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Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 115, April 2016
FICTION
“Touring with the Alien” by Carolyn Ives Gilman
“Balin” by Chen Qiufan, translated by Ken Liu
“The Bridge of Dreams” by Gregory Feeley
“The Cedar Grid” by Sara Saab
“Old Friends” by Garth Nix
“Winter's Wife” by Elizabeth Hand
NON-FICTION
“Silver Machine: Hawkwind's Space Rock Journey throughout Science Fiction and Fantasy” by Jason Heller
“Transparency and Transformation: A Conversation with David Brin” by Chris Urie
“Another Word: Technology Creates a New Golden Age of Speculative Fiction” by Margot Atwell
“Editor's Desk: Best. Wife. Ever.” by Neil Clarke
“Touring with the Alien” by Carolyn Ives Gilman
“Balin” by Chen Qiufan, translated by Ken Liu
“The Bridge of Dreams” by Gregory Feeley
“The Cedar Grid” by Sara Saab
“Old Friends” by Garth Nix
“Winter's Wife” by Elizabeth Hand
NON-FICTION
“Silver Machine: Hawkwind's Space Rock Journey throughout Science Fiction and Fantasy” by Jason Heller
“Transparency and Transformation: A Conversation with David Brin” by Chris Urie
“Another Word: Technology Creates a New Golden Age of Speculative Fiction” by Margot Atwell
“Editor's Desk: Best. Wife. Ever.” by Neil Clarke
158 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2016
About the author
Neil Clarke
367 books375 followersNeil Clarke is best known as the editor and publisher of the Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning
Clarkesworld Magazine.
Launched in October 2006, the online magazine has been a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine four times (winning three times), the World Fantasy Award four times (winning once), and the British Fantasy Award once (winning once). Neil is also a ten-time finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Editor Short Form (winning once in 2022), three-time winner of the Chesley Award for Best Art Director, and a recipient of the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award. In the fifteen years since Clarkesworld Magazine launched, numerous stories that he has published have been nominated for or won the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Sturgeon, Locus, BSFA, Shirley Jackson, WSFA Small Press, and Stoker Awards.
Additionally, Neil edits Forever —a digital-only, reprint science fiction magazine he launched in 2015. His anthologies include: Upgraded, Galactic Empires, Touchable Unreality, More Human than Human, The Final Frontier, Not One of Us, The Eagle has Landed, , and the Best Science Fiction of the Year series. His next anthology, The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Seven will published in early 2023.
He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and two sons.
Additionally, Neil edits Forever —a digital-only, reprint science fiction magazine he launched in 2015. His anthologies include: Upgraded, Galactic Empires, Touchable Unreality, More Human than Human, The Final Frontier, Not One of Us, The Eagle has Landed, , and the Best Science Fiction of the Year series. His next anthology, The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Seven will published in early 2023.
He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and two sons.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
July 28, 2017
“It’s your conscious mind that’s the slave master, always worrying about control. Your unconscious only wants to preserve you.”
Many Alien domes have landed on Earth, but no one knows what the visitors want. Until they send traslators – humans, abducted as children and now grown up. One alien hires Specialty Shipping’s driver, Avery, to take him on a tour.
There is a lot to like about the story – the world-building, explaining how aliens function, the ideas of consciousness, the way Avery uses the journey to process things about life and herself. Still, it feel underdeveloped, especially in terms of characterization. Motivation is often hollow, and actions and emotions come out of nowhere. Many points don’t make sense. Why would the government allow and even support this? How come the translator speaks perfect English but doesn’t remember human food? (My headcanon is that humans of all ages were abducted and taught each other. Perhaps he was abducted very young and only learned to speak once with the aliens, but this is never addressed.) Also, Avery does something extremely irresponsible at the end.
Overall, lots of potential, but needs more substance.
January 1, 2018
Rating for “Touring with the Alien” only. The title said the plot. What made it worth the read is the discussion about consciousness in this novelette.
I don't see a satisfying conclusion from the author, unlike my previous read Things With Beards. At the ending, there was a sudden supposed-to-be-thrilling-climax, but I didn't get it.
I don't see a satisfying conclusion from the author, unlike my previous read Things With Beards. At the ending, there was a sudden supposed-to-be-thrilling-climax, but I didn't get it.
April 26, 2017
I read this online in preparation to know and judge which nominated novella should win the Hugo in 2017, fully prepared for just about anything.
