Tor.com, January 2022

“The Tale of Ak and Humanity” by Yefim Zozulya (translated by Alex Shvartsman)

“Fruiting Bodies” by Kemi Ashing-Giwa

Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett

There are two first publication stories at Tor.com for January, including a translation of a classic from a century ago.

“The Tale of Ak and Humanity” by Yefim Zozulya (translated by Alex Shvartsman)

The Board of Supreme Determination decides who is worthless or not in this short SF. Those deemed unworthy must end their lives in twenty-four hours or face execution. So said the poster, and so did the board under the direction of Ak.

The people began panicking as individuals were deemed useless and killed in their thousands. Meanwhile, Ak considers this and begins to have doubts. How could he be sure that the board only selects those people of no value?

This story was written just after the Russian revolution and poked fun at the new Soviet government. This story was out of print for many decades and only ‘rediscovered’ in the 1990’s. It was one of the first stories to establish the anti-utopia genre. And like 1984, this story did not feel dated by the passage of time.

“Fruiting Bodies” by Kemi Ashing-Giwa

Inyama adapts to the new fiery planet in this short SF. Morayo, her love, injected her with a serum that made her immune to the alien ravages of this planet. And now Inyama goes in search of the men who abducted Morayo.

What these kidnappers want from Morayo is hard to know. Is it revenge for what she did to Inyama? Or from jealousy since only Inyama has a future on this planet? Whatever the reason, Inyama is closing in on where the kidnappers will make their last stand.

This appealing and fast-paced story held the reader’s attention until the end.

You can follow Kevin P Hallett’s writing on www.kevinphallett.com