Providing new insights into the human psyche, this remarkable collection gathers 13 cutting-edge tales of science fiction that reveal both the dark and light side of progress. In the Nebula award-winner, "Burn," an idyllic planet wrestles with ecological responsibility and terrorism, while the problems and temptations of a happy virtual reality are examined in "The Dark Side of Town." Colorful pilgrims travel to new worlds until their ship’s artificial intelligence begins to act strangely in the namesake, "The Wreck of the Godspeed," and the extent that future television programs will go to get ratings is explored in "The Leila Torn Show," Combining hard technology with complex, character-based dilemmas, each inventive narrative shares the message that science is not a panacea and often leads to personal decisions that are neither clear nor easy.