Luckily, I really enjoyed this surprising little tale of alien abduction. Sort-of abduction. :)
Well, either way, the end was surprising and quite amusing and the whole concept of conscious vs unconscious thought processes as a difference between us and an entirely different alien species was really fascinating.
OR, you might as well read this as a roadtrip novella with some rather interesting companions. :)
No, this wasn't Starman. :)
Suffice to say, I LOVED the end. :)
On to the other nominations!
Luckily, I really enjoyed this surprising little tale of alien abduction. Sort-of abduction. :)
Well, either way, the end was surprising and quite amusing and the whole concept of conscious vs unconscious thought processes as a difference between us and an entirely different alien species was really fascinating.
OR, you might as well read this as a roadtrip novella with some rather interesting companions. :)
No, this wasn't Starman. :)
Suffice to say, I LOVED the end. :)
On to the other nominations!
June 29, 2017
My favorite of this year's Hugo nominated novelettes. For my complete roundup of the stories in this category, visit https://1000yearplan.com/2017/06/29/s...
January 3, 2018
A story about aliens that landed their ships on Earth and use human translators (abducted some 20 years or so ago, for exactly this purpose) to secretly communicate with the government. It kind of reminded me of Story of Your Life (the story on which the movie Arrival was based on), especially the ships, that seem to be taken from the movie. Even if it lacks action, I found it interesting and it poses some interesting question about conciousness and life experiences.
Read
February 22, 2017**** Carolyn Ives Gilman - Touring With the Alien
A bit of a different twist on the alien invasion story. It reminded me in more than one aspect of Tade Thompson's 'Rosewater,' (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) which was also recently published. I guess it's the zeitgeist...
Here, after 'touching down' in impenetrable domes, the aliens send out seemingly-human 'translators,' possibly abductees. One of those, through the FBI (?), hires a long-haul trucker used to unusual jobs, to fulfill the alien's request - to go on a tour of the country. Due to her close proximity, the trucker soon knows more about the aliens than anyone else on earth. But what she really learns is more about what it means to be human.
A bit of a different twist on the alien invasion story. It reminded me in more than one aspect of Tade Thompson's 'Rosewater,' (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) which was also recently published. I guess it's the zeitgeist...
Here, after 'touching down' in impenetrable domes, the aliens send out seemingly-human 'translators,' possibly abductees. One of those, through the FBI (?), hires a long-haul trucker used to unusual jobs, to fulfill the alien's request - to go on a tour of the country. Due to her close proximity, the trucker soon knows more about the aliens than anyone else on earth. But what she really learns is more about what it means to be human.
April 5, 2018
Review solely for “Touring with the Alien”, by Carolyn Ives Gilman:
2017 Hugos nominee for Best Novelette. It starts strong, with an examination of consciousness and the very alien differences between humans & extraterrestrials, and the adorably off-kilter culture shock of a human abducted by aliens now trying to adjust to life on Earth, and empathy and the bridge between species... But it completely falls apart at the end, imo.
2017 Hugos nominee for Best Novelette. It starts strong, with an examination of consciousness and the very alien differences between humans & extraterrestrials, and the adorably off-kilter culture shock of a human abducted by aliens now trying to adjust to life on Earth, and empathy and the bridge between species... But it completely falls apart at the end, imo.
March 5, 2019
Rating and review only for "Touring with the Alien” by Carolyn Ives Gilman:
Like a bad version of Story of Your Life or Childhood's End. Too many build ups and scattered internal musing. The concept of consciousness could have been more developed.
Like a bad version of Story of Your Life or Childhood's End. Too many build ups and scattered internal musing. The concept of consciousness could have been more developed.
June 26, 2017
Strange aliens visit the earth nobody has seen them, yet ... an interesting exploration of what consciousness is or how an alien race might do without it. I managed to read this in one sitting ... good pacing and novel (for me at least) ideas.
May 30, 2017
“They wanted to be left alone. Nobody believed it.”
Intriguing take on an old science fiction saw. Nice voice. A fun read. Good character and story development. 2017 Finalist for 2017 Hugo Award novelette.
“It’s your conscious mind that’s the slave master, always worrying about control. Your unconscious only wants to preserve you.”
Quibble: There is no way an RV could surreptitiously approach, load, and depart an alien structure in the District of Columbia. Dozens--no, hundreds of private, corporate, and governmental cameras would record it and track the RVs every move.
