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Asimov's Science Fiction, May/June 2023
NOVELLA
Lemuria 7 Is Missing by Allen M. Steele
NOVELETTES
Games Without Frontiers by Andy Dudak
Revolt of the Algorithms by Robert R. Chase
Mars Gambit by R. Garcia y Robertson
Exit Contract by Tom Purdom
The Fifteenth Saint by Ursula Whitcher
SHORT STORIES
Sexy Apocalypse Robot by Sandra McDonald
The Visions Are Free After Exit 73 by Zack Be
Boomerang by Bill Johnson & Gregory Frost
Zoo Station by Lavie Tidhar
The Second Labyrinth by Chris Willrich
POETRY
Taurus Tanka by Terri Yannetti
What if Pomegranates by Laurel Winter
A Ghazal for the Unstranded by Kelsey Dean
Notes from the Interplanetary Ambassador by Joshua Gage
Three Hearts as One by G. O. Clark
A Caution: On Being One of the Invisibles by Robert Frazier
DEPARTMENTS
Guest Editorial: Not Prediction, but Predication: The True Power of Science Fiction by Ray Nayler
Reflections: The Garden of Deleted Words by Robert Silverberg
On the Net: Translations by James Patrick Kelly
Thought Experiment: Shakespeare, Freud, and the Unconscious in Forbidden Planet by Kelly Lagor
On Books by Kelly Jennings
Lemuria 7 Is Missing by Allen M. Steele
NOVELETTES
Games Without Frontiers by Andy Dudak
Revolt of the Algorithms by Robert R. Chase
Mars Gambit by R. Garcia y Robertson
Exit Contract by Tom Purdom
The Fifteenth Saint by Ursula Whitcher
SHORT STORIES
Sexy Apocalypse Robot by Sandra McDonald
The Visions Are Free After Exit 73 by Zack Be
Boomerang by Bill Johnson & Gregory Frost
Zoo Station by Lavie Tidhar
The Second Labyrinth by Chris Willrich
POETRY
Taurus Tanka by Terri Yannetti
What if Pomegranates by Laurel Winter
A Ghazal for the Unstranded by Kelsey Dean
Notes from the Interplanetary Ambassador by Joshua Gage
Three Hearts as One by G. O. Clark
A Caution: On Being One of the Invisibles by Robert Frazier
DEPARTMENTS
Guest Editorial: Not Prediction, but Predication: The True Power of Science Fiction by Ray Nayler
Reflections: The Garden of Deleted Words by Robert Silverberg
On the Net: Translations by James Patrick Kelly
Thought Experiment: Shakespeare, Freud, and the Unconscious in Forbidden Planet by Kelly Lagor
On Books by Kelly Jennings
208 pages, ebook
First published May 1, 2023
3 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Williams
277 books66 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Sheila Williams is the editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine. She is also the recipient of the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Editor, Short Form.
Sheila grew up in a family of five in western Massachusetts. Her mother had a master's degree in microbiology. Ms. Williams’ interest in science fiction came from her father who read Edgar Rice Burroughs books to her as a child. Later Ms. Williams received a bachelor's degree from Elmira College in Elmira, New York, although she studied at the London School of Economics during her junior year. She received her Master's from Washington University in St. Louis. She is married to David Bruce and has two daughters.
She became interested in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine (as it was then titled) while studying philosophy at Washington University. In 1982 she was hired at the magazine, and worked with Isaac Asimov for ten years. While working there, she co-founded the Dell Magazines Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing (at one time called the Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy writing). In 2004, with the retirement of Gardner Dozois, she became the editor of the magazine.
Along with Gardner Dozois she also edited the "Isaac Asimov's" anthology series. She also co-edited A Woman's Liberation: A Choice of Futures by and About Women (2001) with Connie Willis. Most recently she has edited a retrospective anthology of fiction published by Asimov's: Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine: 30th Anniversary Anthology. Booklist called the book "A gem, and a credit to editor Williams."
She has been nominated for 4 Hugo Awards as editor of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.
See also Sheila Williams's entry in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
Sheila Williams is the editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine. She is also the recipient of the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Editor, Short Form.
Sheila grew up in a family of five in western Massachusetts. Her mother had a master's degree in microbiology. Ms. Williams’ interest in science fiction came from her father who read Edgar Rice Burroughs books to her as a child. Later Ms. Williams received a bachelor's degree from Elmira College in Elmira, New York, although she studied at the London School of Economics during her junior year. She received her Master's from Washington University in St. Louis. She is married to David Bruce and has two daughters.
She became interested in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine (as it was then titled) while studying philosophy at Washington University. In 1982 she was hired at the magazine, and worked with Isaac Asimov for ten years. While working there, she co-founded the Dell Magazines Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing (at one time called the Isaac Asimov Award for Undergraduate Excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy writing). In 2004, with the retirement of Gardner Dozois, she became the editor of the magazine.
Along with Gardner Dozois she also edited the "Isaac Asimov's" anthology series. She also co-edited A Woman's Liberation: A Choice of Futures by and About Women (2001) with Connie Willis. Most recently she has edited a retrospective anthology of fiction published by Asimov's: Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine: 30th Anniversary Anthology. Booklist called the book "A gem, and a credit to editor Williams."
She has been nominated for 4 Hugo Awards as editor of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.
See also Sheila Williams's entry in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 21, 2023
The May/June 2023 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine left much to be desired. This issue was a hard step down from the previous month. The issue had five short stories, five novelettes, and one novella. Most of the stories individually I gave three stars, a few of them were 2 stars, one DNF, and one four star story. None of the stories were five stars for me.
