Uploaded September 10, 1996 -- Updated September 10, 1996
Here is the list of stories in this issue. If you have any comments or reviews, send them to jbailey@sff.net. Please indicate which issue and/or story you're referring to in the subject line, and try to keep comments for different stories separate in you letters so I can place them properly.
"Chrysalis" by Robert Reed [11/9/96]
"How We Got in Town and out Again" by Jonathan
Letham
"The Miracle of Ivar Avenue" by John Kessel
[11/9/96]
"On Sequoia Time" by Daniel Keys Moran
"Oracle" by Charles Oberndorf
"Community" by Gardner Dozois
Miscellaneous Comments (on the magazine as a whole, editorials, columns, etc.)
Rich Horton: 11/9/96
"Chrysalis" is set on a vast starship in the far future. The ship is a human construct, though controlled by Artisans, who appear to be human-built artificial intelligences. Many other species live on the ship, called the Web among other names. This story tells of Sarrie's education as a Voice (a sort of linguist with the job of contacting aliens). The climax involves a training mission to an icy world, supposedly a trivial mission, which takes an odd turn which reveals a lot about the true nature of the Web, the Artisans, and human history (to borrow a phrase from Lucius Shepard!) An intriguing far-future story which ends up much differently than its beginning seemed to promise.
Nothing yet. top of page
Rich Horton: 11/9/96
Kessel is one of my favorite writers. In particular I regard his novel _Good News from Outer Space_ as one of the best novels of the last ten years or so, and rather unjustly neglected. (The short stories "The Pure Product", "Another Orphan", and "Mrs. Shummel Exits a Winner" (this last extracted from _Good News ..._) also should not be missed.) This story is a murder mystery with a twist, the murdered man is the famous screenwriter Preston Sturges, only, he is still alive. The story follows a detective investigating the murder. Naturally, there is a science-fictional explanation, which works because it is so well integrated with the detective's personal life crisis, and also with a bit of homage to Sturges.
Nothing yet. top of page
Nothing yet. top of page
Nothing yet. top of page
Nothing yet. top of page
2589