Messenger (short story 2018)

Aliens attack Earth and India responds by transforming angry veterans into cyborg versions of giant piloted mecha. Each cyborg takes on the aspect of a Hindu god, for good or ill. Pensive and exhilarating by turns, reminiscent of Sanjeev and Robotwallah (see RTSF review here), Messenger is a moving exploration of which is harder: losing your wife and children or developing an experimental brain machine interface that can map a person onto a giant robot with six arms. See Science Robotics summary of cyborgs in real-life and science fiction here.

- Robin