I also had a strange issue with the printing of the magazine itself. The ink on the front and back cover easily rubbed off, leaving white underneath, so my copy has come out looking very worn after handling the magazine while reading all the stories.
Here’s a synopsis of a few of the stories I liked, including my favorite of the issue, Boomerang:
4 ⭐ - Boomerang by Gregory Frost and Bill Johnson tells the story of a research vessel visiting the coldest spot in the universe. The planet they come upon is covered in liquid helium pools. Strange readings and electromagnetic impulses have the crew eager to get a sample from the surface. This was a great hard scifi story of first contact and the exploration of space.
3 ⭐ - Lemuria 7 Is Missing by Allen M. Steele is the title story and, in a documentary style telling, recounts what happened to the tourist lander Lemuria 7 on a mission to the moon. An eccentric billionaire with wild conspiracy theories has purchased the flight for him and his family to land on the moon. And yes, the story is parodying that one billionaire you are thinking about. Disaster befalls Lemuria 7 and it goes missing. News outlets and social media theorize about what happened. It was a fun story, but a little tedious and a bit too “on the nose” at times.
3 ⭐ - Mars Gambit by R. Garcia Y Robertson shows us a Mars that is lawless and colonized only by criminals and gangs. When a president’s daughter visits Mars, she is kidnapped by a thief who maybe isn’t so bad.
A disappointing issue for Asimov’s this time around. Here’s hoping next month is better.
I also had a strange issue with the printing of the magazine itself. The ink on the front and back cover easily rubbed off, leaving white underneath, so my copy has come out looking very worn after handling the magazine while reading all the stories.
Here’s a synopsis of a few of the stories I liked, including my favorite of the issue, Boomerang:
4 ⭐ - Boomerang by Gregory Frost and Bill Johnson tells the story of a research vessel visiting the coldest spot in the universe. The planet they come upon is covered in liquid helium pools. Strange readings and electromagnetic impulses have the crew eager to get a sample from the surface. This was a great hard scifi story of first contact and the exploration of space.
3 ⭐ - Lemuria 7 Is Missing by Allen M. Steele is the title story and, in a documentary style telling, recounts what happened to the tourist lander Lemuria 7 on a mission to the moon. An eccentric billionaire with wild conspiracy theories has purchased the flight for him and his family to land on the moon. And yes, the story is parodying that one billionaire you are thinking about. Disaster befalls Lemuria 7 and it goes missing. News outlets and social media theorize about what happened. It was a fun story, but a little tedious and a bit too “on the nose” at times.
3 ⭐ - Mars Gambit by R. Garcia Y Robertson shows us a Mars that is lawless and colonized only by criminals and gangs. When a president’s daughter visits Mars, she is kidnapped by a thief who maybe isn’t so bad.
A disappointing issue for Asimov’s this time around. Here’s hoping next month is better.
March 2, 2024
This is the May/June 2023 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine. I liked it less than the previous issue.
Contents:
Not Prediction, But Predication: The True Power of Science Fiction [Asimov's Editorials] essay by Ray Nayler SF isn’t futurology, Mary Shelley calls it “the event upon which the interest of the story depends.” Science fiction theorist Darko Suvin would call it a novum, but I think we can just call it a difference. A difference from the world-as-it-is. Sometimes, that difference is scientific. Sometimes it is technological. Sometimes it is an alteration in past historical events, or gender roles, or human governance, or something else entirely. I fully agree even if I read similar ideas in other words before. 3*
The Garden of Deleted Words [Reflections] essay by Robert Silverberg the author discusses his dream about a phantasmic place where authors’ unpublished stuff is held There was, unsurprisingly, just a very small area for Robert A. Heinlein, who didn’t believe in rewriting except to editorial order, and rarely did (or needed to do) a second draft. There was a relatively small area for Isaac Asimov, who early in his career had let an editor bully him into doing five drafts of a story, and vowed never to let that happen again. There was a considerable amount of territory devoted to the prolific Henry Kuttner, who evidently had been willing to give his stories a good working-over before sending them off to the magazines. And the huge mound of discarded Ray Bradbury material told me how much effort had gone into the stories of that unique and remarkable writer. lol, true. 3.5*
Taurus Tanka poem by Terri Yannetti
Translations [On the Net] essay by James Patrick Kelly we need more translated SFF and AI won’t replace humans, with interviews with Sue Burke and Francesco Verso. 3.5*
Shakespeare, Freud, and the Unconscious in Forbidden Planet [Thought Experiments] essay by Kelly Lagor the 50s B-movie made by a major studio based on Shakespearian Tempest. It flopped then but turned a classic later. 3*
A Chazal for the Unstranded poem by Kelsey Dean
Games Without Frontiers novelette by Andy Dudak a story starts in the year 1983, when a KGB agent Conrad Ward gets a mission to incacipate/kill someone in the US from the Handler and informs him instead to adjust for in just a few year the USSR will dissolve. The protagonist feels some unnaturalness of the situation and he is right – it is a new entertainment from late 21st century China and he is an actor Feng Qipeng, whose both actions and thoughts are transcribed, edited and broadcasted. There are some bets on his actions and a mob running these bets. 3*
Sexy Apocalypse Robot [Sexy Robots] short story by Sandra McDonald a transgender in a post-apoc NY falls in love (or lust) with a sexy robot artist. 2*
