Overclocked by Cory Doctorow (2007)

I previously reviewed one of the short stories from this, a compilation of them by Doctorow. I can't say that any of the other stories were as page-turningly gripping as that one, possibly because I didn't identify as immediately with sentient rowboats or tweener girls as with an overworked systems administrator. That being said, I also didn't find any of the stories hard to read or less than worth finishing. Of particular note is "After the Siege," very nearly as good as "Sysadmins," about said tweener girl who lives through a future-war version of the Siege of Leningrad. (The story was inspired by accounts from Doctorow's grandmother, who lived through the Siege.)

My only overriding gripe with the collection as a whole is that too many of the stories end on the happy side. With my most recent point of reference being the unremittingly dark Blindsight, I would have liked for some of these tales to end more grimly. But I can understand falling in love with characters, especially one based on your grandmother.