Fantasy & Science Fiction, Summer 2024
“What It Means to Drift” by Rajeev Prasad
“On My Way to Heaven” by Alberto Chimal
“Mister Yellow” by Christina Bauer
“Water Baby” by Tonya R. Moore
“Metis in the Belly of the God” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
“She’s a Rescue” by Marie Vibbert
“Snowdrop” by Raul Caner Cruz
“Dog People” by Esther Friesner
“What You Leave Behind” by Ken Altabef
“Another Such Victory” by Albert Chu
“Growth Rings of the Earth” by Xinwei Kong
“Jacob Street” by L. Marie Wood
“Red Ochre, Ivory Bone” by Deborah L. Davitt
“The Glass Apple” by Ivy Grimes
“Slickerthin” by Phoenix Alexander
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
Unavoidable production problems delayed the appearance of this issue. Subscribers should be aware that they will receive the full number of issues for which they paid. The patience of loyal readers of the magazine is rewarded with new fiction, in the form of a dozen short stories and a trio of novelettes.
In “What It Means to Drift” by Rajeev Prasad, people can have their minds uploaded into robotic bodies, thus providing various services for a high-tech civilization. In order to provide one such cyborg with the emotional sensations needed to sustain her existence, a woman agrees to be neurologically connected to her. She falls in and out of love multiple times, these brief, intense affairs designed to supply the necessary feelings.
I may have described the premise badly, as this is a subtle story with a complex, technologically advanced background. In addition to creating a richly imagined future, the author provides a great deal of insight into the emotions of the characters. The plot, which involves an encounter between the woman and one of her former lovers, avoids melodrama while making the point that sorrow is part of being fully human.
The novelette “On My Way to Heaven” by Mexican writer Alberto Chimal is translated from Spanish by Patrick Weill. The narrator’s uncle disappeared many years ago, only to show up thousands of miles away with little memory of what happened. He claims to have been abducted by aliens, and expects them to return for him. His family treats him as if he were mentally ill. The situation reaches a climax during a demonstration against the government.
One important part of the story I have not mentioned is the uncle’s obsession with rock music dealing with themes similar to his experience. The plot is simple and predictable. For non-Mexican readers, the most interesting aspect of this work is its discussion of Mexican politics and Mexican rock music. (The latter requires multiple footnotes translating the titles of songs and albums.)
The narrator of “Mister Yellow” by Christina Bauer discovers a way to communicate with another dimension, in such a way that events in each reality changes things in the other, sometimes in destructive ways. The narrator is imprisoned, due to the danger of this discovery, and forced to perform duties for the government that would otherwise be prevented by the inhabitants of the other dimension. The plot deals with a final encounter with a representative of the other reality.
I have explained the premise poorly, because I found it confusing and implausible. Somehow virtual reality changes things in the real world, a simple change in weather control can destroy all life in the other dimension, and the representative of the other reality can be two-dimensional. This is a lot for the reader to swallow. Those who can accept all this may enjoy what is a rather downbeat story.
“Water Baby” by Tonya R. Moore takes place at a time of rising sea levels. The protagonist is one of the few people remaining on a flooded island. After an encounter with a healer, she discovers what became of her mother, who disappeared some time ago.
This overly simplified synopsis makes the story sound like science fiction of the type sometimes known as cli-fi (climate fiction), but in fact it is fantasy with a touch of horror. Without giving too much away, it involves supernatural ocean dwellers and body transformation. The narrative begins in a low-key, realistic style, but soon develops into a much more fantastic tale. The shifting mood, as well as a sudden personality change in one of the major characters, may disconcert some readers.
“Metis in the Belly of the God” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman retells a tale from ancient Greek mythology. The narrator, a lover of Zeus pregnant with his child, is swallowed by the deity. The infant is the goddess Athena, who emerges from his forehead. Although there is nothing new in the plot, the description of the inside of the god’s body adds some originality.
“She’s a Rescue” by Marie Vibbert features a teenage girl, her father, and their pet dog in a spaceship approaching Ceres. The girl’s mother, divorced from the father, is unexpectedly in charge of the spaceport on the asteroid, and refuses them the right to land. The situation threatens to leave father and daughter stranded.
The age of the protagonist and the role played by the dog make this story read like fiction intended for young adults, despite a small touch of profanity. The mother is depicted as a purely evil character, making her less than believable as an antagonist.
“Snowdrop” by Raul Caner Cruz takes place in Ukraine at the time of Vikings and the Byzantine Empire. After allowing someone who seems to be the god Odin into their home, an elderly couple receives a girl made of snow as their daughter.
