Asimov's Science Fiction, March/April 2025

by Sheila Williams (Editor)

Our March/April 2025 issue is bursting with fiction. We have three exciting novellas stuffed into our pages. Kristine Kathryn Rusch opens the issue with a thrilling story about “Weather Duty”; T.R. Napper brings us an intense tale about a rogue AI in “The Hidden God”; and Nancy Kress bookends the issue with Part 1 of a giant novella that exposes the terrifying consequences of coexistence with “Quantum Ghosts”!

Ray Nayler reveals the true horror behind “The Demon of Metrazol”; Rob Chilson attempts to resolve “The Mystery of My Death”; new author Anthony Ha gives us “A Brief History of the Afterlife”; new to Asimov’s author Samantha Murray spins the bittersweet tale of “My Heart a Streak of Light Across the Sky”; and new author Donald McCarthy shocks us with truths about “Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon.” Zohar Jacobs returns to our pages with a tense story about what it means to be “On the Night Shift,” and Misha Lenau makes good on the promise of “Cryptid or Your Money Back.”

Robert Silverberg’s Reflections explains “The Naming of Names”; James Patrick Kelly’s On the Net considers “Spaceships of the Mind”; and Norman Spinrad’s On Books muses about “Speculative Literature?” Plus we’ll have an array of poetry you’re sure to enjoy.

Genres: Science Fiction, Novella

480 pages, ebook

First published March 1, 2025

About the author

Librarian 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.

Reviews

[Oleksandr Zholud · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is March/April 2025 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction. This issue is unusual because it contains three novellas (or 2.5 because one novellas is split between two issues). The novellas are the strongest reads in this issue. I've read and discussed it at ORBIT – Otherworldly Reads, Bold Ideas, and Tales. SF & F Short Stories and Novelettes group.

Contents:

