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Asimov's Science Fiction November/December 2023
Our November/December 2023 issue is bursting with fiction. We have two remarkable novellas stuffed into our pages. Dominica Phetteplace’s intense tale about “The Ghosts of Mars” tells the taut story of a lonely teen’s attempt to survive against all odds on the red planet. Kevin J. Anderson & Rick Wilber’s “Death of the Hind” furthers the nail-biting adventures of the characters who first appeared in their Readers’-Award-winning novelette “The Hind.” This time, the action takes place at the end of the journey. Don’t miss either story!
Paul McAuley escorts us to a very different Mars where soldiers confront dangerous raiders to secure the “Blade and Bone”; Ray Nayler tells the intriguing tale of “Berb by Berb”; Christopher Rowe reveals “The Last Four Things”; new author Prashanth Srivatsa makes it possible to “Meet-Your-Hero”; new author Marguerite Sheffer surreally describes “The Disgrace of the Commodore”; Frank Ward discloses what happens “In the Days After”; John Alfred Taylor wistfully reveals why “The Open Road Leads to the Used Car Lot”; Robert R. Chase takes us to sea to explore “Neptune’s Acres”; and James Patrick Kelly presents us with a poignant “Embot’s Lament.”
Robert Silverberg’s Reflections discusses “Homo Superior—Us”; in On the Net, James Patrick Kelly talks with “Chatty”; Kelly Jennings’s On Books considers works by Aliette de Bodard, T. Kingfisher, Mur Lafferty, Lois McMaster Bujold, and others. Plus we’ll have an array of poetry you’re sure to enjoy.
Paul McAuley escorts us to a very different Mars where soldiers confront dangerous raiders to secure the “Blade and Bone”; Ray Nayler tells the intriguing tale of “Berb by Berb”; Christopher Rowe reveals “The Last Four Things”; new author Prashanth Srivatsa makes it possible to “Meet-Your-Hero”; new author Marguerite Sheffer surreally describes “The Disgrace of the Commodore”; Frank Ward discloses what happens “In the Days After”; John Alfred Taylor wistfully reveals why “The Open Road Leads to the Used Car Lot”; Robert R. Chase takes us to sea to explore “Neptune’s Acres”; and James Patrick Kelly presents us with a poignant “Embot’s Lament.”
Robert Silverberg’s Reflections discusses “Homo Superior—Us”; in On the Net, James Patrick Kelly talks with “Chatty”; Kelly Jennings’s On Books considers works by Aliette de Bodard, T. Kingfisher, Mur Lafferty, Lois McMaster Bujold, and others. Plus we’ll have an array of poetry you’re sure to enjoy.
208 pages, Single Issue Magazine
First published November 1, 2023
About the author
Sheila Williams
284 books85 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 - 12 of 12 reviews
partially-read
March 10, 2024June 2025
Read “Embot’s Lament”by James Patrick Kelly, the science fiction is perhaps a time travelling historian living inside the mind of a random modern person, a battered wife looking to escape her husband. And it is good to very good, the writing and pace and the ending. Not a "large scale" story, but a good one.
March 2024 --
So far, of this issue I have only read Berb by Berb by Ray Nayler from the 2023 Readers' Award finalists page (I did save a couple other stories and will probably get to them sooner, or more likely, later).
Short story, a Mojave desert set story, where world history diverged after 1938 and there was a rather different kind of Manhattan project, which the (outsider) desert residents are still processing. Ray Nayler is very very skilled at writing short fiction (I can not judge his form at longer fiction but just because I have not read his longer fiction yet), the character definition (by what they say, what they observe) is glorious, the world so vivid and rich in details. But the story feels a bit short, a bit vignette-like and even if I have not yet read many of his short stories, this is not one of my favourites of his.
Incidentally, please help, english is not my native language and I often do not get phonetic puns or things which would be obvious, which word is "berb" supposedly meant to be a mispronunciation for?
“Looked like a li’l berb,” one of the troops said, half dead from exhaustion, the word shifting in his parched southern mouth. The mispronunciation became the name.
Edit - thanks to Rose below, Berb probably comes from bird, and the title a reference to "bird by bird" which makes perfect sense and adds to the structure of the story...
And an extra quote because it is glorious and I guess lots of us will recognize it
I watch it come, finishing my coffee. This is my pre-breakfast cup. I call it my “stabilizer.” Before the first sip, there’s no telling what you might get in response if you spoke to me. But by the end of the cup, I’ve become predictable. You can confidently greet me without having me just walk away, or suggest how you might otherwise engage your orifices.
Read “Embot’s Lament”by James Patrick Kelly, the science fiction is perhaps a time travelling historian living inside the mind of a random modern person, a battered wife looking to escape her husband. And it is good to very good, the writing and pace and the ending. Not a "large scale" story, but a good one.
March 2024 --
So far, of this issue I have only read Berb by Berb by Ray Nayler from the 2023 Readers' Award finalists page (I did save a couple other stories and will probably get to them sooner, or more likely, later).
