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Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 207, December 2023
Clarkesworld is a Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning science fiction and fantasy magazine. Each month we bring you a mix of fiction, articles, interviews and art. Our December 2023 issue (#207) fiction by Fiona Moore ("Morag's Boy"), Samara Auman ("Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Cyborg"), Kelsea Yu ("In Memories We Drown"), Ryan Cole ("Waffles Are Only Goodbye for Now"), Ng Yi-Sheng ("The World's Wife"), Angela Liu ("The Last Gamemaster in the World"), Fu Qiang ("Kill That Groundhog"), and Thoraiya Dyer ("Eight or Die (Part 2)").Non-fiction includes an article by Carrie Sessarego, interviews with RiverFlow, Cat Rambo, and Jennifer Brozek, and an editorial by Neil Clarke.
203 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2023
8 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Neil Clarke
400 books402 followersNeil Clarke is best known as the editor and publisher of the Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning
Clarkesworld Magazine.
Launched in October 2006, the online magazine has been a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine four times (winning three times), the World Fantasy Award four times (winning once), and the British Fantasy Award once (winning once). Neil is also a ten-time finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Editor Short Form (winning once in 2022), three-time winner of the Chesley Award for Best Art Director, and a recipient of the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award. In the fifteen years since Clarkesworld Magazine launched, numerous stories that he has published have been nominated for or won the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Sturgeon, Locus, BSFA, Shirley Jackson, WSFA Small Press, and Stoker Awards.
Additionally, Neil edits Forever —a digital-only, reprint science fiction magazine he launched in 2015. His anthologies include: Upgraded, Galactic Empires, Touchable Unreality, More Human than Human, The Final Frontier, Not One of Us, The Eagle has Landed, , and the Best Science Fiction of the Year series. His next anthology, The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Seven will published in early 2023.
He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and two sons.
Additionally, Neil edits Forever —a digital-only, reprint science fiction magazine he launched in 2015. His anthologies include: Upgraded, Galactic Empires, Touchable Unreality, More Human than Human, The Final Frontier, Not One of Us, The Eagle has Landed, , and the Best Science Fiction of the Year series. His next anthology, The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Seven will published in early 2023.
He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 16, 2023
A better than average issue, with interesting stories by Fiona Moore, Ng Yi-Sheng and Fu Qiang.
- "Morag's Boy" by Fiona Moore: a follow-up to the author's earlier story, this one has a boy sent to a farm. What he learns there, along with his skills in fixing machines, would send him on a journey of invention, in a world where technology and civilization has partially collapsed, and people are still picking up (and repairing) the left-over machines.
- "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Cyborg" by Samara Auman: a story told from the viewpoint of an intelligent crow who, at the start of the story, finds its favourite human cyborg dead. As the story develops, we learn more about where the crows come from, their relationship with the dead person and what the crows will do in memory of her.
- "In Memories We Drown" by Kelsea Yu: in a deep underwater lab cut off from the surface after an unknown disaster hits, one person tastes a marine plant and discovers that it can surface vivid memories of her favourite food. But this may turn out to be a curse when the plant also surfaces vivid memories of her loved ones, now maybe lost to her.
- "Waffles Are Only Goodbye for Now" by Ryan Cole: an intelligent fridge lies buried in a house during a conflict and gets a visit from a refugee looking for food. Time passes, and they develop a relationship. But it may soon end when the refugee has to move on, unless the fridge is willing to give up on memories of its beloved owners.
- "The World's Wife" by Ng Yi-Sheng: in a sequence of unlikely events, the corpse of a person in space has become the home planet for intelligent bacteria. But now the bacteria want revenge over an accidental act unknowingly caused by the person's wife.
- "The Last Gamemaster in the World" by Angela Liu: in a future where people are hooked up to virtual reality, the person in charge visits his mother to talk to her before going back to his job. For while everybody is enjoying the game, somebody has to stay outside to watch over everybody else.
- "Kill That Groundhog" by Fu Qiang, translated by Andy Dudak: three people sit down in a cafe, not for the first time, to discover why they are stuck in reliving one particular day. They try various schemes to break out of the day and eventually hit on a plan that may do it. But it may not end the way they planned it.
- "Eight or Die (Part 2)" by Thoraiya Dyer: the second part of the story where aliens recruit a human to help them capture a criminal that may be planning genocide. The human has now fit into an alien society and after going on a dangerous mining operation, he is now on the way to a deadly island filled with mechanical killers where the criminal is hiding.
- "Morag's Boy" by Fiona Moore: a follow-up to the author's earlier story, this one has a boy sent to a farm. What he learns there, along with his skills in fixing machines, would send him on a journey of invention, in a world where technology and civilization has partially collapsed, and people are still picking up (and repairing) the left-over machines.
- "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Cyborg" by Samara Auman: a story told from the viewpoint of an intelligent crow who, at the start of the story, finds its favourite human cyborg dead. As the story develops, we learn more about where the crows come from, their relationship with the dead person and what the crows will do in memory of her.