There is not much more to this story than the fantasy premise. The plot reaches an inevitable, undramatic conclusion. It makes for pleasant reading, in the style of a bittersweet fairy tale. (It might be noted that, despite the setting, there appears to be no intended allusion to Russia’s current invasion of Ukraine.)
“Dog People” by Esther Friesner is a farce in which goddesses from various ancient mythologies deal with the arrival of the dead in modern New York City. The plot is really only an excuse for jokes and wisecracks. Readers who enjoy very silly comedy will best appreciate it.
In “What You Leave Behind” by Ken Altabef, a woman has a model of the terrorist attack that killed her mother inside her body. She carries the symbol of her grief in her chest for many years. Meanwhile, she and her father drift apart as he becomes more intolerant and oppressive.
Like the story by Alberto Chimal, this work has a speculative premise but is really about politics and culture. In this case, the plot involves protests against the government of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and fundamentalist Islam. The fantasy premise is a powerful metaphor for mourning and the need to move beyond it, but the realistic elements of the story are of more interest.
In the novelette “Another Such Victory” by Albert Chu, people who have the ability to join their minds with giant robot bodies battle mysterious objects attacking Earth. The plot deals with a pair of these warriors, the difficulty they have joining and disengaging themselves from the robots, struggles for power within the government that employs them, and a secret kept from the populace.
I hope that I have conveyed the fact that a lot goes on in this story. I found it difficult to follow, mainly because many things remain unexplained. It is not at all clear how the humans are connected to the robots (it seems to be some kind of inherent telepathy) and the invaders are a complete enigma. The author displays a vivid imagination, but does not always convey these imaginings to the reader perfectly.
(As an aside, the author’s biographical note offers a strong opinion concerning the current war in Gaza. There may be some connection with the fact that the story features American refugees from war and a Muslim protagonist, but the story is not overtly political.)
The novelette “Growth Rings of the Earth” by Xinwei Kong is translated from Chinese, presumably by the author. (There is no translation credit.) It takes place at a time when most people have abandoned their bodies to be uploaded into digital form. The narrator is one of those who remain in their original form, dedicating themselves to preserving physical books and avoiding virtual technology. As the narrator progresses from youth to old age, he encounters a woman who returns to a new body after leaving the digital world; falls in love with a woman who eventually uploads herself; suggests that those who have not done so experience a simulated version of the digital world, in order to decide if it is right for them; learns what those who have uploaded themselves plan to do next; and faces his own, permanent death.
This lengthy synopsis is meant to convey the fact that this is a dense, complex story, with a great deal of speculative and philosophical content. The author also provides much human interest, so the work appeals as much to the emotions as the intellect. There are frequent allusions to writers such as Borges and Tolstoy, revealing a profound acquaintance with Western literature. In its original language, this story won China’s premier science fiction award, and it is worthy of the honor.
“Jacob Street” by L. Marie Wood is a brief horror story in which two siblings find themselves getting lost on the same journey multiple times, always winding up with the same fate. The author creates an effectively eerie mood of doom, even if the text is somewhat opaque.
“Red Ochre, Ivory Bone” by Deborah L. Davitt is set aboard a space station, populated by humans and multiple species of aliens, near the star Fomalhaut. An ancient vessel containing the skeleton of an extraterrestrial arrives unexpectedly, and a human pathologist becomes involved in deciding what to do with it.
Sections of the text dealing with the plot discussed above alternate with those taking place on Earth during the Ice Age. The apparent intent is to compare an ancient burial rite with the alien vessel. Despite the presence of many vividly portrayed extraterrestrials, this is primarily a quiet, introspective story, as the pathologist learns to respect her emotions as well as her intelligence.
In “The Glass Apple” by Ivy Grimes, a newly married woman receives the title object from a monk. She tries to find the promised seeds within the apple, which give her visions. After many years, she finally eats the apple, with strange results.
This story reads like an obscure fairy tale. The main character appears to have more of a back story than is revealed. The glass apple seems to have some symbolic value, but its exact meaning escapes me.
“Slickerthin” by Phoenix Alexander takes place in a version of ancient Greece where harpies give their unfertilized eggs to people, who devour them. Once in a while, the egg is fertilized, and a malformed harpy emerges. The story deals with a boy, unsure of his place in society, who receives a fertilized egg, and is bonded with the deformed creature against his will.
The story can be read as an allegory for accepting oneself, with the harpy as a symbol of one’s imagined flaws. The characters are all male—the boy has two fathers, without explanation—but this aspect of the story adds little to the plot.
Victoria Silverwolf has been to Mexico, but not Turkey.