Planets don’t just pop up in the middle of the solar system. Sure, there are probably some planet-sized objects that we’ve not discovered out in the Kupier belt, but something Earth-sized, near the Earth, and not seen in all of recorded history? Couldn’t happen. And, yet, Murphy, Edward, Sinclair, and Vin’s ship crashed into something that suggests otherwise.

The tone and structure of Adam Robert‘s "Me-Topia" is very similar to Frank R. Stockton‘s ubiquitous "The Lady or the Tiger." Both have an engaging, storybook-light narrative that makes for a good read right up to the climax. Then the author heads off on vacation, asking the readers if they wouldn’t mind going ahead and finishing up for him, thank you very much. It’s one of those things that only works the first time you read it in junior high English and is annoying after that. Still, the likable characters and compelling mystery more than compensate for my dislike of the open ending, making this story well worthy of its spot in this anthology.