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michaeldrakich's review
4.0
I picked this up at the Ad Astra conference in Toronto in 2019. In fact, I picked up the first four issues. For the money (cover list of $5.99) this is really good value. Inside, are nine short stories as well as five feature articles. Some real nice cover art and a smattering of artwork throughout. I especially enjoyed the art images of each of the authors. It's nice to get an idea of what they look like.
First, the articles.
THE OBSERVATORY by Robert Silverberg. A nice history lesson about Amazing Stories and its transformation over the many years. One of my favorite science fiction authors tripping down memory lane.
SCIENCE COLUMN by Jack Clemons. This also has a historic aspect of space flight. A little boring, but speaks of good things to come in future issues.
EUROPEAN AUTHOR PROFILE - AN INTERVIEW WITH TADE THOMPSON by Gary Dalkin. Standard interview fare.
WE ARE THE STORIES WE TELL by Ira Nayman. A little introspective by the editor.
Now the short stories.
CAPTAIN FUTURE IN LOVE - PART ONE by Allen Steele. This one is a tough one to rate because it's only the first half. The second half to appear in the next issue. A young man, sought throughout the solar system by killers, evades his protectors to run off with a strange girl on a space colony orbiting Venus. I certainly hope the second half is better than the first. This one showed a dumb kid as the protagonist and his self naming as Captain Future a real groaner. 2 stars
HARRY'S TOASTER by Lawrence Watt-Evans. After a tough start with Captain Future, this was a fun piece about a weird little device the protagonist picks up that shows how easily the English language can be misinterpreted. 5 stars
APRICOT LANE by Rudy Rucker. A system called the Quarpet interface makes everything have a voice and a personality - food, clothes, sidewalks, everything. I've seen this story before. I'm sure of it. I just can't remember where. So I googled it. Written in 2013. Okay, so not everything in this mag is brand new. For those who wonder about the future of quantum physics, this might give you an insight. 3 stars
BEYOND HUMAN MEASURE by Dave Creek. A human with a unique ability is sent to Jupiter to heal a Jupiter whale. Throw in a conflict between the humans on board and let it roll. 3 stars
FLIGHT OF AN ARROW by Shirley Meier. This is a truly epic fantasy piece. No science fiction here. A knight, highly skilled in archery, is blinded and imprisoned by a lord. A predictable ending. 3 stars.
SISTER SOLVEIG AND MR. DENIAL by Kameron Hurley. I'm a fan of Kameron, but this is not her best work. Two gene freaks hunt gene freaks for a living. That's it. Not much of a story. 3 stars
FOSTER EARTH by Julie Czerneda. A unique alien species comes to visit and, like the stork, leaves a bundle of joy for an Earth couple to adopt. Why? Cute and yet an interesting approach to first contact. 5 stars
SLIPPING TIME by Paul Levinson. Time travel by slip and fall. There's always a new way to introduce a well-worn theme. 3 stars
WHEN ANGELS COME KNOCKING by Drew Hayden Taylor. A native Canadian woman is chosen by God to be the vessel of Christ's return. With the Archangel Gabriel as the messenger, the debate is comical. 4 stars
First, the articles.
THE OBSERVATORY by Robert Silverberg. A nice history lesson about Amazing Stories and its transformation over the many years. One of my favorite science fiction authors tripping down memory lane.
SCIENCE COLUMN by Jack Clemons. This also has a historic aspect of space flight. A little boring, but speaks of good things to come in future issues.
EUROPEAN AUTHOR PROFILE - AN INTERVIEW WITH TADE THOMPSON by Gary Dalkin. Standard interview fare.
WE ARE THE STORIES WE TELL by Ira Nayman. A little introspective by the editor.
Now the short stories.
CAPTAIN FUTURE IN LOVE - PART ONE by Allen Steele. This one is a tough one to rate because it's only the first half. The second half to appear in the next issue. A young man, sought throughout the solar system by killers, evades his protectors to run off with a strange girl on a space colony orbiting Venus. I certainly hope the second half is better than the first. This one showed a dumb kid as the protagonist and his self naming as Captain Future a real groaner. 2 stars
HARRY'S TOASTER by Lawrence Watt-Evans. After a tough start with Captain Future, this was a fun piece about a weird little device the protagonist picks up that shows how easily the English language can be misinterpreted. 5 stars
APRICOT LANE by Rudy Rucker. A system called the Quarpet interface makes everything have a voice and a personality - food, clothes, sidewalks, everything. I've seen this story before. I'm sure of it. I just can't remember where. So I googled it. Written in 2013. Okay, so not everything in this mag is brand new. For those who wonder about the future of quantum physics, this might give you an insight. 3 stars
BEYOND HUMAN MEASURE by Dave Creek. A human with a unique ability is sent to Jupiter to heal a Jupiter whale. Throw in a conflict between the humans on board and let it roll. 3 stars
FLIGHT OF AN ARROW by Shirley Meier. This is a truly epic fantasy piece. No science fiction here. A knight, highly skilled in archery, is blinded and imprisoned by a lord. A predictable ending. 3 stars.
SISTER SOLVEIG AND MR. DENIAL by Kameron Hurley. I'm a fan of Kameron, but this is not her best work. Two gene freaks hunt gene freaks for a living. That's it. Not much of a story. 3 stars
FOSTER EARTH by Julie Czerneda. A unique alien species comes to visit and, like the stork, leaves a bundle of joy for an Earth couple to adopt. Why? Cute and yet an interesting approach to first contact. 5 stars
SLIPPING TIME by Paul Levinson. Time travel by slip and fall. There's always a new way to introduce a well-worn theme. 3 stars
WHEN ANGELS COME KNOCKING by Drew Hayden Taylor. A native Canadian woman is chosen by God to be the vessel of Christ's return. With the Archangel Gabriel as the messenger, the debate is comical. 4 stars
deebr's review
4.0
It's really great to see anthology magazine "Amazing Stories" back and continuing the tradition of publishing great SF.
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