Is it better to have a human civilization devoid of art and culture than to have none at all? Three Earth ambassadors must whether to annihilate a space colony that has traded away human consciousness for a hive mind that feels nothing but the need for survival. In the distant future, three humans in possession of nuclear warheads must decide whether to allow a remarkable human variant species without consciousness to dominate the galaxy or destroy them forever.

All across the contemporary world, space whales are falling from the sky. They seem to be trying to deliver a message to the Earth — but as an American grassroots movement attempts to communicate with these creatures, it will face challenges from the government as well as the possible dangers of interacting with these interstellar beings.

In the first personal plural, a psychiatric ward patient describes their day-to-day routines and thoughts while their life slowly becomes easier.

A story with an unconventional structure that asks "What is your number one priority?"

Aliens visit Earth in the near future to select a single work of art to represent all of humanity, but the artwork they choose shocks the world.

In a universe that regenerates continually, producing the exact same timeline with each big bang, humans struggle to find meaning in lives over which they have no control.

In Michigan, a recently divorced professor reflects on what it means to exist, first alone in his empty apartment and then alongside his student in a mission to find a missing girl.

In intense discussion a group leader ponders aloud, asking why hermits hide and what defines outcasts, among other cerebral queries. A group of friends discusses the oddities they have seen and perceived in their lives leather-clad hermits and criminal astronauts among them. They debate the purpose of hermitage, the classification of outcasts, and the purpose of their own reflections.

In an alternative past where each human can access the minds of all other people at all times, a car crash causes one man to lose connection, and he becomes infatuated with the feeling of having a singular mind.

In a future where technology has advanced to the point where humans can undergo "optimization" to rid themselves of emotions and increase their mental functions, one man decides to cling to his humanity in an effort to atone for his sins and appreciate the beauty of being human.