Short story, a Mojave desert set story, where world history diverged after 1938 and there was a rather different kind of Manhattan project, which the (outsider) desert residents are still processing. Ray Nayler is very very skilled at writing short fiction (I can not judge his form at longer fiction but just because I have not read his longer fiction yet), the character definition (by what they say, what they observe) is glorious, the world so vivid and rich in details. But the story feels a bit short, a bit vignette-like and even if I have not yet read many of his short stories, this is not one of my favourites of his.
Incidentally, please help, english is not my native language and I often do not get phonetic puns or things which would be obvious, which word is "berb" supposedly meant to be a mispronunciation for?
“Looked like a li’l berb,” one of the troops said, half dead from exhaustion, the word shifting in his parched southern mouth. The mispronunciation became the name.
Edit - thanks to Rose below, Berb probably comes from bird, and the title a reference to "bird by bird" which makes perfect sense and adds to the structure of the story...
And an extra quote because it is glorious and I guess lots of us will recognize it
I watch it come, finishing my coffee. This is my pre-breakfast cup. I call it my “stabilizer.” Before the first sip, there’s no telling what you might get in response if you spoke to me. But by the end of the cup, I’ve become predictable. You can confidently greet me without having me just walk away, or suggest how you might otherwise engage your orifices.
September 12, 2024
This is the November-December 2023 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction. The first half has good stories, the second – not so much.
Contents:
Celebrations 2023! [Asimov's Editorials] essay by Sheila Williams report on the awarding best works from 2022 with photos. 2*
Homo Superior—Us? [Reflections] essay by Robert Silverberg what we know about Neandertals and how they were represented in fiction. 3*
Chatty [On the Net] essay by James Patrick Kelly musings about ChatGPT and analogs, what they can and cannot do. 3*
Ahead of the Market poem by Ken Poyner
The Ghosts of Mars [Mars (Dominica Phetteplace)] novella by Dominica Phetteplace a teenage disabled girl is the only living person remaining on Mars. Around 20 years ago a colony was founded, her parents gene-moded her to better withstand Mars conditions, incl. radiation. However, supposedly Mars lower gravity led to severe deformities: The low gravity on Mars combined with my various bone deformities had stunted my growth. I was four feet tall on a good day, on a day when I could stand all the way up. I was shorter in my walker and even shorter in my wheelchair. Some people think I am intellectually disabled as well. There was one-in-a-century solar flesh, which led to all colony but her getting cancers, so they are on their way to Earth (there is a treatment). The colony is a failure, so it ought to be constantly repaired. Most bots get AI for auto-repair. However they start to act strangely and there are happenings like self-boiling tea, which suggests ghosts… a nice story. 4*
Voyager 1 Prepares to Meet a Stranger poem by Daniel A. Rabuzzi
Embot's Lament short story by James Patrick Kelly Embot is a time traveling robot that stays invisible and records lives of ordinary people in his past (our present). This time he follows a woman, who for a first time decided to run away from her abusive boyfriend. However, he kept her segregated from the world and she doesn’t know what to do. Should Embot interfere? Not a lot of SF but good 3.5*
Berb by Berb short story by Ray Nayler set in the author’s alt-history, where flying saucer crashed in the US in 1938 and the tech allowed to be victorious against Berlin Tokyo and Moscow. Now there are 1950s, and some people including the protagonist settled in Arizona desert. Here strange alien creature called Berbs are running around, possibly animals, possible evolving machines… 3.5*
The Open Road Leads to the Used Car Lot novelette by John Alfred Taylor (the author is 91 years old!) a guy meets a girl Judith in 1939 Futurama (a set showing future 1960) at the New York World's Fair. He accidentally looks in her booklet to see there moving pictures of hydroplane. Years later he finds that it was an unrealized design from 1932 that had to be constructed in 1940… years later, in 1965 he meets her again. 3.5*
Neptune's Acres short story by Robert R. Chase environmental problems led to creation of ocean mansions, and there is a meeting of potential investors on one such when the storm hits. 2.5*
Meet-Your-Hero short story by Prashanth Srivatsa in this India you can buy a lottery ticket where the main praise is a virtual meeting with a local movie superstar in his mansion. A poor boy uses last money for a ticket and wins. However, while he adores the actor, the info he gives to the star leads to his expulsion. 3*
Your Clone Could Use a Reboot poem by Robert Frazier
Death of the Hind [The Hind] novella by Kevin J. Anderson and Rick Wilber a generation ship finally reached a habitable planet. The problem is that the planet is barely habitable, while ship simply falls apart. One group says that reports of ship failures are fakes and to land is to die, other goes with the landing. 3*
The Four Last Things short story by Christopher Rowe too weird. 2*
