"Kin", Bruce McAllister

SS ASFM (Asimov's Science Fiction) February 2006 - science fiction
<<- Asimov's Science Fiction February 2006 cover by Dominic Harman for "Kin"
In an overpopulated California of the future, a twelve-year old boy named Kim Tuckey-Yatsen wants a man killed because he is going to kill his sister. At a local tourist spot, the boy handed out notes. A scary, dangerous Antalou alien answers the boy's note. Seems the intelligent boy knows much about the Antalou. The boy's case strikes a chord with the alien, even though what little money the boy can offer is not worth a kill. The boy understands the alien better than either imagined.

This is a memorable science fiction short story. An unusual way to bend regulations, and a neat way to make a bureaucrat think. Plus five years later, a nice added bit for the boy.

"The Bible Repairman", Tim Powers

SS anthology (The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year edited by Jonathan Strahan) - fantasy
Mr. Torrez does Bible repair by scorching out verses his customers find intolerable then re-sanctifying the book with holy water. He conducts ransom negotiations for stolen ghosts by offering some of his blood and his soul. His own dead daughter's ghost was kidnapped and was used as TV channel-changer. There are broken souls and urban magic.

This is a story filled with intriguing ideas. I recommend this story for that alone. It's like magic realism, but taken multiple steps from reality. But since the situations are really out there, and this isn't a long story, it was sometimes hard to put myself in the character's shoes. Nonetheless, an interesting tale.

"How to Talk to Girls at Parties", Neil Gaiman

SS story collection (Fragile Things) - science fantasy
Two English teenage boys -- one is outgoing, the other, the narrator, is shy about talking to girls – head off to a party, but they forget to bring the directions. They find a party, but girl they know isn't there. The girl who meets them at the door is very beautiful. Turns out it's a different party entirely, and the girls at the party are quite different indeed.

A charming story. Gaiman wisely doesn't try to explain or describe things entirely, and that helps to make the story work.

2006 Asimov's Science Fiction's Readers' Awards

Best Novella: "The Walls of the Universe" by Paul Melko
Best Novelette: "Yellow Card Man" by Paolo Bacigalupi
Best Short Story: "Impossible Dreams" by Tim Pratt
Best Poem: "Remembering the Future" by Darrell Schweitzer
Best Cover Artist: J.K. Potter

2007 Hugo Awards nominees for novella

"A Billion Eves", Robert Reed (Asimov's Oct/Nov 2006)
"Inclination", William Shunn (Asimov's Apr/May 2006)
Julian: A Christmas Story, Robert Charles Wilson (PS Publishing)
"Lord Weary's Empire", Michael Swanwick (Asimov's Dec 2006)
"The Walls of the Universe", Paul Melko (Asimov's Apr/May 2006)

2007 Hugo Awards nominees for novelette

"All the Things You Are", Mike Resnick (Jim Baen's Universe Oct 2006)
"Dawn, and Sunset, and the Colours of the Earth", Michael F. Flynn (Asimov's Oct/Nov 2006)
"The Djinn's Wife", Ian McDonald (Asimov's Jul 2006)
"Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter (Fantasy)", Geoff Ryman (F&SF Oct 2006)
"Yellow Card Man", Paolo Bacigalupi (Asimov's Dec 2006)

2007 Hugo Awards nominees for short story

"Eight Episodes", Robert Reed (Asimov's Jun 2006)
"The House Beyond Your Sky", Benjamin Rosenbaum (Strange Horizons Sep 2006)
"How to Talk to Girls at Parties", Neil Gaiman (Fragile Things)
"Impossible Dreams", Tim Pratt (Asimov's Jul 2006)
"Kin", Bruce McAllister (Asimov's Feb 2006)

"The Djinn's Wife", Ian McDonald

NT ASFM (Asimov's Science Fiction) JULY 2006 - science fiction
In the near-future in Delhi India, young female dancer Esha meets a handsome admirer who appears out of nowhere, like a djinn. He is the diplomat A.J. Rao, an artificial intelligence or aeai. That he spends time with her is noticed by government Inspector Thacker, a so-called Krishna cop. When Esha marries A.J. Rao she becomes a tabloid celebrity. But soon her husband's differences begin to annoy Esha.

A clever, well-written story set in an exotic future. Includes an interestingly different love scene. This story shares the same background as McDonald's story "The Little Goddess".

"The Small Astral Object Genius", James Van Pelt

SS ASFM (Asimov’s Science Fiction) OCT/NOV 2006 - science fiction
Can a Peek-a-boo, a small plastic device using AA batteries, take a photograph light years away and return instantaneously? Young obsessive teenage boy Dustin sends his Peek-a-boo out over and over again to take pictures of the stars, hoping to contribute to man's knowledge of the universe. Meanwhile his parents are heading towards a divorce.

A good forward-looking science fiction story set in the near future with well-drawn characters.

"Home Movies", Mary Rosenblum

NT ASFM (Asimov's Science Fiction) APR/May 2006 - science fiction/romance
Kayla is hired to record a family wedding, week-long reunion for an old woman who is a Mars Colony administrator. Kayla is more than a cameraman, she is what is called a chameleon. She takes a nano that records vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. After the job she downloads her recording and loses all memory of it. The old woman who wants the wedding covered is especially interested in one of her extended family, a handsome young man named Ethan.

The science fiction background is mainly a framework for a what ends up being a love story. A pleasant tale.