Reviews
The Turing Test by Chris Beckett
The Turning Test, a collection of fourteen stories by Chris Beckett, provides entertaining journeys into interstellar space and the distant past, excursions into the nature of AI, VR, and human identity, and even musings on alien art and theology. These stories were all originally published in Interzone and Asimov’s, and though there are no direct […]
Continue ReadingAsimov’s, September 2008
This month, Asimov’s serves up eight stories whose pleasantly varied characters find hope or beauty in the midst of adversity. Whether the strange triumphs of September’s protagonists are due to luck, strength of will, animal cunning, desperation, or the assistance of a kindred spirit, they’re never saccharine, and sometimes surprising, whether they’re set in interstellar […]
Continue ReadingFantasy Magazine, July 2008
Fantasy Magazine kicked off July with “Practicing Perfection,” an intriguing and original tale by Cathy Freeze. Amber allowed herself to be made into a giant long ago to be closer to the angels. She rescues them when they fall, wounded, from battles above. They never speak and don’t wish to eat. That is, until an […]
Continue ReadingWhite Flames: Erotic Dreams, by Cecilia Tan
In her collection White Flames: Erotic Dreams, Cecilia Tan is passionate about erotica. She writes with authority and creates an authentic sense of place, whether the story is about cruising, the Asian sex slave trade, Goths, gay bars, baseball, music, psychotherapy, archeology, mythology, futuristic technologies, or adventures in space.
A great many of the stories […]
Hub Magazine, Issues #56-58
Hub #56 leads with Stephen R. Smith’s “Runner,” a fast-paced tale of a fellow who kills a randy cyborg and flees to avoid its owner’s wrath. Hub’s “About the Author” section notes that Smith grew up reading Heinlein, Asimov, and Bradbury, among others. Smith’s nurturing influences show in the story’s Golden Age sensibilities and tight […]
Continue ReadingFarrago’s Wainscot, Part 7: Echoes
Farrago’s Wainscot offers six loosely themed stories, told in a variety of literary styles, of which two are very weird and left me with questions.
“An Apotheosis” by Forrest Aguirre gives voice to Laurence, a grief-stricken warrior disciple of Rocco Bonetti. Laurence recounts the murder of his maestro during an unfair duel with the two […]
Clarkesworld Magazine, #22, July 2008
The first story in issue #22 of Clarkesworld Magazine, “When the Gentlemen Go By” by Margaret Ronald, is rooted in the classic tradition of dark fairy tales before the Disneyfication that occurred in the 20th century. It has all the time-tested elements: deep, personal, dark, and disturbing, while providing a small ray of hope […]
Continue ReadingBad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail et al.
Just Plain Bad is the second installment of the Bad Ass Fairies collection edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Lee Hillman, and Jeff Lyman and published by Marrietta Publishing. The theme of the Bad Ass Fairies anthologies is nothing but fairies, in all forms and walks of life. I understand that the editors plan […]
Continue ReadingChallenging Destiny #25
Our first story in issue #25 of Challenging Destiny is Suzette Haden Elgin’s “Death and Taxes.” Bill loves his StarSpangly motor home. It is the perfect confluence of convenience and freedom, and it sure beats the alternative: a cramped and dingy room in an orbiting retirement home. The problem is, the StarSpangly isn’t his. The […]
Continue ReadingElectric Velocipede #14
Electric Velocipede #14, in acknowledgement of WisCon, the leading feminist-oriented SF/F convention, is a special issue featuring all women writers.
The first offering is “Hermit Crabs” by Elissa Malcohn. Fifteen-year-old Mandy is a bright student yet unpopular. Mandy is a cutter, finding relief from her pain with a razor blade. She meets up with Noah, […]
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