The Disgrace of the Commodore short story by Marguerite Sheffer, the ghost of a ship captain and remains of his sailing ship used and re-used. 2.5*
Oratorio poem by Joshua Cage
In the Days After ... short story by Frank Ward a world, where as we find in a mid-story, some people accidentally turned unaging. And this can be a problem. 3*
Blade and Bone novella by Paul J. McAuley far future Mars meets Western. An old soldier joins a company that is hired by an off-worlder to follow local Indians, who looted body parts and a blade from a tomb. A nice stylization but SF as a background. 2.5*
On Books (Asimov's, November-December 2023) [On Books] essay by Kelly Jennings In the Heart of Hidden Things maybe interesting
Contents:
Celebrations 2023! [Asimov's Editorials] essay by Sheila Williams report on the awarding best works from 2022 with photos. 2*
Homo Superior—Us? [Reflections] essay by Robert Silverberg what we know about Neandertals and how they were represented in fiction. 3*
Chatty [On the Net] essay by James Patrick Kelly musings about ChatGPT and analogs, what they can and cannot do. 3*
Ahead of the Market poem by Ken Poyner
The Ghosts of Mars [Mars (Dominica Phetteplace)] novella by Dominica Phetteplace a teenage disabled girl is the only living person remaining on Mars. Around 20 years ago a colony was founded, her parents gene-moded her to better withstand Mars conditions, incl. radiation. However, supposedly Mars lower gravity led to severe deformities: The low gravity on Mars combined with my various bone deformities had stunted my growth. I was four feet tall on a good day, on a day when I could stand all the way up. I was shorter in my walker and even shorter in my wheelchair. Some people think I am intellectually disabled as well. There was one-in-a-century solar flesh, which led to all colony but her getting cancers, so they are on their way to Earth (there is a treatment). The colony is a failure, so it ought to be constantly repaired. Most bots get AI for auto-repair. However they start to act strangely and there are happenings like self-boiling tea, which suggests ghosts… a nice story. 4*
Voyager 1 Prepares to Meet a Stranger poem by Daniel A. Rabuzzi
Embot's Lament short story by James Patrick Kelly Embot is a time traveling robot that stays invisible and records lives of ordinary people in his past (our present). This time he follows a woman, who for a first time decided to run away from her abusive boyfriend. However, he kept her segregated from the world and she doesn’t know what to do. Should Embot interfere? Not a lot of SF but good 3.5*
Berb by Berb short story by Ray Nayler set in the author’s alt-history, where flying saucer crashed in the US in 1938 and the tech allowed to be victorious against Berlin Tokyo and Moscow. Now there are 1950s, and some people including the protagonist settled in Arizona desert. Here strange alien creature called Berbs are running around, possibly animals, possible evolving machines… 3.5*
The Open Road Leads to the Used Car Lot novelette by John Alfred Taylor (the author is 91 years old!) a guy meets a girl Judith in 1939 Futurama (a set showing future 1960) at the New York World's Fair. He accidentally looks in her booklet to see there moving pictures of hydroplane. Years later he finds that it was an unrealized design from 1932 that had to be constructed in 1940… years later, in 1965 he meets her again. 3.5*
Neptune's Acres short story by Robert R. Chase environmental problems led to creation of ocean mansions, and there is a meeting of potential investors on one such when the storm hits. 2.5*
Meet-Your-Hero short story by Prashanth Srivatsa in this India you can buy a lottery ticket where the main praise is a virtual meeting with a local movie superstar in his mansion. A poor boy uses last money for a ticket and wins. However, while he adores the actor, the info he gives to the star leads to his expulsion. 3*
Your Clone Could Use a Reboot poem by Robert Frazier
Death of the Hind [The Hind] novella by Kevin J. Anderson and Rick Wilber a generation ship finally reached a habitable planet. The problem is that the planet is barely habitable, while ship simply falls apart. One group says that reports of ship failures are fakes and to land is to die, other goes with the landing. 3*
The Four Last Things short story by Christopher Rowe too weird. 2*
The Disgrace of the Commodore short story by Marguerite Sheffer, the ghost of a ship captain and remains of his sailing ship used and re-used. 2.5*
Oratorio poem by Joshua Cage
In the Days After ... short story by Frank Ward a world, where as we find in a mid-story, some people accidentally turned unaging. And this can be a problem. 3*
Blade and Bone novella by Paul J. McAuley far future Mars meets Western. An old soldier joins a company that is hired by an off-worlder to follow local Indians, who looted body parts and a blade from a tomb. A nice stylization but SF as a background. 2.5*
On Books (Asimov's, November-December 2023) [On Books] essay by Kelly Jennings In the Heart of Hidden Things maybe interesting
December 8, 2023
An average issue. Here are my favorite stories:
The Ghosts of Mars by Dominica Phetteplace
The Mars base is abandoned, but a teen who wouldn’t survive the journey back is left behind to deal with the gremlins, ghosts, or…?
Embot’s Lament by James Patrick Kelly
When in the field, anthropologists have to guard against ‘going native.’ This can be especially difficult for a time-traveling empathy robot.
