Reviewing short SF since 2000
The ruminations and reminisces of a man far older than he looks, and he ponders his mostly mis-spent youth, and his many loves, including one in particular that has led him to his current state of affairs.
Classy, classy, classy psychological SF set in the deep dark of space, exploring the deep dark spaces of the mind.
Something in the very fabric of space and time appears to have gone wrong – to run or to stand, that is the question.
The first in Utley’s ‘Silurian Tales’ sequence for four years, a sequence he has had on the simmer since 1993.
Albert E. Cowdrey. Inside Story. Retired Detective Sergeant Alphonse Fournet finds the lure of work,
James Stoddard. The First Editions. Fantasy, in which a bibliophile falls afoul of a fellow
Matthew Hughes. A Herd of Opportunity. Another tale of Guth Bandar, this one evidently from
Chock full of protein for the brain, with only a bit of excess fat and carbohydrate. To burn off those calories I’m off for a bit of ‘fast-paced’ Asimov’s action…..
An issue which gets stronger the further you get in (unless you’re a fan of the Kedrigern stories). For me Utley and McCalliser where the pick of the bunch, with Cowdrey, Reed and Shultz entertaining.
Lisa Goldstein. Finding Beauty. Fairy Tale which looks at the Sleeping Beauty story from Prince
Paolo Bacigalupi. The People of Sand and Slag. Bacigalupi’s ‘The Fluted Girl’ (F&SF June 2003)
The Man on the Persian Carpet. Kate Wilhem. A potent blend of mystery/suspense, time travel
Sunrise Blues. S.N. Dyer A not unknown storyline – linking rock’n’roll with vampires – is
Rudy Rucker and Bruce Sterling. Colliding Branes. Gonzo fun, as you might expect from Rucker
Tim Sullivan. Way Down East. A very well crafted story which used the very alien
William Barton. In the Age of the Quiet Sun. Good to see another story from
Brian Stableford. Following the Pharmers. Stableford has published several stories looking at the consequences in
Esther M. Friesner. The Fraud. The cover illustration (a Raphael no less) is a good
Maybe its me favouring fellow Brits, but Baxter and Glass are the pick of the bunch for me.
I’ve been reading Asimov’s in two formats over the past couple of years: the traditional
Oracles. Robert Reed. One of the reasons why I started summarising short SF stories I
A slightly weaker than usual issue perhaps – certainly for someone like me for whom the opening SF mystery did little for, and certainly considering the calibre of the authors in this issue.
Robert Silverberg’s editorial ‘Reflections: The Evaporation of Reputations’ ponders the nature of fame and reputation,
Joe Haldeman. Camouflage. Novel serialisation – Part I of III. Story illustration by Wolf Read,
Daw and Crowther provide the goods once again, in a pocket-sized collection that manages to 15 almost invariably top quality stories.
Stories by : Bradley Denton, Brenda Cooper, Charles Coleman Finlay, Gene Wolfe., Glenn Grant, Gregory Benford, Jack McDevitt, James Patrick Kelly, James Stoddard, James. L. Cambias, Janeen Webb, Jean-Claude Dunyach, Ken Liu, Liz Williams, matthew hughes, Neal Asher, Pamela Sargent, Ray Vukcevich, Robert Reed, Sean McMullen, Steve Tomasula, Steven Utley, Terry Bisson.
Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Albert E Cowdrey, Brian Stableford, Charles Stross, Eliot Fintushel., Greg Egan, Ian McDonald, John Kessel, Lucius Shepard, M. Shayne Bell, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Paul J. McAuley, Peter F. Hamilton, Rick Cook and Ernest Hogan, Robert Charles Wilson, Severna Park, Stephen Baxter, Steven Utley, Susan Palwick, Tananarive Due, Ursula K. Le Guin.
Stories by : Bruce Sterling, Bud Sparhawk, Charles Sheffield, Cherry Wilder, Damian Broderick, Gene Wolfe., Gregory Benford, Gregory Feeley, Gwyneth Jones, Ian McDonald, James P Blaylock, Jim Cowan, John Kessel, Jonathan Lethem, Maureen F. McHugh, Michael Cassutt, Michael Swanwick, Mike Resnick, Nancy Kress, Paul Park, Robert Reed, Robert Silverberg, Stephen Baxter, Steven Utley, Tony Daniel, Walter Jon Williams, William Barton.
Stories by : Brian W. Aldiss, Bruce Sterling, Charles Sheffield, Connie Willis, Dan Simmons, Don Webb, G. David Nordley, Greg Egan, Ian R. Macleod, Jack Cady, Joe Haldeman, Jr, Mark Rich, Maureen F. McHugh and David B. Kisor, Mike Resnick, Nancy Kress, Neal Barrett, Pat Cadigan, Rebecca Ore, Robert Reed, Stephen Baxter, Steven Utley, Walter Jon Williams, William Browning Spencer
Stories by : Arthur C. Clarke, Bradley Denton, Connie Willis, Frederik Pohl, Greg Egan, Ian McDonald, Ian R. Macleod, Ian Watson, Joe Haldeman, Jonathon Lethem, Kate Wilhelm, Kathe Koja, L. Sprague de Camp, Lukas Jaeger, Maureen F. McHugh, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Neal Barrett Jr, Pat Cadigan, Robert Reed, Robert Silverberg, Steven Utley, Terry Bisson, Tom Maddox.