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oleksandr's review
3.0
This is a review of May-June 2021 issue of Analog Science Fiction & Fact. As it is usual for Analog there are only hard(-sh) SF works, which are selected more for their ideas, not necessary a quality of plot or writing style. There are the following contents:
A Frightened New World [Editorial (Analog)]essay by John J. Vester this editorial is about making good of a forced hiatus caused by pandemics and sitting back and thinking how to improve global situation. While I agree, it is just to general. 2*
Your Homeworld Is Gone poem by Leslie J. Anderson a nice piece on interdependence. 4*
Ben Bova (1932-2020) essay by Trevor Quachri and Ben and Me essay by Stanley Schmidt just general panegyrics for the dead SF master and Analog’s editor.
Dangerous Orbit short story by M. T. Reiten there was a world-war that left a lot of space debris and the protagonist with her partner collect and disarm it. When one of their remote drones stops responding, she goes on EVA just to be attacked by some kind of cyber-spider. Overall a nice but not exceptional story. 3*
Relative Distances poem by Robert Frazier not impressed. 2*
Possible Signs of Life on Venus [Science Fact (Analog)]essay by David L. Clements if Venus has/had life, there can be markers in its atmosphere. Oxygen is the first suspect, but Earth had non-oxygen life for all its life’s history bar last 1 bn years. Another marker is phosphine and it is found in Venus atmosphere. 4*
Heart of Stone short story by Tom Jolly a very unusual alien life, living cells (hive more than a multicellular) within orbiting rocks, possibly in a nebula (so materials are more available). Very nice idea. 5*
Longevity Averaging novelette by Neal Asher there are expensive but not too much procedures to ‘turn back life’s clock’, so the protagonist from high middle class takes a course, while there are protests on street both calling for making it available to All (it is the UK, so NHS) and banning it for old people keep jobs causing high youth unemployment. The is no actual plot, but a list of procedures based on current gerontology and their effect. 3*
Sunward Planet short story by Terry Franklin linked to the essay on Venus Above. There is an expedition to Venus, which lowers a balloon at 50 km above the surface. There is a life like giant mantas and possible intelligent, for they help the crew. 3.5*
Small Turn of the Ladder short story by Kelly Lagor a (terminally) ill woman with her friend slowly ascend a ladder and the same time telling about her tattoo with DNA made as Darwin’s tree of life. They discuss, as I understand it real life scientific biologic ideas, but I just am not aware of them, so a miss for me. 2*
In-Flight Damage short story by Sara Kate Ellis a lesbian couple are planning to have a baby, but they learn that there are inheritable epigenetic markers of trauma, which can cause problems to a child. They can ‘clean’ the code, but the future grandfather invites them to him to see an investment opportunity and what happens next shows that these markers can also save lives. 4*
Alone in the Cold short story by Tim Stevens a man makes a survey of a frozen planet for mineral exploitation. He is accompanied with an android, whose care he initially resists. He also resists his job, seeing what overexploitation of resources made with Earth, so when he find a possible markers of life, he should decide what to do. 3*
Imaginary Exoplanets essay by Charles Q. Choi a classic Nightfall story by Asimov told about a planet that got a night once per several thousand years. The author shows possible star systems for such a possibility (with a black hole in the middle to divert light not enough, because say solar eclipses won’t work), followed by multi-star multi-planet systems which are possible with hundreds of planets in goldilocks’ zones. 4*
Intelligent Life In Our Galaxy [The Alternate View]essay by John G. Cramer another musing of Fermi paradox, based on Monte Carlo simulation. 3*
Dancing on Spun Sugar novelette by Meghan Feldman a new guy joins a space crew, others are wary of him. When he with a partner is sant to an asteroid to get samples, some kind of pirates try to capture the ship. 3*
Pilgrimage short story by Michael Adam Robson alien species all their life go to a haven that is marked with all-seeing flame orb (sun) and are unaware that their planet orbits the star. 2.5*
Absolutes short story by Jay Werkheiser a guy says that Einstein was wrong and that he can make a time machine. He works on it, spending all funds his girlfriend had, not caring… he is right, but with a twist it doesn’t help him. 4*
Dendrochromatic Data Recovery Report 45-27 short story by Steve Toase trees are used to store data, their dendritic circles are like groves for vinyl. The story is a revered log from such a tree, with some elements cyphered (HEX ASCII). 2*