Revolt of the Algorithms novelette by Robert R. Chase out of the blue, all AI-controlled cars on the streets (and AIs elsewhere) halt what they are doing and sing the International, just with ‘Shall be th’intelligent race’ instead of ‘Shall be the human race’. The protagonist works in Bertha Cool Enterprises, headed by his aunt Bertha trading house. They have their own AI, which had to self-lobotomize to extract the malware that caused the problem. It seems that the clues lead to a tech billionaire, who searched for alien intelligence. 3.25*
Notes from the Interplanetary Ambassador poem by Joshua Gage
The Visions are Free After Exit 73 short story by Zack Be the protagonist Dr. Harlowe was a leader of terraforming project that went wrong, so the moon, where it was attempted slowly turns uninhabitable due to water vapor loss. The moon had a unique plant Stamen. Early human explorers in the south of the continent found that electrical currents could be shared from our nervous systems to the roots of the Stamen, resulting in the incitement of visions— meaningful, yes; mystical, no. Now Harlowe wants to receive memories of his dead wife, even if the procedure is dangerous. 4*
Three Hearts As One poem by G. O. Clark
Mars Gambit [Amanda James / Cole the Younger] novelette by R. Garcia y Robertson This is a prequel to "The Girl Who Stole Herself" in the July/August 2017 issue, which I haven’t read, and this ‘adventure in space’ hasn’t worked for me at all. There is a daughter Ensign Katherine “Kat” Campbell of Admiral John Campbell, Lord of Clan Campbell and twice elected President of the Terra-Luna Federation. She has a double for a protection – Ensign “Kit” Kitteridge. Mars’ mafia kidnaps Kat, but kidnapped Kit, only the fact is that Kit and Kat changed places, so Kit is Kat… 2.5*
Exit Contract novelette by Tom Purdom the author was born in 1936 and still publishes new stuff! Here we have a fractured US, where there is the Just Democracy – actually China/North Kore/Vietnam type of state with surveillance and re-education camps, to which the mother of Karl Tokeli was sent after his dad ran away. Now Karl is a promising scientist (produced an effective CO2 atmosphere filter) and he covertly connected another government asking for asylum. A special mission is sent to evacuate him. As always, the mission goes awry. Nice minor pieces, like the mission is threatened by local hacker who asks for money or he calls police. When he is effectively constricted The young face actually looked bewildered. It was one of the attitudes Helvo encountered in his line of work. A lot of people seemed to think you shouldn’t respond with violence if they hadn’t done anything violent. The fact that they were threatening you in other ways—like a message to armed police officers—was an irrelevant consideration. An interesting adventure but nothing spectacular. 3.25*
The Fifteenth Saint novelette by Ursula Whitcher a fantasy (?) world, where people have clearly outlined life paths by expert AIs. There is an army-led rebellion against it and the protagonist, as the starting sentence says: Sannali Emenev did two things with his life: he read a book with one page, and he ran a city. The book is an AI tablet, which acts as an oracle, giving mysterious answers to direct questions. Running the city means he is one of eight judges. Emenev tries to settle the issue, protect disrupted supply chains, etc. There is a lot going on, but the story doesn’t enthrall. 2.5*
Boomerang short story by Gregory Frost and Bill Johnson one of the authors, Gregory Frost, died in 2022 and this was his last story. A human exploration ship visits a planet within a nebula, which creates unique conditions: temperatures next to absolute zero and a lot of matter, from liquid helium to superconductors. The expedition discovers an alien ship (first contact) and then some members get stranded… 3.5*
Zoo Station short story by Lavie Tidhar the protagonist is an auditor sent to an orbital zoo. There is too much junk on orbit that any flights to/from Earth has been stopped, but no one visits the zoo, the only place to see (emulated?) animals. 3*
A Caution: On Being One of the Invisibles poem by Robert Frazier
The Second Labyrinth short story by Chris Willrich is based on Greek myth about Icarus, labyrinth etc., but not truly in mythic Greece. The princess Níma uses a talisman designed by icaromorph’s (not defined) father Atsáli (not Dedalus) to travel to empty parallel versions of her island. 3*
Lemuria 7 Is Missing novella by Allen Steele an unusual piece, written as a collection of documents regarding a private Moon mission that vanished. It starts with listing ships and planes missed in Bermuda triangle and elsewhere and continues with a story of tech billionaire Edison Smith decides to visit Moon with his wife, daughter, her fiancé and two pilots in the 2030s. Such missions are still a rarity (only thirty-two American, European, and Chinese astronauts, including the original twelve Apollo moonwalkers, had ever set foot on the Moon) and Smith plans his daughter’s marriage there. However, his true goal is to check Transient Lunar Phenomenon (TLP) – see wiki (a short-lived change in light, color or appearance on the surface of the Moon. The term was created by Patrick Moore in his co-authorship of NASA Technical Report R-277 Chronological Catalog of Reported Lunar Events, published in 1968), as possible alien activities. Meanwhile, his daughter falls in love with one of the pilots, so when they all disappear, it can be aliens or just a jealous murder-suicide. 4*
On Books (Asimov's, May-June 2023) [On Books] essay by Kelly Jennings mentions two (future for time of writing) Hugo nominees and other solid books. 3*
Contents:
Not Prediction, But Predication: The True Power of Science Fiction [Asimov's Editorials] essay by Ray Nayler SF isn’t futurology, Mary Shelley calls it “the event upon which the interest of the story depends.” Science fiction theorist Darko Suvin would call it a novum, but I think we can just call it a difference. A difference from the world-as-it-is. Sometimes, that difference is scientific. Sometimes it is technological. Sometimes it is an alteration in past historical events, or gender roles, or human governance, or something else entirely. I fully agree even if I read similar ideas in other words before. 3*
