Reactor“In the Hours Preceding the Fall of Tau-Sants” by Rich Larson
“Alien Boy” by Fawaz Al-Matrouk
“Into Your Sun-Blessed Life” by Isabel Yap
Reviewed by Mike Bickerdike
“In the Hours Preceding the Fall of Tau-Sants” by Rich Larson is a richly drawn, far future cyberpunk-styled SF story, with more than a hint of Moorcock-like strangeness about it. The tale offers a good number of far future ideas, set within a somewhat surreal backdrop. The scene is set for the coming of a ‘banshee’ who seeks to destroy the protagonists and their world; only a specific gun for which they have the blueprint will have the power to stop her. It’s full of good imagery and is quite compelling.
“Alien Boy” by Fawaz Al-Matrouk is a brief SF story, about a Kuwaiti boy who travels to Canada with his father to try and avoid an alien invasion. It’s quite a clichéd alien abduction story, following the Golden Age trope.
“Into Your Sun-Blessed Life” by Isabel Yap is a novelette described as ‘space opera’ by the magazine, although the SF elements are not immediately obvious. A college student, Dea, is studying the translation of religious texts on what we learn is an extraterrestrial world. The story focusses on her relationship with her erstwhile friend Karin, the social dynamics of her family, and the difficult choice she has to make regarding working with an alien race. It’s quite a slow, contemplative piece that may not grab or engage readers looking for more action or SF elements.
More of Mike Bickerdike’s reviews and thoughts on science-fiction can be found at https://starfarersf.nicepage.io/