Asimov's Science Fiction: August 2005
Asimov's Science Fiction: August 2005
Second of freebie issues I had lying around. I liked this issue far more than the last one.
"He Woke in Darkness"
by Harry Turtledove
Well, this story kept turning in ways I never expected. First I thought I was going to get a story about an amnesiac (which didn’t thrill me), and then I thought I was getting an alternate history, with race roles reversed during the sixties, and then I got a told it was a dream, and the one thing that saved this then was the fact that the whole he-woke-up-and-it-was-all-a-dream had a twist: the events in the story were real, with races reversed back to actual history. So Cecil is dreaming, over and over, what it’d been like to be on the other side. So the story’s actually horror, and it works well in a quiet way. And while his writing style kept me distanced from the story, I do like Turtledove’s use of repetition with the line “He Woke In Darkness,” which means something different every time we read it.
"Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck"
by Neal Asher
I actually looked forward to reading this story, because I wanted to read something else by Asher, and I know short stories are very different beasts than novels.
While this story wasn’t to my personal tastes (adventure/survival on a strange planet with a hunting theme), Asher does extraordinarily well with his world-building and details. There was obviously great care taken to visualize this world and the things that live there, and in this regard, I was fascinated. The sheqs were most intriguing, particularly what happens when they lose a member of their pack. And the gabbleduck. Oh my god, the gabbleduck. Loved it. Loved it in all its monstrosity and nonsensical speech. I don’t care how scary it was supposed to be, how can you not like a creature that follows you around speaking pure nonsense, but has a distinct sense of mischief behind it? :)
Other details that were well done were the geography of this planet, the limitations humans faced, and the interesting though somewhat random tangent about the nature of the brother and sister’s relationship. To be honest, it’s a fascinating thought and I want separate story devoted to the idea all on its own.
I didn’t care of the immediate flashback at the beginning of the story, as I found it completely unnecessary, but once I got past that, the story was an easy read.
"A Shadow Fell Over the Land"
by Liz Williams
Now this is a writer I might seek out a novel or two from. The story has a very definite atmosphere about it, and I love the spiritual connection (spiritual, not religious) to the science fictional/archeological element to this story. It’s a quiet piece with very individual characters and a plot you don’t see coming till the end. My only real question was whether or not the narrator’s abandonment was intentional. I want to say it was, but if that’s the case, I’m not sure why she was rescued. But a good, solid story. Like I said, I may have to see out more of her work.
"Point of Origin"
by Catherine Wells
Another great, enjoyable story; though the funny thing about this is that even though it takes place in the immediate future and it obviously has interesting technological strides, I’d be hard-pressed to label this science fiction. This isn’t meant as a insult or anything, but it strikes me that it feels so close to where we (as a society) are going that something in my brain balks at labeling it SF. It is SF, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not traditional, and I think that’s one of the reasons I like this so much. Course, the setting and the fires allow for wonderful story-telling material, and I really liked the dynamic between the two main characters. Lots of great stuff in this piece, and Wells might just be another one of those writers I look for more of.
"Bottom Feeding"
by Tim Pratt
I have only one complaint about this story: even at the end, despite the subtle clues, I still haven't decided if this fish is a salmon or a cat-fish. Why? Because the little interludes from the main action discuss and compare both fish, and the Shiteater seems to be a cat-fish, yet, at the end, there's a question. I don't mind TOO much, cause I've decided it's a salmon (thanks to the tale told in an interlude), but I would've liked to know for sure rather than guess.
Still, it's a wonderful story. The voice is very solid, and I loved all the details in this story, from the garbage to the memories to the characters. Very realistic, but with a lovely fairy-tale-ish feel to it that makes the story magical.
"The Summer of Seven"
by Paul Melko
This is an interesting piece, and despite the fact it's the third story written in this series, I had no trouble getting into it and enjoying the piece as a stand-alone. Granted, there were some details I wish could've been clarified, but I imagine had I read previous stories, I'd probably be in good shape.
One of the things I like seeing in science fiction are the teenagers of the post-human race. Because while teenagers will be somewhat different due to their talents and modifications, they will still, on some level, still act and think like a teenager. I've seen Justina Robson do this well, and it's great to see Melko doing the same thing. This is an entertaining piece, and while I don't get why the ducks suddenly acted in sync, I do like the greater symbolism to the story.
"A Birth"
by Carrie Richerson
Here's a quite enjoyable story by Richerson, the second of hers I've read. My only quibble really was the fact that I thought the narrator was female at first. Can't explain why I thought that, but I got it figured out by the second page. I did have a little bit of trouble visualizing fLaar, and because of the jack-ass comparison, I kept seeing that one character (I forget his name) from Midsummer Night's Dream that gets transformed to a donkey by fairy magic.
But I enjoy this as a story of first contact, of parallel evolution, and of the changing future. I liked that despite the fact there is an alien race, space wasn't teeming with intelligent life, and that the vRel experienced what humanity might experience if casting about the universe for habital worlds--depression and despair.
So it's a very good piece, especially the realization at the end from the father, who knows that despite the differences in race, people will always have to deal with the same issues in life, and in this case, child-rearing. It's a cute, kind of sardonic ending, but a good one.
"Kath and Quicksilver"
by Larry Niven & Brenda Cooper
This story really didn't do anything for me. I felt very distanced from it, and I had no avenue to really connect to what was going on, and unfortunately, the tour of Mercury wasn't enough to hook me. It's not badly written, but it's just not to my tastes. It took me a while to figure out Jolene wasn't human, and I'm even wondering now if Kath was either. The idea of being a child for thirty-something years is an interesting one, but not enough to carry the story for me.
Let's see...I liked 5/8 pieces, which isn't bad at all. Stand-outs were those pieces by Wells, Melko, Williams, Pratt, and Richerson, though almost all of the stories had something interesting and entertaining about them (for this reader, anyway). This is the last Asimov's I've got lying around, but I'll probably pick up random issues as they're available, just to see what's new.