Ken Liu. The Gods Will Not Be Slain. (The End is Now)
The cybernetic shit has really hit the fan (presumably a Dyson bladeless one), and the stakes are high as the AIs war amongst themselves.
David Wellington. Agent Isolated. (The End is Now)
Second installment of one of the weaker stories in the first volume of at apocalypse-themed trilogy, carrying on in the same vein.
Jay O’Connell. A Minute and a Half. (Interzone #254, Sep-Oct 2014)
O’Connell is putting together a run of really good stories, and this is another – a near-future look at relationships, technology, society, love, faith and more in a tight drama.
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2014
Guest Editor C.C. Finlay, and stories from Charlie Jane Anders, Paul M. Berger, David Erik Nelson, Sarina Dorie, Dinesh Rao, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Annalee Flower Horne, Sandra McDonald, Cat Hellisen, Ian Tregillis.
Asimovs October/November 2014
Not the strongest Asimovs double-issue – Sellar, Bailey, DuBois tickling this reader’s fancy more than the bigger names (Kelly, Rusch, Steele).
Allen M. Steele. The Prodigal Son. (Asimovs October/November 2014)
A follow-up a couple of generations on, to Steele’s The Legion of Tomorrow a few issues back, which didn’t really grab me.
Tim McDaniel. Neat Trick. (Asimovs October/November 2014)
A two-pager with a twist in the tail, as an ageing lycanthrope ponders his options as the full moon approaches…
Alaya Dawn Johnson. A Guide to the Fruits of Hawai’i. (Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2014)
A strong story from Johnson, looking closely at relationships between humans and the vampires who have taken over the world.
William Alexander. The Only Known Law. (Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2014)
A Golden Age of SF feel to a story of a half dozen pages, in which communication with an emissary from the alien planet below is finally established, only to find the message being delivered has big implications for humanity at large, and the human who has set foot on the planet.
Haddadyr Copley-Woods. Belly. (Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2014)
Copley-Woods looks inside (and I mean inside) the world of witchcraft in a quite chilling fashion…
Spencer Ellsworth. Five Tales of the Aqueduct. (Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2014)
Five mini-vignettes, spanning the millenia and the planets, all linked by the California aqueduct.
Ian Tregillis. Testimonty of Samuel Frobisher Regarding Events… (Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2014)
If ‘ee likes piratical stories, or bemoan the dire nonsense of the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels, then this salty, spirity tale will please as it be writ with just the right tone for suchlike.
Dinesh Rao. The Aerophone. (Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2014)
A slightly detached, mannered style prevented me getting too engaged with a story that progressed steadily to a finish that was similarly not overly dramatic.
Jason Sanford. What is Sand but Earth purified? (Asimovs October/November 2014)
Rogue nano – approach at your peril.
Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Playing with Reality. (Asimovs October/November 2014)
Rusch has fun in a light-hearted taken on the gender politics of golf, and virtual reality, in a pro-am tournament with some very special participants.
Jeff Grimshaw. The Cloisters. (Asimovs October/November 2014)
Could there be a nicer New York love story in Asimovs this year?
Robert R. Chase. Decaying Orbit. (Asimovs October/November 2014)
There’s politics and human relationships to give a little extra depth to a relatively short story that gets through the action on the double.
James Patrick Kelly. Uncanny. (Asimovs October/November 2014)
A short two-sider from Kelly, the kind of story Isaac Asimov would be writing if he were still alive and mining the robotics milieu.
Emily C. Skaftun. Diary of a Pod Person. (Asimovs October/November 2014)
An author new to me, and a story I struggled with due to a lack of focus.
Joel Richards. The Witch of Truckee. (Asimovs October/November 2014)
A fire in a remote winter cabin highlights a young woman’s abilities. The story is only a few pages long and is perhaps missing that little bit extra.
Brendan DuBois. Minutes to the End of the World. (Asimovs October/November 2014)
Wry take on the apocalypse, as we are presented with the minutes of a meeting of the Board of Selectmen of Trenton, New Hampshire.
Dale Bailey. Troop 9. (Asimovs October/November 2014)
Chilling horror from Bailey, as a girl guide troop go feral, heading off into the local woods..
Gord Sellar. Stars Fell on Alabama. (Asimovs October/November 2014)
A nicely told story, capturing a period feel of 1920s jazz, as a young (or not) black musician carries more in his cornet case (and his head)..
Nancy Kress. Angels of the Apocalypse. (The End is Now)
A decade or more on from the first installment, things on Earth have gone to hell in a handcart, and the generation of non-aggressive children have grown up…
Sarina Dorie. The Day of the Nuptial Flight. (Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2014)
A story that starts out intriguingly, but gradually my suspension of disbelief failed.
Cat Hellison. The Girls Who Go Below. (Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2014)
A story that starts out with the gentle feel of A Picnic at Hanging Rock, as two young sisters spend idyllic hours at a local lake. When a young boy appears, the young sister worries that he may drive a wedge between the two.
Sandra McDonald. End of the World Community College. (Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2014)
The story takes the form of a college prospectus, and is a treat.
David Erik Nelson. The Traveling Salesman Solution. (Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2014)
Somebody hacking their way to third place in a marathon gets more than he bargained for…
Annalee Flower Horne. Seven Things Cadet Blanchard Learned from The Trade Summit Incident. (Fantasy and Science Fiction, July/August 2014)
Fans of stories about sassy teens will love this one, especially if you like your fiction to use stand-in swear words like puck instead of fuck, and ship instead of shit.
Paul M. Berger. Subduction. (Fantasy and Science Fiction July/August 2014)
Berger creates an intriguing setting, as a man with a memory that only goes back a few days, finds himself drawn to one particular coastal community.