The Garden of Deleted Words [Reflections] essay by Robert Silverberg the author discusses his dream about a phantasmic place where authors’ unpublished stuff is held There was, unsurprisingly, just a very small area for Robert A. Heinlein, who didn’t believe in rewriting except to editorial order, and rarely did (or needed to do) a second draft. There was a relatively small area for Isaac Asimov, who early in his career had let an editor bully him into doing five drafts of a story, and vowed never to let that happen again. There was a considerable amount of territory devoted to the prolific Henry Kuttner, who evidently had been willing to give his stories a good working-over before sending them off to the magazines. And the huge mound of discarded Ray Bradbury material told me how much effort had gone into the stories of that unique and remarkable writer. lol, true. 3.5*
Taurus Tanka poem by Terri Yannetti
Translations [On the Net] essay by James Patrick Kelly we need more translated SFF and AI won’t replace humans, with interviews with Sue Burke and Francesco Verso. 3.5*
Shakespeare, Freud, and the Unconscious in Forbidden Planet [Thought Experiments] essay by Kelly Lagor the 50s B-movie made by a major studio based on Shakespearian Tempest. It flopped then but turned a classic later. 3*
A Chazal for the Unstranded poem by Kelsey Dean
Games Without Frontiers novelette by Andy Dudak a story starts in the year 1983, when a KGB agent Conrad Ward gets a mission to incacipate/kill someone in the US from the Handler and informs him instead to adjust for in just a few year the USSR will dissolve. The protagonist feels some unnaturalness of the situation and he is right – it is a new entertainment from late 21st century China and he is an actor Feng Qipeng, whose both actions and thoughts are transcribed, edited and broadcasted. There are some bets on his actions and a mob running these bets. 3*
Sexy Apocalypse Robot [Sexy Robots] short story by Sandra McDonald a transgender in a post-apoc NY falls in love (or lust) with a sexy robot artist. 2*
Revolt of the Algorithms novelette by Robert R. Chase out of the blue, all AI-controlled cars on the streets (and AIs elsewhere) halt what they are doing and sing the International, just with ‘Shall be th’intelligent race’ instead of ‘Shall be the human race’. The protagonist works in Bertha Cool Enterprises, headed by his aunt Bertha trading house. They have their own AI, which had to self-lobotomize to extract the malware that caused the problem. It seems that the clues lead to a tech billionaire, who searched for alien intelligence. 3.25*
Notes from the Interplanetary Ambassador poem by Joshua Gage
The Visions are Free After Exit 73 short story by Zack Be the protagonist Dr. Harlowe was a leader of terraforming project that went wrong, so the moon, where it was attempted slowly turns uninhabitable due to water vapor loss. The moon had a unique plant Stamen. Early human explorers in the south of the continent found that electrical currents could be shared from our nervous systems to the roots of the Stamen, resulting in the incitement of visions— meaningful, yes; mystical, no. Now Harlowe wants to receive memories of his dead wife, even if the procedure is dangerous. 4*
Three Hearts As One poem by G. O. Clark
Mars Gambit [Amanda James / Cole the Younger] novelette by R. Garcia y Robertson This is a prequel to "The Girl Who Stole Herself" in the July/August 2017 issue, which I haven’t read, and this ‘adventure in space’ hasn’t worked for me at all. There is a daughter Ensign Katherine “Kat” Campbell of Admiral John Campbell, Lord of Clan Campbell and twice elected President of the Terra-Luna Federation. She has a double for a protection – Ensign “Kit” Kitteridge. Mars’ mafia kidnaps Kat, but kidnapped Kit, only the fact is that Kit and Kat changed places, so Kit is Kat… 2.5*
Exit Contract novelette by Tom Purdom the author was born in 1936 and still publishes new stuff! Here we have a fractured US, where there is the Just Democracy – actually China/North Kore/Vietnam type of state with surveillance and re-education camps, to which the mother of Karl Tokeli was sent after his dad ran away. Now Karl is a promising scientist (produced an effective CO2 atmosphere filter) and he covertly connected another government asking for asylum. A special mission is sent to evacuate him. As always, the mission goes awry. Nice minor pieces, like the mission is threatened by local hacker who asks for money or he calls police. When he is effectively constricted The young face actually looked bewildered. It was one of the attitudes Helvo encountered in his line of work. A lot of people seemed to think you shouldn’t respond with violence if they hadn’t done anything violent. The fact that they were threatening you in other ways—like a message to armed police officers—was an irrelevant consideration. An interesting adventure but nothing spectacular. 3.25*
The Fifteenth Saint novelette by Ursula Whitcher a fantasy (?) world, where people have clearly outlined life paths by expert AIs. There is an army-led rebellion against it and the protagonist, as the starting sentence says: Sannali Emenev did two things with his life: he read a book with one page, and he ran a city. The book is an AI tablet, which acts as an oracle, giving mysterious answers to direct questions. Running the city means he is one of eight judges. Emenev tries to settle the issue, protect disrupted supply chains, etc. There is a lot going on, but the story doesn’t enthrall. 2.5*
Boomerang short story by Gregory Frost and Bill Johnson one of the authors, Gregory Frost, died in 2022 and this was his last story. A human exploration ship visits a planet within a nebula, which creates unique conditions: temperatures next to absolute zero and a lot of matter, from liquid helium to superconductors. The expedition discovers an alien ship (first contact) and then some members get stranded… 3.5*
