The Short Story Thread

And now I am in the middle of this anthology:

RSBSTSFPVW2006.jpg


Note that several of these stories are very short, and appeared in the science journal Nature as part of their one-page "Futures" section. I'll note these with an asterisk and just give the date it appeared. These also have web pages where you can read them, so I'll list them.

*"New Hope for the Dead" by David Langford. (May 26, 2005) -- Satiric tale about what happens to folks who have been "downloaded" into computers after their physical bodies have died.

New hope for the dead : Article : Nature

"Deus Ex Homine" by Hannu Rajaniemi. (Nova Scotia, an anthology of new stories by Scottish writers. The author's very non-Scottish name is due to the fact that he's Finnish-born.) Deals with humans "enhanced" to have god-like powers. A dense, imaginative story.

"When the Great Days Came" by Gardner Dozois (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, December 2005) -- Sardonic account of a typical day in the life of a typical rat, until something unexpected happens. Quite convincingly realistic.

*"Dreadnought" by Justina Robson (March 31, 2005) -- Grim, condensed description of a very strange soldier in deep space in the far future.

Dreadnought : Article : Nature

"A Case of Consilience" by Ken MacLeod (Nova Scotia) -- As the title indicates, this is sort of a variation on the James Blish novel A Case of Conscience. ("Consilience," by the way, means "the linking together of principles from different disciplines especially when forming a comprehensive theory" -- not a simple concept.) Instead of a Catholic priest and reptilian aliens, here we have a Presbyterian clergyman and fungoid entities that communicate via chemical gradients. How to communicate the Gospel to them? The answer is ironic.

*"Toy Planes" by Tobias S. Buckell (October 13, 2005) -- Charming little tale about the modest space program of a small Caribbean nation.

Toy planes : Article : Nature

"Mason's Rats" by Neal Asher (Asimov's, April-May 2005, although the ISFDB states that it appeared in the small press publication Orion as far back as November 1992) -- Something of a tall tale about a farmer and his battle against super-rats.

*"A Modest Proposal for the Perfection of Nature" by Vonda N. McIntyre (March 3, 2005) -- Depicts a future in which nature has been completely tamed for the good of humanity; or has it?

A modest proposal... : Article : Nature

"Guadalupe and Hieronymus Bosch" by Rudy Rucker (Interzone, September/October 2005) -- Outrageous yarn about a modern young woman, a being from some higher dimension, and the great artist. A wild ride indeed.

*"The Forever Kitten" by Peter F. Hamilton (July 28, 2005) -- An extremely rich man bails a biologist out of prison in exchange for his help on a special project. A chillingly believable story, which would make a good Twilight Zone.

The forever kitten : Article : Nature

"City of Reason" by Matthew Jarpe (Asimov's, January 2005) -- Hard-boiled space adventure in which a pirate-turned-cop confronts a pair of unusual folks in a home-made spaceship beyond the orbit of Neptune. Fast-paced and cynical.

*"Ivory Tower" by Bruce Sterling (April 7, 2005) -- Depicts a community of self-taught physicists who have decided to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. Is this really a good idea?

Ivory Tower : Article : Nature

"Sheila" by Lauren McLaughlin (Interzone, November/December 2005) -- Told in an unusual fashion, with three sections told from three different points of view, this story deals with a rogue AI whom some folks see as divine. Interesting, if not much plot.
 
I accidentally left out a story, which should have been listed between the Dozois and the Robson:

"Second Person, Present Tense" by Daryl Gregory (Asimov's, September 2005) -- Realistic, rather "literary" story about a recreational drug which removes consciousness without otherwise changing your behavior. The real problems begin if you take an overdose, which removes your consciousness for so long a time that when you "wake up," so to speak, you are, for all practical purposes, another person. Quite well done.

Onward:

"Rats of the System" by Paul McAuley (Constellations, an anthology of new stories by British writers) -- Large-scale space opera which involves only two characters (three, if you count a voice, and four, if you count something else.) The background is the asteroid belt of another solar system settled by humans, and their war with the "Fanatics," other humans who worship the AIs who left Earth before the story starts, and who are using their immense powers to do things like manipulate stars. Good combination of intimate characterization and a vast vision.

*"I Love Liver: A Romance" by Larissa Lai (April 14, 2005) -- Wacky tale about the relationship between the narrator and the computer design for an artificial liver. As odd as it sounds.

