Tor.com, February 2020

“St. Valentine, St. Abigail, St. Brigid” by C.L. Polk

“If You Take My Meaning” by Charlie Jane Anders

“Manuscript Tradition” by Harry Turtledove

“Sinew and Steel and What They are Told” by Carrie Vaughn

Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett

There are four good first publication stories at Tor.com for February.

“St. Valentine, St. Abigail, St. Brigid” by C.L. Polk

Polk’s short fantasy is set in New York City. Theresa’s mother can weave simple enchantments to bring good or bad luck as desired by her paying customers. Theresa grows up helping her mother and shows quickly that she also can read the cards and converse with the bees in their brownstone’s rooftop garden.

At school, Theresa likes a smart girl named Lucille; and when a boy starts bullying Lucille, Theresa asks for help from her mother. But the bully also has access to magical enchantments, and so the war over Lucille’s affections begins.

The story had an easy pace and mystery to it, keeping the reader engaged until the end.

“If You Take My Meaning” by Charlie Jane Anders

Alyssa lives on a future Earth with a caustic sky in this SF novelette. The Gelet, an alien civilization, live peacefully inside a nearby mountain and offer an augmentation to humans that enhances their ability to share themselves with others.

Alyssa’s friend Sophia has the augmentation and now Alyssa climbs the mountain to request the same help. But Sophia hadn’t warned Alyssa enough about how the procedure will alter her physically and change her entire mental outlook, provided, that is, she can survive the operation.

This was an intriguing story that explored a different view of alien interaction.

“Manuscript Tradition” by Harry Turtledove

This SF short is set in the twenty third century after the first fuzzy images return from the probe sent to a distant dwarf star forty light-years away. Feyrouz is the custodian in an old library located in New England.

When she realizes the images from the distant planet look familiar, she goes in search of an eight-hundred-year-old manuscript filled with strange drawings and inscriptions in a language no one has been able to decipher. Then the old janitor tells her a story about the mysterious manuscript. But should she believe the old nut?

This was an interesting read and it was hard to predict the twisty ending.

“Sinew and Steel and What They are Told” by Carrie Vaughn

When the explosion ripped him in half, Graff knew he was going to have difficulties in this short SF story. His scout runner had exploded and not much is keeping him together as his cyber parts begin knitting him back into one piece.

But the ship’s doctor, his love interest, will surely notice. Not to mention the ship’s captain. He’d lied to them, faked his normalcy, and now they may decide to send him for analysis or worse, destruction. But Graff has feelings, just like any other human.

This was a character-centric story that explored a different view of cyber evolution. A worthwhile and entertaining read.