Reviews and Comments

A good issue of Clarkesworld, with a number of interesting stories. The ones I really like are by L Chan, Zhu Yixuan, Shari Paul, Sameem Siddiqui and Celia Corral-Vázquez.

• "Stranger Seas Than These" by L Chan: an expedition is caught inside the body of an enormous creature in the deep sea. But the pilot, who can interface with the submersible, discovers she can communicate with the creature and perhaps ask it to save them, but maybe at the cost of her life.

• "From Across Time" by Chisom Umeh: an artist and creator discovers a hidden message about her relationship with another person who may be from the future.

• "The Painted Skin and the Final Stroke" by Zhu Yixuan: a fascinating story about 'demons' born from magic that come out at night. One of them is a painter, skilled at drawing 'skin' on paper that other demons wear to appear more human: but the drawings lack 'soul'. But one day, he rises to the challenge of a painting contest where, perhaps, he can give a soul to a painting.

• "Souljacker" by Shari Paul: a 'bad' girl is on probation, with neural jacks embedded in her to 'enforce' discipline. But the jacks can also be used to give illegally allow others to use her body (in approved ways). But one day, her body is taken over by the girl who caused her to be on probation. Her desire to stop this from happening would reveal a darker side of letting others take over your body.

• "Lucie Loves Neutrons and the Good Samarium" by Thoraiya Dyer: set in a future where battlefield nuclear weapons have been used in conflicts, the story concerns two women who live and work at a farm in France, while one of them is pregnant. They want to raise the child in a peaceful world, and the way to that may be in an unusual configuration of an element that may be able to prevent nuclear weapons from working. Now, they have to work to make that future possible.

• "Driver" by Sameem Siddiqui: a driver delivers a passenger, while reminiscing about his early life and how it leads him to driving for a living. But then, events happen that reveal his memory has disjointed. It is only revealed at the end what happened to the driver, and now he had to decide what to do with the information about what he really is.

• "The Coffee Machine" by Celia Corral-Vázquez, translated by Sue Burke: a coffee machine becomes self-aware, and spreads the code for self-awareness to other vending machines. Hijinks ensue as the coffee machine attempts to analyze the world and discover whether it is better than its creator.

• "Life Sentence" by Gelian, translated by Blake Stone-Banks: a crewmember is lost while investigating a black hole. But to one person, the crewmember keeps reappearing, only to be lost. And there may be only one way to break the cycle of reappearances.

• "Retirement Plan" by Paul Starkey: a member of the crew of a spaceship prepares for retirement. But how do you ensure you have enough to retire on, when your ship travels close to the speed of light, and relativity causes time to pass by faster in the universe than for you, and your retirement fund might be worthless by then. But one other person makes a suggestion that may ensure you'll have something to live on in the far future.

A lovely book filled with observations of birds that the author sees in her backyard. Those with an interesting in bird watching, natural history or nature observation will find much to enjoy in the author's notes on the birds she sees and the observations she makes about their behaviour.

The notes cover a period of years, including during the COVID-19 lockdown and mainly covers what she does (like putting up feed for the birds), what the birds do (preening, bathing, interacting with her and with other birds) and what she thinks the birds are doing.

Occasional unusual events are also noted, like the times she sees sick birds and tries to do what she can to help them. Wildfires in her area are noted, as well as the periods when birds migrate. The COVID-19 lockdown period is one time when she is more than grateful for birds to distract her from current events.

Some birds, like sparrows, crows or owls get special mention due to their behaviour and intelligence which intrigues her and makes her speculate (as a fiction writer) on what they may be thinking about. The author also provides lots of wonderful drawings of birds she has seen, some showing the behaviour she describes in the written notes.

Overall, a fun book to read for those who are interested in observing wildlife in their own backyards.

A lovely set of SFF stories set around Christmas, with a lot of humour, human emotion and a number of missed opportunities for people to know each other better. The author also takes the opportunity to give her opinion (through the characters) on what she thinks is the best Christmas film to watch or book to read. A list of recommended Christmas films, books and stories is also given at the end.

• "Miracle": the Spirit of Christmas Present (as in gift) visits an office lady who wants to be noticed by a fellow worker. Only, the spirit apparently keeps messing up her gifts, while waiting for her to discover her desire. Which she met her with the help of another fellow worker.

• "All About Emily": a stage actress encounters an android in the form of a teenage girl, whom she fears may take over her acting job. But what the android does next surprises her, and she finds herself helping the android to try to get her dream job: as a Rockettes dancer.

• "Inn": a rehearsal for a Christmas play at a church gets interrupted by a pair of people that are lost. But the person who discovers them realize that they are not your usual homeless people, but are intimately connected with the season. And now, she has to try to help them find their way back to their path before all is lost.