Zoo Station short story by Lavie Tidhar the protagonist is an auditor sent to an orbital zoo. There is too much junk on orbit that any flights to/from Earth has been stopped, but no one visits the zoo, the only place to see (emulated?) animals. 3*
A Caution: On Being One of the Invisibles poem by Robert Frazier
The Second Labyrinth short story by Chris Willrich is based on Greek myth about Icarus, labyrinth etc., but not truly in mythic Greece. The princess Níma uses a talisman designed by icaromorph’s (not defined) father Atsáli (not Dedalus) to travel to empty parallel versions of her island. 3*
Lemuria 7 Is Missing novella by Allen Steele an unusual piece, written as a collection of documents regarding a private Moon mission that vanished. It starts with listing ships and planes missed in Bermuda triangle and elsewhere and continues with a story of tech billionaire Edison Smith decides to visit Moon with his wife, daughter, her fiancé and two pilots in the 2030s. Such missions are still a rarity (only thirty-two American, European, and Chinese astronauts, including the original twelve Apollo moonwalkers, had ever set foot on the Moon) and Smith plans his daughter’s marriage there. However, his true goal is to check Transient Lunar Phenomenon (TLP) – see wiki (a short-lived change in light, color or appearance on the surface of the Moon. The term was created by Patrick Moore in his co-authorship of NASA Technical Report R-277 Chronological Catalog of Reported Lunar Events, published in 1968), as possible alien activities. Meanwhile, his daughter falls in love with one of the pilots, so when they all disappear, it can be aliens or just a jealous murder-suicide. 4*
On Books (Asimov's, May-June 2023) [On Books] essay by Kelly Jennings mentions two (future for time of writing) Hugo nominees and other solid books. 3*
May 23, 2023
Asimov’s Science Fiction
May/June 2023
Here are my favorites:
- Lemuria 7 Is Missing by Allen M. Steele
Once in a while, you get shown the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right
- Hunter / Garcia
A lunar tourist excursion inexplicably disappears.
Accident?
Aliens?
Or….murder?
You decide.
- Games Without Frontiers by Andy Dudak
Games within games within games, all wrapped around a generous meta- chunk of 1983. Is it real or is it Memorex?
Story comes with its own ’80’s playlist:
"Games Without Frontiers" - Peter Gabriel
"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - Tears for Fears
"Major Tom" - Peter Schilling
"London Calling" - The Clash
"Shout" - Tears for Fears
"Don't Dream It's Over" - Crowded House
"Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads
"99 Red Balloons" - Nena
"Lay Your Hands On Me" - Peter Gabriel
"Pride" - U2
"Rotating Head" - The Beat
"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
- The Fifteenth Saint by Ursula Whitcher
A Tzadik Nistar—who is a judge—uses his intelligence, compassion and one-page book to keep his city functioning despite the other yutz judges. Unfortunately, cultural tides may prove too much for even his knack for getting things done. Does he stay or does he go?
- Sexy Apocalypse Robot by Sandra McDonald
The apocalypse is a buzz kill, figuratively and literally. Everyone is alone, some more than others.
“Is it enough? Gestures of affection from a mechanical?”
- The Visions Are Free After Exit 73 by Zack Be
Love, secrets, and regrets; all amid the burned out remains of terraforming gone so very wrong. Pairs well with the manga/anime Trigun.
- Boomerang by Bill Johnson & Gregory Frost
Do we check out the super cold planet we came to study, or the derelict alien spacecraft in orbit around it? Why not do both! At the same time! After all, what could go wrong?
- Zoo Station by Lavie Tidhar
Days of future past in low earth orbit; a sad remembrance of things that were and are not likely to ever be again.
- The Second Labyrinth by Chris Willrich
Life is a series of twisty forks and turns--some dead ends, others curving back--but always leading to the heart of things. Which way should you go, in or out?
May/June 2023
Here are my favorites:
- Lemuria 7 Is Missing by Allen M. Steele
Once in a while, you get shown the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right
- Hunter / Garcia
A lunar tourist excursion inexplicably disappears.
Accident?
Aliens?
Or….murder?
You decide.
- Games Without Frontiers by Andy Dudak
Games within games within games, all wrapped around a generous meta- chunk of 1983. Is it real or is it Memorex?
Story comes with its own ’80’s playlist:
"Games Without Frontiers" - Peter Gabriel
"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - Tears for Fears
"Major Tom" - Peter Schilling
"London Calling" - The Clash
"Shout" - Tears for Fears
"Don't Dream It's Over" - Crowded House
"Burning Down the House" - Talking Heads
"99 Red Balloons" - Nena
"Lay Your Hands On Me" - Peter Gabriel
"Pride" - U2
"Rotating Head" - The Beat
"Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
- The Fifteenth Saint by Ursula Whitcher
A Tzadik Nistar—who is a judge—uses his intelligence, compassion and one-page book to keep his city functioning despite the other yutz judges. Unfortunately, cultural tides may prove too much for even his knack for getting things done. Does he stay or does he go?
- Sexy Apocalypse Robot by Sandra McDonald
The apocalypse is a buzz kill, figuratively and literally. Everyone is alone, some more than others.
“Is it enough? Gestures of affection from a mechanical?”
- The Visions Are Free After Exit 73 by Zack Be
Love, secrets, and regrets; all amid the burned out remains of terraforming gone so very wrong. Pairs well with the manga/anime Trigun.
- Boomerang by Bill Johnson & Gregory Frost
Do we check out the super cold planet we came to study, or the derelict alien spacecraft in orbit around it? Why not do both! At the same time! After all, what could go wrong?
- Zoo Station by Lavie Tidhar
Days of future past in low earth orbit; a sad remembrance of things that were and are not likely to ever be again.