Magnifique! Redux [Asimov's Editorials] essay by Sheila Williams on a collection of SFF art, which will be exhibited at the University of Delaware Library (Old College Hall 18 East Main St. Newark, Delaware 19716) from August 28 to December 9, 2025
The Naming of Names [Reflections] essay by Robert Silverberg on names of SFF authors, mostly curios, from that Silverberg is Bob, but RAH is definitely Robert. 3*
Intergalactic Tanka poem by Anna Cates I've read more interesting tankas but it sounds ok
Spacecraft of the Mind [On the Net] essay by James Patrick Kelly from the space race of the 60s to possibilities of interstellar travel. Alas, I heard it all before, no new stuff, but ok outline. 3*
Weather Duty novella by Kristine Kathryn Rusch a near future Las Vegas. Amala Navarro is a newbe in a regional weather civic committee. In this future to overcome problems with dysfunctional two-party USA politics, all serious questions are decided jury-style by locals, who are (again like jurors are randomly selected). An interesting concept, Alas, the author decided to add some action instead... this made it sound like an excerpt from a larger story 3.25*
After the Chemicals Decay poem by Claire McNerney post-human recovery of Earth
My Heart a Streak of Light Across the Sky short story by Samantha Murray a woman on a newly colonized planet. She had cancer (cured by nanobots) and still has a mental condition that prevents her from recalling visual memories. Similar bots are now terraforming the planet. Her partner, who travelled here when she was having anti-cancer treatment, died in an accident during the landing. A maudlin piece. 3*
Now that I Have Found You poem by Robert Frazier a discovery on a new exoplanet
On the Night Side novelette by Zohar Jacobs an SF version of Arthur Hailey's "commercial novels", were in each book (like Airport or Hotel) he looked in detail how this business operates, but not as much business/accounts-wise but people's interactions. Here we have a first-ever manned flight to Mars just before landing, while a great flood destroys Houston's main ground control, so people from the 'night shift' replace it. A nice quote: That’s when it strikes her: the disaster has already happened. The disaster is happening right now. More than seven people have died in this hurricane already. And here she is, here all of them at NASA are, terrified about the fate of seven astronauts who are alive and well and eating breakfast on their way to Mars. It seems so ridiculous, so disproportionate. It is almost a contemporary lit, not SF. 3*
Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon short story by Donald McCarthy a woman, abducted by aliens as a kid, spends all her life and money to contact them again. Psychologically strong. 3*
Learning Toy poem by Don Mark Baldridge 'world is a kit', nice
The Hidden God novella by T. R. Napper first readers get a glimpse on a few short cases, where rich and powerful are killed by their AI, like a waiter drone dousing arms dealer in alcohol and igniting or Tesla autopilot hitting a truck at 200 mph. It turns out that a super-AI was created and it is currently passing a check regarding its moral values. Here we find out a year - it is "the 135th annual Academy Awards" (2063)... There are discussions about permissible violence and artificial reality, strong story with only one minus - not in all sins only the richest are guilty, Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot or Putin weren't the richest but killed many more. And the solution in the story is questionable. The author is a strong new voice, I noted him earlier. 4*
The Demon of Metrazol short story by Ray Nayler this is almost a non-SF, the story is set in a mental hospital in the 1930s USA, where doctors use Pentylenetetrazol (Metrazol in the title) to cause convulsions - this was before the electroconvulsive therapy was widely adopted. The protagonist is a woman who should photograph patients before and after, but 'true' story is nastier. Too depressing to my taste. 2.5*
All the Space We Have Left poem by Marisca Pichette
The Mystery of My Death short story by Rob Chilson the protagonist is a time traveler, and he is a bit obsessed with his death in the past. He visited his burial place, read obituaries but cannot find out exactly how and why he died. The final twist in inexpected, but rather weak, for there ought to be a better build-up. 2.5*
A Brief History of the Afterlife short story by Anthony Ha a woman is born at the end of the 21st century and quite young her mind is uploaded (and her body dies); her many copies work as space pilots; she retires... 2.75*
Next Issue (Asimov's, March-April 2025) essay by uncredited Carrie Vaughn and Ray Nayler’s stories can be interesting
Cryptid or Your Money Back short story by Misha Lenau a man (?) gets a skin of a cryptid, he can wear instead of his human skin. He loves to be chupacabra, but feels alien in his own body. Finally, it is revealed that he is a closeted transgender 2.75*
Quantum Ghosts (Pt 1 of 2) serial by Nancy Kress a first part of a novella. Not a very distant future. Rich and powerful uploaded themselves in quantum servers and are (assumedly) disconnected from the world. The protagonist is an eighteen-year-old named Kenda who takes care of her younger sister. Recently, their mother died from cancer and the money that the mother received from an unknown benefactor had stopped. They move to the only available free habitat next to the abovementioned servers, which emit 'ghosts', which supposedly may cause cancer. It turns out it was hash money from a deceased brother of a senator, for Kenda is his illegitimate daughter. Meanwhile the senator gets info that omnipresent mind-impants can be dangerous and his daughter takes hers off (mortality of such procedure is 15%)... 3*
On Books: Speculative Literature? (Asimov's, March-April 2025) [On Books] essay by Norman Spinrad the author muses if any fiction levels up to literature, the French term 'Belles Lettres' and end up with three fresh novels I haven't read: The Downloaded, The Object and Carpathians. I may try them

[Norman Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good issue. The fiction highlight is Quantum Ghosts: Part I by Nancy Kress. I skimmed over the poems and read the articles and reviews.

Weather Duty • novella by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Set in a near future Las Vegas, this story describes how one woman’s civic duty of serving on a government weather commission leads her to meeting a popular actor and how they get attacked after leaving their commission meeting. It’s an interesting character study that feels like the first part of a much longer work.

My Heart a Streak of Light Across the Sky • short story by Samantha Murray
A scientist on an alien world mourns the loss of her lover. When her research into nano molecules is affected by a meteor storm, she is at the center of a great discovery that will change herself and the world. Well written and emotionally satisfying.

