REVIEW: "The Spoils" by Aliya Whiteley

Review of Aliya Whiteley, “The Spoils”, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Issue 298, (February 27, 2020): Read online. Reviewed by Richard Lohmeyer.

Prior to this issue of BCS, I had not read anything by Aliya Whiteley. But after reading this excellent story—perhaps the creepiest tale I’ve read since Megan Arkenberg’s “All In Green Went My Love Riding” in Asimov’s last year—I’ll be primed to read whatever she publishes next.  

“The Spoils” takes place on a world plagued for generations by creatures collectively called the Olme, the latest of which may be the last of its kind. To touch any part of an Olme, even once its dead, marks a person with a foul stench nothing can wash away no matter how long the person lives. Whiteley’s story depicts a gruesome ritual in which various people—for example, the man who first encountered the dying creature—are presented with the eye, or a toenail, or some other part of the Olme. In describing the effects such “gifts” have on the people who receive them, Whiteley also gives us a vivid description of a bifurcated society—some surface dwellers, others cave dwellers—which the existence of the Olme apparently helped create.   

If you’re a fan of horror stories—and even if you’re not—I think you’ll like this story. 

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REVIEW: "Cooling Chaos" by Gregory Benford

Review of Gregory Benford, “Cooling Chaos”, Analog Science Fiction and Fact March/April (2020): 117–122 (Kindle) – Purchase Here. Reviewed by John Atom.

Contains spoilers.

A group of scientists and engineers come up with a measure of last resort to combat climate change: an aerosol spray that will reflect sunlight back into space. This new invention is first tested locally to cool down cities and prevent forest fires, before it is applied on a global scale in the Artic and the Antarctic. Despite some political opposition, the effort succeeds, ushering new hope for the future.

This is a speculative piece through and through, with little to none of what may be considered “science fiction.” I very much appreciated Benford’s highly realistic depiction of of the science, including the provided reference at the end which should be accessible by anyone. However, as a work of fiction there is hardly a story here. A big chunk of the text consists of preachy exposition of what has happened, or will happen, to Earth as a result of climate change, and how the proposed technology will fix it. Though informative to many, the overall result is rather uninspiring given the lackluster plot and characters. Not to say hard to get through. The readers will benefit a lot more from Benford’s fact article in the same issue, “Veiling the Earth,” to which this is presented as a companion piece.

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REVIEW: "A Stone's Throw From You" by Jenn Reese

Review of Jenn Reese, “A Stone’s Throw From You”, Analog Science Fiction and Fact March/April (2020): 111–112 (Kindle) – Purchase Here. Reviewed by John Atom.

Contains spoilers.

A young woman talks to the dead body her estranged sister. She is a scientist helping to save a world ravaged by pollution and climate change. However, she had to abandon her family in doing so. She hopes this final message to her sister will help her find some solace.

Unlike most stories of the kind, I felt the author made good use of the second person in this one. The whole thing is short enough to read like an extended monologue, almost in one breath. Overall, the story has a good sense of pacing. The author’s tendency to preach, which crept up almost every other paragraph, slightly diminishes the flow of the prose, though it is still an enjoyable, albeit too brief, read.

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REVIEW: "Midstrathe Exploding" by Andy Dudak

Review of Andy Dudak, “Midstrathe Exploding”, Analog Science Fiction and Fact March/April (2020): 101–105 (Kindle) – Purchase Here. Reviewed by John Atom. 

Contains spoilers. 

A bomb with unusual temporal effects has exploded in Midstrathe, and for the last 200 years, it has been slowly engulfing the city with its expanding wave-front. Everything caught within it slows down to an almost absolute stop. Ciaran, a 14 year-old orphan, works for a rogue organization that leads over-eager “tourists” near the wave-front. One day he has to escort one such tourist — an old woman — near the wave-front. When they arrive, the old woman surprises Ciaran by going past the safety line and entering the wave-front despite his warnings not to. This is against the rules, but Ciaran finds himself unable to stop her. She goes through the bubble, leaving Ciaran with no choice but to skip town.