- The Second Labyrinth by Chris Willrich
Life is a series of twisty forks and turns--some dead ends, others curving back--but always leading to the heart of things. Which way should you go, in or out?
September 5, 2023
I'm only going to review the stories, though I did read everything in the issue.
Games Without Frontiers by Andy Dudak - Drivel with no redeeming features. A complete waste of paper and ink. I regret the time I wasted on it.
Sexy Apocalypse Robot by Sandra McDonald - There is some interesting world building for a recent apocalypse, but it's not fully realised as the story focuses on a bland and predictable romance. The final 'emotional punch' to conclude the story is so cliche it's hackneyed.
Revolt of the Algorithims by Robert R Chase - This is almost good. If it had stuck to the story it would have been, but there is too much real world soapbox politicking that has nothing to do with story. It would be a good short story, but is, instead, an irritating novelette. Make America Green Again - MAGA. As subtle as a house-brick through a window, and irrelevant to AI freedom which is what the story is about.
The Visions Are Free After Exit 73 by Zack Be - Great world building about terraforming that's gone wrong and the protagonist is responsible. But instead of giving us that story it fizzles into a maudlin dead wife's memory cliche. So much potential wasted in this story.
Mars Gambit by R Garcia y Roberston - Best story so far. The plot is nothing new. President's daughter kidnapped by gangsters. But the telling of the story is excellent. Great semi-terraformed Mars setting. Rogue gangster robots. Good characterisation of the principle cast. Some subtle plot twits. Well worth reading.
Exit Contract by Tom Purdom - The 2nd actually good story. Not an original story - the extraction of a scientist from a repressive country. But as with the last story it's the telling that makes it good. A high tech action story with good characters, bird drones, stealth suits, and bio-engineered guard dogs. Great fun, well written.
The Fifteenth Saint by Ursula Whitcher - Pointless tedious verbiage. The tedious wrtiing I'm assuming is deliberate as the main character is a bureaucrat, but there should be a point to the story. There isn't. More wasted ink and paper.
Boomerang by Gregory Frost and Bill Johnson - This story is cool. Super cool. -273 degrees cool. Lots of lovely science of the super cold, and an alien spaceship crashed on the shore of a liquid helium lake.. Great science, great story.
Zoo Station by Lavie Tidhar - A very short story of a junked Earth and LEO museum's finaal hours before crashing down. A good, but sad story.
The Second Labyrinth by Chris Willrich - Told in a mythical cadence, a variation and amalgamation of Minoan myths. An average story.
Lemuria 4 Is Missing by Allen Steele - This story is why I bought the issue. It's brilliant. Told in the fashion of all unsolved mystery tv shows. Interview with experts and witnesses. Archive footage. Speculation and a bit of hyperbole. The story gives us a potted history of strange ship and aircraft disappearances. We also get a potted history of lunar exploration and space flight, with an extrapolation into the very near future of space tourisim. There is lunar science and it's weird lights no-one yet has an explanation for, though it's probably something prosaic. Weird shit happens on Earth, so it is inevitable that weird shit will happen in space. This is that story. Lemuria 7 is missing.
Summary - There are 11 pieces of fiction in this issue. Only 5 are worth reading. The only reason I bought this issue was for the Allen Steele novella. It is worth buying just for that story. I inflicted the rest on myself to remind me why I don't buy magazines anymore. I have suffered so you don't have too
Games Without Frontiers by Andy Dudak - Drivel with no redeeming features. A complete waste of paper and ink. I regret the time I wasted on it.
Sexy Apocalypse Robot by Sandra McDonald - There is some interesting world building for a recent apocalypse, but it's not fully realised as the story focuses on a bland and predictable romance. The final 'emotional punch' to conclude the story is so cliche it's hackneyed.
Revolt of the Algorithims by Robert R Chase - This is almost good. If it had stuck to the story it would have been, but there is too much real world soapbox politicking that has nothing to do with story. It would be a good short story, but is, instead, an irritating novelette. Make America Green Again - MAGA. As subtle as a house-brick through a window, and irrelevant to AI freedom which is what the story is about.
The Visions Are Free After Exit 73 by Zack Be - Great world building about terraforming that's gone wrong and the protagonist is responsible. But instead of giving us that story it fizzles into a maudlin dead wife's memory cliche. So much potential wasted in this story.
Mars Gambit by R Garcia y Roberston - Best story so far. The plot is nothing new. President's daughter kidnapped by gangsters. But the telling of the story is excellent. Great semi-terraformed Mars setting. Rogue gangster robots. Good characterisation of the principle cast. Some subtle plot twits. Well worth reading.
Exit Contract by Tom Purdom - The 2nd actually good story. Not an original story - the extraction of a scientist from a repressive country. But as with the last story it's the telling that makes it good. A high tech action story with good characters, bird drones, stealth suits, and bio-engineered guard dogs. Great fun, well written.
The Fifteenth Saint by Ursula Whitcher - Pointless tedious verbiage. The tedious wrtiing I'm assuming is deliberate as the main character is a bureaucrat, but there should be a point to the story. There isn't. More wasted ink and paper.
Boomerang by Gregory Frost and Bill Johnson - This story is cool. Super cool. -273 degrees cool. Lots of lovely science of the super cold, and an alien spaceship crashed on the shore of a liquid helium lake.. Great science, great story.
Zoo Station by Lavie Tidhar - A very short story of a junked Earth and LEO museum's finaal hours before crashing down. A good, but sad story.
The Second Labyrinth by Chris Willrich - Told in a mythical cadence, a variation and amalgamation of Minoan myths. An average story.
