T Magazine
Just an ordinary issue, but a little better than the last one. No stories of note, other than the Jenny Sparks ending for Powell’s. Interzone 235 : Insha’allah – Matthew Cook Interzone 235 : For Love’s Delirium Haunts The Fractured Mind – Mercurio D. Rivera Interzone 235 : The Walrus And The Icebreaker – Jon [...]
Just 3.13 here and pretty dull, except for the Resnick. Plus a sword article. Subterranean Online 20 : Subterranean Online 20 – William Schafer Subterranean Online 20 : White Lines on a Green Field – Catherynne M. Valente Subterranean Online 20 : SHAKA II – Mike Resnick Subterranean Online 20 : Antiquities and Tangibles – [...]
Continue reading about Subterranean Online 20 – William Schafer
The usual 3.13ish bunch of oddballness, with some nifty photos. Flurb 11 : Big Store Baoding – Kek-W Flurb 11 : My Big Night Out With Thing – Leslie What Flurb 11 : Hotels – Alberto Chimal Flurb 11 : Medusa – Chris N. Brown Flurb 11 : The Ghosts of Carnivores – Minister Faust [...]
A decent issue at 3.33 Clarkesworld 64 : Scattered Along The River Of Heaven – Aliette De Bodard Clarkesworld 64 : What Everyone Remembers – Rahul Kanakia Clarkesworld 64 : All The Painted Stars – Gwendolyn Clare Felicity, or elsewhere. 3.5 out of 5 Boat life. 3 out of 5 Not too Bright fight role. [...]
No good at 3.00. The Peek story is ok and the discussion with De Bodard is interesting. Clarkesworld 63 : Clarkesworld 63 – Neil Clarke Clarkesworld 63 : Sirius – Ben Peek Clarkesworld 63 : In Which Faster-Than-Light Travel Solves All Of Our Problems – Chris Stabback Clarkesworld 63 : Silently And Very Fast 3 [...]
Just a 3.18 average here with one standout by Avery. The usual plethora of reviews etc. in this magathology. Including pointing out another sword and sorcery series from Warhammer called Brunner the Bounty Hunter. Black Gate 15 : A River Through Darkness and Light – John C. Hocking Black Gate 15 : The Oracle of [...]
Better than the last one at 3.13, but largely unremarkable with Palmer the best. Interzone 234 : IN THE SEASON OF THE MANGO RAINS – Lavie Tidhar Interzone 234 : THE CEILING IS SKY – Suzanne Palmer Interzone 234 : HER SCIENTIFICTION FAR FUTURE MEDIEVAL FANTASY – Jason Sanford Interzone 234 : INCOMPATIBLE – Will [...]
No good. 2.75 average. A couple of stories of no particular innovation – guess where they feature? Yeah, New York and London. Excited? No, didn’t think you would be. Cluley’s story has the right stuff though of the new and is pretty good. You can skip the rest. Interzone 233 : THE SILVER WIND – [...]
A good issue at 3.42, with no standouts. Interzone 232 : NOAM CHOMSKY AND THE TIME BOX – Douglas Lain Interzone 232 : INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – Michael R. Fletcher Interzone 232 : BY PLUCKING HER PETALS – Sarah L. Edwards Interzone 232 : HEALTHY WEALTHY AND WISE – Sue Burke Interzone 232 : FLOCK SHOAL [...]
Two very good stories in one issue doesn’t happen in a lot. This Sanford special luckily he has one of them! Five stories, all good or better gives a 3.70 and with the other non fiction stuff, good enough to round up to the 4.75 and hence 5 range. Good that Interzone is back available [...]
At 3.14 thankfully a huge improvement over the wretched last issue. The lead story by Suzanne Palmer is the best and suggests she is worth checking out for more work. McDaniel is funny again. Whereas stories by writers about books and writing are pathetically lazy in general, not so those about pure mathematics, so points [...]
This issue is rubbish at 2.70. With apologies to Kristine Kathryn Rusch (who again fails to disappoint with a Diving novella) and Derek Kunsken, who manages to be funny. Half of the stories are bad. Silverberg and Kelly are also interesting in their columns. I’d say check those out if they are online, and wait [...]
More consistent than the last at 3.29 with a Creek Splendor story and Rusch and Gannon. Analog 965 : RAY OF LIGHT – Brad R. Torgersen Analog 965 : TURNING IT OFF – Susan Forest Analog 965 : FREUDIAN SLIPSTREAM – Brad Aiken Analog 965 : HIDDEN – Kyle Kirkland Analog 965 : ART FOR [...]
