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A review by sashas_books
Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 201 by David Ebenbach, Julie Nováková, Neil Clarke, Carrie Vaughn, Dominica Phetteplace, Isabel J. Kim, Jana Bianchi, Bella Han, Rajeev Prasad, Angela Liu
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
4.0
Overall, a very nice issue that had some excellent stories and just a couple of meh ones.
The Officiant by Dominica Phetteplace – the narrator travels to a distant planet to perform a wedding. Things are not what they seem, This is a story of homes and families lost and found and the nature of faith. It’s lovely. 4.5 stars.
Vast and Trunkless Legs of Stone by Carrie Vaughn – a first contact story. Aliens come to Earth and want to talk to one person. One. It should be someone who is not in the position of power. A nearly perfect story, 4.9 stars.
Day Ten Thousand by Isabel J. Kim – a circular story of multiple lives, multiple timelines, guilt and redemption. Very good, but I feel that “Zero-Epsilon” (in issue 198 of Clarkesworld) by the same author was a more moving story. 4.1 stars.
Imagine: Purple-Haired Girl Shooting Down the Moon by Angela Liu – a dystopian tale that feels like a fever dream. The world building wasn’t very well done, but I appreciated everything else. 3.8 stars.
The Moon Rabbi by David Ebenbach – the title says it all, and it was a beautiful and spiritual story. 4.4 stars.
...Your Little Light by Jana Bianchi – a sole human survivor of a generation ship disaster is left alone with an alien creature. Heartbreaking, but somewhat unsatisfying. 3.9 stars.
To Helen by Bella Han – two friends catch up after twenty-five years. Their world is dystopian, where the anti-aging therapy is a must if you want to fit in. It left me cold. 2.8 stars.
Mirror View by Rajeev Prasad – an alien being comes to Earth and tries to understand humans. The story was trying to be philosophical, with the emphasis on *trying*. 3.1 stars.
The Officiant by Dominica Phetteplace – the narrator travels to a distant planet to perform a wedding. Things are not what they seem, This is a story of homes and families lost and found and the nature of faith. It’s lovely. 4.5 stars.
Vast and Trunkless Legs of Stone by Carrie Vaughn – a first contact story. Aliens come to Earth and want to talk to one person. One. It should be someone who is not in the position of power. A nearly perfect story, 4.9 stars.
Day Ten Thousand by Isabel J. Kim – a circular story of multiple lives, multiple timelines, guilt and redemption. Very good, but I feel that “Zero-Epsilon” (in issue 198 of Clarkesworld) by the same author was a more moving story. 4.1 stars.
Imagine: Purple-Haired Girl Shooting Down the Moon by Angela Liu – a dystopian tale that feels like a fever dream. The world building wasn’t very well done, but I appreciated everything else. 3.8 stars.
The Moon Rabbi by David Ebenbach – the title says it all, and it was a beautiful and spiritual story. 4.4 stars.
...Your Little Light by Jana Bianchi – a sole human survivor of a generation ship disaster is left alone with an alien creature. Heartbreaking, but somewhat unsatisfying. 3.9 stars.
To Helen by Bella Han – two friends catch up after twenty-five years. Their world is dystopian, where the anti-aging therapy is a must if you want to fit in. It left me cold. 2.8 stars.
Mirror View by Rajeev Prasad – an alien being comes to Earth and tries to understand humans. The story was trying to be philosophical, with the emphasis on *trying*. 3.1 stars.