L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume XXIII, edited by Algis Budrys

The Writers of the Future Volume XXIII anthology opens beautifully with “Primetime” by Douglas Texter, a humanist tale of a future history channel that brings the past alive through live streaming coverage of history’s highest rating events. Alex, a lower level feed recorder for historical shows catches the attention of the head of the channel with his work covering the Battle of the Somme. Alex proves he’s willing to put his very existence on the line to get the perfect, tragedy-defining shot. His daring nets him a once in a lifetime opportunity, even for someone commonly thrown into the past, a chance to cover the bombing of Hiroshima. Alex is forced to balance his growing empathy with long dead, historically insignificant witnesses with the drive to be successful and the taste of victory that high ratings bring. A science fiction story with a historical theme, this tale has surprising heart. Texter balances the future and the past well, connecting them in a touching way. The characters are very easy to relate to, the premise is interesting, and the execution is delightful, making this a highly enjoyable read.

“The Sun God at Dawn, Rising from a Lotus Blossom” by Andrea Kail is a tale written in letter form from a clone of King Tutankhamen to a clone of Abraham Lincoln. Elegantly written in an older, more formal style, yet not stilted or odd sounding, this tale adds to the soul of the previous story, starting this anthology off with a truly powerful one-two punch. Both a commentary on human conditions, such as religion and self-identity, and a striking tale of a child-king growing up subject to the whims of others, “Sun God” blends musings of what might have been with very modern, very real conflicts of the present. Of all the science fiction stories published this year, this one is among those not to be missed.

A tale of alien encounters, “The Frozen Sky” by Jeff Carlson is set on Europa, Jupiter’s sixth moon, and manages to capture the cold emptiness and isolation of a far-off satellite made of ice. Vonnie is on the run. Her exploration crew died in an ice slide while inspecting a cavern that appeared to be decorated with hieroglyphs of a long dead society. The building tension is jarred by a segmented style, following a clip of the immediate present with the bit of the past that led to Vonnie’s current situation. Other hiccups include the pauses in action to insert bits of science that not only don’t entirely relate to Vonnie, but also don’t add to the story. The chill to the story is there, but it is bogged down by the style the author chose to present it with.

Tony Pi sums up the premise of “The Stone Cipher” with, “What if the whole history of human sculpture has been a conversation between the planet and humanity?” And what if one day, a careful observer discovers that the sculptures are speaking, albeit slowly, almost imperceptibly, but forming voiceless words nonetheless? Pierre and Marie-Claire are horrified to discover that the statues are counting down. Presenting duel religious views, Marie-Claire believes what is happening stems from the Roman-Catholic God, a message of doom or blessing; Pierre believes it’s a message from Gaia to humanity, a warning perhaps. The ideas and theories of what the countdown itself means play parallel with the theories of what will happen when the statues reach zero. The religious aspects are handled well, neutrally, and the story itself leaves the reader with a feeling of both damnation and potential hope.

“Obsidian Shards” by Aliette de Bodard jumps us out of a speculative future and into the bloody past of the Aztec culture. Acatl, a priest of the Dead, is trying to aid a magistrate in finding a murderer who has taken to killing people by piercing their hearts with obsidian shards. Both the magistrate and Acatl fear that some monster has been summoned by the now-dead members of a religious sect from the depths of the Underworld. Maintaining the balance between the gods, to keep the sun in the sky and the world in existence, is the core of Acatl’s role. But what came to answer the sect’s call wasn’t from the Underworld, nor was it benign. Threaded with blood, rich enough to feel the heat of the jungle, de Bodard manages to make this foreign time and culture understandable and also to preserve its otherworldliness.

“Ripping Carovella” by Kim Zimring is the scariest story in this anthology. Rex is a ripper, a sort of artisan who rips the neurons responsible for talents like writing and playing musical instruments from artists’ heads to benefit rich employers who don’t care to bother with trivialities like lessons and practicing. Riveting for its portrayal of art as an addiction, a constant drive toward self destruction, “Ripping Carovella” asks how people would change if the next story they published brought a ripper to their door at the command of an editor jealous of their talent. A direct stab into the nature of artists, for all their suicidal drive and ravaging jealousy, this will strike the hearts of writers, bringing their fears bubbling to the surface. Many stories attempt to capture the nature of writers, but none manage it so well or so chillingly.

“Our Last Words” by Damon Kaswell is a time travel story in the vein of H. G. Wells’s The Time Machine. Bill, after losing everything he loved to war, volunteers to sever his ties with the world to aid an attempt by the U.S. Government to travel into the future. He’ll be able to see, but never interact or feel, and never to return to the past he’ll leave behind. The project scientists know that changing the future is likely impossible, but they hope that the accounts of the future might help in some way. A human’s view, even a scientist’s view, of time, however, is extremely limited, as Bill soon discovers, when the fate of the project itself comes to a quick and messy end. For Bill, the only way to go is forward, as he starts to run out of food and stands witness to the changes around him. As time passes Bill’s perceptions, his very consciousness expands, and he as well as the reader begins to understand the significance, or lack thereof, of the passage of time. Kaswell captures the scope well, even to the point of humbling the reader.