“They don’t live in an imaginary future like most people.”
Big behavior shift by protagonist at climax not well presented. Nice cover art, though it has nothing to do with the story.
“There’s no death if there’s no self to be aware of.” “No life either.”
Intriguing take on an old science fiction saw. Nice voice. A fun read. Good character and story development. 2017 Finalist for 2017 Hugo Award novelette.
“It’s your conscious mind that’s the slave master, always worrying about control. Your unconscious only wants to preserve you.”
Quibble: There is no way an RV could surreptitiously approach, load, and depart an alien structure in the District of Columbia. Dozens--no, hundreds of private, corporate, and governmental cameras would record it and track the RVs every move.
“They don’t live in an imaginary future like most people.”
Big behavior shift by protagonist at climax not well presented. Nice cover art, though it has nothing to do with the story.
“There’s no death if there’s no self to be aware of.” “No life either.”
April 22, 2016
"Winter's Wife" by Elizabeth Bear was just as engaging the second time I read it. "Balin" by Chef Qiufan, "Old Friends" by Garth Nix, and "Cedar Grid" by Sara Saab were all decent. The premise in "Touring with the Alien" really stuck with me, I found myself arguing with the aliens (and the humans) about the merits of consciousness--a fascinating story. The only subpar work in the issue was (unfortunately) the longest "Bridge of Dreams" by Greg Feeley. Way too verbose--and didn't really go anywhere.
March 9, 2023
5 Stars!.. This review is for the Hugo nominated novelette, “Touring with the Alien” by Carolyn Ives Gilman. Linked below… It’s about an intelligent alien species that lacks consciousness that we meet through a proxy or “translator.” They seek to learn about humans on a road-trip by bus accompanied by our MC, Avery… I loved this story very much! Very heartfelt and interesting and everything I look for in a short story. Enjoy!
Read: 3/7/23-3/8/23
Link: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/gilm...
Quotes:
- “People function unconsciously all the time. You’re not aware that you’re keeping your balance right now—you just do it automatically. You don’t have to be aware to walk, or breathe. In fact, the more skillful you are at something, the less aware you are...”
- “To play an instrument truly well, you had to lose all awareness of what you were doing, and rely entirely on the muscle memory in your fingers… You are so in the present, there is no room for self. No ego, no doubt, no introspection.”
- “What would be the point of achieving such supreme skill, if the price was never knowing it was you doing it?”
- “We pay a high metabolic price for consciousness; it’s why our lifespan is so short...”
- “Guessing is what your unconscious tells you. Knowing is a conscious thing. They’re only in conflict if your mind is fighting itself.”
- “The stillness felt good, but unfamiliar. Her life was made of motion. She had been driving for twenty years—driving away, driving beyond, always a new destination. Never back.”
- “They stood there for a moment, two people trapped in their own brains, and the only crack in the wall was empathy.”
- “There’s no death if there’s no self to be aware of it…
…No life either.”
Read: 3/7/23-3/8/23
Link: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/gilm...
Quotes:
- “People function unconsciously all the time. You’re not aware that you’re keeping your balance right now—you just do it automatically. You don’t have to be aware to walk, or breathe. In fact, the more skillful you are at something, the less aware you are...”
- “To play an instrument truly well, you had to lose all awareness of what you were doing, and rely entirely on the muscle memory in your fingers… You are so in the present, there is no room for self. No ego, no doubt, no introspection.”
- “What would be the point of achieving such supreme skill, if the price was never knowing it was you doing it?”
- “We pay a high metabolic price for consciousness; it’s why our lifespan is so short...”
- “Guessing is what your unconscious tells you. Knowing is a conscious thing. They’re only in conflict if your mind is fighting itself.”
- “The stillness felt good, but unfamiliar. Her life was made of motion. She had been driving for twenty years—driving away, driving beyond, always a new destination. Never back.”
- “They stood there for a moment, two people trapped in their own brains, and the only crack in the wall was empathy.”
- “There’s no death if there’s no self to be aware of it…
…No life either.”
July 9, 2017
Enjoyed this! Very retro-style SF about mysterious aliens landing on Earth, but also with fresh, non-retro themes about consciousness akin to Peter Watt's Blindsight.
I also liked that the sense-of-home for the main character is provided by a gay couple, which is pretty rare in SFF. Happy, content gay relationships are nice to find!