Pole Vaulting on Moon Six short story by Lawson Dumbeck flash fic about a travel on an asteroid, where a person jumps and by ballistic orbit travels across. 3*
The Message short story by Bond Elam an AI detects a signal from beyond but hides it from people. 3*
Astronomy Vs. Space-Based Internet. Is There a Win-Win? [The Alternate View]essay by Richard A. Lovett multiple small satellites launched now make star observation extremely hard. 3*
A Solid Prediction essay by Edward M. Wysocki, Jr. reviews of several SF stories, which described how 3D printers work. 3.5*
Five-Star Review short story by Beth McMillan a near future England, all do gig jobs and a protagonist is an ‘uber’-style driver and her car breaks while with a client and she’ll broke if even one not 5-star review on her page. 2.5*
Two Factor short story by Elisabeth R. Adams An expedition returns from Mars to Earth, all crew in hibernation except one member. It appeared that a captain went crazy and set a self-destruct sequence. To prevent destruction, she ought to reset it every three hours. While the general premise is highly unrealistic, a nice thrilling story. 3.5*
Eyes to the Height short story by Sean Monaghan a protagonist pilots her small Moon based ship but the engine broke and she is to fall. Meanwhile on Moon there are also problems. 2.5*
The Summoner's Apprentice novelette by Tessa Fisher SF masquerading as fantasy – some time ago post-humans called Powers fought each other, now their sentiences can be summoned. A teenage transgender girl takes up an apprenticeship for a summoner, with the hope it will ultimately help her complete her body change, but finds out that he is a very bad guy. 3.5*
Uploading Angela [Jayden, Angela, and Fu]novella by Lettie Prell I haven’t read other linked novellas of the series, so maybe missing something. A tech named Jayden works at a service that upload minds into a virtual reality for people about to die. He detects a virus in an upload of an old woman Angela, and leaves a note for his superiors, but find out next day that all logs and other evidence of the virus has been deleted. Who is behind it? kind of mystery. 3*
A Frightened New World [Editorial (Analog)]essay by John J. Vester this editorial is about making good of a forced hiatus caused by pandemics and sitting back and thinking how to improve global situation. While I agree, it is just to general. 2*
Your Homeworld Is Gone poem by Leslie J. Anderson a nice piece on interdependence. 4*
Ben Bova (1932-2020) essay by Trevor Quachri and Ben and Me essay by Stanley Schmidt just general panegyrics for the dead SF master and Analog’s editor.
Dangerous Orbit short story by M. T. Reiten there was a world-war that left a lot of space debris and the protagonist with her partner collect and disarm it. When one of their remote drones stops responding, she goes on EVA just to be attacked by some kind of cyber-spider. Overall a nice but not exceptional story. 3*
Relative Distances poem by Robert Frazier not impressed. 2*
Possible Signs of Life on Venus [Science Fact (Analog)]essay by David L. Clements if Venus has/had life, there can be markers in its atmosphere. Oxygen is the first suspect, but Earth had non-oxygen life for all its life’s history bar last 1 bn years. Another marker is phosphine and it is found in Venus atmosphere. 4*
Heart of Stone short story by Tom Jolly a very unusual alien life, living cells (hive more than a multicellular) within orbiting rocks, possibly in a nebula (so materials are more available). Very nice idea. 5*
Longevity Averaging novelette by Neal Asher there are expensive but not too much procedures to ‘turn back life’s clock’, so the protagonist from high middle class takes a course, while there are protests on street both calling for making it available to All (it is the UK, so NHS) and banning it for old people keep jobs causing high youth unemployment. The is no actual plot, but a list of procedures based on current gerontology and their effect. 3*
Sunward Planet short story by Terry Franklin linked to the essay on Venus Above. There is an expedition to Venus, which lowers a balloon at 50 km above the surface. There is a life like giant mantas and possible intelligent, for they help the crew. 3.5*
Small Turn of the Ladder short story by Kelly Lagor a (terminally) ill woman with her friend slowly ascend a ladder and the same time telling about her tattoo with DNA made as Darwin’s tree of life. They discuss, as I understand it real life scientific biologic ideas, but I just am not aware of them, so a miss for me. 2*
In-Flight Damage short story by Sara Kate Ellis a lesbian couple are planning to have a baby, but they learn that there are inheritable epigenetic markers of trauma, which can cause problems to a child. They can ‘clean’ the code, but the future grandfather invites them to him to see an investment opportunity and what happens next shows that these markers can also save lives. 4*
