What do you think?
Rate this book
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 162, March 2020
FICTION
- Time Reveals the Heart by Derek Künsken
- Coffee Boom: Decoctions, Micronized by D.A. Xiaolin Spires
- Leave-Taking by M. L. Clark
- The Amusement Dark by Mike Buckley
- Grayer Than Lead, Heavier Than Snow by Yukimi Ogawa
- The Whale Fall at the End of the Universe by Cameron Van Sant
NON-FICTION
- Separated at Birth? Occultism, Science Fiction, and Why People Can't Tell Them Apart by Mark Cole
- Calibrating the Stakes: A Conversation with Alastair Reynolds by Arley Sorg
- Imaginary Friends: A Conversation with Kameron Hurley by Arley Sorg
- Editor's Desk: The Best from 2019 by Neil Clarke
PODCASTS
Time Reveals the Heart by Derek Künsken, read by Kate Baker
ART
- Pitstop by Thomas Chamberlain-Keen
- Time Reveals the Heart by Derek Künsken
- Coffee Boom: Decoctions, Micronized by D.A. Xiaolin Spires
- Leave-Taking by M. L. Clark
- The Amusement Dark by Mike Buckley
- Grayer Than Lead, Heavier Than Snow by Yukimi Ogawa
- The Whale Fall at the End of the Universe by Cameron Van Sant
NON-FICTION
- Separated at Birth? Occultism, Science Fiction, and Why People Can't Tell Them Apart by Mark Cole
- Calibrating the Stakes: A Conversation with Alastair Reynolds by Arley Sorg
- Imaginary Friends: A Conversation with Kameron Hurley by Arley Sorg
- Editor's Desk: The Best from 2019 by Neil Clarke
PODCASTS
Time Reveals the Heart by Derek Künsken, read by Kate Baker
ART
- Pitstop by Thomas Chamberlain-Keen
148 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2020
1 person is currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Neil Clarke
401 books398 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 22, 2020
Really enjoyed The Whale Fall at the End of the Universe by Cameron Van Sant! The imagery of this was really strong, and I love stories about love at the end of the world.
May 4, 2020
"The Amusement Dark" by Mike Buckley and "Coffee Boom: Decoctions, Micronized" by D.A. Xiaolin Spires are on my list of the Best Short SFF of March 2020: https://1000yearplan.com/2020/04/01/t...
August 18, 2020
Time Reveals the Heart by Derek Künsken - 4*
Not my favorite Kunsken story but I really liked the themes explored (family and addiction), the ending was very satisfying as well.
Coffee Boom: Decoctions, Micronized by D.A. Xiaolin Spires - DNF
Spires is a very hit or miss auhor for me, I don't get most of their stories and this one was the same. I read half of it and then I dropped it.
Leave-Taking by M. L. Clark - 3.5*
Loved the writing and the ideas (what would happen if you had an emotional meltdown during a first contact with an alien?). I'm not sure the format was that good to really understand the main character and his motivations. Not my favorite Clark story but still solid.
The Amusement Dark by Mike Buckley - 3.5*
Almost DNF this one because the main character was very annoying but I'm glad I finished it. The writing was good and the themes explored (loss of a child, trauma, grief, depression) were well done but I really disliked the main male character and I wanted to shake him during the entire story.
Grayer Than Lead, Heavier Than Snow by Yukimi Ogawa - 4*
I read another story by Ogawa set in the same universe so I was happy to be back in this world. I wish I could read an entire novel about Colorless people and their craft.
The Whale Fall at the End of the Universe by Cameron Van Sant - ??
I don't remember anything about this story, I read it a couple of weeks ago but even re-reading the first few lines didn't help my situation.
Non-fiction: Kameron Hurley's interview was fascinating, I can't wait to read The Light Brigade later this month.
Not my favorite Kunsken story but I really liked the themes explored (family and addiction), the ending was very satisfying as well.
Coffee Boom: Decoctions, Micronized by D.A. Xiaolin Spires - DNF
Spires is a very hit or miss auhor for me, I don't get most of their stories and this one was the same. I read half of it and then I dropped it.
Leave-Taking by M. L. Clark - 3.5*
Loved the writing and the ideas (what would happen if you had an emotional meltdown during a first contact with an alien?). I'm not sure the format was that good to really understand the main character and his motivations. Not my favorite Clark story but still solid.
The Amusement Dark by Mike Buckley - 3.5*
Almost DNF this one because the main character was very annoying but I'm glad I finished it. The writing was good and the themes explored (loss of a child, trauma, grief, depression) were well done but I really disliked the main male character and I wanted to shake him during the entire story.
Grayer Than Lead, Heavier Than Snow by Yukimi Ogawa - 4*
I read another story by Ogawa set in the same universe so I was happy to be back in this world. I wish I could read an entire novel about Colorless people and their craft.
The Whale Fall at the End of the Universe by Cameron Van Sant - ??
I don't remember anything about this story, I read it a couple of weeks ago but even re-reading the first few lines didn't help my situation.
Non-fiction: Kameron Hurley's interview was fascinating, I can't wait to read The Light Brigade later this month.
