These are stories of a future, not necessarily

the future. They are stories not of what will

happen, but of people as they might be. They

are about feelings and values, truths that apply

anywhere and anywhen. Taking them out of

the present, out of our known world, simply

lets us see them more clearly.

Consider the boy who is different, the one

who will not fit into the government s preset

patterns for school behavior and learning.

What happens to him? And what about the

girl who cannot understand her parent s hesi-

tancy to let her grow up, to let her experience

the one thing that will mean she is an adult?

What happens when a boy who is being used

by a mean overlord for his unique ability sees

freedom in the eyes and the mind of a girl?

Should space explorers report the existence

of an abnormal colony to the central authori-

ties or let it develop as it wants to, contrary

to all rules? And what about the past? Does it

have anything to say to the future? Can it help

us deal with our problems now and tomorrow?

These are all problems for us now, and they

are problems for the people, the very real peo-

ple, in these stories. Each of these stories is

new. And in each, the author is exploring a

new area, a new idea, that he or she has not

touched on before. The stories are not related

to each other. But they are all a part of the

huge pattern of human realities.