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Asimov's Science Fiction, June 2013
CONTENTS
Novella
"Precious Mental" by Robert Reed
Novelettes
"The Fountain" by G. David Nordley
"Skylight" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Short Stories
"Hypervigilant" by Eric Del Carlo
"A Love Song Concerning His Vineyard" by Megan Arkenberg
Poetry
"Rivers" by Geoffrey Landis
"Senior Moment of the Third Kind" by G. O. Clark
"Fate of the Time Meddlers" by Bruce Boston
Departments
"Guest Editorial: Celebrate National Science Fiction Day by Learning to Live in the Future" by Ed Finn
"Reflections: '... Not Even Wrong'" by Robert Silverberg
"On the Net: SF Economics 101" by James Patrick Kelly
"On Books" by Peter Heck
"SF Conventional Calendar" by Erwin S. Strauss
Asimov's Science Fiction, June 2013, Vol. 37, No. 6 (Whole No. 449)
Sheila Williams, editor
Cover art by Mélanie Delon
Novella
"Precious Mental" by Robert Reed
Novelettes
"The Fountain" by G. David Nordley
"Skylight" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Short Stories
"Hypervigilant" by Eric Del Carlo
"A Love Song Concerning His Vineyard" by Megan Arkenberg
Poetry
"Rivers" by Geoffrey Landis
"Senior Moment of the Third Kind" by G. O. Clark
"Fate of the Time Meddlers" by Bruce Boston
Departments
"Guest Editorial: Celebrate National Science Fiction Day by Learning to Live in the Future" by Ed Finn
"Reflections: '... Not Even Wrong'" by Robert Silverberg
"On the Net: SF Economics 101" by James Patrick Kelly
"On Books" by Peter Heck
"SF Conventional Calendar" by Erwin S. Strauss
Asimov's Science Fiction, June 2013, Vol. 37, No. 6 (Whole No. 449)
Sheila Williams, editor
Cover art by Mélanie Delon
- GenresScience Fiction
116 pages, ebook
First published June 1, 2013
About the author
Sheila Williams
290 books68 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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 27, 2023
My copy of this one has the cover of Asimov's Science Fiction, but the whole of the insides are of the June 2013 copy of Analog Science Fiction and Fact.
My two star rating is based on what's inside, but someone who collects might give this one a fiver!
My two star rating is based on what's inside, but someone who collects might give this one a fiver!
March 5, 2016
Several columns, essays, poems and book reviews. I thought this was a weak issue. The fiction story content is:
The Fountain • novelette by G. David Nordley
Skylight • novelette by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Hypervigilant • shortstory by Eric Del Carlo
A Love Song Concerning His Vineyard • shortstory by Megan Arkenberg
Precious Mental • [The Great Ship Universe] • novella by Robert Reed
I found G. David Nordley's "The Fountain" quite interesting and entertaining. An insect-like race with a hive-Queen comes to earth on a diplomatic mission. We experience the story from the visitor's point of view. There are threats out in the universe. Will Earth help? I liked this story.
KKR's "The Skylight" was interesting, but not much of a story. A young girl is left at the gates of an Assassin's Guild. She's taken in but rebels against killing.
I think I have a bias against stories that involve psychic abilities. However, "Hypervigilant" by Eric Del Carlo didn't seem too far of a stretch. It was an OK story about a "Vigil", a sort of empath who can usually detect when someone is about to go postal. The story started well, but I thought it fizzled out towards the end.
Megan Arkenberg's "A Love Song Concerning His Vineyard" was very odd and confused to me. Was there a point to this? Do we angst over everything? I didn't care for it.
Robert Reed has another "Great Ship" novella here, "Precious Mental." I've read quite a few of Reed's stories and they are hit or miss with me. The Great Ship stories seem to be more miss (for me). I think fans of the Great Ship stories will probably enjoy this. Hidden identity, kidnapping, mysteries of the immortals and all that. I found it interesting. It was readable, unlike some, but I'm just not much of a fan of these stories. Maybe I've missed the great ones.
The Fountain • novelette by G. David Nordley
Skylight • novelette by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Hypervigilant • shortstory by Eric Del Carlo
A Love Song Concerning His Vineyard • shortstory by Megan Arkenberg
Precious Mental • [The Great Ship Universe] • novella by Robert Reed
I found G. David Nordley's "The Fountain" quite interesting and entertaining. An insect-like race with a hive-Queen comes to earth on a diplomatic mission. We experience the story from the visitor's point of view. There are threats out in the universe. Will Earth help? I liked this story.
