The Shape of Everything

The first galaxies in the universe were built for a reason, and humans have just learned that reason. But just as important is one old man talking about events that happened only a hundred years ago, when he was 8 years old and the world was full of adventure and romance and danger.

"His parents sent him to a day-camp in the country, and he still remembered waiting for the yellow bus that picked him up at the corner. It was a noisy, stinking bus full of loud children, and he always sat alone near the front, as close to the driver as possible. The driver was authority, and he believed in authority when he was eight. He thought it was important not to make enemies or get into trouble. A lot of the kids were older and larger, a few of them almost thirteen, and they seemed dangerous. This was the same as school -- the same as all life, he imagined -- survival depending on being quiet and small, keeping in the shade of authority whenever possible."

Robert Reed has published several hundred stories and novels. His novella, "A Billion Eves," won the Hugo Award. Reed lives in Nebraska, and he knows from personal experience how dangerous day-camps can be.


Genre: Science Fiction