At 3.21, pretty ordinary, with the Nevala-Lee octopus caper the most interesting. Analog 964 : WITH UNCLEAN HANDS – Adam-Troy Castro Analog 964 : DIG SITE – Jack McDevitt Analog 964 : THE BUDDY SYSTEM – Don D’Ammassa Analog 964 : ROCKET SCIENCE – Jerry Oltion Analog 964 : CHUMBOLONE – Bill Johnson Analog 964 [...]
Similar to last issue, but non-fiction not as good. This time, however, there is a standout fiction piece by Buckell and Klecha. Clarkesworld 62 : A Militant Peace – Tobias S. Buckell and David Klecha Clarkesworld 62 : The Smell of Orange Groves – Lavie Tidhar Clarkesworld 62 : Silently and Very Fast 2 – [...]
“”But the test happens, whether we make it formal or not. We ask and we answer. We seek a human response. And you are my test, Elefsis. Every minute I fail and imagine in my private thoughts the process for deleting you from my body and running this place with a simple automation routine which [...]
Right on the fine 3.50 average this one, along with an article on Martian terraforming. Lightspeed 18 : How Maartje and Uppinder Terraformed Mars – Lisa Nohealani Morton Lightspeed 18 : The Kingdom of the Blind – Maureen F. McHugh Lightspeed 18 : Houses – Mark Pantoja Lightspeed 18 : Snow – John Crowley Using [...]
Another solid fiction issue at 3.38 and with the rest, enough to round up to a 4. Lightspeed 17 : Her Husband’s Hands – Adam-Troy Castro Lightspeed 17 : The Little Bear – Justina Robson Lightspeed 17 : Against Eternity – David Farland Lightspeed 17 : Some Fortunate Future Day – Cassandra Clare Only bits [...]
Another fine issue at 3.63, again with assorted articles and short interviews. Lightspeed 16 : Join – Liz Coleman Lightspeed 16 : Bubbles – David Brin Lightspeed 16 : Thief of Futures – D. Thomas Minton Lightspeed 16 : The Island of the Immortals – Ursula K. Le Guin New Phoeng tribe. 3.5 out of [...]
Here’s your garden variety 3.25 issue with a Fulda article of simulating intelligence. Clarkesworld 60 : Clarkesworld 60 – Neil Clarke Clarkesworld 60 : Pack – Robert Reed Clarkesworld 60 : Signals in the Deep – Greg Mellor Dog mess with tech. 3 out of 5 100AU Starfish message, mum. 3.5 out of 5 3.5 [...]
Here’s a first. An issue where the original work outstrips the reprints which are good and very good themselves. So pretty much as high as you can realistically get issue at 4.00. Also a fun alien article from Jeremy Tolbert. Fantastic issue. Lightspeed 15 : Lightspeed 15 – John Joseph Adams Lightspeed 15 : Defenders [...]
An ok issue with one poor story, and one very good one. Jernigan’s first here. Also of note: a Silverberg Majipoor story. Asimov’s 427 : Asimov’s 427 – Sheila Williams Asimov’s 427 : THE END OF THE LINE – Robert Silverberg Asimov’s 427 : CORN TEETH – Melanie Tem Asimov’s 427 : WATCH BEES – [...]
A sub-par issue at 3.00 with DeLancy’s story the best. An article on maybe Misery will shake itself a lot. Analog 962 : Analog 962 – Stanley Schmidt Analog 962 : THERAPEUTIC MATHEMATICS AND THE PHYSICS OF CURVE BALLS – Gray Rineheart Analog 962 : HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT – Emily Mah Analog 962 : THE CHAPLAIN’S [...]
A very poor issue at 2.94. Melton’s Shadow Angel is decent and inventive, however. Asimov’s 428 : THE OBSERVATION POST – Allen M. Steele Asimov’s 428 : D.O.C.S. – Neal Barrett Asimov’s 428 : DANILO – Carol Emshwiller Asimov’s 428 : SHADOW ANGEL – Erick Melton Asimov’s 428 : THE ODOR OF SANCTITY – Ian [...]
A very good issue at 3.75, led off by the famous Godwin story with the rest solid. An article on Epigenetics and Mike Brotherton discusses the story The Cold Equations. A nifty twist by Kerr – what if the history of science had missed the importance of Einsteinian relativity and the time effects as you [...]
