Never Too Old To Save the World: A Midlife-Calling Anthology

The “Chosen Ones” here are all middle-aged if not a bit older and have lives and careers that they are expected to set aside for a destiny that they may have wanted, once upon a time, but no longer do. The many ways in which they manage this destiny anyway, on their own terms, make this a marvelous read for SF/F fans of all ages. The standout stories here are Jim C. Hines’s science-fictional “Launch Day Milkshakes,” featuring a woman getting back at her misogynistic boss with the help of a brainship, an elderly cat lady, and all of her many cats; “Lean In: The Lord of Hell Is Coming” by Ericka Kahler, a Buffy-esque take on outmaneuvering both heaven and hell with the power of stock options and meaningful work; and the only previously published work in the anthology, T. Kingfisher’s award-winning “Jackalope Wives,” a fable about the power of having versus wanting and knowing at the end that the road taken was the right one.