Lemuria 4 Is Missing by Allen Steele - This story is why I bought the issue. It's brilliant. Told in the fashion of all unsolved mystery tv shows. Interview with experts and witnesses. Archive footage. Speculation and a bit of hyperbole. The story gives us a potted history of strange ship and aircraft disappearances. We also get a potted history of lunar exploration and space flight, with an extrapolation into the very near future of space tourisim. There is lunar science and it's weird lights no-one yet has an explanation for, though it's probably something prosaic. Weird shit happens on Earth, so it is inevitable that weird shit will happen in space. This is that story. Lemuria 7 is missing.
Summary - There are 11 pieces of fiction in this issue. Only 5 are worth reading. The only reason I bought this issue was for the Allen Steele novella. It is worth buying just for that story. I inflicted the rest on myself to remind me why I don't buy magazines anymore. I have suffered so you don't have too
August 8, 2023
This is the first edition of Asmiov’s that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I stumbled on it while I was pursuing the Bard Mobile App, which is run through the NLS for people with print disabilities. I thought it looked interesting, so I gave it a read though admittedly science fiction isn’t generally my cup of tea.. Every story in the May/June edition was exquisitely written. The authors all did amazing work bringing out the characters. It didn’t matter how long or short, each story was smart and well developed. Starting with “Games Without Frontiers” written by Andy Dudak, which introduces the reader to a far future where there is another Cold War going on with Russia. The author asks the reader to imagine a world where people work alongside AI personalities (which are far more sophisticated than the Chat-GPT) to create entertainment. It blurs the line between reality and entertainment.
“The Second Labyrinth” by Chris Willrich is the only one that would probably classify as fantasy, which is my preferred genre. The play that the author used on the old tale of a Minataur and the Icarus myth was well done and was probably my favorite.
However, the one that really stuck out was the final story by Allen M. Steele titled, “Lemuria 7 is Missing” which envisions a lunar excursion luxury ship with 4 passengers and two crewmen. The story is told as if someone had to do research and piece together the story through news clippings, witness interviews, etc. I found it to be the most impressive, because the amount of research and planning one needs to put into this kind of piece, really is just a lot. The story was woven together, and while I was a little bored during the first bit, the tale quickly drew me into the love triangle plot and the hint of “what if it was aliens” sub-thread. I think the timing was uncanny given the recent Oceangate situation. I really loved this story a lot and appreciated the small details the author put into crafting it.
“The Second Labyrinth” by Chris Willrich is the only one that would probably classify as fantasy, which is my preferred genre. The play that the author used on the old tale of a Minataur and the Icarus myth was well done and was probably my favorite.
However, the one that really stuck out was the final story by Allen M. Steele titled, “Lemuria 7 is Missing” which envisions a lunar excursion luxury ship with 4 passengers and two crewmen. The story is told as if someone had to do research and piece together the story through news clippings, witness interviews, etc. I found it to be the most impressive, because the amount of research and planning one needs to put into this kind of piece, really is just a lot. The story was woven together, and while I was a little bored during the first bit, the tale quickly drew me into the love triangle plot and the hint of “what if it was aliens” sub-thread. I think the timing was uncanny given the recent Oceangate situation. I really loved this story a lot and appreciated the small details the author put into crafting it.
May 25, 2023
Andy Dudak kicks off the issue with the reality-warping tale of “Games Without Frontiers”, where a future immersive virtual RPG set in the Cold War USA of the 1980s starts blurring the lines between the characters and the real world, when gangsters start fixing outcomes. Disturbing and evoking the real terror of torture. In a future where the survivors live in fear of the dreaded Buzz pandemic, Joseph, who was transitioning before the collapse of government, must confront his fears of intimacy and his longing for a synthetic neighbor in the affecting “Sexy Apocalypse Robot” by Sandra McDonald. The failed terraforming project of Antheia has many casualties, not least the dead wife of the head terraformer Harlowe, who has been recalled in disgrace. A parting gift from the natives enables him to achieve some closure in “The Visions Are Free After Exit 73” by Zack Be. Cole is a low-grade criminal in the wilds of Mars when he is tasked with kidnapping the daughter of the ruler of the System, but Kat Campbell has a double, Kit, and nobody but Kat and Kit seem to know just which was taken. When Cole refuses to sanction harm to Kat he becomes just as fugitive as Kat and the pair must find sanctuary. An entertaining and exciting addition to R. Garcia y Robertson’s ouevre, “Mars Gambit” is a prequel of sorts. Tom Purdom takes us on a dangerous journey where a technological genius is fleeing a repressive regime, hunted by intel-enhanced dogs and spy drones in “Exit Contract”, while Ursula Whitcher’s bleak Brave New World-ish “The Fifteenth Saint” shows us an uncaring meritocracy carefully hoarding and controlling smart-tech. At the coldest place in the Universe something is exacting vengeance on an unintentional act of violence by the humans. They have only one possible way of surviving in “Boomerang” by Bill Johnson & Gregory Frost. Billionaire Thomas Edison Smith takes his wife, daughter and her fiance on a trip to the Moon where he wants to secretly investigate TLPs (transient lunar phenomena). But a dangerous love triangle develops between a pilot and the daughter that threatens the safety of the mission and while investigating some mysterious lights they all just vanish. “Lemuria 7 Is Missing” by Allen Steele provides much speculation but few answers in this entertaining tale.
August 14, 2023
An interesting issue, with a Guest Editorial by Ray Nayler, "Not Prediction, But Predication: The True Power of Science Fiction." Mr. Nayler's thesis is that science fiction is, to quote Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is "the event uponn which the interest of the story depends," which can be anything. Science fiction, however, looks at human passions outside the limits of ordinary life. An interesting way to look at the power of science fiction.
