A review by gengelcox
Glass Cloud by James Patrick Kelly

4.5

A not-so-far future SF story about massive art installations, first contact with aliens seven years in, and the inevitable longevity of interminable cocktail parties. The story isn’t about any of that, however; instead, it’s about a vision, first an artistic vision hampered by the engineering required to bring it to life, then about a vision of the future, brought by the aliens who are as frustrated about this vision as the humans are frustrated that the aliens do not share it. Which is to say, things are complicated, but in a very good way. When I read this first in the 80s, I’m not sure I understood the difficulty of Phillip the architect to deal with people, his wife, and the alien. On rereading, the years of experience gained feel like they’ve provided me new insight into how someone who had achieved such fame could feel so empty. Highly recommended.