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djotaku's review
5.0
I think the only story I wasn't into was "Neptune's Trident". Otherwise, a top-notch issue. Especially liked the non-fiction essays this time around.
My thoughts on each story (a slightly wordier version of my status updates where character limits kept me from expressing it all)
Fool's Cap: I was *so* sure I'd guessed the reveal, but the author got me. There were a couple subtle clues of what the ending would end up being, but I was already too committed to the one I thought was coming.
My Dear, Like the Sky and Stars and Sun: Awesome world. Probably the first feminist post-cyberpunk story I've come across. I like how the author hints at what Elspeth's role is and how it gradually becomes more and more apparent. I would love to see more in this world. The story was both dark and beautiful and definitely sets up a potential for more. "They didn’t want us dabbling in mod’r science, getting the idea we can do things on our own." - Is our author a Corey Doctorow protoge? Or is the movement spreading?
Neptune's Trident: Some kind of global tradegy has happened, but in living memory. We follow a character who remembers how it used to be and is making do in the current world. Then the story shifts to the backstory how things ended up this way, ping ponging back and forth to the present. Very sad, but very powerful.
The Ways Out: Best analogy is a world in which there are mutants, but they never form The X-Men. They're surveiled to see if they need to be contained (and maybe killed?). Told through reports of the government person tasked to surveil them. There's a great meta-story there, but don't want to give it away.
An Account of the Sky Whales (translated): A man goes to another planet to retrieve something. Things go horribly awry. A good SF story that helps us see truths about ourselves, by placing the story in the future where the distance helps the truths not hurt as much. A great adventure story.
Human Error: A miner working on an asteroid in the wake of some personal tragedy for her workmates. This story would make a great episode of a thriller anthology series. Perfect setting for it and a great story for it as well.
The Waiting Stars: Story weaves back and forth between two space-faring civilizations. One of those stories where the ships are not controlled by machine AI, but some kind of human-consciousness transfer. Seems to be a colonialism metaphor. So well set up that I only guessed at the twist a couple paragraphs before the reveal. Definitely want more in this universe.
Non-Fiction:
How to Injure Characters without Killing Them: This essay reminds me of how I feel about technology stuff since that's both my hobby and my career field. Talks about injuries that characters suffer that should lead to their death or hospitalization, but which most authors have them dust off. In particular: unconsciousness, blood loss, and wound management. 'The brain is a complex organ, but most importantly, it is what is known as a “beat-to-beat” organ. It has no way of storing energy, no way of storing oxygen, and its survival and function are dependent on each beat of the heart.'
Astounding Scientists and Alternate History: A Conversation with Gregory Benford: A conversation with a SF writer who is also a scientist about his novel in which the A-bomb is developed a year earlier and dropped on Germany.
Another Word: The Depths of Sci-Fi Funk in the 70s: Wow, I had NO IDEA how much Sci-Fi Funk there was! Also, all the bands and their links to Afrofuturism.
Editor's Desk: Recharding my batteries: Neil Clarke talks about how he takes a break from his touring schedule.
My thoughts on each story (a slightly wordier version of my status updates where character limits kept me from expressing it all)
Fool's Cap: I was *so* sure I'd guessed the reveal, but the author got me. There were a couple subtle clues of what the ending would end up being, but I was already too committed to the one I thought was coming.
My Dear, Like the Sky and Stars and Sun: Awesome world. Probably the first feminist post-cyberpunk story I've come across. I like how the author hints at what Elspeth's role is and how it gradually becomes more and more apparent. I would love to see more in this world. The story was both dark and beautiful and definitely sets up a potential for more. "They didn’t want us dabbling in mod’r science, getting the idea we can do things on our own." - Is our author a Corey Doctorow protoge? Or is the movement spreading?
Neptune's Trident: Some kind of global tradegy has happened, but in living memory. We follow a character who remembers how it used to be and is making do in the current world. Then the story shifts to the backstory how things ended up this way, ping ponging back and forth to the present. Very sad, but very powerful.
The Ways Out: Best analogy is a world in which there are mutants, but they never form The X-Men. They're surveiled to see if they need to be contained (and maybe killed?). Told through reports of the government person tasked to surveil them. There's a great meta-story there, but don't want to give it away.
An Account of the Sky Whales (translated): A man goes to another planet to retrieve something. Things go horribly awry. A good SF story that helps us see truths about ourselves, by placing the story in the future where the distance helps the truths not hurt as much. A great adventure story.
Human Error: A miner working on an asteroid in the wake of some personal tragedy for her workmates. This story would make a great episode of a thriller anthology series. Perfect setting for it and a great story for it as well.
The Waiting Stars: Story weaves back and forth between two space-faring civilizations. One of those stories where the ships are not controlled by machine AI, but some kind of human-consciousness transfer. Seems to be a colonialism metaphor. So well set up that I only guessed at the twist a couple paragraphs before the reveal. Definitely want more in this universe.
