Asimov’s, September/October 2022
“Solidity” by Greg Egan
“Sparrows” by Susan Palwick
“Things to Do in Deimos When You’re Dead” by Alastair Reynolds
“BAKEHAFU OK” by Jendayi Brooks-Flemister
“The Rules of Unbinding” by Geoffrey A. Landis
“One Night Stand” by Eileen Gunn
“Bonus Footage” by Marissa Lingen
“Island History” by Lia Swope Mitchell
“Grandmother Troll” by Eleanor Arnason
“The Extraterrestrials Are Coming! The Extraterrestrials Are Coming!” by Peter Wood
“The Rise of Alpha Gal” by Rich Larson
“The Court Martial of the Renegat Renegades” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (serial, not reviewed)
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
Many of the stories in this issue feature characters who have to deal with sudden changes in their lives. The magazine offers tales of both science fiction and fantasy with a wide range of moods and settings, so there is sure to be something to appeal to almost any reader of imaginative fiction.
In “Solidity” by Greg Egan, a high school student finds himself in an altered world. His classroom, teachers, and fellow students are unfamiliar. His family is not at his house, which has also changed. With the help of a man who is similar to, but not identical with, his vanished father, he struggles to accept this strange new existence, which seems to have affected everyone on Earth.
The premise reminds me a bit of Michael Bishop’s Nebula-winning story “The Quickening,” although it is different enough that the new story is more than just a variation on the older one. The author develops the fantastic concept in a logical, realistic way. The characters use reason and cooperation in order to prevent society from completely breaking down, which is a refreshing change from many tales of seemingly impossible challenges.
A college student is the main character in “Sparrows” by Susan Palwick. She chooses to remain at the deserted campus after an impending disaster forces everyone else to flee. After finishing a paper on Shakespeare, although she knows the effort is pointless, she discovers she is not alone.
This is essentially a character study, and as such is reasonably effective. The reader may question the protagonist’s sanity when it comes to her insistence on finishing a paper she expects no one to read, although otherwise she seems like a rational person. The nature of the apocalypse is vague, although it has something to do with flooding and apparently everyone on Earth is doomed. (If not, the main character’s decision to remain is simply suicidal.) Many will wish for more of an explanation.
The protagonist of “Things to Do in Deimos When You’re Dead” by Alastair Reynolds is killed while in suspended animation, but his consciousness is accidentally stored in a computer. In an imaginary world created by a woman who suffered the same fate, he learns from other victims that his mind will eventually fade away, leading to a second death. They offer him the chance to perform small acts of kindness for the outside world while waiting for oblivion.
The author uses the familiar premise of downloading consciousness into a computer simulation in a new way. The virtual setting is original and evocative. The theme of whether there is any point to helping those who can never acknowledge your actions, or even know that you exist, is an important one, explored in a thoughtful manner.
“BAKEHAFU OK” by Jendayi Brooks-Flemister takes place in a world where people randomly turn into monsters, with varying abilities to control their transformations. In a Japanese brothel, a prostitute helps a client changed into a particularly grotesque creature learn how to retain his human form.
Although the story carries a warning about its sexual content, it is not very explicit and should not offend any but the most sensitive readers. The story’s mood is entirely serious, but the client’s situation comes across as ludicrous. If nothing else, the author offers insight into certain aspects of Japanese culture.
“The Rules of Unbinding” by Geoffrey A. Landis is a variation on a very old theme. A man frees a genie from a bottle and is granted the traditional three wishes. The way he makes use of this benefit has unexpected results. This brief tale is little more than an extended joke, with a punch line more to be admired for its cleverness than its humor.
In “One Night Stand” by Eileen Gunn, a woman picks up a man at a bar. He proves to be a violent criminal, killing her and kidnapping her teenage daughter. As a ghost, she uses her limited powers in a desperate attempt to save her daughter from the murderer.
This is a gritty crime story, with an appropriate content warning about scenes of violence. The ghost, who narrates, is an intriguing character, tough but also foolish in her choice of men and with a strong love for her daughter. The supernatural content, although vital to the plot, is minimal. This dark tale of human evil will best be appreciated by readers of intense suspense stories.
“Bonus Footage” by Marissa Lingen is a comic account of a video star who films exotic locations on other planets. The humor derives from slapstick encounters with dangerous plant life on a forest world. It’s a very lightweight tale which may be too silly for some.
“Island History” by Lia Swope Mitchell takes the form of the journal of a physician investigating a strange disease among the colonists of a remote island. The victims appear insane, claiming to be under attack and harming themselves and others in their delusionary states. The key to the deadly illness involves a strange fungus and the former inhabitants of the island.
The author writes convincingly in the style of a man of years gone by. (The time seems to be the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, although this is not stated explicitly.) The work has the mood of a horror story, vaguely Lovecraftian in tone. It can be read as an allegory for the lingering effects of colonialism, but this is not overt. This rather old-fashioned tale should appeal to fans of traditional weird fiction.
“Grandmother Troll” by Eleanor Arnason is a fantasy set in modern Iceland. A teenage girl befriends the title character, who seems to be only a large boulder to most people. Together they come to the aid of an elderly sheepherder who proves to be something other than an ordinary human being.
This is a pleasant story, reminiscent of a folktale, which is best suited for younger readers. The author is well-informed concerning Icelandic culture and traditions, and the reader learns quite a bit along the way. Some may find this information conveyed in too pedagogical a manner.
“The Extraterrestrials Are Coming! The Extraterrestrials Are Coming!” by Peter Wood is a comedy in which the bickering crew of a space station beyond Pluto and their sarcastic, well-read robot chef receive a message from an approaching alien vessel. Rival political parties cause chaos when each tries to be the first to arrive at the station from Earth.
Politicians are an easy target for satire, and this story offers the usual jaundiced view of the profession. The narrative contains frequent allusions to twentieth century literature, which makes the supposedly futuristic setting seem dated. The arrival of the aliens proves to be anticlimactic.
In “The Rise of Alpha Gal” by Rich Larson, a researcher discovers a way to spread an allergy to red meat, normally transmitted by tick bites. (The premise is very similar to that found in “The Final Nail” by Stanley Schmidt, from the May/June 2017 issue of Analog, previously discussed here.)
https://tangentonline.com/print-bi-monthly/analog-sf/analog-mayjune-2017/
In conversation with an ex-lover, the researcher reveals her discovery, and considers the implications of its use.
The story consists mostly of dialogue between the two characters. Their discussion deals with the ethical and ecological issues of eating meat, as well as the moral question of inducing the allergy in people without their permission. These are provocative topics, but the narrative comes across as more of a debate than a fully developed work of fiction.
Victoria Silverwolf has to remember to buy a copy of the Sunday newspaper on the way home tonight.