Cutting off a star because I wasn’t totally convinced by the emotional motivations behind some of the main character’s actions. Still, this was really good; it’s going second in my Hugo ballot after the Alyssa Wong novelette.
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/gilma...
I also liked that the sense-of-home for the main character is provided by a gay couple, which is pretty rare in SFF. Happy, content gay relationships are nice to find!
Cutting off a star because I wasn’t totally convinced by the emotional motivations behind some of the main character’s actions. Still, this was really good; it’s going second in my Hugo ballot after the Alyssa Wong novelette.
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/gilma...
July 8, 2017
This is certainly one of the better Hugo nominees. I had a great time reading about the world Gilman set up and the alien is very strange, very weird, and very believable. Almost everything works and it makes for a great read.
The only thing that took down one star for me was the ending. It's still a high four though and a good contender for my vote.
The only thing that took down one star for me was the ending. It's still a high four though and a good contender for my vote.
June 20, 2017
Touching and original SF of my favorite kind - placing it among The Story of Your Life/Arrival, Torchwood: Children of Earth, and Blindsight - but there's potential for a longer text here. Still, it's brilliant already as it is.
June 28, 2017
Strong entry: the concept is original and interesting and I liked the lead character, she gave a perspective on the story that I thought worked really well. Slight twist ending, too.
April 9, 2017
Pretty good story. Listen for free at Clarkesworld:
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/audio...
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/audio...
January 21, 2017
“Touring with the Alien” by Carolyn Ives Gilman - Really liked the extremely alien aliens, the quasi-alien human translator, and the examination of consciousness. However, I can't quite wrapped my head around the choice that the protagonist makes at the end.
“Balin” by Chen Qiufan, translated by Ken Liu - On one hand, a classic tale of a young man striking out on his own instead of following the traditional path laid out by his father. But also, an unflinching look at how inhumane humans can be. About learning empathy. Glad to find a Chinese translation I enjoyed.
“The Bridge of Dreams” by Gregory Feeley - Trying to combine Norse mythology and hard science fiction just ended up spoiling two genres I normally like quite well on their own. The plot was nothing but a drawn-out tour of this fantasy universe. And the point of melding a male character and a female character into one seemed to only be the chance to use different pronouns. I could see no real change in the character and no exploration of gender.
“The Cedar Grid” by Sara Saab - The world-building detail kind of overwhelmed and confused what might have been a more moving story about healing from the violent death of a family member. I'm guessing this might eventually be expanded into a longer story or series.
“Balin” by Chen Qiufan, translated by Ken Liu - On one hand, a classic tale of a young man striking out on his own instead of following the traditional path laid out by his father. But also, an unflinching look at how inhumane humans can be. About learning empathy. Glad to find a Chinese translation I enjoyed.
“The Bridge of Dreams” by Gregory Feeley - Trying to combine Norse mythology and hard science fiction just ended up spoiling two genres I normally like quite well on their own. The plot was nothing but a drawn-out tour of this fantasy universe. And the point of melding a male character and a female character into one seemed to only be the chance to use different pronouns. I could see no real change in the character and no exploration of gender.
“The Cedar Grid” by Sara Saab - The world-building detail kind of overwhelmed and confused what might have been a more moving story about healing from the violent death of a family member. I'm guessing this might eventually be expanded into a longer story or series.
May 30, 2017
Another disappointing story. It had promise, from the first few sentences, but the main premise is no longer that original (except, why did the aliens only visit the US? This fact is stated but never addressed) and the secondary premise was interesting but not explored in enough depth. A shockingly egregious quarantine violation near the end really annoyed me and wasn't even used to show something interesting about character, like I half-expected.
The story wasn't badly written aside from the lack of depth mentioned above. But it clearly annoyed me too much for me to vote it very highly. Alas. I suspect I was also disappointed that the tour with the alien took place on Earth rather than in space.
The story wasn't badly written aside from the lack of depth mentioned above. But it clearly annoyed me too much for me to vote it very highly. Alas. I suspect I was also disappointed that the tour with the alien took place on Earth rather than in space.
July 2, 2017
This first-contact story is delightful. The alien is refreshingly different from most of the aliens in science fiction. The theme of the story involves a rather deep examination of consciousness and how that affects human behavior. I think the ending could have been just a bit stronger, but it does leave the reader with much to contemplate.
