SS RoF (Realms of Fantasy) December 2007 – fantasy
A struggling private investigator; a behemoth in a labyrinth; a police captain existing outside time; an angelic chaperone; a creepy landlord; and The Still Point of the Turning World.
This story is overstuffed with odd details, along with some humor and some gore. The characters are rather flat. The plot was a bit too convoluted to truly work.
SS ASFM (Asimov's Science Fiction) May 2007 - modern-day fantasy
Clio is the young daughter of an embassy official in Cairo. She claimed that she could dodge bullets. Others put this down as childish imagination. Even Clio herself, years later, thought her lessons were daydreams, until she needed to bullet dance.
This is a story where modern day issues intersect with unexplained fantasy. It's different, in a good way.
Best Novel: Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge [Tor, 2006]
Best Novella: "A Billion Eves" by Robert Reed [Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2006]
Best Novelette: "The Djinn’s Wife" by Ian McDonald [Asimov’s July 2006]
Best Short Story: "Impossible Dreams" by Tim Pratt [Asimov’s July 2006]
NV ASFM (Asimov's Science Fiction) December 2006 - science fantasy
Will escapes his pursuers into the underground infrastructure of Babel. There he encounters the high-elf Lord Weary and his small Army of Night, and defeats their champion Bonecrusher in combat. Will becomes the new champion and takes residence in their subterranean shantytown. As flamboyant Captain Jack Riddle, Will defeats the Breakneck Boys and becomes a hero. He leads a raid to capture some underground horses. Lord Weary, perhaps unwisely, starts a war.
The protagonist, Will, experiences an adventure with grungy fey folk in the underground. In the end, nothing is truly changed. This story is a roundabout trip to nowhere, with some dark techno-fantasy scenery along the way.
NV ASFM (Asimov's Science Fiction) April/May 2006 – science fiction
Young Jude Plane takes a job outside the safety his Machinist Quarter on Netherview Space Station. His people live simply and worship the Builder, a religion that seems a mix of engineering and Christianity. On the space docks Jude works with the Sculpted, who are people that have been physically modified in various ways. What Jude learns challenges his previous views.
Maybe I had problems relating to this teenage boy's issues. I couldn't really get into this story, although there were some interesting bits.
NT Jim Baen's Universe October 2006 - science fiction
A man saves a girl by confronting armed robbers and is mortally wounded. This wasn't the first time he put himself in such danger. Another man had repeatedly risked his life playing the hero too. A spaceport security man learns that both men saw service in the Patrukan War on the deserted planet of Nikita. What affected the battle survivors on Nikita? The security man travels lightyears on his vacation to find out.
This is a readable story, but, in my opinion, hardly groundbreaking. Plus, if you know something is an illusion, even if it's a pleasant illusion, why would you fall for it?
NT ASFM (Asimov's Science Fiction) October/November 2006 – science fiction
One morning a ferry heading from Seattle to Bremerton mysteriously vanishes into the fog with nearly a thousand people aboard. No wreckage is found and eyewitnesses and radar report anomalous circumstances at the time of the ferry's disappearance. This story tells how some people are affected by this tragedy and what scientists determine happened.
This is an interesting, readable novelette. I could have done with more admirable bereaved folks and less about adultery, though. I particularly liked the viewpoints of the fisherman and The Adventure Club and the realistically kooky Internet postings.
SS Strange Horizons September 4, 2006 – science fantasy)
A powerful yet compassionate priest called Matthias has a library that contains worlds such as our own. He is building a bubble universe behind his house. A pilgrim from far away, one of the ancient ones, visits Matthias and wants to become ubiquitous in Matthias's new universe. Matthias hides his keys from the pilgrim.
I found this short story rather odd, and I couldn't get into it. The plot line in the world like ours, with its scenes of domestic violence, was a bit unsettling. I guess I'll give brownie points to the author for writing something different -- a tale about God-like universe-spanning beings -- and for some clever phrases.
NT F&SF (Fantasy & Science Fiction) October/November 2006 - fantasy
This fantasy tale is set in a time like today in Phnom Penh in Cambodia. According to the author "this is a completely untrue story about someone who must exist." The story is about a rich young woman named Sith, who is Pol Pot's daughter. She lives an eccentric, narrow life trying to avoid unpleasantness. Sith falls in love with Dara, a young salesman working at a mobile phone shop. Sith is afraid to admit who she is. Sith is haunted by ghosts with no one to mourn them that call on her cell phones, and whose faces appear on her photocopier.
An exotic, colorful, (dare I say) haunting novelette. I enjoy tales with modern day ghosts. I was very impressed with this story. A very worthy Hugo award nominee.
SS ASFM (Asimov's Science Fiction) June 2006 - science fiction
In 2016, a series called Invasion of a Small World debuted. It was poorly promoted, and had only adequate production values, unglamorous characters, and sloppy dialog. The series was cancelled after the fifth episode. But months later the final three episodes create a buzz by showing planetary vistas and a Permian ecosystem. Who was behind this series, who sent it?
This short story may present a more realistic view of life in the wide universe, but it lacks something in fun. Some of the golden age sci-fi genre tropes are near impossibilities, but why discourage us from reaching for the stars?