I love liver: a romance : Article : Nature
 
"The Edge of Nowhere" by James Patrick Kelly (Asimov's, June 2005) -- Surrealistic tale set in a place (but is it really a "place"?) called Nowhere, inhabited by characters (who may or may not be "real" in some sense) who interact in strange ways. Hints that the whole thing is some sort of simulation are the only clue that this is science fiction and not fantasy. One notable feature is that the "economy" of this "place" is based on telling stories.

*"What's Expected of Us" by Ted Chiang (July 7, 2005) -- What would happen if you had proof that free will is an illusion? Interesting philosophical story.

What's expected of us : Article : Nature
 
"Girls and Boys, Come Out to Play" by Michael Swanwick (Asimov's, July 2005) -- One of a series of tales about a pair of con artists (one of whom is at least part dog) who wander around a decadent Earth some time after a high-tech Utopian Age. In this one they encounter a Mad Scientist who is creating analogues of the Greek gods. Although it's clearly science fiction, with all its wonders the result of biotechnology, it has the feel of fantasy. Adding to this feeling is the fact that it's written in a sort of 19th century style, with some deliberately archaic turns of phrase. It's not a comedy, but it's a bit tongue-in-cheek.
 
"Lakes of Light" by Stephen Baxter (Constellations) -- Hard SF story set in interstellar space in the far future. The setting is a hollow sphere of alien manufacture surrounding a star. Amazingly, human beings have found a way to live on "holes" in the sphere, which let in just enough of the star's energy to survive, but not so much that they burn up instantly. Packs a good deal of Sense of Wonder.

*"The Albian Message" by Oliver Morton (December 1, 2005) -- An ancient alien artifact deep in the solar system contains aomething unexpected.

The Albian message : Nature
 
"Bright Red Star" by Bud Sparhawk (Asimov's, March 2005) -- Grim, uncompromising story of war against aliens and the terrible prices that must be paid. Carries a strong impact.

"Third Day Lights" by Alaya Dawn Johnson (Interzone, September/October 2005) -- Extremely strange, exotic tale which seems to be a mixture of surrealism, myth, fantasy, and folktale. Full of weird things and characters. You can call it science fiction since all this oddness is a result of taking place in another universe.

*"RAM Shift Phase 2" by Greg Bear (December 15, 2005) -- Takes the form of a book review by a robot, about a novel by a robot. Droll little spoof of literary criticism.

RAM shift phase 2 : Article : Nature
 
"On the Brane" by Gregory Benford (Gateways, an anthology of original stories about the title theme; not to be confused with the 2010 anthology of the same name, which consisted of stories and essays inspired by Frederik Pohl) -- Explorers make their way to another universe which is only 20 centimeters from our own, but in a direction other than the ones we know, and encounter the very alien inhabitants of the "counter Earth" therein. A good hard SF story of discovery.

"Oxygen Rising" by R. Garcia y Robertson (Asimov's, February 2005) -- Deals with the aftermath of a war between various kinds of human beings on a distant world. Lots of imaginative concepts, but somehow it just doesn't have the impact it should. Including a cult of Elvis worshipers seems to have been a mistake, as it alters the tone drastically.

"And Future King . . ." by Adam Roberts (Postscripts, Summer 2005) -- Satiric story of government officials replaced by robotic replicas of famous personalities. When one is designed to be like King Arthur, things get out of hand.
 
"Beyond the Aquila Rift" by Alastair Reynolds (Constellations) -- Set in a future when humans make use of ancient alien technology to travel many light-years from home. The trouble starts when something goes wrong, and the narrator is sent further than he thinks. Has multiple surprises for the reader.

"Angel of Light" by Joe Haldeman (Cosmos, December 2005/January 2006) -- In a future USA where a blend of Christianity and Islam is an important part of the culture, the narrator finds an old pulp magazine, leading to an unexpected encounter. A wry little tale.

"Ikiryoh" by Liz Williams (Asimov's, December 2005) -- A nursemaid who is not entirely human is made to care for a most unusual child. Set in a future which suggests Eastern mythology, this story is full of exotic details.
 
