Welcome friend! Today I have a review for an indie scifi short stories collection. When T.S. Galindo reached out me about this book, he said his stories were inspired by Buddha’s teachings. My interest was piqued and I was able to pick up THE INSTITUTE Stolen Case Files as part of my Backlist Bingo short stories/anthology prompt. Here is what it is about:

THE INSTITUTE Stolen Case Files – Book Review

THE INSTITUTE Stolen Case Files is a collection of eight stories about various escapades of the Institute. I love the feeling of suspense and conspiracy that T. S. Galindo portrays in the preface itself. He found these documents in his spam folder and pieced together the events that the redacted journalist had gathered together. The variety of stories and the writing shows how masterful a storyteller T.S. Galindo is. 

Here is a little about each of the stories:

• The Button deals with the dilemma of a universe-changing choice.
• A Place with No Name is the haunting tale of a woman who visits an island for population check and instead ends up being swept up by their customs and traditions. 
• Microbe-Aggregations is about a neurologist making connections with a microbe. 
• The Qerl is the story of a one of a kind machine, built for a purpose.
• The First and Last Task of a Robot touches on the robopocalypse that no one remembers. 
• The Journal holds the secrets to time travel.
• Upload is the story of three teenagers experimenting with a hat.
• Orman Anasi is about a tree like no other.

The protagonists in these stories are easy to relate to. Many have pursued education with passion. Some find themselves doing the work they always envisioned they would while others haven’t had the opportunities to share their potential with the world at large. Many are flawed. Some are victims of other people’s experiments or stuck in terrible situations not of their making. There is despair, hope, anticipation, fear, and many other human emotions in this book. The eight stories speculate on the biases, prejudices and perceptions that come in the way of breakthrough but underlying all of that is a massive secret organisation that defies time. Almost insidious in nature, The Institute hires professionals for its own end goals and isn’t afraid of the body count left behind. The notes by the journalist offer a look into what happened to the people. 

The uncanny mixes well with the baffled individual and I found humour in many of the stories. There is also insight related to how to live and overcoming challenges. I found the writing immersive and enjoyed seeing some characters make appearances in multiple stories. The author’s imagination is none like I have seen before and I am quite impressed with the game of Discourse, a twist on Chess. I am yet to try it and appreciate the materials at the end of the book. 

THE INSTITUTE Stolen Case Files is a great short stories collection. Each story can be analyzed on its own merit and would serve as a great point of discussion about technological advancements and living. I am still thinking about A Place with No Name and Upload days after reading them. The First and Last Task of a Robot was quite emotional.

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I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a scifi short stories collection to read next! Add it to you Goodreads shelf.

Many thanks to the author for a review copy of this book for an honest review. I enjoyed it! I love the reader log that the author added to the book. It is a great touch.