Berb By Berb by Ray Nayler
In the 1930’s, a crashed flying saucer gives the US a leg up on the rest of the world.
An allegory for the Manhattan Project and its unintended consequences, and taking responsibility for one’s actions.
The Open Road Leads to the Used Car Lot by John Alfred Taylor
Two World’s Fairs, an enigmatic Louis Simpson quote, and an answer to a 25 year old mystery…all wrapped up in futuristic industrial design. What more do you need in a short story?
Neptune Acres by Robert R. Chase
An seemly clever solution to seashore living in the time of climate change.
A by-invitation-only open floating-house showing held during a nor’easter.
What could go wrong?
Remember, there is no such thing as bad publicity!
Meet-Your-Hero by Prashanth Srivatsa
A boy scraps together just enough rupees each week to buy a chance to meet his movie idol for reasons that are not at first apparent.
The Four Last Things by Christopher Rowe
Life/death is a binary, but there is also an in-between. Four disparate eschatonauts and their intrepid metaphorical mule travel to that unknown realm.
The Disgrace of the Commodore by Marguerite Sheffer
They can take away and dismantle your life’s work, but your children and their children’s children will always remain after your shame is long forgotten.
In the Days After by Frank Ward
A strange disaster strikes 1 in 100, affecting each in the same and yet different way.
50 years later…
The Ghosts of Mars by Dominica Phetteplace
The Mars base is abandoned, but a teen who wouldn’t survive the journey back is left behind to deal with the gremlins, ghosts, or…?
Embot’s Lament by James Patrick Kelly
When in the field, anthropologists have to guard against ‘going native.’ This can be especially difficult for a time-traveling empathy robot.
Berb By Berb by Ray Nayler
In the 1930’s, a crashed flying saucer gives the US a leg up on the rest of the world.
An allegory for the Manhattan Project and its unintended consequences, and taking responsibility for one’s actions.
The Open Road Leads to the Used Car Lot by John Alfred Taylor
Two World’s Fairs, an enigmatic Louis Simpson quote, and an answer to a 25 year old mystery…all wrapped up in futuristic industrial design. What more do you need in a short story?
Neptune Acres by Robert R. Chase
An seemly clever solution to seashore living in the time of climate change.
A by-invitation-only open floating-house showing held during a nor’easter.
What could go wrong?
Remember, there is no such thing as bad publicity!
Meet-Your-Hero by Prashanth Srivatsa
A boy scraps together just enough rupees each week to buy a chance to meet his movie idol for reasons that are not at first apparent.
The Four Last Things by Christopher Rowe
Life/death is a binary, but there is also an in-between. Four disparate eschatonauts and their intrepid metaphorical mule travel to that unknown realm.
The Disgrace of the Commodore by Marguerite Sheffer
They can take away and dismantle your life’s work, but your children and their children’s children will always remain after your shame is long forgotten.
In the Days After by Frank Ward
A strange disaster strikes 1 in 100, affecting each in the same and yet different way.
50 years later…
February 21, 2024
This review (for now) is just for “Blade And Bone” by Paul McAuley, a novella set on a partially-terraformed Mars after The Quiet War. It's pretty good, plus there's a temporary free copy available from Asimov's at https://www.asimovs.com/about-asimovs...
The story, aside from the Quiet War echoes, reminds me of McAuley's Jackaroo worlds. So if you like either (or both) of those series, you might want to try this one. It's kind of a downer story and ends on a cliffhanger -- but it's well-written and has lots of colorful McAuley goodness. Cautiously recommended to McAuley fans. Here's the author's preview remarks: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Typically these Asimov award-nominee temps stay up for a few months & then vanish. I'll be trying some of the others. . .
The story, aside from the Quiet War echoes, reminds me of McAuley's Jackaroo worlds. So if you like either (or both) of those series, you might want to try this one. It's kind of a downer story and ends on a cliffhanger -- but it's well-written and has lots of colorful McAuley goodness. Cautiously recommended to McAuley fans. Here's the author's preview remarks: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Typically these Asimov award-nominee temps stay up for a few months & then vanish. I'll be trying some of the others. . .
March 20, 2024
Overview: A knockout novella by Paul McAuley and very good story by Robert Chase make this a better than average issue. While there were several stories that didn't work for me, I appreciate the efforts here to take some risks and provide a significant array of very different stories. That said, the poorly written/plotted and totally derivative Death of the Hind, despite its ease of entry and space-opera feel and famous/respected authors I'd personally have not included (despite it being a sequel to a previous published story). 3.25 stars for the issue.
Novellas:
The Ghosts of Mars by Dominica Phetteplace – This longish and sometimes repetitive first-person narrative gets away with some of its faults by attributing them to the narrator, who is a 16-year-old girl alone on Mars that confesses she tends to ramble. The plot contains a lot of telling as almost all of it happens off screen, but the concern here is really for this girl, Paz. I was engaged and enjoyed the story even when it got sort of ridiculous and tossed up a bunch of unexplained and unexplainable content. 3.5 stars. (Side Note: the Prequel Story Candida Eve, published in Analog, doesn’t have to be read prior to this one. That tale covers Pax’s mother’s arrival/adventure on Mars and both are completely self-contained).
