If you are reading Patricia Highsmith for the first time, this is not the place to start. Generally her work describes what people are capable of doing to each other—here she discusses what we are doing to the planet. The results are kinda mixed. I wouldn’t say there were any stories that I loved but several were quite good. The first three had something odd in common--I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like them when they started but by midway, she had me. MOBY DICK II or THE MISSILE WHALE in particular turned me off at the beginning but I couldn’t resist it by the end. OPERATION BALSAM or TOUCH ME NOT might be my favorite over-all. Manages to be clinical and slyly sinister at the same time. NABUTI: WARM WELCOME TO A UN COMMITTEE was also quite good. The next three stories however start out unpleasant and stay that way. SWEET FREEDOM! AND A PICNIC ON THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN actually had my attention then lost it. Kind of a riff on the events of Jan. 6, 2021 three decades before they happened—gets pointless fast and stays there—much like the actual event. The next three (TROUBLE AT JADE TOWERS & RENT-A-WOMB & NO END IN SIGHT) also were annoying—kind of revved up the engine but never got in gear. The last of that three being my least favorite in the collection. NO END IN SIGHT dealt with our tendency to live longer and longer and maybe never die—like I thought the story would never end. It was like sucking the worst tasting cough drop that still didn’t sooth your throat. Just when I had given up hope I quite liked SIXTUS VI, POPE OF THE RED SLIPPER—religion can be used for good—who knew? My second favorite story of the bunch and which ends this collection is the sharpest critique of America (as many/most/maybe all of them are) PRESIDENT BUCK JONES RALLIES AND WAVES THE FLAG. Brutally efficient and satisfying and maybe one of the best short story titles ever.