- "In Memories We Drown" by Kelsea Yu: in a deep underwater lab cut off from the surface after an unknown disaster hits, one person tastes a marine plant and discovers that it can surface vivid memories of her favourite food. But this may turn out to be a curse when the plant also surfaces vivid memories of her loved ones, now maybe lost to her.
- "Waffles Are Only Goodbye for Now" by Ryan Cole: an intelligent fridge lies buried in a house during a conflict and gets a visit from a refugee looking for food. Time passes, and they develop a relationship. But it may soon end when the refugee has to move on, unless the fridge is willing to give up on memories of its beloved owners.
- "The World's Wife" by Ng Yi-Sheng: in a sequence of unlikely events, the corpse of a person in space has become the home planet for intelligent bacteria. But now the bacteria want revenge over an accidental act unknowingly caused by the person's wife.
- "The Last Gamemaster in the World" by Angela Liu: in a future where people are hooked up to virtual reality, the person in charge visits his mother to talk to her before going back to his job. For while everybody is enjoying the game, somebody has to stay outside to watch over everybody else.
- "Kill That Groundhog" by Fu Qiang, translated by Andy Dudak: three people sit down in a cafe, not for the first time, to discover why they are stuck in reliving one particular day. They try various schemes to break out of the day and eventually hit on a plan that may do it. But it may not end the way they planned it.
- "Eight or Die (Part 2)" by Thoraiya Dyer: the second part of the story where aliens recruit a human to help them capture a criminal that may be planning genocide. The human has now fit into an alien society and after going on a dangerous mining operation, he is now on the way to a deadly island filled with mechanical killers where the criminal is hiding.
February 13, 2024
I enjoyed most of these stories. The ones I liked the most were:
In Memories We Drown by Kelsea Yu
Kill the Groundhog by Fu Qiang
I enjoyed
Morag's Boy by Fionna Moore
Waffles Are Only Goodbye for Now by Ryan Cole
The Last Gamemaster of the World by Angela Liu
In Memories We Drown by Kelsea Yu
Kill the Groundhog by Fu Qiang
I enjoyed
Morag's Boy by Fionna Moore
Waffles Are Only Goodbye for Now by Ryan Cole
The Last Gamemaster of the World by Angela Liu
April 12, 2024
A wonderful issue – mostly because of “Eight or Die” by Thoraiya Dyer. But other stories were good too :)
“Morag’s Boy” by Fiona Moore - I have read about Morag before, in “The Spoil Heap”, issue 198 of Clarkesworld. I wasn’t too impressed, and didn’t review it. This is the same dystopian universe, but the story is so much better. Morag adopts Cliff, and begins to understand that her post-apocalyptic world can be different. 4.9 stars.
“Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Cyborg” by Samara Auman - crows are mourning their cyborg friend. This one is virtually plotless, it’s poetical and philosophical. Nice, but I was left wanting more. 3.8 stars.
“In Memories We Drown” by Kelsea Yu - some people are living in an underwater station after some kind of catastrophe. They find a strange plant. It’s a beautiful story. It felt too short and somewhat incomplete, though. 3.9 stars.
“Waffles are Only Goodbye for Now” by Ryan Cole - in a war zone, a little boy befriends a smart refrigerator. Awww. 4.0 stars.
“The World’s Wife” by Ng Yi-Sheng - there is a body that becomes a whole world… Fun! 4.0 stars.
“The Last Gamemaster in the World” by Angela Liu - Here is the grandest online game ever! Interesting, but it didn’t quite move me. 3.9 stars.
“Kill That Groundhog” by Fu Qiang - three people are trying to escape their Groundhog Day, in various ingenious ways. So much fun! Hilarious. 4.4 stars.
“Eight or Die”, Part II by Thotaiya Dyer - continued from issue 206 of Clarkesworld. We are still on a mission on an alien world. It’s weird, it’s quirky, it’s fun, it’s tragic, it’s magic, it’s humane. It’s very unlike “regular” sci-fi (whatever that is). The writing is great. The characters are great. Everything is great. I’m fangirling. Here are 5 stars.
“Morag’s Boy” by Fiona Moore - I have read about Morag before, in “The Spoil Heap”, issue 198 of Clarkesworld. I wasn’t too impressed, and didn’t review it. This is the same dystopian universe, but the story is so much better. Morag adopts Cliff, and begins to understand that her post-apocalyptic world can be different. 4.9 stars.
“Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Cyborg” by Samara Auman - crows are mourning their cyborg friend. This one is virtually plotless, it’s poetical and philosophical. Nice, but I was left wanting more. 3.8 stars.
“In Memories We Drown” by Kelsea Yu - some people are living in an underwater station after some kind of catastrophe. They find a strange plant. It’s a beautiful story. It felt too short and somewhat incomplete, though. 3.9 stars.
“Waffles are Only Goodbye for Now” by Ryan Cole - in a war zone, a little boy befriends a smart refrigerator. Awww. 4.0 stars.
“The World’s Wife” by Ng Yi-Sheng - there is a body that becomes a whole world… Fun! 4.0 stars.
“The Last Gamemaster in the World” by Angela Liu - Here is the grandest online game ever! Interesting, but it didn’t quite move me. 3.9 stars.
