Sci Phi Journal, Autumn 2022/3
“Translation” by Joe Aultman-Moore
“The Pronouns of Hlour” by Andy Dibble
“Isopolis” by Gheorghe Săsărman
“Leonidas Miley’s Report From Calaveras” by Ian Alexander Tash
“Fresh Kill” by James C. Clar
“Observer Effect” by Angus McIntyre
“Dare To” by Bruce Golden
“The Second-Thought Machine” by Richard Lau
“Going Interstellar: History, Technology, Economics, And Power Of Flight Out Of Cradle” by Arturo Sierra
“The Soothing Sounds Of Quantum Waves Crashing” by Noah Levin
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
The magazine of philosophical science fiction offers ten stories, mostly in the form of fictionalized essays and reports.
The unnamed narrator of “Translation” by Joe Aultman-Moore is the leader of a team assigned to translate an ancient book that explains everything about the universe and humanity’s place in it. The result is controversial.
It is impossible to avoid the analogy between this fictional book and the Bible or other sacred texts. The author seems to suggest that ambiguity is preferable to certainty when it comes to matters of faith. In any case, like other works in this issue, it makes for rather dry reading.
“The Pronouns of Hlour” by Andy Dibble discusses hermaphroditic aliens who had no concept of gender before contact with humans. After this, they developed an incredibly large number of constantly changing gendered words, varying with time of day and other seemingly irrelevant factors. The anonymous narrator worries that providing talking software to the aliens will result in the ultimate phase of human dominance of their society.
It is possible that the author intends a bit of satire of the current fluidity of gendered pronouns. In addition, the story implies that a colonizing power will always destroy the culture of those it dominates. The work offers much food for thought, albeit in an unexciting form.
The title of “Isopolis” by Romanian author Gheorghe Săsărman, translated by Jean Harris, refers to an imaginary city destroyed by Alexander the Great. Before that famous conqueror razed it to the ground, it was made up of identical buildings and citizens of equal status, leading to conflict with Alexander.
This sample of alternate history, one of a series of such pieces by the author, reminds me of Italo Calvino’s book Invisible Cities, which also deals with imaginary places. It is almost entirely an intellectual exercise, to be admired for the author’s imagination and creativity. Some may find it too artificial, like a thought experiment. (Those who admire such works can find several others by Gheorghe Săsărman in the collection Squaring the Circle, translated by Ursula K. Le Guin.)
“Leonidas Smiley’s Report From Calaveras” by Ian Alexander Tash describes two subgroups of aliens who live on a planet with random, unpredictable weather. One group reacts to this environment by selecting their leaders by lottery, assuming the same deity or deities that control the weather will select their rulers. The other group presumes that the god or gods care nothing for them, so they fight for leadership. The author of the report advises against colonizing the planet due to the cultures of the inhabitants.
The story’s premise of the environment having an important effect on religion and culture is interesting and provocative. The objective, almost emotionless narrative tone lessens the impact of this intriguing theme.
“Fresh Kill” by James C. Clar begins with an epigraph from Jorge Luis Borges, which is appropriate for the magazine as a whole, given that great Argentinian author’s fondness for fictional essays. Ironically, this work is more of a traditional story than anything else in the issue. The narrator owns an antique Chinese mirror. A customer frequently returns with a desire to purchase it, but the narrator refuses to sell. The conflict leads to an accident with unfortunate results.
The plot is extremely simple, with a predictable ending. Expanded a bit, it could serve as the basis for a less than memorable episode of Night Gallery.
In “Observer Effect” by Angus McIntyre, the crewmembers of a spaceship detect a strange phenomenon, possibly of alien origin. Each one interprets it in a different way.
The obvious point is that what is observed depends on the observer, as the title makes clear. The author gets the message across, but there is little else to this brief fable.
“Dare To” by Bruce Golden is a grim tale in which the narrator is sentenced to a horrible fate for producing forbidden private writings. Despite the impossibility of escape, the narrator discovers a way to tolerate unending torment.
The author deals with the important theme of free expression of thought, while also imagining a frightening punishment. The narrator’s symbolic triumph over the oppressors is inspiring, if less than convincing.
“The Second-Thought Machine” by Richard Lau is an epistolary tale in which a banker refuses a large loan to an inventor, then suddenly changes and offers more than was requested. A note from one of the inventor’s employees reveals the reason for this odd behavior.
The title of the story gives too much away about its conclusion. A brief touch of self-reference at the end provides some amusement.
The title of “Going Interstellar: History, Technology, Economics, And Power Of Flight Out Of Cradle” by Arturo Sierra reveals that it is another fictional essay. The narrator, unnamed as usual, discusses a gigantic project to send a starship to the Centauri system. The enormous cost of the vessel leaves the Earth in worse shape than it began. Meanwhile, those who left the home world create their own new society.
This pseudo-article is more developed than others of its kind in the magazine. The author creates an imaginary future in vivid and convincing detail, with a touch of irony in the differing fates of Earth and those who journey away from it. Like other works of this type, the bland style and faceless narrator make it difficult for the reader to relate to it.
“The Soothing Sounds of Quantum Waves Crashing” by Noah Levin consists mostly of a dialogue between two students. They have seen the results of a classic experiment in physics change without explanation. They ponder the possibility that their universe in only a simulation.
The author reveals this hypothesis at the start of the story, so there is little suspense. This discussion of advanced concepts in physics and the nature of reality appeals to the intellect much more than to the emotions.
Victoria Silverwolf likes the writings of Jorge Luis Borges.