats. Highlights include “Doctor Mighty and the Case of Ennui,” where a superhero suffers a humorously human bout of depression, and the title story, which wields the concept of parallel universes like a sharpened knife dissecting the choices we make and their consequences. The deft and refreshing “The Summer of the Seven” and “Singletons in Love” tie into “Strength Alone,” the opener for Melko's forthcoming novel, Singularity's Ring (Reviews, Dec. 10, 2007). The changes in tone and style from one piece to the next make the collection a little uneven, but almost any reader will find a story that particularly appeals. As Melko grows further into his talent, he'll be one to watch. (Mar.)