November 25, 2020
Not sure about this story. One of the short listed novelettes for the 2017 Hugo awards. Certainly enjoyable, well written and a page turner but unsure about the ending. I probably need to read it again.
Merged review:
The second time I have read this story and it was even more enjoyable on the second reading. An unusual take on “alien invasion”!
Merged review:
The second time I have read this story and it was even more enjoyable on the second reading. An unusual take on “alien invasion”!
April 23, 2016
Very much enjoyed the stories by Carolyn Ives Gilman and Elizabeth Hand. Underwhelmed by the rest.
Shelved as 'only-read-parts'
April 6, 2024Only read three:
-- Touring with the Alien (2016) by Carolyn Ives Gilman - 4
The last fifth of this story, so the conclusion, wasn't handled well imo.
Set in our world. We wake up and see domes in various spots around Earth. Aliens have arrived and with them are "interpreters" which are grown children that were abducted previously (or so we Earthlings are told). The "touring" part is about one set (alien, interpreter) who want to see the land/earth with our MC as the tour guide.
Along this tour
Complaints - I've seen in reviews that what is behind my spoiler tag is an awesome addition to a story but not explored deeply enough. I would agree but I was okay with that, for a short story. What disappointed me was the lack of hand holding at the end. The MC's decision left to much to infer.
This is what the alien looked like (a natural sea sponge)
I still would recommend and will continue to watch for stories by this author.
-- Old Friends (2008) by Garth Nix - 1.5*
I really don't know what I read. The narrator said nice things by the end so I'm sure it's a me thing. She claimed it was a full story with a beginning, a middle and an end. And that he wastes no words. And that he was so very talented, a true writer. *eye roll* maybe it's her uncle. LOL
A protector/magical being is defending an area from something that comes out of the weeds of the sea. It takes some time for the nasties to convert from "weeds" to killing things so we get some history or chit chat while we wait.
-- Winter's Wife (2007) by Elizabeth Hand, narrated by Kate Baker - DNF
I got at least a 3rd way through and decided to let it go. I believe it is a well liked story for those who made it all the way through but I lost interest in not knowing more about the wife as we went along. I'm not fond of "all will be revealed by the end". And the story is narrated by a young teen and I was losing interest.
-- Touring with the Alien (2016) by Carolyn Ives Gilman - 4
The last fifth of this story, so the conclusion, wasn't handled well imo.
Set in our world. We wake up and see domes in various spots around Earth. Aliens have arrived and with them are "interpreters" which are grown children that were abducted previously (or so we Earthlings are told). The "touring" part is about one set (alien, interpreter) who want to see the land/earth with our MC as the tour guide.
Along this tour
Complaints - I've seen in reviews that what is behind my spoiler tag is an awesome addition to a story but not explored deeply enough. I would agree but I was okay with that, for a short story. What disappointed me was the lack of hand holding at the end. The MC's decision left to much to infer.
This is what the alien looked like (a natural sea sponge)
I still would recommend and will continue to watch for stories by this author.
-- Old Friends (2008) by Garth Nix - 1.5*
I really don't know what I read. The narrator said nice things by the end so I'm sure it's a me thing. She claimed it was a full story with a beginning, a middle and an end. And that he wastes no words. And that he was so very talented, a true writer. *eye roll* maybe it's her uncle. LOL
A protector/magical being is defending an area from something that comes out of the weeds of the sea. It takes some time for the nasties to convert from "weeds" to killing things so we get some history or chit chat while we wait.
-- Winter's Wife (2007) by Elizabeth Hand, narrated by Kate Baker - DNF
I got at least a 3rd way through and decided to let it go. I believe it is a well liked story for those who made it all the way through but I lost interest in not knowing more about the wife as we went along. I'm not fond of "all will be revealed by the end". And the story is narrated by a young teen and I was losing interest.
April 10, 2016
Review originally published here : https://thecurioussffreader.wordpress...
This week's SFS is going to be a bit different since I read about 16 or 17 short stories and I don't want to make an overlong and boring post. So this week's I am going to review issue 115 of Clarkesworld because I just got a subscription to this magazine and this issue was particularly good.
As I said, it was a very strong issue, I disliked onlly one story, one was pretty meh but the other four were very good. What I love about short fiction is that it allows me to discover some new authors without having to commit to a novel. I don't have much time so short fiction is perfect for me. I know that a lot of readers don't enjoy this format, I can understand. Before 2014, I had never read any stories, in 2014, I read one, in 2015, I think that I only read three short stories and I don't know what exactly happened in 2016 but I think that I must have read at least forty and I am now subscribed to a short fiction magazine.
Go figure.
Anyway, I should probably stop rambling now and actually start my review.
Clarkesworld is a short fiction that mostly focuses on science fiction even though sometimes they also publish fantasy. Each issue is divided in three categories, original fiction (where we can find new stories published by the magazine), reprint/classic fiction (where they reprint two stories previously published elsewhere) and non-fiction (where we can find interviews, short essays on different SFF things etc..).
ORIGINAL FICTION
Touring with the Aliens by Carolyn Ives Gilman **
It is story about a woman who has to guide an alien on a USA tour. Not gonna lie, it was my least favorite story of the issue, I've heard mixed things about Dark Orbit by Gilman and reading this story did not manage to convince me that I should pick it up. The writing was pretty dry, the characters, one dimensional and it was overall pretty boring. There was some interesting ideas about conciousness but really, it didn't add anything new to the subject. Also the ending left me a bit angry because the main character does something very, very dumb and selfish at the end and it was extremely frustrating.
Balin by Cheng Quifan *****
I am very bad at giving synopsis in general and it is even worse with short fiction because I don't want to spoil anything but I would say that it is a story about friendship, family, cultural identity, science, ethics and empathy.
The more I read from Chinese authors, the more I like their perspective on things. They usually have very different views and writing style from Western authors and I really appreciate that. This story was heartbreacking and beautiful and I can't recommend it enough. If you enjoy Ken Liu's fiction, you'l probably love this. (It is translated from Chinese by Ken Liu by the way and I feel like it was story that could have been written by him).
The Bridge of Dreams by Gregory Feeley ****
I don't really know how to rate this one. I wasn't a huge fan of the actual plot (it's basically about someone building a bridge between Pluto and one of its moon) but the ideas and concepts were great. It is a reflexion on genders, time and humanity in a Norse mythology/space opera setting. I would be very interesting in reading other things written by him.
The Cedar Gird by Sara Saab ***1/2
This is a story about the consequences of the death of a child in an alien terrorist attack.
It was one of the most surprising story of the bunch. Yes, the pacing wasn't great and I probably would have liked it more if it had been longer. I can excuse this because it is Saab third published short story and I think that she'll probably improve a lot in the future. However, I really enjoyed how humans emotions such as grief and pain were portrayed and how believable the characters were. It was a beautiful story with some incredible lines and I really enjoyed it. It is extremely short (less than 5000 words) and as I said it could have been the double.
I am definitely looking forward to other things she'll put out in the future!
CLASSIC FICTION
Old Friend by Garth Nix **1/2
This is the meh story I was talking about at the beginning, it wasn't bad but it was pretty confusing and didn't really understand the point it was trying to make (or if it was trying to make one at all). I never read any Nix before so I don't know if it's a good sample of his work or not but yeah, I wasn't the biggest fan. I don't even really know what it was about. A tree which drinks coffee maybe? Not 100% sure.
Winter's Wife by Elisabeth Hand *****
I don't even want to say what it was about because you should read it :P but this is set in a small American town but it has magic and Norse mythology in it.
I really enjoyed this one! It grabbed me in like four paragraphs and I couldn't stop reading. I never heard of Elisabeth Hand before even if she's apparently pretty well known. This story was originally published in Wizards: Magical Tales From the Masters of Modern Fantasy, edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois in 2007 and Hand wrote four short story collections and a lot of novels.
This story was a fantasy story which is pretty rare for Clarkesworld. I must admit that even though I love fantasy, I much prefer to read fantasy novels than fantasy short stories because I like stories to have a very solid worldbuilding which is not always an easy thing in 10 000 words. This story was amazing though, the atmosphere, the pacing, the ideas, the characters were all fantastic and, I would recommend it to everyone!
NON-FICTION
I don't have much to say for this category, I skim read Silver Machine: Hawkwind's Space Rock Journey throughout Science Fiction and Fantasy by Jason Heller because I wasn't interested at all. The interview of Davin Brin was fairly interesting. I really enjoyed Another Word: Technology Creates a New Golden Age of Speculative Fiction by Margot Atwell even though I didn't learn anything new but I don't really care since I read Clarkesworld for its stories not really for the non-fiction.