On the Night Shift • novelette by Zohar Jacobs
On the eve of NASA’s first crewed mission to Mars, a hurricane forces the flight controllers to evacuate from Houston to Austin. When another storm closes the backup flight control at Goddard, the small ragtag team of mostly junior engineers must take lead during the Mars orbital insertion burn. The story captures the drama of the situation quite well, with the bonus of commentary about climate change.

Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon • short story by Donald McCarthy
A woman is consumed with finding aliens so she can be abducted like she was when she was four years old. Her search is aided by other true believers, but their luck always seems to be better than hers. A tragic story of obsession.

The Hidden God • novella by T. R. Napper
A lot of philosophical and moral questions are raised when an advanced AI decides to start killing evil billionaires who it judges are mass murderers or otherwise harming humanity. But part of the question is what, if anything, the POV character sees is real. It’s a timely and thoughtful look at the near future.

The Demon of Metrazol • short story by Ray Nayler
In the 1930s, doctors at a mental hospital use a drug called Metrazol in an attempt to calm down some of their patients. The treatment has side effects that are captured on film by a young woman assisting a doctor. There’s a change of perspective at the end that challenges what we’ve just read. It’s a heart wrenching look at psychiatry a century ago.

The Mystery of My Death • short story by Rob Chilson
Time travel paradoxes take center stage when a time traveler for hire first learns when and where he will die, then must go into the recent past to cover up a mistake made by his boss. It’s a cute story but not terribly profound.

A Brief History of the Afterlife • short story by Anthony Ha
This is the account of a woman whose memories are uploaded into ten host robot bodies, with the emphasis on one of those. It’s emotional yet a bit sanitary as we see the benefits and drawbacks of life after death, contracted to work decades in space in their robot spacecraft bodies.

Cryptid Or Your Money Back • short story by Misha Lenau
This story of people cutting themselves out of their human skin and donning cryptid skin is a metaphor for gender identity. It’s an interesting way to let binary people know how it feels to transform oneself.

Quantum Ghosts: Part I • novella by Nancy Kress
The first part of this rare magazine serial is a tense thriller of the near future where almost everyone has a brain implant connected to a quantum-computer information network and where people can upload their memories to digital storage before they die. These two things are somehow interconnected, evidenced by some people being able to see “ghosts,” electronic manifestations from the upload centers through their implants. The protagonist and her young sister must navigate through all of this, plus deal with their relationship to a rising politician. The combination of speculative technology and family drama make this the outstanding story in this issue.

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I most enjoyed the new Nancy Kress story, Quantum Ghosts, which is part 1 of 2. Also good is Weather Duty by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. The Ray Nayler story, The Demon of Metrazol, is chilling.

[Graeme Scallion · Rating 4 out of 5]

A banger issue, especially the short stories. My favourites were "Cryptid or Your Money Back", "Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon", and "The Hidden God".

[Kaiju Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two very good novellas by Rusch and Napper and mostly above average stories put this issue well into the black. While I was really excited for Quantum Ghosts, my disappointment there wasn’t enough to bring the issue down; even it served as a passing, if clunky, entertainment (at least until part two).

Novellas:

Weather Duty by Kristine Kathryn Rusch – This very oddly paced novella actually works. It spends a ton of time setting up the bureaucracy of the world only to pivot into a mini-romance only to pivot again, and then spend even more time on stun-stick mechanics/effects, to the point where I was like, what the hell is even going on. And yet, I never once lost interest. I think this is a case of Rusch’s capabilities overpowering a tale that probably needed more polish. Regardless... 3.75 stars.

The Hidden God by T. R. Napper – I’ve read a lot of stories and seen a lot of movies with this exact same plot… and yet, I really liked this novella. Just goes to show, good writing and good characters is how we human’s have been getting away with telling the same stories since the discovery of fire. Napper’s structure works perfectly here. He tells vignettes of impacted characters that not only flesh out the world without the use of in-your-face exposition, but tie back to the core question. This is probably the best expanded version of the trolly car problem I’ve ever read. Well written and entertaining. (And ::gulp:: believable.) 4 stars.