Two decent stories and an article on changing constants and part of an epic fantasy discussion for a fine issue. Clarkesworld 59 : Conservation of Shadows – Yoon Ha Lee Clarkesworld 59 : The Fish of Lijiang – Chen Qiufan Clone gates. 3.5 out of 5 Time dilation sickness and rehab. 3.5 out of 5 [...]
A mixed bag and an overall not very good 3.13. Four decent stories, the best of which is Cornell’s third Jonathan Hamilton outing. Asimov’s 426 : DAY 29 – Chris Beckett Asimov’s 426 : PUG – Theodora Goss Asimov’s 426 : DUNYON – Kristine Kathryn Rusch Asimov’s 426 : THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERE – [...]
A solid issue at 3.36, with interesting articles on theories, on string theory, the failure of the LHC to turn into a black hole. Also reviews of several anthologies. The pick of the fiction is Lovett’s Beanstalk take. Analog 961 : COORDINATED ATTACKS – Kristine Kathryn Rusch Analog 961 : JAK AND THE BEANSTALK – [...]
One out of the box, or that rare beast: an issue where every story is good or better, even if only just. Second last issue of my two year subscription, and it certainly hasn’t been thrilling me lately: ain’t no 2000 AD if you catch my drift. Three of them are very good, too, so [...]
This issue started in disappointing fashion, but it was the last part that recovered and dragged it towards respectability and 3.23. From Tom Purdom’s very good through a couple of decent and the standout is the final story. Kristine Kathryn Rusch demonstrates again she is a very talented writer of novellas. Asimov’s 423 424 : [...]
A bit better at 3.20 with 3 decent stories. An article on nanoparticle medicine. Analog 960 : ENERGIZED 1 – Edward M. Lerner Analog 960 : CITIZEN-ASTRONAUT – David D. Levine Analog 960 : TAKE ONE FOR THE ROAD – Jamie Todd Rubin Analog 960 : STONE AGE – Alastair Mayer Analog 960 : KAWATARO [...]
Articles on psychology in deep space and Gliese 581G. The most interesting fiction of the poor 3.00 average is the decent Vajra novel. Analog 959 : TOWER OF WORLDS – Rajnar Vajra Analog 959 : BOUMEE AND THE APES – Ian McHugh Analog 959 : THE WOLF AND THE PANTHER WERE LOVERS – Walter L. [...]
Fairly similar in quality to the last issue at 3.17 some decent, some average, with the longer Rusch and Buckell’s brambling the most interesting. Subterranean Online 18 : Subterranean Online 18 – William Schafer Subterranean Online 18 : Show Trial – Kristine Kathryn Rusch Subterranean Online 18 : The Crane Method – Ian R MacLeod [...]
Continue reading about Subterranean Online 18 – William Schafer
At 3.19 just ordinary. Nothing stands out, here. Subterranean Online 17 : Subterranean Online 17 – William Schafer Subterranean Online 17 : The Tricks of London – Elizabeth Bear Subterranean Online 17 : The Boy Who Followed Lovecraft – Marc Laidlaw Subterranean Online 17 : A Long Walk Home – Jay Lake Subterranean Online 17 [...]
Continue reading about Subterranean Online 17 – William Schafer
Two average stories this time. Plus some apocalypse and an article on your garden variety big fat fantasy treekilling. Clarkesworld 58 : Trois morceaux en forme de mechanika – Gord Sellar Clarkesworld 58 : Frozen Voice – An Owomoyela Shooting the piano players. 3 out of 5 Arachnoid 451. 3 out of 5 3 out [...]
One decent story, one poor. An article on changing worlds biologically, an interview and asking people to subscribe if they can, which is apparently now easier. Clarkesworld 57 : Semiramis – Genevieve Valentine Clarkesworld 57 : Trickster – Mari Ness Seed run. 3.5 out of 5 Minigod tales. 2.5 out of 5 3 out of [...]
A 3 and a 3.5 as Rambo goes Dark Angel. Also an interview with Lauren Beukes, for an ok to decent issue. Clarkesworld 56 : Whose Face This Is I Do Not Know – Cat Rambo Clarkesworld 56 : The Architect of Heaven – Jason K. Chapman Beastly experiment destruction. 3.5 out of 5 Big [...]
Mediocre and poor stories. The best thing here is about the use of linguistics article. Clarkesworld 55 : The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees – E. Lily Yu Clarkesworld 55 : Matchmaker – Erin M. Hartshorn Insect diplomacy. 3 out of 5 Kurz cling. 2.5 out of 5 1.5 out of 5 http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/prior/issue_55/
An issue of not much of interest other than the fine Reynolds reprint and an interview with Jill Tarter, the director of SETI. Lightspeed 12 : The Harrowers – Eric Gregory Lightspeed 12 : Bibi From Jupiter – Tessa Mellas Lightspeed 12 : Eliot Wrote – Nancy Kress Lightspeed 12 : Scales – Alastair Reynolds [...]
