Paolo Bacigalupi. The Alchemist. (Subterranean Press, 2011).
A handsome chapbook from Subterranean Press, the content matching the presentation. amazon.com | amazon.co.uk
Charles Stross. Bit Rot. (Engineering Infinity).
It’s way too long since I read a short SF story from Stross, and this fits the bill nicely.
Hannu Rajaniemi. The Server and the Dragon. (Engineering Infinity, 2011).
Far-future far-distant post-human hard SF. Clever stuff!
Tanith Lee. Black Fire. (Lightspeed Magazine #8, January 2011).
Cleverly written, in the form of three witness statements from couples relating almost identical events.
Stephen Baxter. The Invasion of Venus. (Engineering Infinity.)
Another in a series of recent Baxter stories in which challenges to the future of humanity are seen through the lens of one or two individuals in a rural English setting.
Asimovs. December 2010.
Emshwiller and Genge the pick of the bunch, but not a vintage bunch.
Tom Purdom. Warfriends. (Asimovs, December 2010).
A ‘long-awaited’ followup to an Ace Double written some 40 years ago.
Fables from the Fountain. (ed Ian Whates, NewCon Press, 2011.)
18 stories written as homages to Arthur C. Clarke’s ‘Tales from the White Hart’. Authors include Neil Gaiman, Stephen Baxter, Charles Stross, Eric Brown, Peter Crowther, David Langford, James Lovegrove, Adam Roberts, Ian Watson, Liz Williams. mmmm. nice.
Carol Emshwiller. Uncle E. (Asimovs, December 2010).
Lovely short story with a deft touch.
Ian Creasey. The Prize Beyond Gold. (Asimovs, Dec 2010).
Fairly leaden rumination on issues around sporting achievement in the future.
The Mammoth Book of Apocalyptic SF. (ed Mike Ashley, Robinson 2010)
An excellent collection, with some extremely strong new stories and classy classics. amazon.com | amazon.co.uk
Paul Di Filippo. Life in the Anthropocene. (The Mammoth Book of Apocalyptic SF).
As you would expect from Di Filippo, a somewhat lighter touch than most of the stories in the book, in his inimitable gonzo style.
Eric Brown. Guardians of The Phoenix. (The Mammoth Book of Apocalyptic SF)
Brown effectively paints a bleak, desert and deserted Earth.
Robert Reed. Excellence. (Asimovs, December 2010).
Reed taps into some modern memes, immersive online games, and a desire to gain instant wealth and celebrity with little real effort, in a wryly black story.
Ian Werkheiser. Variations. (Asimovs, December 2010).
Technology which enables the creation of new music as if created by long dead performers, enables a young man to finally come to terms with the impact music had on his childhood through his father’s obsession.
Gregory Norman Bossert. Freia. (Asimovs, December 2010).
The second best story about a military fighter plane with the capacity to make its own decisions in combat that I’ve read in the last week!
Robert Reed. Pallbearer. (The Mammoth Book of Apocalyptic SF)
There’s a lot of issues handled in the story, all done through the impact of those issues on individuals, families and communities, done very cleverly, with strong characterisation.
Karl Schroeder. Laika’s Ghost. (Engineering Infinity)
As the story comes to a conclusion and the pieces drop into place, the science thriller becomes more SF, and delivers a rewarding read.
Kage Baker. The Books. (The Mammoth Book of Apocalyptic SF)
Evidently Baker’s last completed story before she died last year, and a fitting story to go out on.
Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Watching the Music Dance. (Engineering Infinity)
A cautionary tale about genetic enhancements for children.
Sara Genge. Sins of the Father. (Asimovs, December 2010).
A touching story of alienness, integration, longing, loss and sacrifice.
Michael Swanwick. Libertarian Russia. (Asimovs December 2010).
A young man with a neat motorcycle that can run on grass and water, and a gun that will only work in his hand, leaves Moscow behind. With the wind in his hair, he has the freedom of the road.
James Patrick Kelly. Plus or Minus. (Asimovs, December 2010).
A sequel to ‘Going Deep’ which appeared in the June 2009 issue of Asimovs.
Sybil’s Garage no.7.
It’s a handsome book, the presentation and content of which you wouldn’t be embarassed by when reading in public, or discussing with colleagues.
Bull Spec Issue #3, Autumn 2010.
There’s a lot to like in this semiprozine.
Peter Watts. Malak. (Engineering Infinity)
A semi-autonomous aerial military robot has his instruction set subtly tweaked. Thought provoking.
Alastair Reynolds. Sleepover. (The Mammoth Book of Apocalyptic SF)
Reynold’s ‘Sleepover’ starts closer to home than most of his stories. But don’t worry, horizons are expanded in due course.
Confused? You will be!
[January 7th 2011] So over the next couple of weeks I will be reviewing the
The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2010. (ed Rich Horton). Prime Books 2010.
A handsome book, and Horton has cast his net very far and very wide, he certainly can’t be faulted for being conservative in the range of sources from which he chooses.
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. November/December 2010.
An issue with an outrageous number of quality writers appearing therein.
Albert E. Cowdrey. Death Must Die! (Fantasy & Science Fiction, Nov/Dec 2010)
The ghost of the public hangman finds that past misdemeanours come back to haunt him…
Corey Mariani. Postings from an Amorous Tomorrow. (Lightspeed Magazine #8, January 2011)
More of a story you would see on a small press e-zine (or whatever the equivalent for an online magazine is of a small press/semiprozine in the printed world.)
Terry Bisson. Teen Love Science Club. (Fantasy & Science Fiction, Nov/Dec 2010)
The teen heroine finds love in a very unexpected place.
Ken Liu. Tying Knots. (Clarkesworld Magazine #52, January 2011)
Liu brings together an ancient eastern tradition of recording using knotted string, with Western technology and mores.
Catherynne M. Valente. The Radiant Car Thy Sparrows Drew. (The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2010)
A lot of thought has gone into the detail, which gives a sense of place and time with almost effortless ease (the effort has gone in at the writing stage, leaving it much easier for the reader). It’s a read that oozes class.
Yoon Ha Lee. Ghostweight. (Clarkesworld Magazine #52, January 2011)
An excellent story of shadows, origami folding weapons and vessels, smoke and hidden and unknown identities, desires but also duties.