Quantum Ghosts (Part 1) by Nancy Kress – There’s something about a serialized novel that fills me with excitement. I’m not sure why. Seeing one in this issue by none other than Nancy Kress felt like winning a mini lotto. I’ve read all three Beggars in Spain novels and enjoyed each one despite their flaws. Kress is a big idea writer. She excels at coming up with a sort of ‘what if’ type scenario, and then running a handful of typically not very well written characters through the paces of said scenario. For Beggars, it was sleeplessness, which in turn got crazier and crazier as the novels went on. The payoff is purely plot. How does it all pan out. Quantum Ghosts, I’m sad to report, has a more generic plot than what I was hoping for, but not a bad one. The characters are wooden and so stereotypical that they almost feel silly. The dialogue and human interactions are head-slap worthy and wooden. There’s also a lot of repetition and filler here, sometimes even recapping moments that happened only a few paragraphs earlier. But you don’t read Kress for her amazing prose. In fact, I almost bailed on the first half of Beggars because of the choppy prose and stilted characters, but I’m glad I didn’t. That crazy story paid off in the end. I hope the same for Quantum Ghosts. The best way to describe Nancy Kress is with an analogy. Imagine a great story made into a low budget TV show with lousy actors and no special effects. There’s still enjoyment possible, it’s just gonna be a different kind of enjoyment. Here’s to part 2! 2.25 stars.

Sneak Peak: Quantum Ghosts (Part 2) by Nancy Kress – An absolutely terrible conclusion that doubles down on the unlikeable characters, doubles down on pat resolutions, doubles down on bad writing, and completely dumps the – would you even call it ‘subplot’? – subplot of the titular ghosts. Here’s an example of the clunk you can expect for the duration: “Sunday night Kenda, stretched out in the stinking dumpster beside Hailey’s chair, barely slept.” Or this beauty: “Kenda couldn’t find her, until she did.” All in all, a terrible short novel. 1.75 stars.

Novelette:

On the Night Shift by Zohar Jacobs – This type of story feels like a better fit for Analog. Jacobs seems to know the details quite well and does a good job giving a blow-by-blow description on what might actually happen in the near future if bad weather interferes with a space mission. But at the same time, though I liked the protagonist Maria, the story doesn’t really go anywhere all that interesting. I enjoyed it but it fizzled out for me. 3 stars.

Short Stories:

My Heart a Streak of Light Across the Sky by Samantha Murray – An enjoyable and almost relaxing read, short and sweet, with not a lot of filler, but nothing either really to wow. For an Asimov’s debut, I’d say this is a solid start for Murray. Look forward to more. 3 stars.

Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon by Donald McCarthy – Writing a first-person perspective story about an asshole isn’t easy, and McCarthy almost pulls it off. Unfortunately, Sarah doesn’t learn any life-lessons, not really, and while that’s mostly the point, she also doesn’t stumble across anything exciting plot-wise either. The result: an unlikeable character not doing much. 2.5 stars.

The Demon of Metrazol by Ray Nayler – Huge missed opportunity here. Nayler is one of the writers whose future excites me. He’s got a good grasp of character, clear and often top tier prose, and great ideas. His kryptonite is patience. This is a great example, amongst many of his shorter works, of a story that simply needed more time to develop. I liked Jonah and Ellis and the world they inhabit; I was very interested in this mystery of Metrazol, and then felt the story abruptly ended with one of those tablecloth swipes that leaves most items standing except a tipped candelabra and maybe a fallen fork. 2.75 stars.

The Mystery of My Death by Rob Chilson – This was like sitting in a bar with a friend who says, “I have a great idea for a story,” and you say, “okay, let’s hear it,” and he tells you the rough plot, the mechanics of all the time travel and world building, but really nothing about the characters, and you say, “that would make a good story, you should write it!” But you can tell the wind has left his sails and he never will. 1.5 stars.