I would really highly recommend this issue!
★★★★ 1/2
This week's SFS is going to be a bit different since I read about 16 or 17 short stories and I don't want to make an overlong and boring post. So this week's I am going to review issue 115 of Clarkesworld because I just got a subscription to this magazine and this issue was particularly good.
As I said, it was a very strong issue, I disliked onlly one story, one was pretty meh but the other four were very good. What I love about short fiction is that it allows me to discover some new authors without having to commit to a novel. I don't have much time so short fiction is perfect for me. I know that a lot of readers don't enjoy this format, I can understand. Before 2014, I had never read any stories, in 2014, I read one, in 2015, I think that I only read three short stories and I don't know what exactly happened in 2016 but I think that I must have read at least forty and I am now subscribed to a short fiction magazine.
Go figure.
Anyway, I should probably stop rambling now and actually start my review.
Clarkesworld is a short fiction that mostly focuses on science fiction even though sometimes they also publish fantasy. Each issue is divided in three categories, original fiction (where we can find new stories published by the magazine), reprint/classic fiction (where they reprint two stories previously published elsewhere) and non-fiction (where we can find interviews, short essays on different SFF things etc..).
ORIGINAL FICTION
Touring with the Aliens by Carolyn Ives Gilman **
It is story about a woman who has to guide an alien on a USA tour. Not gonna lie, it was my least favorite story of the issue, I've heard mixed things about Dark Orbit by Gilman and reading this story did not manage to convince me that I should pick it up. The writing was pretty dry, the characters, one dimensional and it was overall pretty boring. There was some interesting ideas about conciousness but really, it didn't add anything new to the subject. Also the ending left me a bit angry because the main character does something very, very dumb and selfish at the end and it was extremely frustrating.
Balin by Cheng Quifan *****
I am very bad at giving synopsis in general and it is even worse with short fiction because I don't want to spoil anything but I would say that it is a story about friendship, family, cultural identity, science, ethics and empathy.
The more I read from Chinese authors, the more I like their perspective on things. They usually have very different views and writing style from Western authors and I really appreciate that. This story was heartbreacking and beautiful and I can't recommend it enough. If you enjoy Ken Liu's fiction, you'l probably love this. (It is translated from Chinese by Ken Liu by the way and I feel like it was story that could have been written by him).
The Bridge of Dreams by Gregory Feeley ****
I don't really know how to rate this one. I wasn't a huge fan of the actual plot (it's basically about someone building a bridge between Pluto and one of its moon) but the ideas and concepts were great. It is a reflexion on genders, time and humanity in a Norse mythology/space opera setting. I would be very interesting in reading other things written by him.
The Cedar Gird by Sara Saab ***1/2
This is a story about the consequences of the death of a child in an alien terrorist attack.
It was one of the most surprising story of the bunch. Yes, the pacing wasn't great and I probably would have liked it more if it had been longer. I can excuse this because it is Saab third published short story and I think that she'll probably improve a lot in the future. However, I really enjoyed how humans emotions such as grief and pain were portrayed and how believable the characters were. It was a beautiful story with some incredible lines and I really enjoyed it. It is extremely short (less than 5000 words) and as I said it could have been the double.
I am definitely looking forward to other things she'll put out in the future!
CLASSIC FICTION
Old Friend by Garth Nix **1/2
This is the meh story I was talking about at the beginning, it wasn't bad but it was pretty confusing and didn't really understand the point it was trying to make (or if it was trying to make one at all). I never read any Nix before so I don't know if it's a good sample of his work or not but yeah, I wasn't the biggest fan. I don't even really know what it was about. A tree which drinks coffee maybe? Not 100% sure.
Winter's Wife by Elisabeth Hand *****
I don't even want to say what it was about because you should read it :P but this is set in a small American town but it has magic and Norse mythology in it.
I really enjoyed this one! It grabbed me in like four paragraphs and I couldn't stop reading. I never heard of Elisabeth Hand before even if she's apparently pretty well known. This story was originally published in Wizards: Magical Tales From the Masters of Modern Fantasy, edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois in 2007 and Hand wrote four short story collections and a lot of novels.
This story was a fantasy story which is pretty rare for Clarkesworld. I must admit that even though I love fantasy, I much prefer to read fantasy novels than fantasy short stories because I like stories to have a very solid worldbuilding which is not always an easy thing in 10 000 words. This story was amazing though, the atmosphere, the pacing, the ideas, the characters were all fantastic and, I would recommend it to everyone!
