Reviewing short SF since 2000
The title refers to the ancient question : if a ship has its planking replaced plank by plank over a period of years, when does it become a new ship? How does this applies this to humanity?
Translated by Ken Liu and good to be able to read a story that would otherwise have been kept from us.
New in November 2012.
High stakes chariot-type racing in spaceships around the moons of a planet which humanity’s attackers (The Fear) are based.
A fairly bleak set up, with brain injury, bereavement, rape, HIV, climate change, and economic disaster, but the story, a good one, manages to end on a positive note.
Excellent, tender and affecting story with a node to Disney/Pixar Toy Story and Cars, with a bit of Wall-E thrown in. And Herbie.
In which Jimmie and Morrie of Paranormal Services investigated, whilst in the midst of a lovers’ tiff, a poltergeist in a bedroom.
An interesting take on a popular modern horror genre.
Two years since it was published, but, by diggedy, worth the wait.
The Hwarhath stories have left me pretty unmoved in the past, but heigh-ho, like Charlotte,
A husband and wife ex-marine team farming on a remote planet, have to deal with dark memories as they try to rescue their kidnapped children, following the kidnapper across a nightmare-inducing desert storm.
A proper SF story by Robert Reed. A ‘Great Ship’ story by Robert Reed. A ‘Great Ship’ story by Robert Reed featuring Quee Lee and Perri!
A return to the pages of F&SF of mountainous Mad Amos Malone, involving oirish shenanigens with Peter O’Riley, mightily mustachioed Patrick McLaughlin, and some gnomes.
A sequel to ‘Liberty’s Daughter’ from the May/June issue of F&SF, a story which left me profoundly meh
Something in the very fabric of space and time appears to have gone wrong – to run or to stand, that is the question.
Short but perfectly formed Dilbert-like vignette in which a jobseeker in a US where that is no easy thing to be, makes a surprise re-connection when applying for a job online.
A particulary strong issue with only a couple of the eleven stories not quite doing it for me.
Short, sensual story redolent with the oppressive heat of the southern States, of youth, longing, love and an abandoned, deserted railway track, which of course, whilst the trains no longer run, doesn’t mean that journeys can’t be made. Or not made.
Excellent issue with stories by Mercurio D. Rivera, Will McIntosh, Megan Arkenberg, Jack McDevitt, Alan DeNiro, Kali Wallace, Bruce McAllister, and Bud Sparhawk all good ‘uns.
Nicely told story that builds to a gnarly life and death struggle in a bedroom with an elderly Viet buddhist clad in only red boxing shorts defending the Earth from alien invasion.
A quality story that looks at faith, religion, First Contact and builds up to a dramatic decision, where the story started.
Deep space travel through a human/alien symbosis, with gender issues complicated the already awkward teenage concerns and relationshiops.
A very alien presence offer the chance for a returning hometown zero to get some perspective on what we has lost, hasn’t lost, and what he might get back again.
A second Scandinavian troll-love story in a year!
Out in hyperspace a trainee pilot has to react when her spaceship comes tumbling out of hyperspace. Is it a real incident, or a Kobayashi Maru training scenario?
An elderly female farmer in South Africa feels vulnerable when her guard dog is poisoned. Fortunately her daughter has a replacement, albeit not a canine one…
Short and quite lightweight look at a message from the stars.
Second in the Eclipse series, a nicely told tale, told in a dry, deadpan manner by a failed wizard, who finds that he -is- able to make use of one of the few abilities he does have.
The goddess Kali has a pivotal role to play in the lives of a group of people on a cotton plantation in the run up to the civil war. Frankly my dear, I did give a damn.
Smaller in two dimensions, larger in another two dimensions, with stories by Urbanski, Liu, Sharma, Johnson, Bunker and Tidhar, and a mighty fine read.
A love story, two scientists find their love and loss mirrors ancient legend – with a slight twist in the tail (or tentacle…)
Witty short, through the eyes of a janitor in a medieval theme park who gets His Bigge Chance, but for whome Certaine Substances cause an outbreak of moral rectitude that proves to be A Bad Thing.
Excellent stuff. Have a read of the story in Clarkesworld, then get yourself copies of Interzone – either the sleek, new smaller format magazine, or an e-version, and read the subsequent stories.
In Tidhar’s ‘Central Station’ series, another story with depth and texture, leaving me waiting for the next in the series.