“Broken Windchimes” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“Soulmates” by Mike Resnick & Lezli Robyn
“Away from Here” by Lisa Goldstein
“Camera Obscured” by Ferrett Steinmetz
“In Their Garden” by Brenda Cooper
“The Day Before the Day Before” by Steve Rasnic Tem
“Tear-Down” by Benjamin Crowell
“Her Heart’s Desire” by Jerry Oltion
Reviewed by Karen L. Newman
The effect of people’s decisions is the general theme of the stories in the September 2009 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction. The various characters are, for the most part, wracked with either guilt or uncertainty. Sometimes the decisions made by others are beyond a character’s control, yet he or she must act upon the consequences. Most tales are poignant and thought-provoking. All, however, are character-driven.
A man goes through a major life change in the novella “Broken Windchimes” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. He’s a superstar singer on a planet that reveres male sopranos who perform with perfection. One mistake after over twenty years onstage, however, changes his life forever. Rusch explores with expert precision this man’s emotions. He’s left unnamed, a brilliant move to make him relatable for any reader. His travel to an outpost is well aligned with the change that occurs in him. With Rusch’s skill, the reader cares for this man, roots for him. Part of this transformation happens in a blues club. Once a bit too much time is spent in detail of the musical elements of a band in this club, but the poignant ending makes up for that slight snafu. Rusch creates a memorable tale while exposing the reader to interesting musical and life lessons.
The tough topic of euthanasia is explored in “Soulmates” by Mike Resnick and Lezli Robyn. A night watchman named Gary has trouble living with the guilt of pulling the plug on his wife Kathy, left brain dead after an auto accident. He’s on the verge of losing his job due to heavy drinking when he becomes acquainted with a troubleshooting robot he dubs Mose. This tale centers on those two characters’ conversations concerning Gary’s decision and Mose’s job of repairing or terminating broken robots. Resnick and Robyn utilize these discussions for both character development and plot advancement for maximum effect. The man’s raw emotions contrasting with the robot’s logic add poignancy and credibility to the novelette. Unfortunately, the lack of security cameras detracts from that same credibility. Set in a future of five billion women, a major company would have the ability to notice the changes in the robot Mose and the time he spent with Gary at work. However, the strong storytelling makes “Soulmates” a fine and enjoyable read without becoming a sermon on morality.
A fifteen-year-old girl’s life at her parents’ hotel is interrupted by a mysterious group of strangers in “Away from Here” by Lisa Goldstein. This grass-is-always-greener tale has a very descriptive fantasy slant, but that’s all that stands out. The girl comes off sympathetic, but not relatable; her father adds nothing to the plot, and the mother seems like a selfish shrew. Goldstein has a fast-paced writing style that at times is too fast. The ending is left unresolved, in part due to the fact that the girl is too young for the crossroads decision she has to make. She needs to be eighteen for the story to be effective. Why the mother runs the hotel is evident at the end, but her reason for staying is foggy – too much left to the imagination. The reader is left caring more for the hotel guests rather than the family, making this tale forgettable.
Competition goes into overdrive in “Camera Obscured” by Ferrett Steinmetz, where a high school student named Victor is obsessed with becoming the best at something in the world. Here everyone has a video blog and software compiles rankings in a virtual type of Guinness Book of World Records. However, Victor’s quest is turned upside down when he meets an unconventional girl at school. Steinmetz weaves a masterful tale of “Big Brother” in an original and scary way. High school life is captured with all its warts, adding to the timelessness of the story. The characters are quirky and memorable. Steinmetz has all the tools to be very influential in this genre, given this is the author’s first acceptance in this magazine.
A group of people fight to keep their old way of life, but a girl wants to explore the new world created by climate change in the story “In Their Garden” by Brenda Cooper. The desiccated landscape of the new, drier climate is enhanced by its comparison to the lush gardens locked inside the walls with overhead plastic tarps to trap moisture. Cooper draws the reader into the girl Paulette’s curiosity by writing the story in the first person. Paulette’s optimism clashes with the group elders’ pessimism, adding a stark, desolate element. Planes are mentioned and the girl has had contact with people from the outside, yet none of them has demanded water or produce from inside the compound, Cooper’s only flaw. The story’s theme is a common one these days, yet Cooper’s strong characterization makes this tale rise above the average.
In the future, a secret government agency employs men as time travelers to fix perceived errors in small, unnoticeable ways in “The Day Before the Day Before” by Steve Rasnic Tem. Tem avoids a direct timeline, instead plucking bits and pieces of the protagonist Kent’s life to build tension and create a more interesting tale. This story is tight, no word wasted, which adds to the terror. Tem also utilizes symbolism to great effect, in particular the face of the pocket watch, a rare talent in today’s writers. Even though time travel has become common in science fiction, this story is a standout.
Replacing something old with something new isn’t always the best decision as shown in “Tear-Down” by Benjamin Crowell. Here a young couple finally has enough money to buy a home, but they are already looking to upgrade. Crowell makes this story more interesting by having the house talk. In fact, all homes can talk and interact with their owners. Dialogue dominates more than description, leaving more to the reader’s imagination, but creating confusion at times. The story is fast-paced, but sometimes hard to follow. Still, Crowell spins an entertaining story with an unexpected ending.
The last story in the magazine, “Her Heart’s Desire” by Jerry Oltion, differs from the others because it is pure fantasy. A woman obtains a substance that grants people their hearts’ desires from an unseen magic shop. Oltion doesn’t focus the story on the woman, per se, but on an innocent bystander who’s affected by accident, an effective ploy to make both characters relatable. The changes in them both occur seamlessly, a tribute to the author’s skill. This story is a good, fun read.