KKR's "The Skylight" was interesting, but not much of a story. A young girl is left at the gates of an Assassin's Guild. She's taken in but rebels against killing.
I think I have a bias against stories that involve psychic abilities. However, "Hypervigilant" by Eric Del Carlo didn't seem too far of a stretch. It was an OK story about a "Vigil", a sort of empath who can usually detect when someone is about to go postal. The story started well, but I thought it fizzled out towards the end.
Megan Arkenberg's "A Love Song Concerning His Vineyard" was very odd and confused to me. Was there a point to this? Do we angst over everything? I didn't care for it.
Robert Reed has another "Great Ship" novella here, "Precious Mental." I've read quite a few of Reed's stories and they are hit or miss with me. The Great Ship stories seem to be more miss (for me). I think fans of the Great Ship stories will probably enjoy this. Hidden identity, kidnapping, mysteries of the immortals and all that. I found it interesting. It was readable, unlike some, but I'm just not much of a fan of these stories. Maybe I've missed the great ones.
May 8, 2013
An average issue, with no outstanding stories despite featuring Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Robert Reed in the issue.
- “The Fountain” by G. David Nordley: in the far future, an alien hive queen arrives on Earth to ask for help from the Queen to repeal an invasive alien force that is destroying other worlds. But the help may hinge on just how much the hive queen's way of living is acceptable and on how much the Queen or her heir may be willing to help.
- “Skylight” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: when you are indentured into the Assassin's Guild, trained to be an assassin but do not have the heart to kill what can you do? Can an alternative way of living be found that is acceptable to all?
- “Hypervigilant” by Eric Del Carlo: in a future where a biological terrorist attack has cause some people to become extremely violent, it may be up to those who can sense the intense feeling of fury to protect people. But what if the fury being detected suddenly vanishes? Is a new kind of weapon being unleashed?
- “A Love Song Concerning His Vineyard” by Megan Arkenberg: a story of growing up on Mars and finding someone to love, mixed with attempts to produce wine on Mars.
- “Precious Mental” by Robert Reed: set in his 'Great Ship' universe, this story has one fugitive who is forced to go on a mission to bring back a very ancient ship that may well hold the secrets to the origins of immortal brains and extremely ancient beings.
- “The Fountain” by G. David Nordley: in the far future, an alien hive queen arrives on Earth to ask for help from the Queen to repeal an invasive alien force that is destroying other worlds. But the help may hinge on just how much the hive queen's way of living is acceptable and on how much the Queen or her heir may be willing to help.
- “Skylight” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: when you are indentured into the Assassin's Guild, trained to be an assassin but do not have the heart to kill what can you do? Can an alternative way of living be found that is acceptable to all?
- “Hypervigilant” by Eric Del Carlo: in a future where a biological terrorist attack has cause some people to become extremely violent, it may be up to those who can sense the intense feeling of fury to protect people. But what if the fury being detected suddenly vanishes? Is a new kind of weapon being unleashed?
- “A Love Song Concerning His Vineyard” by Megan Arkenberg: a story of growing up on Mars and finding someone to love, mixed with attempts to produce wine on Mars.
- “Precious Mental” by Robert Reed: set in his 'Great Ship' universe, this story has one fugitive who is forced to go on a mission to bring back a very ancient ship that may well hold the secrets to the origins of immortal brains and extremely ancient beings.
January 24, 2016
Pretty good issue, although I'm not a huge fan of Robert Reed and found his novella, "Precious Mental," typically difficult to follow.
I particularly liked the novelettes: "The Fountain," by G. David Nordley, exploring humanity's place in a polity of light speed limited civilizations; and "Skylight", by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, nominally set in her "Divers" universe but really a standalone coming-of-age tale.
I particularly liked the novelettes: "The Fountain," by G. David Nordley, exploring humanity's place in a polity of light speed limited civilizations; and "Skylight", by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, nominally set in her "Divers" universe but really a standalone coming-of-age tale.
May 20, 2013
One of the better issues. I thoroughly enjoyed Hypervigilant and Skylight. The editorials were interesting. The only downside was I couldn't really get into Precious Mental.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews