Hub #39-42

Hub is a “free weekly science fiction, fantasy and horror magazine delivered direct to your inbox every week.” Each issue features at least one work of fiction along with reviews or other features. Subscribers can receive Hub as a pdf file or as a download for the Mobi Pocket Reader.

In Issue 39, the last issue of 2007, editor Lee Harris gives his Hub Awards for the year. It’s a far-reaching group of kudos, encompassing everything from Best Science Fiction Novel (Eric Brown’s Helix) to Best Blog (John Scalzi’s Whatever). If you’re looking for reading suggestions, check out Lee’s list.

Issue 39 also includes James Cooper’s “Shortly Comes The Harvest,” a psychological horror story which gives a convincing portrayal of a descent into madness. Bill, the narrator, thinks he can help his friend Frank cope with the death of his mother; Bill lost his father two years ago, so he’s no stranger to the grieving process. But how can Bill help his friend, who has become obsessed with insects and other vermin as his sole food source?

“Shortly Comes The Harvest” is as much about Frank’s unusual coping mechanism as it is about Bill’s hopelessly lame attempts to understand (let alone save) Frank. Wisely, the author does not give any logical explanation for Frank’s madness. On the other hand, the sane half of this friendship behaves as many people would, even though such half-steps at assistance are doomed to fail. This is an insightful glimpse into human nature. “Shortly Comes The Harvest” ends with a clever twist on a stock horror trope, wherein the author holds Bill accountable for his shortcomings.

Issue 40 is a flash fiction extravaganza. In the delightful “Why Are Rocks?” by Tony Ballantyne, Bernie McEwan’s three-year-old daughter, an engineered prodigy, begins with a childish question, argues her dad back to the Big Bang, answers one of the great questions of the universe, and keeps the answer all to herself. Kids. Steve Cooper’s “Brainfish” starts with a bang but ends with a fizzle. A researcher working on a nanotech treatment for dementia determines he’s having a stroke. Why not play guinea pig? It’s a clever idea, but the finish is bewildering. More satisfying (heh) is Ellen Phillips’s “No More Angels,” wherein a seemingly ordinary office slave beds the angel Gabriel. The ending is an unexpected treat, but the journey is more than half the fun. Martin Nike’s “Ring Road Surfers” is a predictable, poorly edited story about the metaphysical dangers of road racing. In R. J. Smith’s “Bereavement,” a special visitation gives a widower a second chance at life. It’s not the most original story (see, for example, the movie Truly, Madly, Deeply), but Smith’s execution is flawless, and the sentiment feels right, not forced. Next is Steve Stanton’s much reprinted “Timestealers,” an interesting look at the ethics of a new technology. The narrator makes his living by stealing other people’s key experiences: a hero’s plunge into a burning building; a virgin bride’s deflowering. It’s all for the vicarious pleasure of a sensation-hungry audience. He can argue all he likes about the benefits of his work, but how would he like to be the canvas, rather than the artist? “The Chamber” by Anthony Leigh has allegory written all over it. To survive, a prisoner must cannibalize all newcomers to his cell. One day, a woman arrives, and behind her is a new door; she explains that he may leave the chamber and be free. His choice is predictable. Most likely, Leigh is commenting on people’s willingness to remain in prisons of their own creation. Allegory benefits from a light touch, though, and this story is as brutish as they come. The collection closes with Alasdair Stuart’s “Scar Tissue,” a clever look at varying perceptions aboard an interplanetary warship. No one argues that the bulkhead is damaged; what differs is the captain’s and crewman’s attitude toward that damage. Flash fiction seems particularly well suited for brief but insightful looks at human nature, and Stuart’s story is exemplary.

Issue 40 ends with Mur Lafferty’s column, SciFi Subscribed. In this particular column, Lafferty reviews podcasts which deal in flash fiction. Links abound.

Issue 41 has reviews of Christopher Fowler’s short story collection, Old Devil Moon, and Charlie Fletcher’s YA novel, Stoneheart. The fiction offering is “On The Wheel” by Richard Parks. Workers at the advertising firm of Hathcock and Dunn don’t have Gregor Samsa’s problems; unlike Kafka’s insect, these folks have arms, legs, hands, the power of speech—everything they need to meet their deadlines. They take their transformation into man-sized rats with considerable equanimity. Robert figures Bud has a problem (Bud’s wife is a Terrier), but since he’s “next in line for Bud’s corner office,” he keeps his peace. And so it goes.

Unlike many spec fiction stories, Parks provides an explanation for his phenomena, and the explanation is pure fun. It all has to do with the Causality Rift of 2015, a quantum physics experiment gone awry, and a new world where metaphors breathe. It’s a delightful setting, one which could have powered a much longer story (a novel, even?), but “On The Wheel” has a fine plot, too. Really, this story has it all: humor, ideas, insight, and a nifty denouement. Well done!

In Issue 42, Hub gives us Ellen Phillips’s feature article on slash (appropriately titled, “Slashfiction”) and reviews of a Doctor Who DVD collection and the movie, Daywatch. The short story for this issue is “The Scarlet Number” by Christopher East.

East’s world is an “intelligence meritocracy,” a dystopian future in which the government rations access to auditory and visual information based on smarts. People are segregated into six groups, and Warren Eng, a three, is none too happy about it. He hangs around the intelligence analyst’s office, hoping he will be reclassified as a four…and, one day, he gets his wish. He leaves Triborough for Quadropolis, only to find that he’s part of a documentary. But is it a simple documentary, or a Reality TV show, or a revolution in the making?

East packs a lot of ideas into this short story, but he doesn’t skimp on plot or character development. Eng is an enjoyable protagonist, a dissatisfied man who isn’t afraid to take chances to change his lot. Although the story is self-contained, East leaves the reader wanting more.