Asimov’s“Most Things” by Rich Larson
“In The Halls of the Makeshift King” by Tobias S. Buckell
“Another Mother on Mars” by Dominica Phetteplace
“Worm Song” by Derek Künsken
“Aftermath” by William Preston
“In the Gardener’s Service” by Michèle Laframboise
“Pirates of Highship” by Stephen Case
“Perri’s Fate” by Robert Reed
“The Courier” by Lavie Tidhar
“The Chronolithographer’s Assistant” by Suzanne Palmer
Reviewed by Mina
“Most Things” by Rich Larson starts off feeling like Pulp Fiction on drugs, with two guys coming down from a high and picking up a kidnapping contract. But is it a real kidnapping if your kidnappee is clearly paying you to kidnap them? When you find yourself being chased by a quantum creature and government goons—is the monster truly a monster and what happens when you make First Contact with a quantum universe? The only thing that kept me going at the beginning was that it was well-written and that I do have a soft spot for Schroedinger’s kitty. The story did eventually become worth the read and the ending is a nice surprise.
“In The Halls of the Makeshift King” by Tobias S. Buckell follows Yehin on his pilgrimage. He is one of many pushing a huge capstan that will one day open a door. Nobody knows what is behind that door. As the story circles and we share Yehin’s feeling of futility, we move from frustration to Yehin’s final understanding of the pilgrimage. This is not because he has been chosen to become Makeshift King, but because he finally understands the meaning behind his seemingly hopeless pilgrimage. This tale also rewards the reader’s patience in the end.
“Another Mother on Mars” by Dominica Phetteplace is intriguing. Life on Mars is not easy and Zetta wants to have a baby without dying. At first, she considers cloning but discards that idea when she realises that her three sociopathic brothers are clones. So she begins to investigate artificial wombs. Her brilliant but chillingly sociopathic father decides to help her. But the story is much more than about Zetta’s desire to be a mother or her worries about whether she herself is a sociopath. The colony on Mars is fascinating. The story ends but leaves the reader wanting more on so many levels including the niggling question—why did the bots mutiny? I was definitely left wanting to ask the author to keep going.
“Worm Song” by Derek Künsken is simply beautiful. It’s well-written and like a haunting melody. A cloud colony is using the native dragons to search and mine for minerals in a gas giant, as they can safely plunge through all the gas layers due to their hard carapaces. But the dragons are dying out. Jiayi has had her ears and part of her olfactory system replaced by dragon tissue. She can hear the song of the “worms” that fly in the upper levels but she also feels alienated from the people around her, including her once-beloved partner. She smuggles a worm into the lower layers with surprising results. I would happily read this again!
Comment from a linguist: the planet is called Drachenhöhle, which means “dragon caves” in German — a nice detail.
“Aftermath” by William Preston is clearly inspired by a Ray Bradbury story from The Martian Chronicles. The planet would seem to be Mars with its two moons. An investigator questions people who seem to have had encounters with people from the past and the future—people they could interact with. It seems that they have been looking through a window in time. But, in the end, it is friendship in the here and now that matters most.
“In the Gardener’s Service” by Michèle Laframboise has really good world building. Sirius is sent by the Emperor to rescue his kidnapped cousin. But it is not a simple rescue as Sirius negotiates a dangerous garden and double-crossing politics. It is a good adventure story with a soupçon of James Bond thrown in. I particularly enjoyed how we are given just enough information about a complex culture.
In “Pirates of Highship” by Stephen Case, Odeem is convinced the gas planet, Highship, is an intelligent mind. He likens the atmospheric storms to brain activity. He creates algorithms to talk to that mind and he needs an array to broadcast and listen via an implant in his own brain. Throw in a couple of pirates and the best laid plans can go awry. Odeem succeeds in initiating communication between the algorithms and the planet, with unexpected results. An interesting look at the nature of consciousness.
“Perri’s Fate” by Robert Reed is part of a series of tales set on the Great Ship. As always, a certain amount needs to be explained at the beginning so that the tale is readable. This time, we follow Perri’s story after his organic body dies and he becomes a bioceramic brain. He goes through various reincarnations and adventures, as he seeks for his wife Quee Lee. But, in the end, there’s no real resolution of anything. It feels at the same time both overly detailed and superficial.
“The Courier” by Lavie Tidhar is a day in the life of a courier on Mars. Yara enjoys speeding across the sands as she delivers and picks up packages. Her day includes delivering a wedding proposal from one hive mind to another, sentient coffee machines and potted godlings who try to spread love and cheer. Gently humorous.
“The Chronolithographer’s Assistant” by Suzanne Palmer is wonderful. The best stories are always the ones where characters show growth: the protagonist, Thomas, is an anxious mess at first. He fears the sea and so cannot become a fisherman. In desperation, he approaches Mrs Hammond and asks to become her assistant in her chromolithography workshop. He suddenly finds himself mixed up in time travel and a daring rescue in the future. It is warming to see Thomas grow in confidence—he no longer feels a failure and he can envisage a future for himself. It is also a tale about friendship, which I always enjoy.
The first two thirds build up slowly and were the most engaging, as we watch Thomas unfurl under Mrs Hammond’s tutelage. The action in the final third is fun but could have been developed further. The story ends properly but leaves the reader wanting to hear more about Thomas’ adventures. Do read and savour this novella!