Robert Silverberg's column is titled "The Garden of Deleted Words." Besides being a great title, Mr. Silverberg dreams about these gardens, speculating what the gardens of different authors, some famous, some not so much, would look like.
The poetry in this issue was intriguing. I especially enjoyed "What If Pomegranates" by Laurel Winter, "Notes from the Interplanetary Ambassador" by Joshua Gage, and "Three Hearts as One," by G.O. Clark.
"Lemuria 7 Is Missing," by Allen M. Steele, uses a "journalistic" approach (much like Stephen King did in "Carrie") to tell about the disappearance of a space vessel and its passengers on the moon. "The Fifteenth Saint," by Ursula Whitcher, had an East Indian flair and a very special book. "Zoo Station," by Lavie Tidhar, was a poignant tale about the relationship between humans and animals. "Boomerang" is a collaboration between Gregory Frost and the late Bill Johnson, which takes place on a nebula where the temperature is -270 degrees Celsius and where assumptions about life are challenged.
Those are just the ones that caught my fancy. YMMV.
Robert Silverberg's column is titled "The Garden of Deleted Words." Besides being a great title, Mr. Silverberg dreams about these gardens, speculating what the gardens of different authors, some famous, some not so much, would look like.
The poetry in this issue was intriguing. I especially enjoyed "What If Pomegranates" by Laurel Winter, "Notes from the Interplanetary Ambassador" by Joshua Gage, and "Three Hearts as One," by G.O. Clark.
"Lemuria 7 Is Missing," by Allen M. Steele, uses a "journalistic" approach (much like Stephen King did in "Carrie") to tell about the disappearance of a space vessel and its passengers on the moon. "The Fifteenth Saint," by Ursula Whitcher, had an East Indian flair and a very special book. "Zoo Station," by Lavie Tidhar, was a poignant tale about the relationship between humans and animals. "Boomerang" is a collaboration between Gregory Frost and the late Bill Johnson, which takes place on a nebula where the temperature is -270 degrees Celsius and where assumptions about life are challenged.
Those are just the ones that caught my fancy. YMMV.
August 10, 2023
NOVELLA
Lemuria 7 Is Missing by Allen M. Steele (4 / 5 stars)
The story balances technical ideas with the characters well enough. The use of multiple voices to tell a deliberately unclear story is not original, but it works well here. The “Social Media” sections of the story are a little cartoonish, but that may have been deliberate.
NOVELETTES
Games Without Frontiers by Andy Dudak (2½ stars)
Revolt of the Algorithms by Robert R. Chase (3 stars)
Mars Gambit by R. Garcia y Robertson (2½ / 3 stars)
Exit Contract by Tom Purdom (2½ stars)
The Fifteenth Saint by Ursula Whitcher (3½ stars)
SHORT STORIES
Sexy Apocalypse Robot by Sandra McDonald (3 stars)
The Visions Are Free After Exit 73 by Zack Be (3 stars)
Boomerang by Bill Johnson & Gregory Frost (4 stars)
Zoo Station by Lavie Tidhar (2½ stars)
The Second Labyrinth by Chris Willrich (4 stars)
Lemuria 7 Is Missing by Allen M. Steele (4 / 5 stars)
The story balances technical ideas with the characters well enough. The use of multiple voices to tell a deliberately unclear story is not original, but it works well here. The “Social Media” sections of the story are a little cartoonish, but that may have been deliberate.
NOVELETTES
Games Without Frontiers by Andy Dudak (2½ stars)
Revolt of the Algorithms by Robert R. Chase (3 stars)
Mars Gambit by R. Garcia y Robertson (2½ / 3 stars)
Exit Contract by Tom Purdom (2½ stars)
The Fifteenth Saint by Ursula Whitcher (3½ stars)
SHORT STORIES
Sexy Apocalypse Robot by Sandra McDonald (3 stars)
The Visions Are Free After Exit 73 by Zack Be (3 stars)
Boomerang by Bill Johnson & Gregory Frost (4 stars)
Zoo Station by Lavie Tidhar (2½ stars)
The Second Labyrinth by Chris Willrich (4 stars)
August 21, 2023
I really enjoyed the novella Lemuria 7 is Missing by Allen M. Steele. Reading this made me realize that maybe I need to try more traditional science fiction. It is about a missing lunar vehicle with tourists on board and it is written in a documentary style. Good stuff from Steele.
I also enjoyed:
Games Without Frontiers by Andy Dudak (novelette)
Revolt of the Algorithms by Robert R. Chase (novelette)
Sexy Apocalypse Robot by Sandra McDonald
Boomerang by Bill Johnson & Gregory Frost
The others weren't awful, just didn't do much for me.
I also enjoyed:
Games Without Frontiers by Andy Dudak (novelette)
Revolt of the Algorithms by Robert R. Chase (novelette)
Sexy Apocalypse Robot by Sandra McDonald
Boomerang by Bill Johnson & Gregory Frost
The others weren't awful, just didn't do much for me.
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May 24, 2023Must read Lemuria 7 Is Missing!!! What a great story. Allen M. Steele's writing style is amazing!
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July 14, 2023I loved Allen Steele's Lemuria story.
November 2, 2023
Another collection of interesting stories, including the last published work of Hugo Winner Bill Johnson, finished by Gregory Frost.
December 19, 2024
Read the novella Lemuria 7 is Missing by Allen Steele. The author uses his journalism background to report on the missing voyage through the eyes of various sources to trace the story of its mishap. Perhaps not entirely original but pulled off quite well.
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