“Midstrathe Exploding” has one of the most original science fiction premises that I’ve read in a while. Aside from the use of a “time-bomb” as an Armageddon device — a uniquely ingenious idea in itself — this story shows a fascinating view of how a society would adapt to such an unusual catastrophic event. Dudak’s evocative prose goes a long way into bringing the strange melancholy of his setting into life, even if his intentional vagueness makes the plot a bit hard to follow. There’s a lot to digest here, especially since the author uses a litany of new terms that can throw the reader off (click-chance, scrip, Dyads, temporal normalization, etc.). It is the kind of story that almost certainly requires a second reading, though not one that necessarily rewards it. While I thoroughly enjoyed the world that the author has created even upon multiple readings, I can easily see certain readers feeling disappointed at the rather lackluster plot. It would be interesting to see the author revisit the setting with a more expanded story.  

Overall, I recommend this story. Like much of science fiction, “Midstrathe Exploding” may not be for everyone, but it is worth a try, if only for its richly unique and inspired premise.

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REVIEW: “Radio, Out By Pluto” by Lydia Pauly

Review of Lydia Pauly, “Radio, Out By Pluto”, Luna Station Quarterly 41 (2020): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This was a very sciencey-fiction story, with a mostly-robot protagonist collecting data in a satellite above Pluto. If sciencey stories are your jam, you’ll probably enjoy this. If you’re looking more for character development and personal relationships, then pass on, there are other stories better for you.

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REVIEW: "Expecting to Fly" by Edd Vick and Manny Frishberg

Review of Edd Vick and Manny Frishberg, “Expecting to Fly”, Analog Science Fiction and Fact March/April (2020): 94–100 (Kindle) – Purchase Here. Reviewed by John Atom.

Contains spoilers.

Yetsade is the sole survivor of a spaceship that crashed on an alien planet where the predominant species is a group of bird-like creatures that roam the high skies. Yetsade grows up fully ingrained into the natives’ culture, even though she’s painfully aware that her anatomical differences — the lack of wings — will never allow her to fly. Eventually, another human spaceship arrives on the planet and takes Yetsade back to humanity. With the eager help of her teacher, Rhonda, Yetsade is able to adapt quickly to a human life, though she struggles to consider herself as part of the species. Her heart will always be with her former family.

From a science fictional perspective, “Expecting to Fly” has a rather implausible premise. It is essentially a “Mowgli in space” kind of a story, except that its futuristic trappings somehow make it less palatable than Kipling’s classic. It’s simply inconceivable that a child would survive in such an alien environment, or that it would be allowed to return after such a short acclimation period. This makes it especially disappointing since it is an otherwise fine story. Through the perspective of a well-realized protagonist, the authors give an exquisite description of the planets native life and their harsh customs. It was bold and original. Even Yetsade’s solution at the end was clever despite the overall implausibility of the situation.

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REVIEW: “The Mermaid Astronaut” by Yoon Ha Lee

Review of Yoon Ha Lee, “The Mermaid Astronaut”, Beneath Ceaseless Skies Issue 298 (February 27, 2020): Read online. Reviewed by Richard Lohmeyer.  

This story’s wonderfully imagined central character, is a mermaid who has named herself Essarala, or “seeks the stars.” She is one of many mermaids who dwell “in the deep and dreaming oceans of her world.” But unlike the other mermaids, including her younger sister Kiovasa, Essarala really does long to visit the stars, not just sit on a rock gazing up at them. She gets her chance when traders from off-world arrive. In exchange for a promise to the witch beneath the waves, Essarala gives up her mermaid’s tail for legs and joins the traders on their voyages. After many wondrous years of travel, she finally returns home for a reason much more important than the need to fulfill her promise to the witch. This is a charming story about the competing desire to explore the wider world (or universe) and the joys and duties of home and family. It’s an excellent way to open this special, double-sized issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies.   