A Brief History of the Afterlife by Anthony Ha – I liked this story and appreciate its thematic resonance with both Quantum Ghosts and the Hidden God. What Ha does great here is show a pre-ghost Allegra Wong that feels very much like a real person, and then a series of ghost Wongs that felt subtly different and unique in their own ways. A tough feat to pull off. Given the limited space here, Ha tells a lot of story and does some rich character work. 3.75 stars.

Cryptid or Your Money Back by Misha Lenau – Engaging, humorous, well-told, with a sold first-person narration. There are a lot of trans and gender topic stories out there these days, and this is by far one of the better ones I’ve read because it’s a good story first. I’d have liked to spend a little more time at the convention. 3 stars.

Notable Poetry:

After the Chemicals Decay by Claire McNerney – Wonderful imagery, a narrative between the lines, thoughtful pacing and word choices. I liked this one quite a lot. I don’t know if the repetitive: "here night breezes" element always works, but I appreciated the effort. 4 stars.

Final score for the issue: 3.75 stars.

[Alain del Risco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best edition in years!!!!! Probably my favorite issue during the last four years. All stories were great!

Best stories:

-Quantum Ghists [Part 1] -Nancy Kress
-Weather Duty - Khristine Kathryn Rusch
-Cryptid or Your Money Back- Misha Lenau
-Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon- Donald McCarthy

[George Kasnic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top notch. Every story is deep and accessible. I especially loved “On the Night Shift,” and “Weather Duty.” But the other stories shine,also. Well worth the time and effort.

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a world warmed by climate change, Amala Navarro works as a dance choreographer in Las Vegas, where she has just commenced her new civic duty on the Weather Commission. Living under domes, the weather is modified by consensus, and is occasionally controversial, and to Amala’s horror, on her first day, she and the other new commissioner, famed actor Ezra Oliver, are attacked by assailants with StunSticks and only Amala’s training enables her to disable the thugs. The reason for the attack is revealed in “Weather Duty” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Another wonderful tale. When a Category 5 hurricane threatens mission control in Houston it is up to an emergency team of junior techs, led by Maria, and a retired NASA engineer, to get to Round Rock and guide the Mars mission into its crucial orbit insertion. “On The Night Shift” by Zohar Jacobs has that oldskool sensawunder that makes SF so enjoyable, and Donald McCarthy shows us a woman so obsessed with re-experiencing her childhood abduction by aliens that she may just have lost her humanity in “Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon”. Izzy finds herself strangely pleased by the sudden spate of billionaires dying in accidents or by violence, but she starts to suspect they are part of an organized purge initiated by an artificial general intelligence (AGI). What is even more dismaying is that the AGI known as Huldo is using Izzy as a template for moral decision-making and has a list Izzy made as an adolescent of all those she felt the world would be best without. “The Hidden God” by T. R. Napper is thought-provoking and satisfying. “The Demon Of Metrazol” in Ray Nayler’s creepy tale set in an asylum in 1938 may or may not be an hallucination, while Nancy Kress takes us into a future of quantum computing implants with the first part of “Quantum Ghosts”. After the death of Kendra’s mother, she and her young half-sister Caity are forced to move to a ghettoized area as the mysterious source of her mother’s money was cut off at her death. She discovers that she is the daughter of a dead Vice-President, Dayson and his brother is now running for Governor. But disturbing results on cheap imported implants have come to light hinting at geomagnetic field effects and ‘ghosts’ of uploaded personas. The effects are worsening and Caity has such an implant. Removal is fatal about 1 time in 7, and it might just be that they are a stealth sleeper weapon! Good issue.

[Stephen Burridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this was an enjoyable 3 star issue of the magazine. I rank the stories as follows:

Two 4-star stories, ranked approximately equal:

A Brief History of the Afterlife, The Demon of Metrazol

3-star stories, in descending order:

Quantum Dreams
On the Night Side
Weather Duty
The Hidden God
Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon
Cryptid or Your Money Back
The Mystery of My Death

2.5 stars

My Heart a Streak of Light Across the Sky