Sci Phi Journal, Issue 1, October 2014: The Journal of Science Fiction and Philosophy

by Jason Rennie (Editor), Joshua M. Young, Jane Lebak

Sci Phi is an online science fiction and philosophy magazine. In each issue you will find stories that explore questions of life, the universe and everything and articles that delve into the deep philosophical waters of science fiction universes.

This month we have,

An original Novellete from author John C. Wright, The Ideal Machine, a tale of aliens from a distant star come to visit an old country church and offer our world a chance for the future.

Original Science Fiction stories from
Joshua M. Young - Domo - A story of a Robot who wonders if he has a soul
David Hallquist - Falling To Eternity - Can a Blackhole help you get away with murder?
Frederick Best - Cosmic Foam - What is beyond the visible world
Jane Lebak - Abandoned River, Dry Water - What do you do when life throws you a curve ball?

Original Essays by
David Kyle Johnson - In Defense of the Matrix Saga: Appreciating the Sequel through Philosophy
James Druley - Star Trek's Prime Directive : Moral Guidelines, Exceptions and Absolutes
Stephen S. Hanson - Personhood in H.Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy
Daniel Vecchio - "I am Groot": An Aristotelian Reflection on Space Aliens and Substance
Ruth Tallman - Endangered Species: Exploring Transhumanism, Genetic Engineering and Personhood Through the World of Sweet Tooth

And a book review by Peter Sean Bradley, Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia.

Genres: Science Fiction

147 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2014

Reviews

[Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Combining Science Fiction and Philosophy is a fantastic idea and the first edition of this new magazine proves that there is a lot food for thought.

What I find very interesting is the fact that the old philosophers have already pondered on many essential questions and although they didn't have the scientific knowledge that we have (or believe to have) today they came up with plausible and convincing concepts. It's a big pleasure to re-discover them.

From the stories I liked "Domo" and "Cosmic Foam" most. John C. Wright's "Ideal Machine" has good ideas and all the ingredients are there but I found the story uneven as if it couldn't decide what it want to tell us.

From the articles I enjoyed most the ones about the philosophy in Matrix, implications of the Star Trek Prime Directive and personhood through the world of Sweet Tooth.

I wonder why the editor has selected two articles about personhood. Stephen Hanson has a lot to say but I wish he would have applied the findings more to the world we live in. Are there groups that fulfill the criterias but are not accepted? Ruth Tallman does a better job to show the implications.

I am looking forward to the next issues!

[Peter Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Amazon review -

http://www.amazon.com/review/RUS91AZM...

[T.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the idea behind this journal. One of my favorite parts of the science fiction genre is that it allows us to explore big ideas, many of them philosophical in nature. Stories that ask solid "What if?" questions always make for an interesting read, and there were several such stories here. I particularly enjoyed Joshua M. Young's "Domo" and David Hallquist's "Falling to Eternity." I did find several typos that probably should have been caught before publication, but overall, I was very impressed with these stories. I definitely want to read more in the future.

[Eddie D. Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

This magazine offers not only entertainment but knowledge as well. It is also a great way to learn about other books in the book review.