“Kill That Groundhog” by Fu Qiang - three people are trying to escape their Groundhog Day, in various ingenious ways. So much fun! Hilarious. 4.4 stars.
“Eight or Die”, Part II by Thotaiya Dyer - continued from issue 206 of Clarkesworld. We are still on a mission on an alien world. It’s weird, it’s quirky, it’s fun, it’s tragic, it’s magic, it’s humane. It’s very unlike “regular” sci-fi (whatever that is). The writing is great. The characters are great. Everything is great. I’m fangirling. Here are 5 stars.
January 4, 2024
Another stellar issue of Clarkesworld. Notable stories in this issue:
"Thireen Ways of Looking at a Cyborg," Samara Auman, written in the first-person POV of an intelligent crow and its murder mourning the person who rescued them from a lab. This is a beautiful, sad story about grief, loss, and moving on.
"In Memories We Drown," Kelsea Yu, a post-apocalyptic story about a team of researchers trapped in a habitat on the ocean bottom after an apparent surface apocalyptic event. This is another sad story of loss (which is a bit of a theme in this issue) but it's lovely.
"Kill That Groundhog," Fu Quiang, translated by Andy Dudak, is a hard-SF story by a Chinese writer dealing with a group of people trapped in a time loop and their efforts to break free. The ending is not at all what you would expect.
"Eight or Die," Thoraiya Dyer, is the second part of a serial that began in the last issue. You really need to have read Part 1 to make any sense of it, but it's an absorbing story of an alien species and culture and the human who is tasked with helping to hunt down a rogue alien.
If you like these stories, please consider subscribing. Go here. The magazine was hit hard by Amazon's recent boneheaded decison to discontinue direct Kindle subscriptions, and they could use the help.
"Thireen Ways of Looking at a Cyborg," Samara Auman, written in the first-person POV of an intelligent crow and its murder mourning the person who rescued them from a lab. This is a beautiful, sad story about grief, loss, and moving on.
"In Memories We Drown," Kelsea Yu, a post-apocalyptic story about a team of researchers trapped in a habitat on the ocean bottom after an apparent surface apocalyptic event. This is another sad story of loss (which is a bit of a theme in this issue) but it's lovely.
"Kill That Groundhog," Fu Quiang, translated by Andy Dudak, is a hard-SF story by a Chinese writer dealing with a group of people trapped in a time loop and their efforts to break free. The ending is not at all what you would expect.
"Eight or Die," Thoraiya Dyer, is the second part of a serial that began in the last issue. You really need to have read Part 1 to make any sense of it, but it's an absorbing story of an alien species and culture and the human who is tasked with helping to hunt down a rogue alien.
If you like these stories, please consider subscribing. Go here. The magazine was hit hard by Amazon's recent boneheaded decison to discontinue direct Kindle subscriptions, and they could use the help.
January 6, 2024
Morag's Boy BY FIONA MOORE
7/10 - Strong start in the form of great writing, a simple message with heart.
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Cyborg BY SAMARA AUMAN
10/10 - Pensive, yet emotional. Surprisingly deep look at the concept of intelligence and the vastness of thought.
In Memories We Drown BY KELSEA YU
9/10 - An interesting twist on the standard grief story, told through the writing of someone who clearly understands researchers.
Waffles Are Only Goodbye for Now BY RYAN COLE
9/10 - Excellent world building, human beings will bond with anything.
The World's Wife BY NG YI-SHENG
8/10 - Delightful retelling of the tiny world cliche, nothing new but still well written.
The Last Gamemaster in the World BY ANGELA LIU
3/10 - Bland
Kill That Groundhog BY FU QIANG, TRANSLATED BY ANDY DUDAK
2/10 - Palm Springs, 2020 but make it wattpad
Eight or Die (Part 2) + Part 1 BY THORAIYA DYER
6/10 - Aliens, interesting narration style and a 3hr plus story.
7/10 - Strong start in the form of great writing, a simple message with heart.
Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Cyborg BY SAMARA AUMAN
10/10 - Pensive, yet emotional. Surprisingly deep look at the concept of intelligence and the vastness of thought.
In Memories We Drown BY KELSEA YU
9/10 - An interesting twist on the standard grief story, told through the writing of someone who clearly understands researchers.
Waffles Are Only Goodbye for Now BY RYAN COLE
9/10 - Excellent world building, human beings will bond with anything.
The World's Wife BY NG YI-SHENG
8/10 - Delightful retelling of the tiny world cliche, nothing new but still well written.
The Last Gamemaster in the World BY ANGELA LIU
3/10 - Bland
Kill That Groundhog BY FU QIANG, TRANSLATED BY ANDY DUDAK
2/10 - Palm Springs, 2020 but make it wattpad
Eight or Die (Part 2) + Part 1 BY THORAIYA DYER
6/10 - Aliens, interesting narration style and a 3hr plus story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2023
I really liked all but one of the fiction stories, including the finish to a two party story which began in the last issue. The interviews are always interesting. If you are interested in new sci fi authors, why aren't you subscribing to this?
March 6, 2024
In Memories We Drown by Kelsea Yu made me cry.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews