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Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 184, January 2022
Clarkesworld is a Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning science fiction and fantasy magazine. Each month we bring you a mix of fiction, articles, interviews and art. Our January 2022 issue (#184) contains:
Original fiction by Koji A. Dae ("The Uncurling of Samsara"), Megan J. Kerr ("The Lion and the Virgin"), Geoffrey W. Cole ("The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing, Bro"), R.S.A. Garcia ("Bishop's Opening"), Gu Shi ("No One at the Wild Dock"), Andrea Kriz ("Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism"), and Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko ("For Whom the Psychopomp Calls").
Non-fiction includes an article by Julie Novakova and interviews with Ann & Jeff VanderMeer and James S.A. Corey, and an editorial by Neil Clarke.
Original fiction by Koji A. Dae ("The Uncurling of Samsara"), Megan J. Kerr ("The Lion and the Virgin"), Geoffrey W. Cole ("The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing, Bro"), R.S.A. Garcia ("Bishop's Opening"), Gu Shi ("No One at the Wild Dock"), Andrea Kriz ("Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism"), and Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko ("For Whom the Psychopomp Calls").
Non-fiction includes an article by Julie Novakova and interviews with Ann & Jeff VanderMeer and James S.A. Corey, and an editorial by Neil Clarke.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2022
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.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 15, 2022
Strong issue to start the year off with. 3 standouts for me, all very different in subject and style but all equally good:
'Bishop's Opening' by R.S.A. Garcia
'The Fives Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution the Fermi Paradox, Bro' by Geoffrey W. Cole
'No One at the Wild Dock' by Gu Shi
'Bishop's Opening' by R.S.A. Garcia
'The Fives Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution the Fermi Paradox, Bro' by Geoffrey W. Cole
'No One at the Wild Dock' by Gu Shi
May 1, 2022
This is the January 2022 issue of SF/Fantasy magazine Clarkesworld, #184. I’ve read and enjoyed selected stories from the magazine in the previous years, as well as collections of “Year’s Best” by its editor Neil Clarke, but it is the first time I’ve read the whole issue. In short, I was disappointed, but quite possibly I wasn’t in the mood for this kind of stories.
The issue contains 7 fiction pieces, 2 interviews, one science article and an editorial. Here is the breakdown:
The Uncurling of Samsara by Koji A. Dae is the name of the generation ship and also one of the names of ouroboros, the snake eating own tail. The protagonist just lost her Gram (grandmother), one of the last people born on Earth, with whom they were very close. Gram was programming food printers to have a variety of ‘tastes of home’ and because all ship in a closed system that recycle everything, including corpses, the protagonist stopped eating not to eat own Gram. The idea and linkage to ouroboros is great, but execution was a bit flat. 2.5*
The Lion and the Virgin by Megan J. Kerr a woman in a one-person space ship travels far away and several virtual personalities accompany her. As she closes to her goal, her body gets weakened by the voyage and can just words save heк, 2*
The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro by Geoffrey W. Cole two surfer dudes, who wore chrome versions of their original biological bodies upgraded with rad-shielding, antimatter rockets, enough computing power to run an interstellar economy, and killer sunglasses, but with the original biological brains (just for a challenge) surf-ride supernovas, but recently (last few million years) stars go supernova earlier than expected, destroying their avatars (and fun). It is like a parody on two surf dudes high on weed, but in post-singularity god-mode. Hasn’t worked for me. 2*
Bishop's Opening by R.S.A. Garcia a novella with potentially interesting setting: on the one hand a crew of three from a cargo starship, which is overdue maintenance, crushing bars on distant planets to try exotic foods. On the other, Valencians – high-tech humanoids, growing spaceships from special trees and playing some kind of game, supposedly chess-like, for they use titles like King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rooks, and Pawns. On their side readers follow Bishop, who is saved from an assassination by a man from the crew and who employs, as it turn out another crewmember’s estranged father as a Cook. Potentially interesting setting but not for me. 2.5*
No One at the Wild Dock by Gu Shi one of the more SF stories, translated from Chinese. It starts with a bang, namely a phrase “Humanity will die.” And then follows a long and a bit tedious story of how an AI, who is the narrator, was trained by instructors, at start sounding as a frightened child:
Pow! The woman slammed down the ruler. “Wrong!” She said to the man, “It took so much to get him to hear human speech, only it turns out, he’s an idiot!”
Holding back tears, Ai spoke the new words he’d learned: “He’s an idiot.” poignant story. 3*
Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism by Andrea Kriz a narrator finds out that her friend made an interactive VR game, where used their private relations as a story. The idea and execution are quite solid. 3.5*
For Whom the Psychopomp Calls by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko a crew of two, human and android, got a passenger – a psychopomp, which here means a death shepherd. Whom will it take? While weird SF like by x can be very cool, this doesn’t work for me. 2*
Zero-g Zoo: Trying to Solve Reproduction in Space by Julie Nováková a nice science article about the possible dangers of pregnancy in space – our problem is a complete lack of data on placenta animals. 4*
Working Towards Legacy: A Conversation with Ann & Jeff VanderMeer by Arley Sorg I knew Jeff VanderMeer as the SF author, but here he and his wife are presented as editors, of collections like The Big Book of Classic Fantasy. 3*
It’s . . . Complicated: A Conversation with James S.A. Corey by Arley Sorg With the final volume of Expanse series, Leviathan Falls, out, what would have they changed if they could and what are their plans for future. 3*
Editor’s Desk: 2021 in Review by Neil Clarke overview of what has been published with a bit of statistics. 2.5*
Cover Art: Return to Heaven 7 by Zezhou Chen 3*
The issue contains 7 fiction pieces, 2 interviews, one science article and an editorial. Here is the breakdown:
The Uncurling of Samsara by Koji A. Dae is the name of the generation ship and also one of the names of ouroboros, the snake eating own tail. The protagonist just lost her Gram (grandmother), one of the last people born on Earth, with whom they were very close. Gram was programming food printers to have a variety of ‘tastes of home’ and because all ship in a closed system that recycle everything, including corpses, the protagonist stopped eating not to eat own Gram. The idea and linkage to ouroboros is great, but execution was a bit flat. 2.5*
The Lion and the Virgin by Megan J. Kerr a woman in a one-person space ship travels far away and several virtual personalities accompany her. As she closes to her goal, her body gets weakened by the voyage and can just words save heк, 2*
The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro by Geoffrey W. Cole two surfer dudes, who wore chrome versions of their original biological bodies upgraded with rad-shielding, antimatter rockets, enough computing power to run an interstellar economy, and killer sunglasses, but with the original biological brains (just for a challenge) surf-ride supernovas, but recently (last few million years) stars go supernova earlier than expected, destroying their avatars (and fun). It is like a parody on two surf dudes high on weed, but in post-singularity god-mode. Hasn’t worked for me. 2*
Bishop's Opening by R.S.A. Garcia a novella with potentially interesting setting: on the one hand a crew of three from a cargo starship, which is overdue maintenance, crushing bars on distant planets to try exotic foods. On the other, Valencians – high-tech humanoids, growing spaceships from special trees and playing some kind of game, supposedly chess-like, for they use titles like King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rooks, and Pawns. On their side readers follow Bishop, who is saved from an assassination by a man from the crew and who employs, as it turn out another crewmember’s estranged father as a Cook. Potentially interesting setting but not for me. 2.5*
No One at the Wild Dock by Gu Shi one of the more SF stories, translated from Chinese. It starts with a bang, namely a phrase “Humanity will die.” And then follows a long and a bit tedious story of how an AI, who is the narrator, was trained by instructors, at start sounding as a frightened child:
Pow! The woman slammed down the ruler. “Wrong!” She said to the man, “It took so much to get him to hear human speech, only it turns out, he’s an idiot!”
Holding back tears, Ai spoke the new words he’d learned: “He’s an idiot.” poignant story. 3*
Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism by Andrea Kriz a narrator finds out that her friend made an interactive VR game, where used their private relations as a story. The idea and execution are quite solid. 3.5*
For Whom the Psychopomp Calls by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko a crew of two, human and android, got a passenger – a psychopomp, which here means a death shepherd. Whom will it take? While weird SF like by x can be very cool, this doesn’t work for me. 2*
Zero-g Zoo: Trying to Solve Reproduction in Space by Julie Nováková a nice science article about the possible dangers of pregnancy in space – our problem is a complete lack of data on placenta animals. 4*
Working Towards Legacy: A Conversation with Ann & Jeff VanderMeer by Arley Sorg I knew Jeff VanderMeer as the SF author, but here he and his wife are presented as editors, of collections like The Big Book of Classic Fantasy. 3*
It’s . . . Complicated: A Conversation with James S.A. Corey by Arley Sorg With the final volume of Expanse series, Leviathan Falls, out, what would have they changed if they could and what are their plans for future. 3*
Editor’s Desk: 2021 in Review by Neil Clarke overview of what has been published with a bit of statistics. 2.5*
Cover Art: Return to Heaven 7 by Zezhou Chen 3*
April 15, 2023
Rating only for Bishop's Opening by R.S.A Garcia. Interesting setting but the world building was confusing and the story failed to keep my attention.
January 30, 2022
I really enjoyed the following:
The Lion and the Virgin by Megan J. Kerr - Short Story - an exploration of loneliness that left me emotionally drained in a good way
Bishop's Opening by R.S.A. Garcia - Novella - A three-person crew/relationship gets involved in an assassination plot on a space station. Great characters and world-building.
The Fives Rules of Supernova Surfing or A Real Solution the Fermi Paradox, Bro by Geoffrey W. Cole - Short Story - Such a fun duo that only cares about surfing supernovas and their friendship
No One at the Wild Dock by Gu Shi - Short Story - An A.I. learns art. It shows the progression of A.I. to sentience in a way that I haven't read before, from struggling to understanding.
The Lion and the Virgin by Megan J. Kerr - Short Story - an exploration of loneliness that left me emotionally drained in a good way
Bishop's Opening by R.S.A. Garcia - Novella - A three-person crew/relationship gets involved in an assassination plot on a space station. Great characters and world-building.
