A collection of eight short speculative fictions by William Mangieri, in which we learn some life lessons: Don't assume there's intelligent life out there.Some people can't help themselves.Sometimes you have to take chances.Love could mean never getting to say you're sorry.Protect those you love.There's more than one way to be immortal.The afterlife is what you make of it.How to deal with blood relations.Includes the short stories: The Collective is AllThe Collective is ALL! At least that's what Abbe's been told, but events lead him to wonder if there might just be some intelligent life "out there."ReflectionsWhat are we, really - the sum of our parts, or something less? What if those parts are at odds with each other? How much control do we have over what we turn into?Some Kind of LuckHenry Jacob Dawes is a cab driver with an ear that keeps him out of trouble -- until he has a run-in with someone who has a different kind of luck.L-O-V-E Among the StarsA space traveler wakes too soon, and must leave the woman of his dreams to the ministrations of another, less-human caretaker."L-O-V-E Among the Stars" is a speculative fiction of (with hints of a pop standard.)Burial DetailsBe sure to bury your charges deep. An old farmer scraping by after the Sahrian invasion buries his most precious treasures to hide them from the aliens' "salvation". ImmortalRiddled with a more than terminal disease, Commander Solitaire considers an extreme way to protect the Earth. There's more than one way to be immortal.("Immortal" is a speculative flash fiction which borrows slightly from Richard III (see if you can spot the influence.)Solid PeopleThe afterlife is what you make of it. A run-in with Mr. Topp's flatbed strands Sarah and her mother in Newbury. Despite her mother's warnings about becoming attached to things, Sarah decides to spend her time with some Solid People (a mild, slightly romantic ghost story.)You Can't Question the DeadWe take care of our own.A father gives some timely advice as he hopes to apprentice his son in the family business. Blood is thicker than water, but whose blood will it be?