As someone fairly familiar with science-fiction and its preoccupation with the human and more-than-human, I found this collection rather dull. Some of the ideas presented in these stories must have been shockers at the time they were published, but I found them pretty predictable. If, however, you are new to science fiction or not familiar with earlier (1950-2000) authors, this would be a good introduction to a central theme and its major contributors.