The Fives Rules of Supernova Surfing or A Real Solution the Fermi Paradox, Bro by Geoffrey W. Cole - Short Story - Such a fun duo that only cares about surfing supernovas and their friendship
No One at the Wild Dock by Gu Shi - Short Story - An A.I. learns art. It shows the progression of A.I. to sentience in a way that I haven't read before, from struggling to understanding.
November 26, 2023
Clarkesworld Magazine in a monthly science fiction and fantasy magazine, that is primarily distributed in ebook form. However, it is also available in digest-sized printed form from Amazon. I read such a paper copy, primarily for purposes of “Bishop’s Opening,” which was a finalist for 2022 Nebula Award, in the novella category – but I read the full issue. It was my first experience with Clarkesworld, and while I wish its contents included more than just a single significant work, it probably will not be my last. Below are my comments on the individual fiction contents.
The Uncurling of Samsara, by Koji A. Dae. Onboard a generation ship, a girl mourns the passing of her Gram. Her thoughts of recycling the body of her Gram into food are mirrored in the symbolism of a snake eating its tail. Nice prose, but no original speculations. Rating 3/5.
The Lion and the Virgin, by Megan J. Kerr. A girl’s life consists entirely of being confined in a small space and conversing with remote friends. The reader senses that her friends are nothing more than part of her artificial environment. She struggles to maintain her will to live, even with those supports. Why is she being manipulated and preserved in this way? The answer might not be as obvious as a generation ship. Rating 3/5.
The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro, by Geoffrey W. Cole. A pair of surfer dudes in shiny chrome reconstructions of human bodies chase the ultimate supernova until they approach the death of the universe. They have a history of having met at an actual surfer competition on Earth, but have deliberately forgotten the details. But now that the stars are going out, they need a Plan B. An interesting blend of annoying surfer-talk with real cosmology concepts. Rating 3/5.
Bishop’s Opening, by R.S.A. Garcia. This 2023 Nebula and Locus Award nominated novella builds two worlds and brings them to intersection in a compelling plot line. On board the small delivery spaceship, a crew of three are heading to a layover between assignments, at the ex-homeworld of one of them. Their three-fold emotional relationship is complex and seems like it could be real, although I will defer to the judgements of anyone who has actually lived in such. And then the chess-game-flavor of governance of biologically resource-rich Valencia gives it some freshness that is lacking in the sort of ruthless hierarchical civilizations that typically populate space operas. I would not be surprised to find the story continued to novel length at some point in the future, and would happily read that. Rating 5/5.
No One at the Wild Dock, by Gu Shi. Based on an oversimplified understanding of how AI really works, this story eventually closes with an examination of the nature of the human perspective. It might have sailed in the 1950s, but not now. Rating 1/5.
Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism, by Andrea Kriz. A friend of a game designer finds that the friend’s new award-winning game is built around a character that could only be themselves. Once I got through the heavy use of gamer jargon, the plot was just about being a shitty friend. Rating 2/5.
For Whom the Psychopomp Calls, by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko. Death joins the two-“man” crew aboard a deep space hauler, giving the crewmembers the jitters as they wait to see who it has come to guide to the place of death. The slow tension from the human crewmember’s perspective was well-crafted. Rating 4/5.
The magazine ends with a non-fiction article on human reproduction in space by Julie Nováková, two interviews – with Ann and Jeff Vandermeer, and with the duo known as James S.A. Corey, and finally an index of fiction published by Clarkesworld in 2021.
The Uncurling of Samsara, by Koji A. Dae. Onboard a generation ship, a girl mourns the passing of her Gram. Her thoughts of recycling the body of her Gram into food are mirrored in the symbolism of a snake eating its tail. Nice prose, but no original speculations. Rating 3/5.
The Lion and the Virgin, by Megan J. Kerr. A girl’s life consists entirely of being confined in a small space and conversing with remote friends. The reader senses that her friends are nothing more than part of her artificial environment. She struggles to maintain her will to live, even with those supports. Why is she being manipulated and preserved in this way? The answer might not be as obvious as a generation ship. Rating 3/5.
The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro, by Geoffrey W. Cole. A pair of surfer dudes in shiny chrome reconstructions of human bodies chase the ultimate supernova until they approach the death of the universe. They have a history of having met at an actual surfer competition on Earth, but have deliberately forgotten the details. But now that the stars are going out, they need a Plan B. An interesting blend of annoying surfer-talk with real cosmology concepts. Rating 3/5.
Bishop’s Opening, by R.S.A. Garcia. This 2023 Nebula and Locus Award nominated novella builds two worlds and brings them to intersection in a compelling plot line. On board the small delivery spaceship, a crew of three are heading to a layover between assignments, at the ex-homeworld of one of them. Their three-fold emotional relationship is complex and seems like it could be real, although I will defer to the judgements of anyone who has actually lived in such. And then the chess-game-flavor of governance of biologically resource-rich Valencia gives it some freshness that is lacking in the sort of ruthless hierarchical civilizations that typically populate space operas. I would not be surprised to find the story continued to novel length at some point in the future, and would happily read that. Rating 5/5.
No One at the Wild Dock, by Gu Shi. Based on an oversimplified understanding of how AI really works, this story eventually closes with an examination of the nature of the human perspective. It might have sailed in the 1950s, but not now. Rating 1/5.
Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism, by Andrea Kriz. A friend of a game designer finds that the friend’s new award-winning game is built around a character that could only be themselves. Once I got through the heavy use of gamer jargon, the plot was just about being a shitty friend. Rating 2/5.
For Whom the Psychopomp Calls, by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko. Death joins the two-“man” crew aboard a deep space hauler, giving the crewmembers the jitters as they wait to see who it has come to guide to the place of death. The slow tension from the human crewmember’s perspective was well-crafted. Rating 4/5.
The magazine ends with a non-fiction article on human reproduction in space by Julie Nováková, two interviews – with Ann and Jeff Vandermeer, and with the duo known as James S.A. Corey, and finally an index of fiction published by Clarkesworld in 2021.
March 22, 2023
I enjoyed most of the stories in this magazine, and it was nice to read more science fiction pieces. (Prior to this, I've mostly been reading magazines heavy on fantasy stories; I subscribed to Clarkesworld partly for the higher dose of science fiction pieces, and I'm glad I did.)
Thoughts on the stories, which may include spoilers:
"The Uncurling of Samsara" by Koji A. Dae ~ This is a beautifully crafted story about grief and renewal, set on a generational ship populated by people who have never known anything else. It is a touching read, but be careful if you have experienced grief lately. (CW: eating disorder triggered by the death of a grandparent)
"The Lion and the Virgin" by Megan J. Kerr ~ Interesting take on how humans might react to long periods of space travel. I think I liked it?
"The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro" by Geoffrey W. Cole ~ I did not care for this one. The characters annoyed me too much for me to focus on any of the rest of this story.
"Bishop's Opening" by R.S.A. Garcia ~ I was VERY confused by this one at first, and then I gradually realized that I've read another one of Garcia's short stories (novelettes?) set in this same universe. By the end of this story, I was still a little confused, but I also really enjoyed my time reading it. The two storylines seem completely unrelated at first, but I like the way they twist together by the end. (CW: violence, torture shown minimally onscreen)
"No One at the Wild Dock" by Gu Shi, translated by S. Qiouyi Lu ~ While I can't say that I like the story being told here of AI that gains sentience—it's too close to the issues with the AI art & text generators making a splash right now—it was well crafted and is certainly worth a read.
"Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism" by Andrea Kriz ~ This was both a neat look at inspiration vs. copying and a peek into multi-racial social interactions. I can't help but feel like this story itself took inspiration from the "Bad Art Friend" story from a while back, though I don't know if that is true. Still, I enjoyed the read.
"For Whom the Psychopomp Calls" by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko ~ I really liked this science fiction short story. I can't go into detail without spoilers, but I highly recommend this one. It's a short and quick read, and the science isn't too heavy or hard to understand.
Thoughts on the stories, which may include spoilers:
"The Uncurling of Samsara" by Koji A. Dae ~ This is a beautifully crafted story about grief and renewal, set on a generational ship populated by people who have never known anything else. It is a touching read, but be careful if you have experienced grief lately. (CW: eating disorder triggered by the death of a grandparent)
"The Lion and the Virgin" by Megan J. Kerr ~ Interesting take on how humans might react to long periods of space travel. I think I liked it?
"The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro" by Geoffrey W. Cole ~ I did not care for this one. The characters annoyed me too much for me to focus on any of the rest of this story.
"Bishop's Opening" by R.S.A. Garcia ~ I was VERY confused by this one at first, and then I gradually realized that I've read another one of Garcia's short stories (novelettes?) set in this same universe. By the end of this story, I was still a little confused, but I also really enjoyed my time reading it. The two storylines seem completely unrelated at first, but I like the way they twist together by the end. (CW: violence, torture shown minimally onscreen)
"No One at the Wild Dock" by Gu Shi, translated by S. Qiouyi Lu ~ While I can't say that I like the story being told here of AI that gains sentience—it's too close to the issues with the AI art & text generators making a splash right now—it was well crafted and is certainly worth a read.
"Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism" by Andrea Kriz ~ This was both a neat look at inspiration vs. copying and a peek into multi-racial social interactions. I can't help but feel like this story itself took inspiration from the "Bad Art Friend" story from a while back, though I don't know if that is true. Still, I enjoyed the read.
"For Whom the Psychopomp Calls" by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko ~ I really liked this science fiction short story. I can't go into detail without spoilers, but I highly recommend this one. It's a short and quick read, and the science isn't too heavy or hard to understand.
September 13, 2024
I picked up this up because I had read an interview with R.S.A. Garcia about what she was working on, and she mentioned more novellas in the world of "Bishop's Opening," which I then had to check out. And it's great! Very strange setting with not only the typical "humanity on different planets and spaceships and stations" but also "we've got magical teleporting tree thingies with a chess-piece-themed Machiavellian society." Very enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to reading Garcia's other stories in the same setting (including at least 2 that I've seen from earlier Clarkesworlds).
