Theodora Goss. Pug. (Asimovs, July 2011).
A gentle story with a touch of Tom’s Midnight Garden, and a pinch of the Brontes/Austens.
Chris Beckett. Day 29. (Asimovs, July 2011).
A thoughtful story from Beckett, rather than being another tiresome story of xenolinguistics/psychology.
Interzone #234, May-June 2011.
Stories by Jon Ingold, Lavie Tidhar, Jason Sanford, Suzanne Palmer and Will McIntosh, with Ingold the pick of the ish imho.
Don Webb. Fine Green Dust. (Fantasy & Science Fiction, May/June 2011).
Climate change is making it very hot in Austin, Texas, and a middle-aged teacher is struggling, as with many, to deal with the impact on his daily life.
Steven Popkes. Agent of Change. (Fantasy & Science Fiction May/June 2011)
A whaling vessel is sunk after colliding with a monstrous Gojira.
Tony Ballantyne. The War Artist. (Further Conflicts).
A clever take on what the role of the war artist might (has?) become in the 21st century.
Albert E. Cowdrey. The Black Mountain. (Fantasy & Science Fiction, May/June 2011)
Another macabre tale from New Orleans from the seemingly Duracell Extra-powered Cowdrey
Will McIntosh. Incompatible. (Interzone #234, May-June 2011)
McIntosh comes up trumps with a vividly realised protagonist and a setting.
Jason Sanford. Her Scientifiction, Far Future, Medieval Fantasy. (Interzone #234, May-June 2011).
A lengthy story that didn’t really gel for me.
Suzanne Palmer. The Ceiling is Sky. (Interzone #234, May-June 2011).
A claustrophobic future, withshort-term contract engineers living in cramped subterranean quarters.
Lavie Tidhar. In the Season of the Mango Rains. (Interzone #234, May-June 2011)
Reflective two-pager, in which the protagonist looks back on his lost love, who has turned her back on life on Earth, and on him, for a future that is much less secure, much less concrete, and much less human.
John Ingold. Sleepers. (Interzone #234, May-June 2011).
A look at faith and belief, through the impact of the ill-fated first (and only) extraterrestrial human colony.
The Year’s Best Science Fiction. 28th Annual Collection. (ed Gardner Dozois, St. Martin’s Press, 2011).
Over 300,000 words of fiction as ever, although the volume is slimmer than usual…
Robert Reed. Stock Photos. (Fantasy & Science Fiction, May/June 2011).
Suburban lawn-mowing is interrupted by a nice young couple wanting to take some photographs.
Chet Williamson. The Final Verse. (Fantasy & Science Fiction, May/June 2011).
There ain’t no mention of duelling banjos, but they were playing in my head whilst reading the story. Excellent.
Asimovs. June 2011.
Stories by Mary Robinette Kowal, Ian R. MacLeod, Carol Emshwiller, Alan DeNiro, Felicity Shoulders, Colin P. Davies, with MacLeod, Shoulders and DeNiro the pick of the bunch.
Lauren Beukes. Unaccounted. (Further Conflicts).
Science Fiction gives you the opportunity to explore the limits of humanity, and what it is to be human in the face of the alien.
Dan Abnett. The Wake. (Further Conflicts.)
Darkly humorous report on a wake for a fallen colleague