"I, Robot" by Cory Doctorow (website Infinite Matrix, February 15, 2005) -- As the title suggests, this deals with themes raised by Asimov's robot stories. In particular, if a society can create robots with the Three Laws, can't it also create them without them? There's also a nod to 1984, as North America finds itself in a shifting three-way alignment/enmity with spheres of power called "Oceania" and "Eurasia." In addition to this, we have a fast-moving plot about a cop whose daughter disappears.

The Infinite Matrix | Cory Doctorow | I, Robot
 
If you get a chance to either pick up the January Asimov's or to just read Ted Kosmatka's "Chasing Ivory" go for it. :) The issue also contains work by Allen M. Steele, Ian McHugh, Dominica Phetteplace, and others.

Asimov's -- January 2016 review
 
J-Sun said:
If you get a chance to either pick up the January Asimov's or to just read Ted Kosmatka's "Chasing Ivory" go for it. :) The issue also contains work by Allen M. Steele, Ian McHugh, Dominica Phetteplace, and others.

Asimov's -- January 2016 review
Click to expand...

Excellent reviews. I get a really good feel for each story's strength and weaknesses without spoilers.
 
Read Simak's Strangers in the Universe. Longer discussion in the Simak thread but, briefly: especially liked "Immigrant" and "Kindergarten." Also liked "Target Generation," "Mirage," "Skirmish," and "Beachhead." Of the other five one was fair, one fairly poor, and three were readable.
 
Starting this anthology:

WRLDSBSTSC1965.jpg


It's a 1970 reprint of World's Best Science Fiction: 1965.

"Greenplace" by Tom Purdom (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November 1964) -- Creates a complex near future of life extension, drugs which enhance one's ability to absorb information and form hypotheses (while rendering the body nearly helpless) and highly sophisticated psychological manipulation techniques. The plot involves political dirty tricks. As if that wasn't enough of an accurate prediction of the decade to come, it also mentions in passing a strong anti-smoking campaign during the 1970's. A fascinating depiction of the darker side of what might seem at first like a pleasant future.
 
"Men of Good Will" by Ben Bova and Myron R. Lewis (Galaxy, June 1964) -- A United Nations representative visits the American Moon base to find out why there is peace between it and the Soviet Moon base at a time when the Cold War is heating up into violent "incidents" everywhere else. The answer has a sting in its tail. (Later included in Bova's "how to" book Notes to a Science Fiction Writer as an example of how to use background to tell your story. Apparently Lewis only provided some technical stuff.)
 
"Bill for Delivery" by Christopher Anvil (Analog, November 1964) -- Comedy about all sorts of things going wrong on an interstellar cargo run; automated factories running wild, a shipment of dangerous birds causing chaos, etc. It's pretty pointless, really.
 
"Four Brands of Impossible" by Norman Kagan (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, September 1964) -- A newly graduated mathematics student gets a job with a corporation which is using sensory enhancement along with supercomputers to enable young geniuses to think in new, seemingly illogical ways. Surprisingly, this is only the background for the story, which is really about the student's existential crisis. A hint of the New Wave to come, with an emphasis on the interior life of characters rather than external events.
 
"A Niche in Time" by William F. Temple (Analog, May 1964) -- Deals with a time traveler whose profession is to encourage the great artists of the past to create their masterpieces. The fellow turns out to be one of those encouraged in turn by folks from the future. An interesting character study in addition to all the time travel stuff.

"Sea Wrack" by Edward Jesby (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, May 1964) -- I reread this not too long ago, in a later issue of F&SF which reprinted it. A rather Zelazny-ish tale about an encounter between wealthy folks and a sea-dweller in the near future. It seems somewhat ahead of its time for 1964, with a mood of decadent sophistication overlying hidden violence. As far as I can tell, Jesby published only one other story in the field.
 
"For Every Action" by C. C. MacApp (Amazing Stories, May 1964) -- Rather silly comedy set in the far off year of 1987, when the USA and the USSR are racing to be the first to reach Pluto. The USA gets there first, but has trouble with some little creatures that live off energy, so they have to rely on very basic physics to be rescued by the Soviets. Trivial.

"Vampires Ltd." by Josef Nesvadba (translated from the Czech by Iris Urwin; first published as "Upir ltd" in 1962) -- A man comes from behind the Iron Curtain to England on official business and winds up driving a most unusual car. Seems to be a dark satire on the obsession with automobiles. It's also interesting to get the point of view of an Eastern European author during the Cold War period.
 
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