My other favorite stories were "The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing, or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro," "Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism," and "For Whom the Psychopomp Calls." All stories with humor or interesting things to say. I did really like "The Uncurling of Samsara" a lot as well, but I tend to judge stories about grief based on how much it reminds me of mine, and this one didn't quite get there (I don't have the food connection with my dad like the narrator did with Gram).
The nonfiction was good, the article by Julie Nováková was very sobering indeed about life in space or other planets, and the interviews were quite fun (I'm a huge Ann VanderMeer fan).
My other favorite stories were "The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing, or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro," "Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism," and "For Whom the Psychopomp Calls." All stories with humor or interesting things to say. I did really like "The Uncurling of Samsara" a lot as well, but I tend to judge stories about grief based on how much it reminds me of mine, and this one didn't quite get there (I don't have the food connection with my dad like the narrator did with Gram).
The nonfiction was good, the article by Julie Nováková was very sobering indeed about life in space or other planets, and the interviews were quite fun (I'm a huge Ann VanderMeer fan).
April 2, 2023
Avg. Rating: 3.5 stars
I am now getting into literary magazines because somehow it's much easier to get myself to read fiction when it's in this form, I couldn't tell you why.
I really like the character-driven soft-scifi vibes of Clarkesworld so far! The magazine seems to have pretty distinct vibes despite being just a blanket SFF publication.
Not gonna write a whole review, but here are my ratings for each story:
The Uncurling of Samsara ☆☆☆☆
The Lion and the Virgin ☆☆☆☆
The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing ☆☆☆
Bishop's Opening ☆☆☆☆
No One at the Wild Dock ☆☆☆
Learning to Hate Yourself as a Defense Mechanism ☆☆.5
For Whom the Psychopomp Calls ☆☆☆☆
I am now getting into literary magazines because somehow it's much easier to get myself to read fiction when it's in this form, I couldn't tell you why.
I really like the character-driven soft-scifi vibes of Clarkesworld so far! The magazine seems to have pretty distinct vibes despite being just a blanket SFF publication.
Not gonna write a whole review, but here are my ratings for each story:
The Uncurling of Samsara ☆☆☆☆
The Lion and the Virgin ☆☆☆☆
The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing ☆☆☆
Bishop's Opening ☆☆☆☆
No One at the Wild Dock ☆☆☆
Learning to Hate Yourself as a Defense Mechanism ☆☆.5
For Whom the Psychopomp Calls ☆☆☆☆
January 11, 2022
"The Uncurling of Samsara" by Koji A. Dae
Loved the premise and the world, but felt a little let down by what seemed like a sudden ending.
"The Lion and the Virgin" by Megan J. Kerr
Nicely claustrophobic with a wide and interesting world/universe painted.
Loved the premise and the world, but felt a little let down by what seemed like a sudden ending.
"The Lion and the Virgin" by Megan J. Kerr
Nicely claustrophobic with a wide and interesting world/universe painted.
March 13, 2022
Freshly published in the latest issue of Clarkesworld Magazine.
It's a solid story in a great setting - got me to check out Garcia's other novellas in Clarkesworld, which are set in the same universe, albeit loosely. Too loosely for my taste, I'd love to read more about the Grandmasters of the Sept....
It's a solid story in a great setting - got me to check out Garcia's other novellas in Clarkesworld, which are set in the same universe, albeit loosely. Too loosely for my taste, I'd love to read more about the Grandmasters of the Sept....
December 7, 2022
Clarkesworld Magazine issue #184 (January, 2022). You can read the stories online or listen to the podcast, hosted and narrated by the lovely Kate Baker
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/prio...
Consider supporting them on Patreon.
I didn’t pick and chose, just dove in blind and read all of them, and I wasn’t disappointed! On offer where:
The Uncurling of Samsara by Koji A. Dae
The Lion and the Virgin by Megan J. Kerr
The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing, Bro by Geoffrey W. Cole
Bishop's Opening by R.S.A. Garcia
No One at the Wild Dock by Gu Shi
Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism by Andrea Kriz
and For Whom the Psychopomp Calls by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko
All stories were exceptional and very diverse, but if I have to pick just one favorite it will be No One at the Wild Dock by Gu Shi, closely followed by Bishop's Opening by R.S.A. Garcia .
(I didn’t read the three non-fiction offerings).
Themes: sci-fi, fantasy, space opera, dystopian, AI, aliens.
4 Stars
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/prio...
Consider supporting them on Patreon.
I didn’t pick and chose, just dove in blind and read all of them, and I wasn’t disappointed! On offer where:
The Uncurling of Samsara by Koji A. Dae
The Lion and the Virgin by Megan J. Kerr
The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing, Bro by Geoffrey W. Cole
Bishop's Opening by R.S.A. Garcia
No One at the Wild Dock by Gu Shi
Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism by Andrea Kriz
and For Whom the Psychopomp Calls by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko
All stories were exceptional and very diverse, but if I have to pick just one favorite it will be No One at the Wild Dock by Gu Shi, closely followed by Bishop's Opening by R.S.A. Garcia .