Death of the Hind by Kevin J. Anderson & Rick Wilbur – An even clunkier sequel to the clunky “Hind”, the Death of the Hind has lackluster plotting, lots of pointless minutia, cardboard characters, and downright illogical behaviors. A group of barely disguised truth deniers (who all but take up ‘fake news’ as a rallying cry) refuse to leave the dying ship and even stoop to assassination, despite it making absolutely no sense at all. Then, Anderson and Wilbur just totally drop it. Ditto the hell spouting/showing A.I. Bruce (who wasn’t in the previous story). The whole thing ends anticlimactically and at 36 pages, this stinker brings down the issue considerably. 1.75 stars.
Blade and Bone by Paul McAuley – Really enjoyed this longish novella. The plot itself isn’t really anything Earth-shattering (or Mars-shattering as the case may be) but the character development and world building are stellar. As with most McAuley, it took me several pages to find the rhythm, after which I felt I had to start the piece over, but I’m really glad I did. While I’ve been reading McAuley shorts for decades now, I haven’t read a longer work since the Confluence Trilogy (which I also really liked). Clearly, it’s time to change that, as this novella is related to his Quiet War series. I’ll be taking a look at that soon. 4.5 stars.
Novelette:
The Open Road Leads to the Used Car Lot by John Alfred Taylor – A harmless mostly by the numbers story that failed to wow me but also failed to frustrate me, not sure why. Probably it was Isaac Shulman’s voice. I just liked the character. Too bad his brush with time travel didn’t have more oomph to it. 3 stars.
Short Stories:
Embot’s Lament by James Patrick Kelly – I like JPK’s writing style and the agency theme of this short story. Jane’s escape from abuse is an all-too-common real-life story with not so happy endings. I’m glad that here, with Embot’s help, she’s likely to fair better than many. 3 stars.
Berb by Berb by Ray Nayler – This felt like a summary of a section in a much bigger story. I love the premise and allusions. Nayler does an excellent job in a very few words creating a fascinating alternat history that I'd very much like to know more about. And yet, this is just a little too thin. Piqued. Not satisfied. 3 stars.
Neptune Acres by Robert R. Chase – While this one lacks any real payoff, it still serves as highly readable and entertaining. I’d have loved a few more pages with a bit more plot to go with the fantastic setting. Nonetheless, the setting and the characters are strong enough to make this work. 3.75 stars.
Meet-Your-Hero by Prashanth Srivatsa – Srivatsa fleshes out his setting and characters quickly and adequately while delivering a short and overly one-note tale. Science fiction plays an extremely minor and debatably unnecessary role here. Anything longer would’ve become tedious without more going on. 2.5 stars.
The Four Last Things by Christopher Rowe – Swing and a miss. I love a cryptic puzzle story as much as the next guy, but this one just didn’t work. No characters to hold on to, and other than a few descriptions, I found this boring beyond belief. 1 star.
The Disgrace of the Commodore by Marguerite Sheffer – A well written mini though unspectacular. A story about a commodore in purgatory read a little too much like being in purgatory. 2 stars.
In the Days After by Frank Ward – I didn’t feel this one was all that well thought out. An interesting premise but poorly handled, and only a snippet. 2 stars.
Poetry:
Ahead of the Market by Ken Poyner – Amusing but succinct. A few clever prose sentences on extraterrestrial gems broken out into blank verse. A solid 90% (or higher) of the poetry in Asimov’s doesn’t strike me as actual poetry. This is a perfect example.
Voyager 1 Prepares to Meet a Stranger by Danile A. Rabuzzi – I liked Elizabeth Howell’s prefatory quote more than the ‘poem’.
Your Clone Line Could Use a Reboot by Robert Frazier – a fine view of a degrading clone. 3 stars.
Oratorio by Joshua Gage – A cute prose narrative ‘poem’. 2 stars.
Departments:
Reflections: Homo Superior – Us? By Robert Silverberg – This is a kind of what we knew back when and what we know now take on the maligned Neanderthal. Despite my love for Silverberg, and this column, I have to say that this article’s conclusions, based primarily on the research by Anneline Pinson, I found highly debatable. While the conclusions may be entirely accurate, I don’t feel like what’s written here has come remotely close to evidencing that. Sure, something led to our scoring the evolutionary touchdown over Neanderthal, but was it TKTL1? I doubt it. I don’t feel one can simply identify genetic differences and attribute a species success based only on those differences. For example: a plague could have wiped out Neanderthal. Last I checked, millions of species without TKTL1 have survived and are with us today. There’s more to this story than just genetics. Like random chance. Let’s rewind time and find out.
On the Net: Chatty by James Patrick Kelly – Part 2 of ChatGPT. Unless readers are actually digging in to the links provided here (which I never do), there isn’t much on offer that all of us don’t already know.