Non-Fiction:
How to Injure Characters without Killing Them: This essay reminds me of how I feel about technology stuff since that's both my hobby and my career field. Talks about injuries that characters suffer that should lead to their death or hospitalization, but which most authors have them dust off. In particular: unconsciousness, blood loss, and wound management. 'The brain is a complex organ, but most importantly, it is what is known as a “beat-to-beat” organ. It has no way of storing energy, no way of storing oxygen, and its survival and function are dependent on each beat of the heart.'
Astounding Scientists and Alternate History: A Conversation with Gregory Benford: A conversation with a SF writer who is also a scientist about his novel in which the A-bomb is developed a year earlier and dropped on Germany.
Another Word: The Depths of Sci-Fi Funk in the 70s: Wow, I had NO IDEA how much Sci-Fi Funk there was! Also, all the bands and their links to Afrofuturism.
Editor's Desk: Recharding my batteries: Neil Clarke talks about how he takes a break from his touring schedule.
mikewhiteman's review
4.0
Fool's Cap - Andy Dudak ***
A woman hunts down a mass-murderer for punishment but gets stranded with him. Complicated by the "moss" on the planet he is hiding on, which gives people third person dreams that may reveal more about themselves than they want to know. Lots of questions of free will and predestination, the conflicts within individual people, which I liked, but the writing didn't quite carry it for me.
My Dear, Like The Sky And Stars And Sun - Julia K Patt ***
A biological modder (or "mod'r") specialising in tech to help abused women does some work for a mysterious young girl and gets in over her head with the corporations controlling the technology. Not much tension to the story but the world and the central relationship between Elspeth and Mari was well done.
Neptune's Trident - Nina Allan ***
Bleak post-apocalyptic story about a scavenger in Scotland where alien invasion/disease has begun to infect and take over people. Some overdone apocalypse tropes - charismatic preacher, etc - but the writing in general is strong and touching, albeit slow-moving. Given the title and the submarines mentioned, I read a critique of nuclear weapons here but the story stands without that layer.
The Ways Out - Sam J Miller **
A government agent monitors two "variants", people with various powers who are kept oppressed and controlled. The presentation as a series of reports didn't work for me, the increasing frequency and inconsistency of the redactions and corrections just felt messy by the end.
An Account Of The Sky Whales - A Que ****
After his ex dies, a man travels to the planet where she was working as a researcher to bring back her ashes. To get off the planet with the ashes, he becomes involved with poachers smuggling the whales' blood, which provides anti-gravity. Wanders a bit but a touching story of someone coming to terms with the person they love leaving them.
Human Error - Jay Lake **
A miner makes a potentially life-changing discovery has to deal with the two other members of her crew, one of whom believes she killed his partner. A standard story of people getting irrational dealing with massive wealth and heartbreak but not much depth beyond.
The Waiting Stars - Aliette De Bodard ****
Lovely story of two young women searching for and trying to restore the Mind ship of their great-great-aunt, intertwined with the life of a woman who has been "rescued" and rehomed from the Dai Viet to Galactic society. Touching depiction of life as a refugee, integrating into a new culture while always being aware of your old one, forming new relationships and loves but knowing you were taken from something else.
A woman hunts down a mass-murderer for punishment but gets stranded with him. Complicated by the "moss" on the planet he is hiding on, which gives people third person dreams that may reveal more about themselves than they want to know. Lots of questions of free will and predestination, the conflicts within individual people, which I liked, but the writing didn't quite carry it for me.
My Dear, Like The Sky And Stars And Sun - Julia K Patt ***
A biological modder (or "mod'r") specialising in tech to help abused women does some work for a mysterious young girl and gets in over her head with the corporations controlling the technology. Not much tension to the story but the world and the central relationship between Elspeth and Mari was well done.
Neptune's Trident - Nina Allan ***
Bleak post-apocalyptic story about a scavenger in Scotland where alien invasion/disease has begun to infect and take over people. Some overdone apocalypse tropes - charismatic preacher, etc - but the writing in general is strong and touching, albeit slow-moving. Given the title and the submarines mentioned, I read a critique of nuclear weapons here but the story stands without that layer.
The Ways Out - Sam J Miller **
A government agent monitors two "variants", people with various powers who are kept oppressed and controlled. The presentation as a series of reports didn't work for me, the increasing frequency and inconsistency of the redactions and corrections just felt messy by the end.
An Account Of The Sky Whales - A Que ****
After his ex dies, a man travels to the planet where she was working as a researcher to bring back her ashes. To get off the planet with the ashes, he becomes involved with poachers smuggling the whales' blood, which provides anti-gravity. Wanders a bit but a touching story of someone coming to terms with the person they love leaving them.
Human Error - Jay Lake **
A miner makes a potentially life-changing discovery has to deal with the two other members of her crew, one of whom believes she killed his partner. A standard story of people getting irrational dealing with massive wealth and heartbreak but not much depth beyond.
The Waiting Stars - Aliette De Bodard ****
Lovely story of two young women searching for and trying to restore the Mind ship of their great-great-aunt, intertwined with the life of a woman who has been "rescued" and rehomed from the Dai Viet to Galactic society. Touching depiction of life as a refugee, integrating into a new culture while always being aware of your old one, forming new relationships and loves but knowing you were taken from something else.
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