November 18, 2020
Time Reveals The Heart - Derek Künsken ***
Juxtaposes the temptations of a son whose archaeology job requires the use of addictive drugs with the alcoholism of his mother. Sweet and tender.
Coffee Boom: Decoctions, Micronized - DA Xiaolin Spires ***
Light and playful, a barista and her scientist friend steal a miniature particle accelerator to make the world's best coffee.
Leave-Taking - ML Clark **
A post-breakup confessional combined with a first contact story. A couple of neat ideas but the inconsistent narrative voice bugged me and got bogged down in self-/recriminations.
The Amusement Dark - Mike Buckley ****
The last crewmember of a research ship, along with a robotic simulacrum of his dead daughter, discover survivors from a lost war with machines a hundred years ago. Bleak, but with a spark of hope and resolve to continue on in the face of that bleakness.
Grayer Than Lead, Heavier Than Snow - Yukimi Ogawa ***
Gentle story of a colour- and patternless craftsperson able to see the world differently to the half-human androids whose colouring and patterns give them status. Her healing techniques allow them to bond and learn to respect one another despite differences in class.
The Whale Fall At The End Of The Universe - Cameron Van Sant ****
An alien drifts through the space between stars, surviving by hibernating and photosynthesis, before arriving at the whale fall of the title. Some beautiful imagery but also a striking simplicity about the essence of love.
Juxtaposes the temptations of a son whose archaeology job requires the use of addictive drugs with the alcoholism of his mother. Sweet and tender.
Coffee Boom: Decoctions, Micronized - DA Xiaolin Spires ***
Light and playful, a barista and her scientist friend steal a miniature particle accelerator to make the world's best coffee.
Leave-Taking - ML Clark **
A post-breakup confessional combined with a first contact story. A couple of neat ideas but the inconsistent narrative voice bugged me and got bogged down in self-/recriminations.
The Amusement Dark - Mike Buckley ****
The last crewmember of a research ship, along with a robotic simulacrum of his dead daughter, discover survivors from a lost war with machines a hundred years ago. Bleak, but with a spark of hope and resolve to continue on in the face of that bleakness.
Grayer Than Lead, Heavier Than Snow - Yukimi Ogawa ***
Gentle story of a colour- and patternless craftsperson able to see the world differently to the half-human androids whose colouring and patterns give them status. Her healing techniques allow them to bond and learn to respect one another despite differences in class.
The Whale Fall At The End Of The Universe - Cameron Van Sant ****
An alien drifts through the space between stars, surviving by hibernating and photosynthesis, before arriving at the whale fall of the title. Some beautiful imagery but also a striking simplicity about the essence of love.
May 30, 2020
It took me a while to finish this issue, though it was worth it at least for a couple of stories: “Time Reveals the Heart” from Derek Künsken, and “The Amusement Dark” from Mike Buckley.
The first one is a story that plays with the idea of using psychedelic drugs to travel in time to talk about different types of addiction, from the most obvious ones to those that seduce us almost without notice. Highly recommended.
Mike Buckley takes us to a peculiar amusement park for robots where the main ride is the nervous system of 3 humans kept alive in a coma (!). But the weirdness doesn’t stop there. The park is abandoned, and discovered by a an alcoholic that travels through space in a large lonely ship, with the only company of the reanimated corpse of his daughter (!!!). A dark story, halfway between science fiction and weird horror, that ultimately deals with the theme of creating meaning in the void.
The first one is a story that plays with the idea of using psychedelic drugs to travel in time to talk about different types of addiction, from the most obvious ones to those that seduce us almost without notice. Highly recommended.
Mike Buckley takes us to a peculiar amusement park for robots where the main ride is the nervous system of 3 humans kept alive in a coma (!). But the weirdness doesn’t stop there. The park is abandoned, and discovered by a an alcoholic that travels through space in a large lonely ship, with the only company of the reanimated corpse of his daughter (!!!). A dark story, halfway between science fiction and weird horror, that ultimately deals with the theme of creating meaning in the void.
April 9, 2020
I really enjoyed The Amusement Dark Story in this edition. The timing of release couldn’t have been much better.
April 19, 2020
Stories I enjoyed were:
Time Reveals the Heart by Derek Kunsken -3.5
Coffee Boom: Decorations, Micronized - 3
The Amusement Dark by Mike Buckley - 4 stand out story for me in this issue.
Time Reveals the Heart by Derek Kunsken -3.5
Coffee Boom: Decorations, Micronized - 3
The Amusement Dark by Mike Buckley - 4 stand out story for me in this issue.
December 31, 2022
Personal memo:
Kunsken ****
Xiaolin Spires ****
Clark ***
Buckley ****
Ogawa ****
Van Sant ***
Kunsken ****
Xiaolin Spires ****
Clark ***
Buckley ****
Ogawa ****
Van Sant ***
May 9, 2020
Oh hey, my story is on Goodreads now 😃
November 1, 2020
Grossly behind on tracking this wretched year, but “Time Reveals the Heart,” by Derek Künsken is a good story from this issue.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews