Umbrellas up the Mountain

Eight imaginative tales of nonstandard speculative fiction: Is there something in humanity's future that will cause his extinction? Does the art produced by a single man matter? Can one face his own end with courage and purpose? What is it that can provide a new sentient species with true freedom? When might advancement break the spirit of man? Can utopia be something other than what one first perceives? What physical shape might a visiting extraterrestrial possess? What is mankind's next great leap?