(I didn’t read the three non-fiction offerings).
Themes: sci-fi, fantasy, space opera, dystopian, AI, aliens.
4 Stars
March 16, 2023
This is just a review for the novella Bishop's Opening, not for any of the other stories in the magazine.
****3.5 stars
MAN I wish this was a longer book. I found the world-building and character dynamics so fun, and the idea of politics being played while mimicking the rules of chess... there's something really interesting there. The romance also intrigued me. Ultimately, though, the story's short length is to its detriment. I finished the novella still confused about many aspects of the world building, and I'm disappointed to realize that those questions will never be answered. This novella feels like the first section of a much larger story.
Still, it's a very short read, so if you like a bit of polyamory in your sci-fi, then you'll enjoy this well enough. I may change my rating later once I've thought about it a bit more.
****3.5 stars
MAN I wish this was a longer book. I found the world-building and character dynamics so fun, and the idea of politics being played while mimicking the rules of chess... there's something really interesting there. The romance also intrigued me. Ultimately, though, the story's short length is to its detriment. I finished the novella still confused about many aspects of the world building, and I'm disappointed to realize that those questions will never be answered. This novella feels like the first section of a much larger story.
Still, it's a very short read, so if you like a bit of polyamory in your sci-fi, then you'll enjoy this well enough. I may change my rating later once I've thought about it a bit more.
January 13, 2022
The Uncurling Of Samsara - Koji A Dae ***
The Lion And The Virgin - Megan J Kerr ***
The Five Rules Of Supernova Surfing Or A For Real Solution To The Fermi Paradox, Bro - Geoffrey W Cole *
Bishop's Opening - RSA Garcia ***
No One At The Wild Dock - Gu Shi, trans. S Qiouyi Lu ***
Learning To Hate Yourself As A Self-Defence Mechanism - Andrea Kriz ***
For Whom The Psychopomp Calls - Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko ***
The Lion And The Virgin - Megan J Kerr ***
The Five Rules Of Supernova Surfing Or A For Real Solution To The Fermi Paradox, Bro - Geoffrey W Cole *
Bishop's Opening - RSA Garcia ***
No One At The Wild Dock - Gu Shi, trans. S Qiouyi Lu ***
Learning To Hate Yourself As A Self-Defence Mechanism - Andrea Kriz ***
For Whom The Psychopomp Calls - Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko ***
May 7, 2022
For "Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism" by Andrea Kriz.
March 8, 2023
I read the novella Bishop’s Opening.
I liked the chess based societal system and the living space ship type stuff - I found some of the dialogue unsatisfying.
I liked the chess based societal system and the living space ship type stuff - I found some of the dialogue unsatisfying.
Read
March 25, 2023Read: Bishop’s Opening, R.S.A. Garcia - 2023 Nebula Award nominee for novella
November 15, 2023
For Whom the Psychopomp Calls by Filip Hajdar Drnovsek Zorko
January 22, 2022
Favorite stories in this issue (with links!):
- The Uncurling of Samsara: This one reminded me a lot of Becky Chamber's Record of a Spaceborn Few, a story about grief at a generation ship.
- The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro: A unique and funny story about the heat death of the universe, which is a subject that I've seen tackled in a lot of sci-fi stories but I think this one manages to do something new and amusing with it.
- Bishop's Opening: A novella that also made me think of Becky Chamber's Wayfarers series, with some really interesting worldbuilding and well realized characters. Apparently this is also part of a series which I should look for more of.
- The Uncurling of Samsara: This one reminded me a lot of Becky Chamber's Record of a Spaceborn Few, a story about grief at a generation ship.
- The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro: A unique and funny story about the heat death of the universe, which is a subject that I've seen tackled in a lot of sci-fi stories but I think this one manages to do something new and amusing with it.
- Bishop's Opening: A novella that also made me think of Becky Chamber's Wayfarers series, with some really interesting worldbuilding and well realized characters. Apparently this is also part of a series which I should look for more of.
Read
February 6, 2023Clarkesworld Magazine Issue 184 (January 2022) - Edited by Neil Clarke
The Uncurling of Samsara (KOJI A. DAE): ★★★
It's about a person on a spaceship struggling to eat after their grandmother was recycled after death. I liked the idea of "printing" their food.
The Lion and the Virgin (MEGAN J. KERR): ★★
Anna is on an escape pod for 11 months, talking to AIs (I guess?). She arrives at her destination and cannot handle the new version of Esteban, reverting him to the version she had in the escape pod. The title refers to the constellations she could see from her window.
The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro (GEOFFREY W. COLE): ★★★
Reef and Ka-10-8 are surfing on supernovas, but lately they have been exploding too soon. They learn from their mother that the universe is ending and she offers them "Or Something" to simulate the universe. When they met, Reef had saved Ka-10-8's life in a surfing competition on Earth. Reef had always ridden first after that, but now they wanted Ka-10-8 to go first. They waste their time trying to reach stars to surf instead of setting it up. They decide to power a less intensive program just for themselves and stay together.