A good issue with the usual short, simple articles and spotlights. The best of the original fiction so far in this mag is the story by Owomoyela. Lightspeed 11 : All That Touches the Air – An Owomoyela Lightspeed 11 : Maneki Neko – Bruce Sterling Lightspeed 11 : Mama We are Zhenya Your Son [...]
A lot of stories here, mostly short and mostly average. Much near future flashbacking into badness, too so a bit of a theme presumably. Plenty of fun photos as usual. Flurb 10 : A Peculiar Fashion Business – Jon Armstrong Flurb 10 : Six Days on the Road and I’m Gonna Make it Home Tonight [...]
A couple of very good reprints and a decent new story. A fine interview with Walter Jon Williams and some better than usual articles make a close to excellent issue. Lightspeed 10 : Saying the Names – Maggie Clark Lightspeed 10 : Gossamer – Stephen Baxter Lightspeed 10 : Spider the Artist – Nnedi Okorafor [...]
A poor issue at 3.06 with the best work being by Fulda. James Patrick Kelly swaps out your brain for you a new one in his column. Asimov’s 422 : CLEAN – John Kessel Asimov’s 422 : WHERE – Neal Barrett Asimov’s 422 : I WAS NEARLY YOUR MOTHER – Ian Creasey Asimov’s 422 : [...]
An okish issue at 3.28. A double Benford SETI article to add in to the rest. One fine story with Jordan’s first contact tale. Analog 958 : HIDING PLACE – Adam-Troy Castro Analog 958 : IAN’S IONS AND EONS – Paul Levinson Analog 958 : THE FLARE WEED – Larry Niven Analog 958 : SMALL [...]
Pretty much the same quality as the first issue. Plus poetry. Heroic Fantasy Quarterly 2 : The Hand Of Afaz – Euan Harvey Heroic Fantasy Quarterly 2 : Monster In The Mountains – Bywilliam Gerke Heroic Fantasy Quarterly 2 : The Waking Of Angantyr – Marie Brennan Naked swimming and paen singing. 2.5 out of [...]
Continue reading about Heroic Fantasy Quarterly 2 – David Farney and Adrian Simmons
Three stories in this first issue, one good, one average, one poor. And a poem. Heroic Fantasy Quarterly 1 : Black Flowers Of Sevan – James Lecky Heroic Fantasy Quarterly 1 : Man Of Moldania – Richard Marsden Heroic Fantasy Quarterly 1 : Beyond The Lizard Gate – Alex Marshall A bet leads Tulun to [...]
Continue reading about Heroic Fantasy Quarterly 1 – David Farney and Adrian Simmons
A poor pair of stories, with an interview and an art article. You can happily skip this one. Clarkesworld 53 : Diving After the Moon – Rachel Swirsky Clarkesworld 53 : Three Oranges – D. Elizabeth Wasden Monkeying asphyxiation, no? 2.5 out of 5 Field juice stabbity. 2.5 out of 5 1 out of 5 [...]
A really good issue, with one good and one very good story by Clare. An interesting article on crowdsourced films like Star Wreck. Clarkesworld 54 : The Book of Phoenix – Nnedi Okorafor Clarkesworld 54 : Perfect Lies – Gwendolyn Clare Tower 7 research, hot. 3.5 out of 5 Mask People diplomacy Falsehood Wizard. 4 [...]
“Several high-profile projects on the web have embraced this new paradigm — and many of the most visible efforts using some form of this “crowdsourcing” are science fiction films. That this new cinema should have attracted the interest of the SF fanatics out there can hardly be said to be much of a surprise: after [...]
Continue reading about Cinema 2.0: The Future of Movie Making? – Mark Cole
The streak continues – Another 3.25. Slight variety in three ordinary stories and a very good reprint to finish though. Non-fiction not of much note, some minor interest in the movie tech of Tron/Avatar bit. Lightspeed 09 : Long Enough and Just So Long – Cat Rambo Lightspeed 09 : The Passenger – Julie E. [...]
In a no surprise at all situation – average is 3.25. With an article on neurotransmitters. If Jeremiah Tolbert is missing, he’s either been eaten by cockroaches or Octopus Men. Lightspeed 08 : Postings from an Amorous Tomorrow – Corey Mariani Lightspeed 08 : Cucumber Gravy – Susan Palwick Lightspeed 08 : Black Fire – [...]
