In this superb collection Brian Aldiss chooses the most fantastically original vantage points to observe the inspirations and triumphs, the shortcomings and disappointments of the human race. In 'A Space for Reflection', winning an unusual competition makes it possible for a young boy to explore the whole universe, but shows him that when he opens his mind to the entire galaxy, conclusions become impossible to reach. In 'Amen and Out', we step into the machine-dominated twenty-second century to find that the archaic human need for gods has been satisfied by battery-operated shrines and communicators. Unexpected, revealing and chilling - first rate Aldiss.