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A review by oleksandr
Asimov's Science Fiction May/June 2021 by Sheila Williams
4.0
This is the May-June 2021 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction, one of the two long established and still on the market SF professional magazines. In the past, works from it were regularly listed for all major SF awards, but recently it stepped down (or was crowded out) by modern internet publications. Both old and new have quite solid works and I really enjoyed the current issue.
The contents:
Transitions [Asimov's Editorials] essay by Sheila Williams presentation of new members of the team, including a new reviewer.
The First Encyclopedia [Reflections] essay by Robert Silverberg about the work of [a:Pliny the Elder|302386|Pliny the Elder|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1328607731p2/302386.jpg] – [b:Naturalis Historia, Vol. Iv Cb|3403934|Naturalis Historia, Vol. Iv Cb|Pliny the Elder|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|92844210], which is the earliest (western) attempt of an encyclopedia. This is also a great insight in what Romans saw as science. 3*
Digital Heroes [On the Net] essay by James Patrick Kelly three internet services for SFF fandom with checked info, namely SFF Awards, The Internet Speculative Fiction Database and SF Encyclopedia , which I also recommend. 3*
Religion and Science Fiction [Thought Experiments] essay by James E. Gunn an overview of links between SFF and religion, from stuff like Narnia, to retellings like [b:Lord of Light|13821|Lord of Light|Roger Zelazny|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1330127327l/13821._SY75_.jpg|1011388], to a lot of shorter works. 4*
Jim Gunn and I Corresponded ... [Obituaries (Sheila Williams)] essay by Sheila Williams the sad news that the author of the previous piece has died.
The Metric novelette by David Moles far future Earth, with universe spread so far that there is no starlight in the sky. A ship with AI comes with info that some change of cosmic law contained by Earth disallows universe to reborn. Should the last people (together with AIs and other sentients) allow possible renewal by own certain demise? 3*
Among the Marithei short story by Mary Anne Mohanraj a man, with a severe war trauma as a child, now lives among peaceful aliens, who adopted him and tried to cure him. He is with his infant daughter in alien temple and sees a possible human suicide bomber. 3*
Reclaiming the Stars [The Stars] novelette by James E. Gunn a part of a series, this time two uploaded humans in robot bodies terraform Mars to make it habitable (Earth is one giant ocean). They have strange nightmares of failure, possibly imposed from outside, but by whom? 3*
Ready Gas and Pills short story by Dominica Phetteplace after epidemies there is I network of drugs producing machines on each gas station (and other public places). The protagonist is an inspector/investigator that checks that machines got high quality inputs and supply only written out drugs and disconnects them otherwise. She has to disconnect one at the start of the story and there are angry people left w/o drugs, including a girl working on that gas station who self-proscribed birth control pills because she is gay and should hide it in a small town and hoped that hormonals which ‘sedate’ her. The problem of possible harm vs immediate benefit. 3*
Año Nuevo novelette by Ray Nayler 30 years ago on beaches in California aliens appeared – giant semi-transparent globes. They don’t react to attempt of contact, just sit there, processing minerals. And then one day they disappear. Or do they? 4*
Super Sprouts novelette by Ian Creasey a part of a series about a genius geneticist and her market-oriented husband (who narrates). They are asked to make kids love greens. They also plan a kid for themselves and she tries to select ‘best genes’, while conservatives in power try to ban gene modifications. 5*
A Million Years poem by Tom Jolly what will remain from us as time passes. 3*
The Chartreuse Sky short story by Александр Бачило and К. А. Терина a translated work about future Moscow, where all are under control of beneficent but strict ‘iron nanny’ AI and most live in own generated realities, which are overimposed on the real city. A few deny such access and a schoolboy, whose parents deny it to themselves and him, has vanished. 3*
My Heart is At Capacity short story by T. J. Berry another of a now popular trope of androids/AIs created for emotional support of people – but if AI has feelings – are we allowed to hurt them? 3*
Inside Voice poem by Jackie Sherbow a narrator with a nephew in a planetarium, awed and diminished by our universe. 2*
Tin Man novelette by Brad Aiken and Rick Wilber a guy plays baseball in local club and flashback into his past – he was a promising thrower, but after getting a million dollar first contract he is in accident that severely damages his hand. A replacement with AI is inserted and he is back, better than ever, but banned as a modified player… 2.5*
Phosphor's Circle short story by Annika Barranti Klein a narrator works as a guide in a zoo, specialized in arctic animals. One of kids on her excursion notes that a white bear swims in circles, supposing it is a fake bear. Soon she notes that it is not the only glitch. 3*
Flattering the Flame [The Great Ship Universe] novelette by Robert Reed a great ship leaves the plane of our galaxy to visit a off-galaxy star cluster. There an extremely combative race is living and it plans to get the ship to themselves. But soft power is better than hard one. 3*
On Books (Asimov's, May-June 2021) [On Books] essay by Sheree Renée Thomas the new reviewer, presented at the start. The list is partially made of nominees for major SFF awards, which for me lessens its value, for I’d checked them anyway. 2.5*
The contents:
Transitions [Asimov's Editorials] essay by Sheila Williams presentation of new members of the team, including a new reviewer.