On Books by Kelly Jennings – Seven books by seven women reviewed, all glowingly positive, several of which I’d really like to read. The reviews consist mostly of plot and character description, much of it very detailed. Personally, I like reviews to give a brief overview of the plot, then describe what about the novel works or doesn’t work, themes, who it’s for, etc. I don’t need a summary of the whole book. These read like detailed jacket copy. As I can’t remember the last time I read seven flawless books in a row, I’m always a little suspicious of glowing reviews. All that said, this is an acceptable review column. I do like the details provided for de Bodard’s Xuya series and Bujold’s Penric stories. That info helps readers make smart choices. (As an aside, I really liked the Curse of Chalion by Bujold, so appreciated this review for Penric’s Labors pointing me back in that direction. As for de Bodard, I’ve read many of her shorts and novellas in this magazine, most of which I’ve struggled with but have always felt that I was missing something magical happening, so I appreciated this review as well.)
Novellas:
The Ghosts of Mars by Dominica Phetteplace – This longish and sometimes repetitive first-person narrative gets away with some of its faults by attributing them to the narrator, who is a 16-year-old girl alone on Mars that confesses she tends to ramble. The plot contains a lot of telling as almost all of it happens off screen, but the concern here is really for this girl, Paz. I was engaged and enjoyed the story even when it got sort of ridiculous and tossed up a bunch of unexplained and unexplainable content. 3.5 stars. (Side Note: the Prequel Story Candida Eve, published in Analog, doesn’t have to be read prior to this one. That tale covers Pax’s mother’s arrival/adventure on Mars and both are completely self-contained).
Death of the Hind by Kevin J. Anderson & Rick Wilbur – An even clunkier sequel to the clunky “Hind”, the Death of the Hind has lackluster plotting, lots of pointless minutia, cardboard characters, and downright illogical behaviors. A group of barely disguised truth deniers (who all but take up ‘fake news’ as a rallying cry) refuse to leave the dying ship and even stoop to assassination, despite it making absolutely no sense at all. Then, Anderson and Wilbur just totally drop it. Ditto the hell spouting/showing A.I. Bruce (who wasn’t in the previous story). The whole thing ends anticlimactically and at 36 pages, this stinker brings down the issue considerably. 1.75 stars.
Blade and Bone by Paul McAuley – Really enjoyed this longish novella. The plot itself isn’t really anything Earth-shattering (or Mars-shattering as the case may be) but the character development and world building are stellar. As with most McAuley, it took me several pages to find the rhythm, after which I felt I had to start the piece over, but I’m really glad I did. While I’ve been reading McAuley shorts for decades now, I haven’t read a longer work since the Confluence Trilogy (which I also really liked). Clearly, it’s time to change that, as this novella is related to his Quiet War series. I’ll be taking a look at that soon. 4.5 stars.
Novelette:
The Open Road Leads to the Used Car Lot by John Alfred Taylor – A harmless mostly by the numbers story that failed to wow me but also failed to frustrate me, not sure why. Probably it was Isaac Shulman’s voice. I just liked the character. Too bad his brush with time travel didn’t have more oomph to it. 3 stars.
Short Stories:
Embot’s Lament by James Patrick Kelly – I like JPK’s writing style and the agency theme of this short story. Jane’s escape from abuse is an all-too-common real-life story with not so happy endings. I’m glad that here, with Embot’s help, she’s likely to fair better than many. 3 stars.
Berb by Berb by Ray Nayler – This felt like a summary of a section in a much bigger story. I love the premise and allusions. Nayler does an excellent job in a very few words creating a fascinating alternat history that I'd very much like to know more about. And yet, this is just a little too thin. Piqued. Not satisfied. 3 stars.
Neptune Acres by Robert R. Chase – While this one lacks any real payoff, it still serves as highly readable and entertaining. I’d have loved a few more pages with a bit more plot to go with the fantastic setting. Nonetheless, the setting and the characters are strong enough to make this work. 3.75 stars.
Meet-Your-Hero by Prashanth Srivatsa – Srivatsa fleshes out his setting and characters quickly and adequately while delivering a short and overly one-note tale. Science fiction plays an extremely minor and debatably unnecessary role here. Anything longer would’ve become tedious without more going on. 2.5 stars.
The Four Last Things by Christopher Rowe – Swing and a miss. I love a cryptic puzzle story as much as the next guy, but this one just didn’t work. No characters to hold on to, and other than a few descriptions, I found this boring beyond belief. 1 star.
The Disgrace of the Commodore by Marguerite Sheffer – A well written mini though unspectacular. A story about a commodore in purgatory read a little too much like being in purgatory. 2 stars.
In the Days After by Frank Ward – I didn’t feel this one was all that well thought out. An interesting premise but poorly handled, and only a snippet. 2 stars.