Alone in the Cold short story by Tim Stevens a man makes a survey of a frozen planet for mineral exploitation. He is accompanied with an android, whose care he initially resists. He also resists his job, seeing what overexploitation of resources made with Earth, so when he find a possible markers of life, he should decide what to do. 3*
Imaginary Exoplanets essay by Charles Q. Choi a classic Nightfall story by Asimov told about a planet that got a night once per several thousand years. The author shows possible star systems for such a possibility (with a black hole in the middle to divert light not enough, because say solar eclipses won’t work), followed by multi-star multi-planet systems which are possible with hundreds of planets in goldilocks’ zones. 4*
Intelligent Life In Our Galaxy [The Alternate View]essay by John G. Cramer another musing of Fermi paradox, based on Monte Carlo simulation. 3*
Dancing on Spun Sugar novelette by Meghan Feldman a new guy joins a space crew, others are wary of him. When he with a partner is sant to an asteroid to get samples, some kind of pirates try to capture the ship. 3*
Pilgrimage short story by Michael Adam Robson alien species all their life go to a haven that is marked with all-seeing flame orb (sun) and are unaware that their planet orbits the star. 2.5*
Absolutes short story by Jay Werkheiser a guy says that Einstein was wrong and that he can make a time machine. He works on it, spending all funds his girlfriend had, not caring… he is right, but with a twist it doesn’t help him. 4*
Dendrochromatic Data Recovery Report 45-27 short story by Steve Toase trees are used to store data, their dendritic circles are like groves for vinyl. The story is a revered log from such a tree, with some elements cyphered (HEX ASCII). 2*
Pole Vaulting on Moon Six short story by Lawson Dumbeck flash fic about a travel on an asteroid, where a person jumps and by ballistic orbit travels across. 3*
The Message short story by Bond Elam an AI detects a signal from beyond but hides it from people. 3*
Astronomy Vs. Space-Based Internet. Is There a Win-Win? [The Alternate View]essay by Richard A. Lovett multiple small satellites launched now make star observation extremely hard. 3*
A Solid Prediction essay by Edward M. Wysocki, Jr. reviews of several SF stories, which described how 3D printers work. 3.5*
Five-Star Review short story by Beth McMillan a near future England, all do gig jobs and a protagonist is an ‘uber’-style driver and her car breaks while with a client and she’ll broke if even one not 5-star review on her page. 2.5*
Two Factor short story by Elisabeth R. Adams An expedition returns from Mars to Earth, all crew in hibernation except one member. It appeared that a captain went crazy and set a self-destruct sequence. To prevent destruction, she ought to reset it every three hours. While the general premise is highly unrealistic, a nice thrilling story. 3.5*
Eyes to the Height short story by Sean Monaghan a protagonist pilots her small Moon based ship but the engine broke and she is to fall. Meanwhile on Moon there are also problems. 2.5*
The Summoner's Apprentice novelette by Tessa Fisher SF masquerading as fantasy – some time ago post-humans called Powers fought each other, now their sentiences can be summoned. A teenage transgender girl takes up an apprenticeship for a summoner, with the hope it will ultimately help her complete her body change, but finds out that he is a very bad guy. 3.5*
Uploading Angela [Jayden, Angela, and Fu]novella by Lettie Prell I haven’t read other linked novellas of the series, so maybe missing something. A tech named Jayden works at a service that upload minds into a virtual reality for people about to die. He detects a virus in an upload of an old woman Angela, and leaves a note for his superiors, but find out next day that all logs and other evidence of the virus has been deleted. Who is behind it? kind of mystery. 3*
ddrake's review
I liked ALONE IN THE COLD by Tim Stevens --
I also particularly liked the poem "Your Homeworld Is Gone" by Leslie J. Anderson; it made me think of the Buddhist teachings about impermanence and interconnectedness, and at the same time captured a classical science fiction sense of wonder.
Spoiler
to discover extraterrestrial life, arguably the most amazing and important thing to happen to our species, ever -- and to not tell anyone and hide it!I also particularly liked the poem "Your Homeworld Is Gone" by Leslie J. Anderson; it made me think of the Buddhist teachings about impermanence and interconnectedness, and at the same time captured a classical science fiction sense of wonder.
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