Echoes and Embers: Speculative Stories, by Pedro Iniguez

This definitely isn't a book I would normally pick up on my own, but I'm still glad I did. Pedro is such a force in the literary world, talented in so many ways (I just found out he also does archery??), and is an incredibly generous, kind, and supportive human being. How does someone like him exist in the world? I’m truly honoured to know him.

The second story in Pedro’s collection, “A Final Song for the Ages,” broke my heart a little, and I’m still thinking about it days later.

His story, "Do As I Do" was my favourite from the collection, though. It has everything I enjoy in a short story: a strong woman, puppies (lol), and heart. In a post-apocalyptic world, people long for more than survival, and the character(s) in this story learn trust and forge unlikely bonds. Also, never thought I would root for a robot, but there's always a first time..

Overall, this is a book that would appeal to readers who enjoy sci-fi, post-apocalyptic stories with lots of action, aliens, and humanity's fight for survival.