Poetry:
Ahead of the Market by Ken Poyner – Amusing but succinct. A few clever prose sentences on extraterrestrial gems broken out into blank verse. A solid 90% (or higher) of the poetry in Asimov’s doesn’t strike me as actual poetry. This is a perfect example.
Voyager 1 Prepares to Meet a Stranger by Danile A. Rabuzzi – I liked Elizabeth Howell’s prefatory quote more than the ‘poem’.
Your Clone Line Could Use a Reboot by Robert Frazier – a fine view of a degrading clone. 3 stars.
Oratorio by Joshua Gage – A cute prose narrative ‘poem’. 2 stars.
Departments:
Reflections: Homo Superior – Us? By Robert Silverberg – This is a kind of what we knew back when and what we know now take on the maligned Neanderthal. Despite my love for Silverberg, and this column, I have to say that this article’s conclusions, based primarily on the research by Anneline Pinson, I found highly debatable. While the conclusions may be entirely accurate, I don’t feel like what’s written here has come remotely close to evidencing that. Sure, something led to our scoring the evolutionary touchdown over Neanderthal, but was it TKTL1? I doubt it. I don’t feel one can simply identify genetic differences and attribute a species success based only on those differences. For example: a plague could have wiped out Neanderthal. Last I checked, millions of species without TKTL1 have survived and are with us today. There’s more to this story than just genetics. Like random chance. Let’s rewind time and find out.
On the Net: Chatty by James Patrick Kelly – Part 2 of ChatGPT. Unless readers are actually digging in to the links provided here (which I never do), there isn’t much on offer that all of us don’t already know.
On Books by Kelly Jennings – Seven books by seven women reviewed, all glowingly positive, several of which I’d really like to read. The reviews consist mostly of plot and character description, much of it very detailed. Personally, I like reviews to give a brief overview of the plot, then describe what about the novel works or doesn’t work, themes, who it’s for, etc. I don’t need a summary of the whole book. These read like detailed jacket copy. As I can’t remember the last time I read seven flawless books in a row, I’m always a little suspicious of glowing reviews. All that said, this is an acceptable review column. I do like the details provided for de Bodard’s Xuya series and Bujold’s Penric stories. That info helps readers make smart choices. (As an aside, I really liked the Curse of Chalion by Bujold, so appreciated this review for Penric’s Labors pointing me back in that direction. As for de Bodard, I’ve read many of her shorts and novellas in this magazine, most of which I’ve struggled with but have always felt that I was missing something magical happening, so I appreciated this review as well.)
March 16, 2024
Just catching up on my monthly Asimov's.
Minor quibble: I'm somewhat disappointed that the cover art is by Shutterstock. I really enjoy seeing a visual artist's interpretation of one of the stories in the magazine. The use of stock images seems to becoming more prevalent.
Lots of poetry in this issue! Note to @Sheila_Williams: you may want to consider an anthology of sf poetry. I would buy a copy to revisit some of the wonderful poems Asimov's has published over the years, especially that of Robert Frazier and Jane Yolen. In this issue I especially enjoyed "Voyager I Prepares to Meet a Stranger," by Daniel A. Rabuzzi.
As for the stories, the novelette "The Open Road Leads to the Used Car Lot" by John Alfred Taylor is an intriguing look at time travel, the 1939 World's Fair, and a mysterious woman told from the perspective of the man left behind. The title alone intrigued me (reminiscent of Carole King, maybe?) and the story moving.
"The Ghosts of Mars" and "Blade and Bone" both take place on Mars. "The Ghosts of Mars" takes place in the near future; "Blade and Bone" on a terraformed Mars where humans have been augmented and are traveling the Solar System and beyond.
There are several short stories, including one by James Patrick Kelly, as well as the usual columns. I enjoyed Robert Silverberg's column, "Homo Superior--Us?" which discusses recent rethinking about the intellectual capabilities of Neanderthals. Apparently they were not hulking brutes as previously thought. Only a small difference, a gene known as TKTL1, which controls the development of neurons in the brain's frontal lobe. Fascinating stuff!
Minor quibble: I'm somewhat disappointed that the cover art is by Shutterstock. I really enjoy seeing a visual artist's interpretation of one of the stories in the magazine. The use of stock images seems to becoming more prevalent.
Lots of poetry in this issue! Note to @Sheila_Williams: you may want to consider an anthology of sf poetry. I would buy a copy to revisit some of the wonderful poems Asimov's has published over the years, especially that of Robert Frazier and Jane Yolen. In this issue I especially enjoyed "Voyager I Prepares to Meet a Stranger," by Daniel A. Rabuzzi.
As for the stories, the novelette "The Open Road Leads to the Used Car Lot" by John Alfred Taylor is an intriguing look at time travel, the 1939 World's Fair, and a mysterious woman told from the perspective of the man left behind. The title alone intrigued me (reminiscent of Carole King, maybe?) and the story moving.
"The Ghosts of Mars" and "Blade and Bone" both take place on Mars. "The Ghosts of Mars" takes place in the near future; "Blade and Bone" on a terraformed Mars where humans have been augmented and are traveling the Solar System and beyond.