NON-FICTION
I don't have much to say for this category, I skim read Silver Machine: Hawkwind's Space Rock Journey throughout Science Fiction and Fantasy by Jason Heller because I wasn't interested at all. The interview of Davin Brin was fairly interesting. I really enjoyed Another Word: Technology Creates a New Golden Age of Speculative Fiction by Margot Atwell even though I didn't learn anything new but I don't really care since I read Clarkesworld for its stories not really for the non-fiction.
I would really highly recommend this issue!
★★★★ 1/2
June 9, 2017
4.5 stars
A fresh take on the 'lots of huge alien craft land on Earth and proceed to being mysterious' trope, done well, and with a fine twist in its tail.
Anyway, the beautiful soap bubble ships land. The aliens are not seen. But they have interpreters, who claim to be children who were once abducted. it all happens in the US for some reason, but I will pass that piece of manifest destiny chauvinism, because the story itself transcends the fault.
Avery is contracted to drive Lionel, one of the interpreters, and his alien cohort (dubbed 'Mr Burbage by Avery) around smalltown US, observing the humans. Why? Can't tell you without spoiling the surprise.
Nominated for a Hugo award in 2017, and a worthy candidate
A fresh take on the 'lots of huge alien craft land on Earth and proceed to being mysterious' trope, done well, and with a fine twist in its tail.
Anyway, the beautiful soap bubble ships land. The aliens are not seen. But they have interpreters, who claim to be children who were once abducted. it all happens in the US for some reason, but I will pass that piece of manifest destiny chauvinism, because the story itself transcends the fault.
Avery is contracted to drive Lionel, one of the interpreters, and his alien cohort (dubbed 'Mr Burbage by Avery) around smalltown US, observing the humans. Why? Can't tell you without spoiling the surprise.
Nominated for a Hugo award in 2017, and a worthy candidate
July 15, 2017
Gilman's novel Dark Orbit was one of my favorite books of 2015, so I was keen to read this. As in Dark Orbit, Gilman delves deeply into questions of mind, consciousness, and reality, only this time in the guise of a present-day first contact story. What do the aliens want? Are they capable of wanting? Might we be better off going with what psychologists call system one, what Daoists call wu wei, or what athletes call "being in the zone"? Is higher consciousness a gift or a curse? Deep stuff for what initially looks like a a ho hum first contact story!
May 25, 2017
Avery is a driver for odd jobs; her boss manages a specialized delivery company, and when job requires discreteness, Avery is the one who gets the call.
So, when weird alien domes appear all around the country, it's almost natural Avery is the first to get to drive an alien around the countryside.
It's good to see a science fiction story that has actual aliens. I'm not sure about the actual science of the story, but that didn't really matter. It's a story about humanity and what it means to be.
So, when weird alien domes appear all around the country, it's almost natural Avery is the first to get to drive an alien around the countryside.
It's good to see a science fiction story that has actual aliens. I'm not sure about the actual science of the story, but that didn't really matter. It's a story about humanity and what it means to be.
May 19, 2017
I wanted to enjoy this one as the premise sounds fun, but it seemed so hammered down and treated the reader like they were five with no ability to come to their own conclusion. A few elements felt forced like the plot had to go a certain way even without the proper stepping stones to get there, and the ending was a bit too weird without the clever to make it work. Really disappointing, unfortunately - just not for me.
February 19, 2017
Perfect for me
Enjoyable, worked for me
"Touring with the Alien" by Carolyn Ives Gilman
* "Balin" by Chen Qiufan, translated by Ken Liu
"Old Friends" by Garth Nix
"Winter's Wife" by Elizabeth Hand [reprint] - Read this one before.
Fine, but didn't speak to me
"The Bridge of Dreams" by Gregory Feeley
"The Cedar Grid" by Sara Saab
Not my cup of tea
May 24, 2017
Read for 2017 Hugos
This was a good story about alien abductees returning to earth. There wasn't a lot new to the premise, though the ending was satisfying. The characters were interesting, but it read slowly, especially for a novelette.
This was a good story about alien abductees returning to earth. There wasn't a lot new to the premise, though the ending was satisfying. The characters were interesting, but it read slowly, especially for a novelette.
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