“Saturn in G Minor” by Stephen Kotowych is another art-themed tale, but this one takes music to a cosmic level. Jacinto has been graced by a short visit from legendary musician, Paulo, who has been a certified recluse ever since he made music history with his performances. Jacinto travels four years on a barge starship to get to the worn-down observation station near Saturn where Paulo lives. Some aspects of the story are glossed over and left unresolved. Paulo and Jacinto never quite feel like fellow characters in a story, but rather like two characters that happen to be forced into the same tale, and some of the effect is lost due to the disconnect between actual music and the attempt to describe it in prose. The story is interesting, nonetheless, and may inspire readers to sit silently after they’ve reached the end, imagining what a symphony played on Saturn’s rings might sound like.

“By the Waters of the Ganga” by Stephen Gaskell takes us away from space and time travel and transports us to a conflict between the mundane, daily world and the higher, spiritual world. Asajanaka remembers being born, fully grown, into the human world. He also remembers, just as clearly, another time, where he lived among the kelp forests of a sea and was a member of a young, intelligent wild race. As the daily survival needs wear on him, the harshness of his reality makes him question whether his thoughts are truly memories or just tales that he passes onto others. Time passes, and the drive to determine the truth and to learn the meaning behind his urge to go to a sacred place of Hinduism takes over. Asajanaka tries to seek out others like him and discover his true role in the world. A more metaphorical science fiction work, this one might not appeal to fans of harder science fiction, but it is an interesting translation nevertheless.

“Pilgrimage” by Karl Bunker neatly contrasts the theme of the earlier “Out Last Words.” In this one, the hero doesn’t become one with a universal consciousness, but instead, a clash of planetary titans leaves him severed from the greater Span and abandoned as a human on Beachglass, an Earth-like planet. As he struggles to meet his basic needs in order to survive, he realizes his previous experience, no matter how cosmic or grand, paled in comparison to the physical existence he is now trapped in. And when the Span returns, just in time to preserve his life, he returns to the power, the immortality of his network-like connection, but cannot forget what he’s left behind. While initially difficult to connect to, “Pilgrimage” is a moving tale about the importance of time and life.

“The Gas Drinkers” by Edward Sevcik is a story within a story, but the tension of the inner tale nearly makes the reader forget its framework. “Fredrick” is lost on the face of a planet and running out of air, but his problems don’t end there. Instead of miraculous rescue or even a cold death, Fredrick stumbles upon a black-market drug deal. The sellers name him in order to get the buyers to believe he’s supposed to be there, and Fredrick is then regaled with a compelling story of space sabotage and an unplanned rescue mission that lead to a hidden payoff. Then, almost forgotten, the narrative returns to Fredrick, his present circumstances, and a quick end. While there were many interesting elements and engaging visuals here, the whole seemed lessened by the twin story structure; the flashback is absorbing but may cause readers to wonder where the real story is.

“The Phlogiston Age” by Corey Brown is set in the past where a mysterious new power source threatens to end the mafia-like control Edison and his team have on the energy market. Irving, a renowned reporter who has the connections to get into the scientists’ field of trust, is hired and eventually threatened when he’s reluctant to sabotage the launch—getting the rocket explodes in front of all the dazzled people there to witness the event. But Irving quickly falls for the female aethernaut, Deidre, who may or may not be stringing him along. While the setting is captured well here, much within falls flat. The mysterious new power source remains vague; Edison’s goons, while a good premise, in the end dissolve into the threatening-but-easily-defeated henchmen clones of Hollywood; and the ending feels like it’s missing something or perhaps was rushed from the buildup of the beginning to some semblance of a conclusion.

Finishing this anthology is “Mask Glass Magic” by John Burridge. Michelle is a glassblower, a real artist, trying to survive by working for a series of glassworks that specialize in “decorative water pipes.” When her latest place of employment is shut down for selling paraphernalia, Michelle’s desperation to follow her dream leads her to seek a job at a new gallery with a strange vibe. Despite her friend, Susan’s, warnings, Michelle badly wants to learn the secret of this artist’s extraordinary talent. The metaphysical takes over from there, spinning out a surreal tale of hidden magic. All of Susan’s witchy attempts to save Michelle seem rather pointless as in the end, Susan neither seems to understand what’s going on nor to be in true danger. Despite moments of beauty, some of this tale feels extraneous, and some of the New Age aspects become annoying.

Publisher: Galaxy Press (Sept. 2007)
Price: $7.99
Mass market paperback: 500 pages
ISBN: 1592123988