"The Flowers of Nicosia", David Ira Cleary

NV ASFM (Asimov’s Science Fiction) December 2008 – science fiction
<<- Asimov's Dec. 2008 cover by J.K. Potter for "The Flowers of Nicosia"

Downtown Dharma is an American rock and roll band. They are a middle-aged threesome - Dennis (vocals, guitars), Vlad (bass) and Rick (drums) - that like playing Nirvana covers. After terrorists blow up the venue they are about to play in Italy, they decide the take their music to Muslims to try to heal the rift between East and West.

They go to Cyprus, an island divided between Turkish Muslims and Greek Christians. There they meet Ali, who knows the rock scene in Nicosia and wants to be their manager. They play a club on the Greek side where they meet Shayla, who is headscarf-wearing rock chick. Shayla takes a liking to the drummer, Rick, who is a Xanax addict. Shayla and Ali were a once a couple, but now they bicker.

Downtown Dharma cross the United Nations-controlled Green Line with Ali and Shayla. Despite warnings of terrorists using a biological agent called Amanita, which causes your body to break out in colorful fungi growths, they insist on playing a club in dangerous Turkish Nicosia.

I found "The Flowers of Nicosia" to be an engaging story. It's set in the near future, with Amanita spores and heat-resistant Mylar clothing as the fantastic elements. The author relates the foreignness of the setting. The plot develops tension. The Americans in the band seems both idealistic enough and reckless enough for the story to work.

I choose to read this novella because the introduction mentioned it was inspired, in part, by R.E.M.'s "The Flowers of Guatemala", which is a cool song. And yes, I see that inspiration.

"Still on the Road", Geoffrey A. Landis

SS, ASFM (Asimov’s Science Fiction) December 2008 – science fantasy
A couple of guys travel the roads, driving from place to place. But their vehicle isn’t a car, it’s a spaceship. They give another guy a ride to a planet near Arcturus.

A very short story - less than two pages. It has a folksy feel to it.

"New Hat", Connie Willis

SS, Rocky Mountain News 9/30/08 - fiction
In 1924 a timid young woman named Clara travels alone to Denver to enquire about her Uncle Matt’s will. She realizes something about herself and her fiancé Kane.

There are no fantastic elements in this story. This is a pleasant piece of short fiction.

I read this story on good, old-fashioned paper. But here's a link to read New Hat online on the Rocky Mountain News website.

"Way Down East", Tim Sullivan

NT ASFM (Asimov's Science Fiction) December 2008 - science fiction
Two New England lobstermen, Donny Doyle and Laurent Therriault, offer to take the alien visitor from Gliese 581e (the Gleezer) out on the bay in their boat, along with its security detail.

In this story two working class guys are changed by their brief encounter with an unusual-looking empathic alien.

2008 Hugo Award Winners

BEST NOVEL
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

BEST NOVELLA
"All Seated on the Ground" by Connie Willis (Asimov's Dec 2007

BEST NOVELETTE
"The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" by Ted Chiang (F&SF Sep 2007)

BEST SHORT STORY
"Tideline" by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov's Jun 2007)

Congratulations to this years' Hugo Award winners in the fiction categories!

2008 Hugo Award nominees :: novella

"The Fountain of Age", Nancy Kress
"Recovering Apollo 8", Kristine Kathryn Rusch
"Stars Seen Through Stone", Lucius Shepard
"All Seated on the Ground", Connie Willis
"Memorare", Gene Wolfe

Of this list, I've only read the Connie Willis novella. I thought "All Seated on the Ground" was entertaining but somewhat lightweight reading.

2008 Hugo Award nominees :: novelette

"The Cambist and Lord Iron: a Fairytale of Economics", Daniel Abraham
"The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate", Ted Chiang
"Dark Integers", Greg Egan
"Glory", Greg Egan
"Finisterra", David Moles

I've read four out of five of these novelettes. I reviewed one of them - "Finisterra" - back in December. I nominated the Daniel Abraham story and both the Greg Egan stories, so as you might guess, I liked them a lot. I haven't read the Chiang novelette yet.

2008 Hugo Award nominees :: short story

"Last Contact", Stephen Baxter
"Tideline", Elizabeth Bear
"Who's Afraid of Wolf 359?", Ken MacLeod
"Distant Replay", Mike Resnick
"A Small Room in Koboldtown", Michael Swanwick

I've read the first three short stories, and I liked them enough to put them on my Hugo nominations ballot. I was surprised to see that three of my choices in this category made the final list.

You won't find reviews for these pieces of short fiction on this blog. Back in early January, I decided that if I wanted to read enough short fiction to nominate, I better not review stories. Writing these reviews is time consuming for me. In the future, when I'm not as crunched for time, I'll write some more reviews.

"Strangers on a Bus", Jack Skillingstead

SS ASFM (Asimov's Science Fiction) December 2007 - science fiction
A man named Neil strikes up a conversation with a woman called Freya on a Greyhound bus. He tells her that he sees stories in the faces of strangers, embellishes them, and the people become what he makes up. She isn't sure what to think, but she's got to admit that he knows way too much about her life.

An interesting story, although it sort of made me think of The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. LeGuin. If I was this woman, I doubt that I would have remained calmly nearby to hear the entirety of this man's tale.

"do [this]", Stephen Graham Jones

SS ASFM (Asimov's Science Fiction) December 2007 - science fiction
Over dinner, Leo's dad conjectures about testing for consciousness through language. Leo would have totally ignored his dad if he didn't have an assignment on a similar subject. Later, in his room, Leo processes function loops on his computer for his paper and gets strange results.

A rather cryptically told tale from the viewpoint of two nerds. Some readers may enjoy following these trains of thought. I think I liked this story better in hindsight.