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Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue #246, Special Double-Issue for BCS Science-Fantasy Month 4
Issue #246 of Beneath Ceaseless Skies online magazine, a special double-issue for BCS Science-Fantasy Month 4, featuring stories by Sarah Pinsker, Jason Sanford, and Phoenix Alexander.
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
95 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 21, 2018
14 people want to read
About the author
Scott H. Andrews
465 books24 followersScott H. Andrews is a writer of science fiction. He teaches college chemistry. He is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of the fantasy magazine Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
Andrews's short stories have appeared in Weird Tales, Space and Time, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, On Spec, Crossed Genres, and M-Brane SF.
Andrews's short stories have appeared in Weird Tales, Space and Time, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, On Spec, Crossed Genres, and M-Brane SF.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 8, 2018
The big draw here is Jason Sanford's "The Emotionless, In Love", a stand-alone story set in the same world as his Nebula nominated story "Blood Grains Speak Through Memories". It's an epic action-adventure novella, maybe slightly overlong but otherwise hitting all the right notes. Sanford has created a distinct and compelling science fantasy world, where nanobots called "grains" were created to protect the environment but have ended up terrorizing, and re-shaping, human civilization.
Sarah Pinsker's "Do as I Do, Sing as I Sing" is a nice story as well. Guerre is chosen to be her town's next "cropsinger", one whose singing assists in the growing of crops. Her brother Acco believes he should have been the one chosen, and his jealously leads him down a more destructive path.
"Gennesaret", the fiction debut of Phoenix Alexander, is a well composed story about a mother fleeing an oppressive life with her infant son. Decent enough, though it eventually devolves into a heavy-handed political allegory that didn't gel with me.
Sarah Pinsker's "Do as I Do, Sing as I Sing" is a nice story as well. Guerre is chosen to be her town's next "cropsinger", one whose singing assists in the growing of crops. Her brother Acco believes he should have been the one chosen, and his jealously leads him down a more destructive path.
"Gennesaret", the fiction debut of Phoenix Alexander, is a well composed story about a mother fleeing an oppressive life with her infant son. Decent enough, though it eventually devolves into a heavy-handed political allegory that didn't gel with me.
March 14, 2018
Overall rating 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars
"Do As I Do, Sing As I Sing" by Sarah Pinsker 4 stars
A fascinating story about two approaches to the production of the necessities of survival. Very well written, with interesting characters and world-building. Thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking
"The Emotionless, in Love" by Jason Sanford 4.5 stars
This story is one of the most original I have read in some time. The world-building is spectacular, the character development excellent and the story line itself is fascinating. A totally worthwhile read!
"Gennesaret" by Phoenix Alexander 5 stars
This short story is utterly heart-breaking. The author puts an incredible amount of emotion in a very few words, as well as what can be taken as a commentary on our own society. Brought to mind the current divisive situation in our own country, the school shootings that politicians will do nothing about while using the situation to their own advantage. :-(
"Do As I Do, Sing As I Sing" by Sarah Pinsker 4 stars
A fascinating story about two approaches to the production of the necessities of survival. Very well written, with interesting characters and world-building. Thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking
"The Emotionless, in Love" by Jason Sanford 4.5 stars
This story is one of the most original I have read in some time. The world-building is spectacular, the character development excellent and the story line itself is fascinating. A totally worthwhile read!
"Gennesaret" by Phoenix Alexander 5 stars
This short story is utterly heart-breaking. The author puts an incredible amount of emotion in a very few words, as well as what can be taken as a commentary on our own society. Brought to mind the current divisive situation in our own country, the school shootings that politicians will do nothing about while using the situation to their own advantage. :-(
April 6, 2022
“We had not been chosen because we were special; we were now special because we had been chosen, and taught.”
Engaging short story about consequences. The protagonist finds herself the focus of her villages hopes and her brother’s ire simply because she followed directions.
“Why does ‘why’ matter?” “Because it lets you fix things better when they go wrong.” “Our job is not to fix things. It’s to make sure they don’t go wrong in the first place.”
Close point of view storytelling. Delving deep into the character of her protagonist, Pinsker let’s the plot take care of itself. Seemingly. Good job.
“‘What if they wanted our land?’ Everything was based on what-ifs. What-ifs that could destroy everything. What-ifs that relied on my brother acting ethically, acting logically. When had he last done either?”
Both main characters compromise themselves. One lies about his shortcut to increased agricultural self-sufficiency; the other thwarts that threat to traditional and proven crop production by destruction and lying. Do two wrongs make a right?
“Cropsinging was serious business, life and death for everyone involved. Now it was ours.”
Merged review:
(Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Issue #246, Mar 1, 2018)
‘Theirs is a time of running.’
Excellent short story which develops itself in the telling. The reader enters the story in progress, but Alexander deftly tells only as much as needed, when needed. The climax is foreshadowed; the conclusion sadly appropriate. Good job.
“We can use this in the next campaign poster: the price of freedom. I can see it now.” “What a world we live in.”
Engaging short story about consequences. The protagonist finds herself the focus of her villages hopes and her brother’s ire simply because she followed directions.
“Why does ‘why’ matter?” “Because it lets you fix things better when they go wrong.” “Our job is not to fix things. It’s to make sure they don’t go wrong in the first place.”
Close point of view storytelling. Delving deep into the character of her protagonist, Pinsker let’s the plot take care of itself. Seemingly. Good job.
“‘What if they wanted our land?’ Everything was based on what-ifs. What-ifs that could destroy everything. What-ifs that relied on my brother acting ethically, acting logically. When had he last done either?”
Both main characters compromise themselves. One lies about his shortcut to increased agricultural self-sufficiency; the other thwarts that threat to traditional and proven crop production by destruction and lying. Do two wrongs make a right?
“Cropsinging was serious business, life and death for everyone involved. Now it was ours.”
Merged review:
(Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Issue #246, Mar 1, 2018)
‘Theirs is a time of running.’
Excellent short story which develops itself in the telling. The reader enters the story in progress, but Alexander deftly tells only as much as needed, when needed. The climax is foreshadowed; the conclusion sadly appropriate. Good job.
“We can use this in the next campaign poster: the price of freedom. I can see it now.” “What a world we live in.”
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April 5, 2022Listened to the audio podcast edition from the BCS Vault: https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.c...
You can read the original story for free here: https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.c...
You can read the original story for free here: https://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.c...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews