People often joke about what aliens would think if they sifted through the stuff humans left behind. Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge by Mike Resnick answers that question. I found this book by chance while looking for more of Resnick's work after enjoying his excellent book Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future. Olduvai Gorge caught my eye because it won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novella.
A multi-faceted team of aliens has been sent to Earth long after humanity's extinction to learn more about what led humans to conquer the stars. The most notable member of the team has the ability to sense the history of an item and this novella tells the story of seven such artifacts of Earth's past and future. It's a great, quick read that takes a look at how other cultures may see us when we're long gone.
If you like this book, I highly encourage you to check out Santiago as it's a wonderful read in an imaginative setting.
I'd love to hear your thoughts about this novella in the comments below, via email at jeffsemonis@yahoo.com, or on twitter @jeffsbookcase.