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REVIEW: "Camphor" by Mark W. Tiedemann

Review of Mark W. Tiedemann, “Camphor”, Analog Science Fiction and Fact March/April (2020): 84–93 (Kindle) – Purchase Here. Reviewed by John Atom.

Contains spoilers.

Remy serves as the representative of a large interstellar empire to a colony that’s been isolated from the rest of humanity for centuries. After three years on the post, Remy receives a visit from Havelock, another representative sent there to investigate — and if necessary, prevent — the potential spread of a deadly virus that originated from a non-native animal on the planet. Their investigation leads to a surprising revelation about the planet and its native population.

At a time when our own planet is on the verge of a viral epidemic, this story is bound to resonate quite strongly with anyone who’s been paying attention to the news. Even though the story’s conception is likely unrelated to COVID-19, it still manages to hit a nerve.

That said, this story is ultimately not about the epidemic. Rather, it is a slow-building mystery about the secret past of the planet and its inhabitants — and as far as the mystery is concerned, it is a rather weak one. There are several things that don’t quite add up and require a serious leap of faith on behalf of the reader. The explanation for the natives’ inoculation is hand-waved into the story, and so is the solution of the mystery. Moreover, I found the plot seriously lacking in any significant stakes or obstacles for the characters. Things more-or-less fall into place one after another, making for a less than compelling read.

There are things to appreciate in “Camphor,” but the overall plot makes for a weak mystery that does not hold up to its potential.

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REVIEW: "Guns Don’t Kill" by Richard A. Lovett

Review of Richard A. Lovett, “Guns Don’t Kill”, Analog Science Fiction and Fact January/February (2020): 159–163 (print) – Purchase Here. Reviewed by John Atom.

Contains spoilers.

This piece contains three separate stories about “smartguns” — i.e. guns controlled by AI. In each case, the guns prevent their respective owners from doing something bad or stupid, like committing murder or killing deer when it’s not hunting season. Some terrible tragedies are successfully prevented.

There are a few things to like in Lovett’s story. Using AI as a solution to senseless gun violence is an clever idea — perhaps unrealistic for a real world implementation, but clever nevertheless. On the other hand, the plotting and characterization leave a lot to be desired. The first two vignettes were dull and forgetful, grossly overshadowed by the author’s obvious attempt at a message. The third vignette works a little better. The alternating points of view between Ethan and the cops went a long way into keeping the tensions high. I only wish the final twist (AI conversing with itself) was not there, as it accomplishes nothing but enforce an already heavy-handed message.

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REVIEW: "Birds of Feather" by Gregor Hartmann

Review of Gregor Hartmann, “Birds of Feather”, Analog Science Fiction and Fact January/February (2020): 152–158 (print) – Purchase Here. Reviewed by John Atom.

Contains spoilers.

Frank, a distinguished astrophysicist at the local Institute of Technology, has a developed a new kind of telescope that will revolutionize space exploration as we know it. The theory is sound, but there has not yet been any experimental verification of Frank’s ideas. Unfortunately, neither the Space Agency nor Frank’s own department will approve the deployment. With the aid of Rivo, his carefree brother, Frank must resort to more illicit means to get his revolutionary telescope up in space.

It’s always nice to read an author who has a distinct and recognizable voice. Hartmann certain fits the profile. His sense of humor and casual-yet-precise style of narration stands out in most of his stories, including this one. In “Birds of Feather”, the plot has a few moments that are a bit hard to swallow and seriously test the readers’ willing suspension of disbelief. For example, the obstacles placed in the way of Frank’s research are not particularly believable — and neither is his extreme reaction to them. However, as the story focuses mainly on the relationship between Frank and his brother, I find the aforementioned flaws rather easy to forgive. Especially since the main characters are so well realized.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable story even though it’s not one of the author’s most memorable.

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