The First Encyclopedia [Reflections] essay by Robert Silverberg about the work of [a:Pliny the Elder|302386|Pliny the Elder|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1328607731p2/302386.jpg] – [b:Naturalis Historia, Vol. Iv Cb|3403934|Naturalis Historia, Vol. Iv Cb|Pliny the Elder|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|92844210], which is the earliest (western) attempt of an encyclopedia. This is also a great insight in what Romans saw as science. 3*
Digital Heroes [On the Net] essay by James Patrick Kelly three internet services for SFF fandom with checked info, namely SFF Awards, The Internet Speculative Fiction Database and SF Encyclopedia , which I also recommend. 3*
Religion and Science Fiction [Thought Experiments] essay by James E. Gunn an overview of links between SFF and religion, from stuff like Narnia, to retellings like [b:Lord of Light|13821|Lord of Light|Roger Zelazny|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1330127327l/13821._SY75_.jpg|1011388], to a lot of shorter works. 4*
Jim Gunn and I Corresponded ... [Obituaries (Sheila Williams)] essay by Sheila Williams the sad news that the author of the previous piece has died.
The Metric novelette by David Moles far future Earth, with universe spread so far that there is no starlight in the sky. A ship with AI comes with info that some change of cosmic law contained by Earth disallows universe to reborn. Should the last people (together with AIs and other sentients) allow possible renewal by own certain demise? 3*
Among the Marithei short story by Mary Anne Mohanraj a man, with a severe war trauma as a child, now lives among peaceful aliens, who adopted him and tried to cure him. He is with his infant daughter in alien temple and sees a possible human suicide bomber. 3*
Reclaiming the Stars [The Stars] novelette by James E. Gunn a part of a series, this time two uploaded humans in robot bodies terraform Mars to make it habitable (Earth is one giant ocean). They have strange nightmares of failure, possibly imposed from outside, but by whom? 3*
Ready Gas and Pills short story by Dominica Phetteplace after epidemies there is I network of drugs producing machines on each gas station (and other public places). The protagonist is an inspector/investigator that checks that machines got high quality inputs and supply only written out drugs and disconnects them otherwise. She has to disconnect one at the start of the story and there are angry people left w/o drugs, including a girl working on that gas station who self-proscribed birth control pills because she is gay and should hide it in a small town and hoped that hormonals which ‘sedate’ her. The problem of possible harm vs immediate benefit. 3*
Año Nuevo novelette by Ray Nayler 30 years ago on beaches in California aliens appeared – giant semi-transparent globes. They don’t react to attempt of contact, just sit there, processing minerals. And then one day they disappear. Or do they? 4*
Super Sprouts novelette by Ian Creasey a part of a series about a genius geneticist and her market-oriented husband (who narrates). They are asked to make kids love greens. They also plan a kid for themselves and she tries to select ‘best genes’, while conservatives in power try to ban gene modifications. 5*
A Million Years poem by Tom Jolly what will remain from us as time passes. 3*
The Chartreuse Sky short story by Александр Бачило and К. А. Терина a translated work about future Moscow, where all are under control of beneficent but strict ‘iron nanny’ AI and most live in own generated realities, which are overimposed on the real city. A few deny such access and a schoolboy, whose parents deny it to themselves and him, has vanished. 3*
My Heart is At Capacity short story by T. J. Berry another of a now popular trope of androids/AIs created for emotional support of people – but if AI has feelings – are we allowed to hurt them? 3*
Inside Voice poem by Jackie Sherbow a narrator with a nephew in a planetarium, awed and diminished by our universe. 2*
Tin Man novelette by Brad Aiken and Rick Wilber a guy plays baseball in local club and flashback into his past – he was a promising thrower, but after getting a million dollar first contract he is in accident that severely damages his hand. A replacement with AI is inserted and he is back, better than ever, but banned as a modified player… 2.5*
Phosphor's Circle short story by Annika Barranti Klein a narrator works as a guide in a zoo, specialized in arctic animals. One of kids on her excursion notes that a white bear swims in circles, supposing it is a fake bear. Soon she notes that it is not the only glitch. 3*
Flattering the Flame [The Great Ship Universe] novelette by Robert Reed a great ship leaves the plane of our galaxy to visit a off-galaxy star cluster. There an extremely combative race is living and it plans to get the ship to themselves. But soft power is better than hard one. 3*
On Books (Asimov's, May-June 2021) [On Books] essay by Sheree Renée Thomas the new reviewer, presented at the start. The list is partially made of nominees for major SFF awards, which for me lessens its value, for I’d checked them anyway. 2.5*