Considerably better than the last issue at 3.32, and also with a science article to go along with the reviews. Also two standout stories, the first about an allergy stricken woman by MacEwen, and the second and inventive and very densely packed secondary world fantasy by Corradi. Always pleasant to see the rare Chris Lawson [...]
Continue reading about Fantasy and Science Fiction 693 – Gordon Van Gelder
An average under 3 is not good. Even Reed’s novella sags in the middle. FSF 692 : FSF 692 – Gordon Van Gelder FSF 692 : DEAD MAN’S RUN – Robert Reed FSF 692 : PLINTH WITHOUT FIGURE – Alexander Jablokov FSF 692 : SWAMP CITY LAMENT – Alexandra Duncan FSF 692 : DEATH MUST [...]
Continue reading about Fantasy and Science Fiction 692 – Gordon Van Gelder
A 3.29 average, so ok – the best are de Bodard, Carlon and McAuley, with the latter two being a thematic pair if you like – blighted future, with weird alien tech scavenging. Asimov’s 420 : OUT OF THE DREAM CLOSET – David Ira Cleary Asimov’s 420 : WASTER MERCY – Sara Genge Asimov’s 420 [...]
This edition of the biannual Black Gate anthology is inferior to the others fictionally. Very large, but just a lot of average here except for Enge and Kreis. The non-fiction is as interesting as ever, though, with recounting of old space empire games and information about new stuff like – Judge Dredd? The comic strip [...]
Not so many of these around these days it seems, the 3.50 average magazine. Could have been a little bit more if the Allan story didnt sort of die. Non-fiction a bit more interesting and mostly there too, it seems – a review of a Conflicts SF anthology that sounds ok, plus Gareth L. Powell’s [...]
A good solid issue at 3.40. With Hawkins again the class of the magazine he appears in with his offbeat combat and concert story. The usual as per now chopped off non-fiction though, reviews of some movies and books. A bit better than a 3.5 issue. Interzone 229 : MANNIKIN – Paul Evanby Interzone 229 [...]
In what seems to be the Lightspeed standard, a 3.25 average, led by Rusch. Includes what seems to be the usual author spotlights, short light articles and an interview with Greg Bear. Lightspeed 07 : In-fall – Ted Kosmatka Lightspeed 07 : The Observer – Kristine Kathryn Rusch Lightspeed 07 : Jenny’s Sick – David [...]
A sub-par issue at 3.08, the highlights being the whacky McHugh and the Rusch novella. Asimov’s 419 : TWO THIEVES – Chris Beckett Asimov’s 419 : DOLLY – Elizabeth Bear Asimov’s 419 : VISITORS – Steve Rasnic Tem Asimov’s 419 : INTERLOPER – Ian McHugh Asimov’s 419 : ASHES ON THE WATER – Gwendolyn Clare [...]
Nothing of particular net here. The McMullen story is the only one that is 3.5+. Quite a few space based stories. The same as the last issue at 3.13. Articles on gravity, and finding other planets are interesting. Analog 956 : AT CROSS PURPOSES – Juliette Wade Analog 956 : THE UNFINISHED MAN – Dave [...]
There are a few book reviews including the Best of Kim Stanley Robinson, but the work of interest here is the very good long Chiang novella. Very generous to provide this to everyone in the world to read. The Sarrantonio story holds some interest, too, unlike the excruciatingly dull Waldrop excerpt that you would need [...]
Continue reading about Subterranean Online 16 – William Schafer
If you had have told me the best SF mag issue I would read this year is from a publication I’d never heard of, well, a line from The Castle certainly springs to mind. Three four star stories in one issue of any magazine is very unlikely, let alone one that has only 4. Very [...]
Continue reading about Dark Fiction 2 Dystopian Desires – Del Lakin-Smith and Sharon Ring
A bit down thanks to the bad obvious Kiernan waste of time. Luckily chooses to finish with the very good Kress story. No non-fiction of real interest, either. Lightspeed 06 : Standard Loneliness Package – Charles Yu Lightspeed 06 : Faces in Revolving Souls – Caitlin R. Kiernan Lightspeed 06 : Hwang’s Billion Brilliant Daughters [...]
The stories here are of no interest. Kind of like this issue got lost in 1972. An article by Fulda on the history of hysterical reactions to new entertainment mediums. Clarkesworld 51 : The Taxidermist’s Other Wife – Kelly Barnhill Clarkesworld 51 : The Children of Main Street – A.C. Wise Don’t know Margaret. 2 [...]
