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mary_soon_lee's review
This issue of F&SF contains five novelettes, half a dozen short stories, a (good!) poem by Jane Yolen, and assorted reviews and articles. As ever, the quality is high, and this time--which is by no means always the case, even for F&SF--I liked all eleven stories.
M. Rickert's "Evergreen" was my favorite story in the issue; I loved its softly moving tone. Both Matthew Hughes high fantasy "A Geas of the Purple School" and Gregor Hartman's far-future science fiction story "A Hand at the Service of Darkness" returned to characters seen previously in F&SF stories. Both were thoroughly enjoyable. Andy Stewart's "The Vicious World of Birds" was very well written, and I liked it as much as the Hughes and Hartman stories, but I didn't enjoy it as much, if by enjoyment we mean feeling happy as I read it, since it has a darker sensibility.
Charlotte Ashley's "The Joy in Wounding" was nicely narrated and ended particularly strongly (I defaced my issue to highlight it). Marie Vibbert's "Knit Three, Save Four" combines knitting and a stowaway-in-space in a very innovative and entertaining way. Both Sam J. Miller's "Shucked" and Rebecca Zahabi's "It Never Snows in Snowtown" are disturbing and ambiguous.
"Rejoice, My Brothers and Sisters" by Benjamin Rosenbaum would have been among my favorites, except that the ending didn't quite work for me, because I wasn't sure what the narrator was trying to accomplish. Despite my uncertainty, which might well be down to reader stupidity, I liked the story. Michael Libling's "How I Came to Write Fantasy" is inventive, and I enjoyed the dry humor, but I didn't find myself fully immersed in the story. James Morrow's "Bird Thou Never Wert" is eloquent and literate, as I would expect from Morrow, but this time I wasn't drawn to the characters, which is a downside for me. (I am one of those readers who prefers to like the main character.)
Overall: another strong issue.
M. Rickert's "Evergreen" was my favorite story in the issue; I loved its softly moving tone. Both Matthew Hughes high fantasy "A Geas of the Purple School" and Gregor Hartman's far-future science fiction story "A Hand at the Service of Darkness" returned to characters seen previously in F&SF stories. Both were thoroughly enjoyable. Andy Stewart's "The Vicious World of Birds" was very well written, and I liked it as much as the Hughes and Hartman stories, but I didn't enjoy it as much, if by enjoyment we mean feeling happy as I read it, since it has a darker sensibility.
Charlotte Ashley's "The Joy in Wounding" was nicely narrated and ended particularly strongly (I defaced my issue to highlight it). Marie Vibbert's "Knit Three, Save Four" combines knitting and a stowaway-in-space in a very innovative and entertaining way. Both Sam J. Miller's "Shucked" and Rebecca Zahabi's "It Never Snows in Snowtown" are disturbing and ambiguous.
"Rejoice, My Brothers and Sisters" by Benjamin Rosenbaum would have been among my favorites, except that the ending didn't quite work for me, because I wasn't sure what the narrator was trying to accomplish. Despite my uncertainty, which might well be down to reader stupidity, I liked the story. Michael Libling's "How I Came to Write Fantasy" is inventive, and I enjoyed the dry humor, but I didn't find myself fully immersed in the story. James Morrow's "Bird Thou Never Wert" is eloquent and literate, as I would expect from Morrow, but this time I wasn't drawn to the characters, which is a downside for me. (I am one of those readers who prefers to like the main character.)
Overall: another strong issue.
anne_seebach's review
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed every single story and article of this edition. A nicely balanced sampling of humour, entertainment and thought-provoking offerings.
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