There are several short stories, including one by James Patrick Kelly, as well as the usual columns. I enjoyed Robert Silverberg's column, "Homo Superior--Us?" which discusses recent rethinking about the intellectual capabilities of Neanderthals. Apparently they were not hulking brutes as previously thought. Only a small difference, a gene known as TKTL1, which controls the development of neurons in the brain's frontal lobe. Fascinating stuff!
February 21, 2024
"The Ghosts of Mars" - Dominica Phetteplace
Evocative planetary exploration, First Contact novella. Nicely paced and rewarding.
Evocative planetary exploration, First Contact novella. Nicely paced and rewarding.
February 27, 2024
My favorites were:
"The Ghosts of Mars" (novella) by Dominica Phetteplace. Colonists left Mars to get cancer treatments back on Earth, but teenage girl is left behind because her genetic mods make her impervious to cancer but unable to survive Earth's gravity.
"Neptune Acres" by Robert R. Chase. Human attempts to tame the ocean and build expensive property near (or in!) the waves are doomed, but that will never stop real-estate tycoons! Would you risk your life to save a dolphin? (I'd like to think I would but I haven't been tested.)
"The Death of the Hind" by Kevin J. Anderson and Rick Wilber. The title made me think of Hind Rajab :-( but that tragedy hadn't happened yet when this story was published. Rapidly failing generation ship finally reaches Goldilocks zone planet, but the planet seems very inhospitable. Boy with Down Syndrome torn between family members with opposing views.
"The Disgrace of the Commodore" by Marguerite Sheffer. Too peaceable to be command a sloop, the commodore who was struck off the navy list is in purgatory, in the hold of his own former ship.
"In the Days After" by Frank Ward.
a woman pays an official visit to a family with even more unusual circumstances.
"Blade and Bone" by Paul McAuley. Battles on Mars; ancient artifacts have a mind of their own.
"The Ghosts of Mars" (novella) by Dominica Phetteplace. Colonists left Mars to get cancer treatments back on Earth, but teenage girl is left behind because her genetic mods make her impervious to cancer but unable to survive Earth's gravity.
"Neptune Acres" by Robert R. Chase. Human attempts to tame the ocean and build expensive property near (or in!) the waves are doomed, but that will never stop real-estate tycoons! Would you risk your life to save a dolphin? (I'd like to think I would but I haven't been tested.)
"The Death of the Hind" by Kevin J. Anderson and Rick Wilber. The title made me think of Hind Rajab :-( but that tragedy hadn't happened yet when this story was published. Rapidly failing generation ship finally reaches Goldilocks zone planet, but the planet seems very inhospitable. Boy with Down Syndrome torn between family members with opposing views.
"The Disgrace of the Commodore" by Marguerite Sheffer. Too peaceable to be command a sloop, the commodore who was struck off the navy list is in purgatory, in the hold of his own former ship.
"In the Days After" by Frank Ward.
a woman pays an official visit to a family with even more unusual circumstances.
"Blade and Bone" by Paul McAuley. Battles on Mars; ancient artifacts have a mind of their own.
December 14, 2023
After a rare theta radiation event from the Sun which caused most of the Martian settlers to get cancer, Paz remains behind despite urgings from Earth. She was biofitted for Mars and did not get cancer. After a while some robots go rogue and appear to be doing unprogrammed things and she attributes it to “The Ghosts Of Mars”, programming glitches from beyond the grave. But a more plausible but surprising cause has been found in Dominica Phetteplace’s novella. Jane is struggling to leave her violently abusive husband and is wavering in her resolve when a firm Uber driver and an Embot encamped in her brain swing things for her in “Embot’s Lament” by James Patrick Kelly, and Ray Nayler gives us a mesmerising peek into an alternate Earth where tech from a downed saucer in 1939 both swung the war for the Allies and created enormous problems in “Berb By Berb”. John Alfred Taylor takes us back to the World’s Fair of 1939 where a chance meeting with the inscrutable Judith leads to revelations from the far future for Isaac in “The Open Road Leads To The Used Car Lot”. After almost a century of travel the Hind, a generation ship, has reached Goldilocks, their destination. But a malfunctioning ship AI and dangerously delusional colonists threaten the orderly descent to the surface in “The Death Of The Hind” by Kevin J. Anderson & Rick Wilber. A memorable tale. Lev is tasked with finding some relics belonging to an ancient female warrior on terraformed Mars but competing interests complicate matters in “Blade And Bone” by Paul McAuley, a novella set after The Quiet War.
January 20, 2024
Read the novella "The Death of the Hind" by Kevin Anderson and Rick Wilber. It was very good; tightly written with very few extraneous words which begs the question, why can't Anderson write this way for his novels?
December 8, 2023
I liked "The Ghosts of Mars" by Dominica Phetteplace. Ironic, no?
January 8, 2025
Not the strongest issue but I always find some stories to be worthwhile reads.
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