A decent and consistent issue, with nothing of particular note. You can get the novel that Warfriends by Tom Purdom is a sequel to at Fictionwise. An article by Silverberg about Kornbluth. If you were just going to pick one, I’d read the Bossert. Asimov’s 418 : PLUS OR MINUS – James Patrick Kelly Asimov’s [...]
An ordinary type issue, with an article on solar system formation likelihood among others. Not much over a three average thanks to the extremely lame writer probability zero. Analog 955 : THE MAN FROM DOWNSTREAM – Shane Tourtellote Analog 955 : THE HEBRAS AND THE DEMONS AND THE DAMNED – Brenda Cooper Analog 955 : [...]
I thoroughly enjoyed this issue with the article after the Phantom Sense story talking about the developments there, and Kooistra on Non-Einsteinian clocks and relativity. Best of the year, fiction-se at 3.67. Analog 954 : PHANTOM SENSE – Richard A. Lovett and Mark Niemann-Ross Analog 954 : THE ZOO TEAM – Allen M. Steele Analog [...]
Stories here are both poor with crappy endings. The non-fiction is much better. An article on SF and Holmes, and an interview with Lois McMaster Bujold. Enough to get it to a 1.25 and rounding up, anyway. Clarkesworld 50 : On the Banks of the River Lex – N. K. Jemisin Clarkesworld 50 : Seeing [...]
The fiction is of no interest. They seem to keep publishing Eric Brown, and I have no idea why. Best thing is the interview with Jay Lake. Laying the Ghost – Eric Brown Salvaging Gods – Jacques Barcia Skull survival shock. 3 out of 5 Hammer them. 2.5 out of 5 1.5 out of 5 [...]
The same quality as the other issues at 3.25. Articles on cryonics by Gregory Benford and game writing by Marc Laidlaw. Lightspeed 5 : Lightspeed 5 – John Joseph Adams Lightspeed 5 : Hindsight – Sarah Langan Lightspeed 5 : Tight Little Stitches on a Dead Man’s Back – Joe R. Lansdale Lightspeed 5 : [...]
Best issue of the year by a long, long way at 3.60. Robert Silverberg’s ghost story article was fun, too. A Diving novella from Rusch – and all these have been class. With a name like Ferrett Steinmetz – should have been a _character_ in ‘Brain Patrol’ a story that just sneaks into hilarity. Asimov’s [...]
A consistently good issue. An interview with K. J. Parker by Tom Holt, an article by Armstrong, a review or two. The short stories here are better than the longer work, in general, Shepard excepted perhaps. Subterranean Online 15 : A Burglar’s-Eye View of Greed – Lawrence Block Subterranean Online 15 : Amor Vincit Omnia [...]
Continue reading about Subterranean Online 15 – William Schafer
This would certainly seem to not be a SF/horror mag anymore. Apex Magazine 17 : Apex Magazine 17 – Catherynne M. Valente Apex Magazine 17 : Still Life (A Sexagesimal Fairy Tale) – Ian Tregillis Apex Magazine 17 : The Girl Who Had Six Fingers – Brenda Stokes Barron Apex Magazine 17 : Citizen Komarova [...]
Continue reading about Apex Magazine 17 – Catherynne M. Valente
A 2.86 average. Yuck. An ok black comedy by Swanwick and Gerrold was funny. The usual reviews etc. FSF691 : ORFY – Richard Chwedyk FSF691 : EATING AT THE END-OF-THE-WORLD CAFé – Dale Bailey FSF691 : THE DOOR IN THE EARTH – Alexandra Duncan FSF691 : THE LITEROMANCER – Ken Liu FSF691 : UNCLE MOON [...]
Continue reading about Fantasy and Science Fiction 691 – Gordon Van Gelder
About the same as the last issue, at 3.29, but with two very good stories by Altabef and McMullen, plus an article on the hotness and the coldness, along with usual reviews and a Lucius Shepard film column which is always entertaining. As in, your Alice in Wonderland, it is the suck. FSF690 : ADVANCES [...]
Continue reading about Fantasy and Science Fiction 690 – Gordon Van Gelder
3 stories at 3.17, with the last fairly interesting, with its mystery in movie horror. Apex Magazine 16 : Portage – An Owomoyela Apex Magazine 16 : L’esprit de L’escalier – Peter M. Ball Apex Magazine 16 : Each thing i show you is a piece of my death – Gemma Files and Stephen J. [...]
