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djotaku's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn't quite into this one as much as some other recent issues. Here are my reviews per story:
Prasetyo Plastics - Less of a traditional story and more of a meditation on unbridled capitalism that does not descend into a libertarian dystopia. Rather, it's another that asks if we truly realize what we're doing to this planet on a scale that we believe has never been attempted before.
Retrieval: Fantasy with some sci-fi elements. Kinda Ghostbusters in space.
Dead Heroes: A weird and very sad meditation on technology, the environment, and dementia metaphors.
Who won the battle of Arsia Mons: Told as a news story about a robot competition that quickly gets more and more complex. I really enjoyed both the story and the tone.
The Catalog of Virgins (translated): A weird retelling of the Bluebeard fairy tale that I found didn't really make any sense (to me) and I didn't really get it.
Second Person, Present Tense: A really neat story about the nature of consciousness revolving around a drug that removes some of the consciousness. I wonder if the author was inspired by the sleeping pill stuff that was going on in the early 2000s where folks would do all sorts of things without any memory of it (story originally published in 2005). I think it works really well and also touches lots of little interesting areas about life, the pressures put on us and the pressures we put on ourselves.
Martian Blood: An alternate universe where there were Martians on Mars somewhat similar to the Edgar Rice Bouroughs stories. A good story and written in an older pulp style.
Non Fiction:
Science Fiction and the Fall of the Evil Empire: I thought this was going to be about changing tropes, but it turned out to be a survey of SF movies in the USSR. Pretty neat seeing how the subversion worked.
Huskey Genes...Paul McAuley: Interview about new book.
Another Word: Listen UP!: A look at how audiobooks have been transformed by technology and a theory on why their sales continue to rise.
Editor's Desk: The Voice in the Shadows: About overcoming both impostor symdrome and public speaking fears.
Prasetyo Plastics - Less of a traditional story and more of a meditation on unbridled capitalism that does not descend into a libertarian dystopia. Rather, it's another that asks if we truly realize what we're doing to this planet on a scale that we believe has never been attempted before.
Retrieval: Fantasy with some sci-fi elements. Kinda Ghostbusters in space.
Dead Heroes: A weird and very sad meditation on technology, the environment, and dementia metaphors.
Who won the battle of Arsia Mons: Told as a news story about a robot competition that quickly gets more and more complex. I really enjoyed both the story and the tone.
The Catalog of Virgins (translated): A weird retelling of the Bluebeard fairy tale that I found didn't really make any sense (to me) and I didn't really get it.
Second Person, Present Tense: A really neat story about the nature of consciousness revolving around a drug that removes some of the consciousness. I wonder if the author was inspired by the sleeping pill stuff that was going on in the early 2000s where folks would do all sorts of things without any memory of it (story originally published in 2005). I think it works really well and also touches lots of little interesting areas about life, the pressures put on us and the pressures we put on ourselves.
Martian Blood: An alternate universe where there were Martians on Mars somewhat similar to the Edgar Rice Bouroughs stories. A good story and written in an older pulp style.
Non Fiction:
Science Fiction and the Fall of the Evil Empire: I thought this was going to be about changing tropes, but it turned out to be a survey of SF movies in the USSR. Pretty neat seeing how the subversion worked.
Huskey Genes...Paul McAuley: Interview about new book.
Another Word: Listen UP!: A look at how audiobooks have been transformed by technology and a theory on why their sales continue to rise.
Editor's Desk: The Voice in the Shadows: About overcoming both impostor symdrome and public speaking fears.
mikewhiteman's review
3.0
Prasetyo Plastics - DA Xiaolin Spires **
Interesting idea - a plastics singularity, as it merges with living organisms like plankton and begins to evolve - but not much story hung on it; really just someone living through it and seeing it develop.
Retrieval - Suzanne Walker **
Ghostbusters in space, sans the comedy, as a member of this Retrievers Guild tracks down the vengeful spirit of their father. Not enough meat on the bones for either the familial relationship or the subjugated life under the Protectorate to hit home.
Dead Heroes - Mike Buckley ****
Some nice weird touches, with the Living Forest and its head-shaped fruit, mixed with the soldiers merging with their mech weaponry. Along with the claustrophobia and sense of loss with the forgotten memories, a really strong story, with more to it than the initial military hero-worship hints at.
Who Won The Battle Of Arsia Mons? - Sue Burke **
An oral history of Robot Wars on Mars, with some little twists and turns. The journalistic structure felt inconsistent and didn't succeed for me. The most interesting possibilities were left unexplored for reaction quotes from the characters involved.
The Catalog Of Virgins - Nicoletta Vallorani, trans. Rachel S Cordasco ***
A take on Bluebeard, with clones and mass rape. The language here is dreamy and vague, keeping the familiar experience interesting.
Second Person, Present Tense - Daryl Gregory ****
This was really nicely written, as a young woman recovers from a drug overdose which has left her without any of her original personality or memories. The interactions between her and her parents (or the parents of the girl who overdosed) and her therapists are hard-hitting and emotional, and there is real catharsis and forgiveness at the end.
Martian Blood - Allen M Steele *
This was apparently originally collected in a "golden age SF" Mars-themed anthology, which hopefully explains why it is written in the style it is, but really not interested in "primitive savages" "chucking spears" at a doctor trying to find out if they are actually human, regardless.
Interesting idea - a plastics singularity, as it merges with living organisms like plankton and begins to evolve - but not much story hung on it; really just someone living through it and seeing it develop.
Retrieval - Suzanne Walker **
Ghostbusters in space, sans the comedy, as a member of this Retrievers Guild tracks down the vengeful spirit of their father. Not enough meat on the bones for either the familial relationship or the subjugated life under the Protectorate to hit home.
Dead Heroes - Mike Buckley ****
Some nice weird touches, with the Living Forest and its head-shaped fruit, mixed with the soldiers merging with their mech weaponry. Along with the claustrophobia and sense of loss with the forgotten memories, a really strong story, with more to it than the initial military hero-worship hints at.
Who Won The Battle Of Arsia Mons? - Sue Burke **
An oral history of Robot Wars on Mars, with some little twists and turns. The journalistic structure felt inconsistent and didn't succeed for me. The most interesting possibilities were left unexplored for reaction quotes from the characters involved.
The Catalog Of Virgins - Nicoletta Vallorani, trans. Rachel S Cordasco ***
A take on Bluebeard, with clones and mass rape. The language here is dreamy and vague, keeping the familiar experience interesting.
Second Person, Present Tense - Daryl Gregory ****
This was really nicely written, as a young woman recovers from a drug overdose which has left her without any of her original personality or memories. The interactions between her and her parents (or the parents of the girl who overdosed) and her therapists are hard-hitting and emotional, and there is real catharsis and forgiveness at the end.
Martian Blood - Allen M Steele *
This was apparently originally collected in a "golden age SF" Mars-themed anthology, which hopefully explains why it is written in the style it is, but really not interested in "primitive savages" "chucking spears" at a doctor trying to find out if they are actually human, regardless.
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