Kristine Kathryn Rusch. The First Step. (Asimovs August 2015)
Time travel story, that is nice enough, as far as it goes.
Reviewing short SF since 2000
Time travel story, that is nice enough, as far as it goes.
A police-procedural/detective story set in space, which failed to grab in the first few pages and encourage me to invest an hour or so in reading the >35 remaining pages.
The American civil war has gone differently, there’s low-level magic, and gondolas. What’s not to like?
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.
Characterisation and family relationship are handled well, which is as well as otherwise it’s a fairly weak story.
Another in the prolific Rusch’s ‘Diving’ series, but it felt like something off a production line rather than an artisan, hand-crafted story of the kind Rusch can do.
Rusch takes a look at the ghosts that supposably haunt The White House, taking a slightly different view on time travel – by seeing it through the eyes of academic research.
Another in Rusch’s ‘Diving’ series, with Captain Tory Sabin having some back-history, issues with high command, and a very personal reason for wanting to go to the rescue of The Ivoire.
Fine as far as it goes, but probably works better as a first chapter in a YA novel.
Through the well-observed downbeat and wry narrative voice of a spacepilot licence examiner, we look at some of the issues in making a life out there in the solar system.
A member of The Company who uses her special ability to see possible futures, reflects on her past and her possible futures.
A bleak look at the desperate straits of refugees who have fled to a distant outpost.
There’s a xenolinguistic element, but this is part of an overall story about understanding cultures (and failing to understand them), about politics, and war, and a good conclusion to the issue.
Murder mystery set in space.
A cautionary tale about genetic enhancements for children.
This entry into the ‘Diving’ canon is a doozy
The Spanish Steps in Rome are the location for an intriguing story.
A bit of a curate’s egg of an issue.
A big book, with a huge amount of top quality SF.
A Retrieval Artist story.
I started this issue expecting Rusch and Jablokov to supply the stronger stories, but in fact it is Zumsteg and Ludwigsten who tickled my fancy the most. Who’da thunk it?
A story that could equally, or perhaps, better have been placed in a historical or a crime fiction magazine.
Rus(c)hed through at breakneck speed, with little mystery, as things happen very quickly and progress the story with almost indecent haste.
The Goldstein and Rusch stories start and finish the issue strongly, with the other stories being good without being great. Other stories by Crowell, Cooper, Steinmetz, Oltion, Resnick, Robyn, Tem.
An excellent issue. Rusch and Popkes perhaps the slightly weaker of the contributions, Broderick and Reed edging ahead of Blumstein, Zumsteg and Kowal.
An excellent issue, as you might expect with authors of the standing of Stableford, Reed, Wilhelm, Swanwick, Kress and Rusch. Those without that standing (yet) similarly provide top quality. Well, you only have a 400th issue once.
Kathleen Ann Goonan. Memory Dog. The issue opens with a very clever and accomplished story
Alex Wilson. Outgoing. A countdown to a climax, with 10 episodes in the lives of
Real physical versions of Asimovs are to hand, which I find I read much more quickly than the e-versions of late (having spent most days at work in front of a screen, reading off a screen is not much of a relaxation!) – so I expect to be up to date with the US mags by the end of the month!
Another excellent issue.
For me the Rusch and Kilby are the pick of the issue. Sanders/Maxey/Williams are OK without breaking new ground, and Beckett’s story isn’t as impactful as the earlier story in that milieu.
PDF version reviewed. Daniel Grotta. RAW. A professional photographer, courtesy of some hi-tech kit and
William Barton. The Gods of A Lesser Creation. Barton returns to the setting of previous
Allen M. Steele. Shady Grove. Sixth intallment of the ‘Coyote Rising’ serial, in which a
A list of authors on the front cover which promises a lot! Charles Stross. Nightfall.
Millennium Babies. Kristine Kathryn Rusch On top form, Rusch describes painfully one of the adults
Rajna Vajra. Doctor Alien. A story from an Analog regular very much in the usual
Rajnar Vajra. Emerald River, Pearl Sky. The story starts with unidentified observers from a thousand
Rajnar Vajra. The Ghost within. Give Analog regular Vajra his due, he’s quite happy to
Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Aliette de Bodard, Charles Coleman Finlay, Daryl Gregory, Dominic Green, Elizabeth Bear, Garth Nix, Geoff Ryman, Gord Sellar, Greg Egan, Gwyneth Jones, Hannu Rajaniemi, Ian McDonald, James Alan Garner, James. L. Cambias, Jay Lake, Karl Schroeder, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Mary Robinette Kowal, Mary Rosenblum, Maureen F. McHugh, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Paolo Bacigalupi, Paul McAuley, Robert Reed, Stephen Baxter, Ted Kosmatka
As with #1, another handsome collection of short SF from some of the biggest names in SF. Praise especially for making room for the lengthy Rosenbaum/Doctorow story.
As ever, chock full of high quality SF, with the annual summation providing SF with an ongoing reference and reading tome which we should not take for granted. Here’s to the next 25 years! Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Benjamin Rosenbaum and David Ackert, Brian Stableford, Bruce Sterling, Chris Roberson, David Moles, Elizabeth Bear, Greg Egan, Gregory Benford, Gwyneth Jones, Ian McDonald, James Van Pelt, John Barnes, Justin Stanchfield, Kage Baker, Keith Brooke, Ken MacLeod, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Neal Asher, Pat Cadigan, Robert Reed, Robert Silverberg, Stephen Baxter, Ted Chiang, Ted Kosmatka, Tom Purdom, Una McCormack, Vandana Singh
Stories by : Charles Stross, Dominic Green, Geoff Ryman, Geoffrey A. Landis, Harry Turtledove, Howard Waldrop, Jack Skillingstead, James Van Pelt, John C. Wright, John Kessel, John Varley, Judith Moffett, Kage Baker, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, M. Shayne Bell, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Nick DiChario, Paolo Bacigalupi, Paul Di Filippo, Paul Melko, Robert Reed, Steven Popkes, Terry Bisson, Terry Dowling, Vernor Vinge, Walter Jon Williams, William Barton, William Shunn.
Stories by : Alexander Jablokov, Brian W. Aldiss, Chris Beckett, Connie Willis, Geoffrey A. Landis, Greg Egan, Gregory Benford, Ian McDonald, Ian R. Macleod, Jack Dann, James Patrick Kelly, Karen Joy Fowler, Kathe Koja, Kim Newman, Kim Stanley Robinson, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Lois Tilton, Mark L, Mike Resnick, Nancy Kress, Pat Cadigan, Paul J. McAuley, Rick Shelley, Robert Reed, Robert Silverberg, Walter Jon Williams, William Gibson
Stories by : Brian Stableford, Bruce McAllister, Bruce Sterling, Connie Willis, D. Alexander Smith, Eileen Gunn, George Alec Effinger, Harry Turtledove, Howard Waldrop, James Lawson, James Patrick Kelly, John Kessel, Judith Moffett, Kathe Koja, Kim Newman, Kim Stanley Robinson, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Lewis Shiner, Lucius Shepard, Michael Swanwick, Mike Resnick, Nancy Kress, Pat Cadigan, Robert Silverberg, Steven Gould, Steven Kraus, Walter Jon Williams.