Continue reading about Apex Magazine 16 – Catherynne M. Valente
A serendipitous article about Magnus Robot Fighter of all things was a pleasant surprise. A standard quality fiction issue for this mag at 3.25. Clarkesworld 48 : The Cull – Robert Reed Clarkesworld 48 : Paper Cradle – Stephen Gaskell Buried, save the brainworms. 3.5 out of 5 Space anti-weapon origami. 3 out of 5 [...]
One very good reprint, and a bunch of ordinary in this issue, making it not as good as the other three at 3.13. The articles would appear to be examples of the very simple non-fiction style they are going far, given that G. David Nordley is a rocket-scientist type. Lightspeed 04 : Flower Mercy Needle [...]
The reprints: very good. The original: just the opposite. Which gives it the same 3.25 average as the first two. So very consistent. Author stuff, interviews, and an article on being cyborg-y. Lightspeed 03 : How to Become a Mars Overlord – Catherynne M. Valente Lightspeed 03 : Patient Zero – Tananarive Due Lightspeed 03 [...]
A bunch of no good, and two decent stories, along with the usual bunch of book and movie reviews. Raging Phoenix, maybe? Anyway, Jason Sanford again fails to be boring, and the Yuan-Innes story has its moments. Interzone 228 : UNTIED STATES OF AMERICA – Mario Milosevic Interzone 228 : IRON MONK – Melissa Yuan-Innes [...]
Bad is the word for this magazine, with a terrible sub-3.0 average, and nothing at all worth bothering with. Other than the non-fiction, luckily, which is rather better. ASIMOVS416 : BACKLASH – Nancy Fulda ASIMOVS416 : THE PALACE IN THE CLOUDS – Eugene Mirabelli ASIMOVS416 : WHEAT RUST – Benjamin Crowell ASIMOVS416 : FOR WANT [...]
Only a 3.13. JPK as usual can be relied on for an interesting column. The best of this lot is Bossert’s Shanghai space hack. ASIMOVS415 : SUPERLUMINOSITY – Alan Wall ASIMOVS415 : THE LOVELY UGLY – Carol Emshwiller ASIMOVS415 : CRIMES FOLLIES MISFORTUNES AND LOVE – Ian Creasey ASIMOVS415 : THE BATTLE OF LITTLE BIG [...]
A reasonable start with two 3′s and two 3.5′s and some non-fiction. Lightspeed 1 : I’m Alive I Love You I’ll See You in Reno – Vylar Kaftan Lightspeed 1 : The Cassandra Project – Jack McDevitt Lightspeed 1 : Cats in Victory – David Barr Kirtley Lightspeed 1 : Amaryllis – Carrie Vaughn Missed [...]
Clearly one of the worst issues so far. Nothing of interest in any of it. Clarkesworld 47 : Thirteen Ways of Looking at Space/Time – Catherynne M. Valente Clarkesworld 47 : Messenger – Julia M Sidorova The Other Side. 2 out of 5 In the beginning was too far from the end. 2.5 out of [...]
An interesting article on keeping a closed ecosystem going with a view to space travel. Good to see stuff like the Kanakia, too. Clarkesworld 46 : Beach Blanket Spaceship – Sandra McDonald Clarkesworld 46 : The Association of the Dead – Rahul Kanakia Vee-Real, Pops. 3 out of 5 Code Song sumith. 3.5 out of [...]
Nothing makes it above ordinary here. Apex Magazine 15 : Fair Ladies – Theodora Goss Apex Magazine 15 : Four Is Me! With Squeeeeee! – Nick Mamatas Apex Magazine 15 : Secret Life – Jeff VanderMeer Back to Malo. 3 out of 5 State of ruin. 2 out of 5 Cleaning out the shadow chamber. [...]
Nothing of interest here except the Sanford – apart from the fact that the last is styled as a puzzle, so may be a bit of fun. Apex Magazine 14 : Apex Magazine 14 – Jason Sizemore Apex Magazine 14 : Artifact – Peter Atwood Apex Magazine 14 : Shrödinger’s Pussy – Terra LeMay Apex [...]
Articles on dodgy medical research and a review of Allen M. Steele’s Coyote Destiny. ANALOG952 : THAT LEVIATHAN WHOM THOU HAST MADE – Eric James Stone ANALOG952 : PUPA – David D. Levine ANALOG952 : SPLUDGE – Richard A. Lovett ANALOG952 : RED LETTER DAY – Kristine Kathryn Rusch ANALOG952 : FLOTSAM – K.C. Ball [...]