Bishop's Opening (R.S.A. GARCIA): ★★★
Hard to get into, with all those Chess pieces-persons with transparent/sheer clothes. Polyamourous relationship. Food plays a part in it too.
Sebastian, Olly and Reece are working together on a ship when something breaks down and they need repairs. They go to Greater Paradise and visit while the ship is being repaired. Sebastian saves the life of Bishop, a Valencian, from an assassination attempt before being stabbed. Bishop takes the three of them to his ship to save Sebastian's life and question him. They try to escape, find out that Olly's father Stinky is working on the ship as Cook. Olly and her father talk through some things while Sebastian and Bishop do too. Once the ship is repaired, Sebastian, Olly and Reece are leaving, but Bishop visits Sebastian one last time and they kiss.
No One at the Wild Dock (GU SHI, TRANSLATED BY S. QIOUYI LU): ★★★
About an AI learning difficulties. Cyclical. A bit unrealistic (art doesn't stop being made because another artist is doing it better). At the end, Ai realizes that he is the last human, because humans are now robots (don't appreciate the nature around them and such).
Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism (ANDREA KRIZ): ★★★ 1/2
Written in second person. Set in 2045, when VR is much more of a thing. Reminds me of that "shitty writer friend" drama from last year. Unnamed POV character has a friend who made a very popular game called "Best Game". The friend didn't want the POV character to play the game, and for a while they don't, but then the game is nominated for a big award and they have to know. It's a retelling of their "friendship" with their friend, showing that they weren't really friends at all. The POV character hacks into the game and adds another scene, to which the "friend" adds some more.
For Whom the Psychopomp Calls (FILIP HAJDAR DRNOVŠEK ZORKO): ★★
What are psychopomps, exactly?
A crew of two (a human and an android) are carrying antimatter from the limits of the solar system to Earth when a psychopomp asks to come on board with them. The human narrator is worried it has come for him or the android, overreacts a few times. The psychopomp disappears when they arrive to Earth.
NONFICTION (not rated)
Zero-g Zoo: Trying to Solve Reproduction in Space (JULIE NOVÁKOVÁ): Great piece on nonfiction. Reminds of the essays in the New Worlds series by Marie Brennan, but full-on SF. A lot to think about for any writers of space operas. I will try to read more from this author in the future.
Working Towards Legacy: A Conversation with Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (ARLEY SORG): Interesting for the industry insider stuff. I haven't read the anthologies or any of Jeff Vandermeer's books yet.
It’s . . . Complicated: A Conversation with James S.A. Corey (ARLEY SORG): Quite interesting.
"James S.A. Corey is doing another space opera trilogy unrelated to The Expanse." Yay!
Editor’s Desk: 2021 in Review (NEIL CLARKE): Less interesting to me, since I didn't read the magazine in 2021.
Reading Journal Index: 2022-121
The Uncurling of Samsara (KOJI A. DAE): ★★★
It's about a person on a spaceship struggling to eat after their grandmother was recycled after death. I liked the idea of "printing" their food.
The Lion and the Virgin (MEGAN J. KERR): ★★
Anna is on an escape pod for 11 months, talking to AIs (I guess?). She arrives at her destination and cannot handle the new version of Esteban, reverting him to the version she had in the escape pod. The title refers to the constellations she could see from her window.
The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro (GEOFFREY W. COLE): ★★★
Reef and Ka-10-8 are surfing on supernovas, but lately they have been exploding too soon. They learn from their mother that the universe is ending and she offers them "Or Something" to simulate the universe. When they met, Reef had saved Ka-10-8's life in a surfing competition on Earth. Reef had always ridden first after that, but now they wanted Ka-10-8 to go first. They waste their time trying to reach stars to surf instead of setting it up. They decide to power a less intensive program just for themselves and stay together.
Bishop's Opening (R.S.A. GARCIA): ★★★
Hard to get into, with all those Chess pieces-persons with transparent/sheer clothes. Polyamourous relationship. Food plays a part in it too.
Sebastian, Olly and Reece are working together on a ship when something breaks down and they need repairs. They go to Greater Paradise and visit while the ship is being repaired. Sebastian saves the life of Bishop, a Valencian, from an assassination attempt before being stabbed. Bishop takes the three of them to his ship to save Sebastian's life and question him. They try to escape, find out that Olly's father Stinky is working on the ship as Cook. Olly and her father talk through some things while Sebastian and Bishop do too. Once the ship is repaired, Sebastian, Olly and Reece are leaving, but Bishop visits Sebastian one last time and they kiss.
No One at the Wild Dock (GU SHI, TRANSLATED BY S. QIOUYI LU): ★★★
About an AI learning difficulties. Cyclical. A bit unrealistic (art doesn't stop being made because another artist is doing it better). At the end, Ai realizes that he is the last human, because humans are now robots (don't appreciate the nature around them and such).
Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism (ANDREA KRIZ): ★★★ 1/2
Written in second person. Set in 2045, when VR is much more of a thing. Reminds me of that "shitty writer friend" drama from last year. Unnamed POV character has a friend who made a very popular game called "Best Game". The friend didn't want the POV character to play the game, and for a while they don't, but then the game is nominated for a big award and they have to know. It's a retelling of their "friendship" with their friend, showing that they weren't really friends at all. The POV character hacks into the game and adds another scene, to which the "friend" adds some more.
For Whom the Psychopomp Calls (FILIP HAJDAR DRNOVŠEK ZORKO): ★★
What are psychopomps, exactly?
A crew of two (a human and an android) are carrying antimatter from the limits of the solar system to Earth when a psychopomp asks to come on board with them. The human narrator is worried it has come for him or the android, overreacts a few times. The psychopomp disappears when they arrive to Earth.
NONFICTION (not rated)
Zero-g Zoo: Trying to Solve Reproduction in Space (JULIE NOVÁKOVÁ): Great piece on nonfiction. Reminds of the essays in the New Worlds series by Marie Brennan, but full-on SF. A lot to think about for any writers of space operas. I will try to read more from this author in the future.
Working Towards Legacy: A Conversation with Ann & Jeff VanderMeer (ARLEY SORG): Interesting for the industry insider stuff. I haven't read the anthologies or any of Jeff Vandermeer's books yet.
It’s . . . Complicated: A Conversation with James S.A. Corey (ARLEY SORG): Quite interesting.
"James S.A. Corey is doing another space opera trilogy unrelated to The Expanse." Yay!
Editor’s Desk: 2021 in Review (NEIL CLARKE): Less interesting to me, since I didn't read the magazine in 2021.
Reading Journal Index: 2022-121
February 25, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this story from the perspective of an AI. I would love to read a more detailed, longer version or more stories set in this world.
Merged review:
My two favorite stories were "No One at the Wild Dock" by Gu Shi, translated from Chinese into English by S. Qiouyi Lu -- an author whose own story titled "Mother Tongues" I really enjoyed in the February 2019 volume of Clarkesworld -- and "For Whom the Psychopomp Calls" by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko. Since all these marvelous stories are online for free, you can read them, too!
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/gu_0...
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/drno...
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/lu_0...
In particular, I enjoyed the titular poem in "Wild Dock":
“Xijian, Chuzhou”
Loneliness bears the grass beside the river;
from within the deep forest above cry yellow orioles.
The tides of spring herald rain in the oncoming night;
a ferry drifts empty, carrying no one in the wild.
(The author of the poem seems to be Wei Yingwu (韋應物) / Wei Suzhou(韋蘇州) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wei_Y... . I'm curious to see the original Chinese for the poem, as well as other's translations of it. The handful Google brought up didn't have the same impact on me as the version above. I see "Wei Yingwu was translated by Red Pine (Bill Porter) as In Such Hard Times: The Poetry of Wei Ying-wu" ... might have to check that out someday!)
I think this may be the original poem:
独怜幽草涧边生，上有黄鹂深树鸣。
春潮带雨晚来急，野渡无人舟自横。
In any case, I won't spoil things, but Ai's journey throughout the story is a delight. Very glad I could read this in English!
Psychopomp was also well done, the story was snappy and carried me along. Looking forward to more by the author!
Merged review:
My two favorite stories were "No One at the Wild Dock" by Gu Shi, translated from Chinese into English by S. Qiouyi Lu -- an author whose own story titled "Mother Tongues" I really enjoyed in the February 2019 volume of Clarkesworld -- and "For Whom the Psychopomp Calls" by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko. Since all these marvelous stories are online for free, you can read them, too!
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/gu_0...
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/drno...
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/lu_0...
In particular, I enjoyed the titular poem in "Wild Dock":
“Xijian, Chuzhou”
Loneliness bears the grass beside the river;
from within the deep forest above cry yellow orioles.
The tides of spring herald rain in the oncoming night;
a ferry drifts empty, carrying no one in the wild.
(The author of the poem seems to be Wei Yingwu (韋應物) / Wei Suzhou(韋蘇州) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wei_Y... . I'm curious to see the original Chinese for the poem, as well as other's translations of it. The handful Google brought up didn't have the same impact on me as the version above. I see "Wei Yingwu was translated by Red Pine (Bill Porter) as In Such Hard Times: The Poetry of Wei Ying-wu" ... might have to check that out someday!)
I think this may be the original poem:
独怜幽草涧边生，上有黄鹂深树鸣。
春潮带雨晚来急，野渡无人舟自横。
In any case, I won't spoil things, but Ai's journey throughout the story is a delight. Very glad I could read this in English!
Psychopomp was also well done, the story was snappy and carried me along. Looking forward to more by the author!
April 14, 2022
There's a lot to like about this novella: admirable world-building, intriguing cast, and a view of future relations where polyamory is an accepted form of love. The chess analogies didn't work for me, maybe for someone else, and the relationship between Ollie and her father should have been explored more than it was. Overall, a quick and enjoyable space romp.
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