Exactly the same as the last issue, four above average stories, one average, and one poor. This one tailing off towards the end. The whole bunch of reviews is here this time, however. Best story is Jim Hawkins Zambian tale, easily. Maybe he can give another one a go before 40 years pass again. Interzone [...]
An interesting article by James Patrick Kelly centred around Free, and also Silverberg on Satan, and a bunch of Spinradian book reviews. ASIMOVS 413 : THE EMPEROR OF MARS – Allen M. Steele ASIMOVS 413 : PETOPIA – Benjamin Crowell ASIMOVS 413 : MONKEY DO – Kit Reed ASIMOVS 413 : THE PEACOCK CLOAK – [...]
Some whacked out Spinrad book talk, and just about ok issue at 3.28 – with the clear standout being the excellent Popkes novella. ASIMOVS411412 : THE UNION OF SOIL AND SKY – Gregory Norman Bossert ASIMOVS411412 : UNFORESEEN – Molly Gloss ASIMOVS411412 : ADRIFT – Eugene Fischer ASIMOVS411412 : THEY LAUGHED AT ME IN VIENNA [...]
There’s an article on the rock album as science fiction. Clarkesworld 45 : Futures in the Memories Market – Nina Kiriki Hoffman Clarkesworld 45 : My Father’s Singularity – Brenda Cooper Geeta business. 3 out of 5 Dogged dad changeless. 3 out of 5 2.5 out of 5 http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/issue_45/
There’s a roundtable discussion with some authors that relates to the anthology some of this work cmmes from. Apex Magazine 19 : The Last Stand of the Ant Maker – Paul Jessup Apex Magazine 19 : City of Refuge – Jerry Gordon Apex Magazine 19 : The Days of Flaming Motorcycles – Catherynne M. Valente [...]
A fairly similar quality and breakdown to the last issue at 3.13. With a column on gender in languages. ANALOG950 : Analog 950 – Stanley Schmidt ANALOG950 : THE ANUNNAKI LEGACY – Bond Elam ANALOG950 : LIGHT CONVERSATION – Alastair Mayer ANALOG950 : SPACE ALIENS TAUGHT MY DOG TO KNIT! – Jerry Oltion and Elton [...]
3 articles in this one and a decent story make it come out average. Clarkesworld 44 : A Jar of Goodwill – Tobias S. Buckell Clarkesworld 44 : A Sweet Calling – Tony Pi Hermaphrodite Friends don’t lobotomise alien races Compact. 3.5 out of 5 Toasty Monkey. 2.5 out of 5 3 out of 5 [...]
A better issue at 3.29, headed by the Popkes version of ‘Fiends of the Eastern Front’. Reviews of Kim Stanley Robinson and Ilona Andrews’ Edge book are also included. FSF689 : WHY THAT CRAZY OLD LADY GOES UP THE MOUNTAIN – Michael Libling FSF689 : THIEF OF SHADOWS – Fred Chappell FSF689 : DR DEATH [...]
Continue reading about Fantasy and Science Fiction 689 – Gordon Van Gelder
An overall of only 3.15. The best story easily is Livia Llewellyn’s, with the Bishop and Baker worth a look, too. Subterranean Online 13 : Judge Sn Goes Golfing – John Scalzi Subterranean Online 13 : Harboring Pearls: A Lucifer Jones Story – Mike Resnick Subterranean Online 13 : Her Deepness – Livia Llewellyn Subterranean [...]
Continue reading about Subterranean Online 13 – William Schafer
Lucius Shepard declares The Road pretty ordinary, a collection of pieces called Anime Nation mentioned that sounds interesting, too. On the fiction front, not too much of note here, fairly similarly to last time. FSF688 : AMOR FUGIT – Alexandra Duncan FSF688 : STAR-CROSSED – Tim Sullivan FSF688 : WAITING FOR THE PHONE TO RING [...]
Continue reading about Fantasy and Science Fiction 688 – Gordon Van Gelder
The second very good Apex in a row. This one has an urban legend with a SF twist theme. The others are solid but McGuire’s is both clever and funny. Apex Magazine 18 : Dying With Her Cheer Pants On – Seanan McGuire Apex Magazine 18 : Seafoam – Mark Henry Apex Magazine 18 : [...]
An article on alien roles in media with this 3 average issue. Clarkesworld 43 : Between Two Dragons – Yoon Ha Lee Clarkesworld 43 : January – Becca De La Rosa Heaven’s Gate starsail memories. 3.5 out of 5 Definitely dead. 2.5 out of 5 2.5 out of 5 http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/issue_43