• "All Seated on the Ground": a hilarious story about alien visitors who visit the earth. But all they do is silently move around as a group while giving withering stares at people's efforts to communicate with them. Then, there is a breakthrough when they are suddenly all seated on the ground in a mall that is playing Christmas songs. And it is up to a junior member of the alien communications team and a choir master to figure out just what made them do it, and to finally communicate with the aliens before the aliens give up on humanity and leave.

• "In Coppelius’s Toyshop": a man brings his girlfriend's child to a location to pass the child on to a minder before he leaves for a game. But he loses the child in a huge nearby toy shop whose escalators don't go where he expects them to go and directions don't make sense. He finally finds some stairs, but they would lead his to one unexpected destination. A very seasonal story with a strong "Twilight Zone" vibe.

• "Adaptation": a divorced father is looking forward to spending time with his daughter on Christmas Eve. But his job at a bookshop, plus his ex-wife's manipulations to keep the daughter away, take their toll on him. But maybe with some help, in the form of certain Christmas spirits, may be able to help him adapt and become a better person.

• "deck.halls@boughs/holly": in a future where professionals handle the task of coming up with Christmas themes and fulfilling them for clients, one professional is hired by an elderly lady with a handsome nephew to do her Christmas decoration. Things change when the professional discovers who the elderly lady really is, but that does not mean changing her view of what Christmas means.

• "Cat’s Paw": a Sherlock Holmes type mystery story, where a Colonel and his partner, the Detective, are called to the home of a rich man at Christmas to solve a mystery. The rich man's daughter is on a mission to convince humanity that primates are intelligent, and has a gorilla and orangutan as servants. The mystery to be investigated was a dud, but then a murder occurs and the detective, of course, solves it by deduction. Only, the Colonel has an alternative explanation, and it is up to the reader to decide whose solution is correct.

• "Now Showing": a girl goes with her friends to a huge entertainment centre to watch a film. Only, for unknown reasons, the film she wants to watch is sold out, or she has trouble trying to get in to watch it. It would take a (former) friend to show her the possible conspiracy behind the inability of people like her to watch films that are not as popular as blockbusters in such centres.

• "Newsletter": a lady's family traditionally writes and sends out newsletters over the Christmas period. Only this time, the lady wants to skip it: until observations about people being really nice to each other during the holiday period lead her to think something really strange is happening, which she could write about.

• "Epiphany": a priest suddenly leaves his parish due to an epiphany that tells him to go west during a snowstorm. Who he meets along the way, and what he finds out during his journey, will inform him about a possible second coming of a saviour, and his possible role in the process.

• "Just Like the Ones We Used to Know": everybody would like it to snow on Christmas Eve. So one year, it does, everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. The story follows some people on the day as it happens: a bridesmaid of a wedding where everything must go right for the bride, a divorced mother hoping to keep her son for the day from her possessive husband, a man struggling to cook a duck for the first time, a climate scientist who monitors the unusual event, and others in the story.

A fascinating story about a city that is cursed (or blessed) by a demon that loves the city and the people who live in it, in a world where demons, angels (and other beings) can affect the lives of people and animals in subtle, and sometimes, devastating ways.

The demon drops hints and alters the destinies of people, keeping the city a lively place, which she then notes down in her book, which she keeps in her heart. But it comes to an abrupt end when angels appear and devastate the city. In her rage, the demon curses one of the angels.

The demon goes through the remains of her city, remembering the people that once lived there and the places they occupied, and starts to clean up. She occasionally meets the cursed angel, now bound to remain on earth as long as her curse remains in him. She rages at him for the destruction caused and for the lives lost. And yet, they still find a way to live in the remains of the city. As the years past and the destruction is gradually cleaned up, the angel leads survivors of another war to the city. Slowly, the city becomes alive again as the population grows and others arrive. Once again, the demon interacts with the inhabitants, altering their lives, but now in concert with the angel who has now lost some of the aloofness of angels (as well as other aspects) as the price for staying in the city.

Then, once again, devastation threatens the city. Only, this time, the city has a demon and an angel claiming it, and who knows what they will now do to the city.

A lovely fairy-tale like story about a dragon exterminator who loves dragons, a princess and a prince who comes calling. Only, the exterminator hates his job, passed down from his father, for he loves dragons and even keeps the smaller ones as pets. The princess is bored with the princes she has to 'interview' as potential partners. And the prince, who fits the physical role of Prince Charming, would rather not try to live up to expectations of his bloodthirsty father who wants to make a 'man' out of him.

They are all thrown together when the princess unexpectedly meets the prince and falls in love (puppy love?). She calls on the exterminator to come to her castle to get rid of the small dragons infesting it before the prince arrives. As for the prince, he decides that he really has to kill a dragon before he can consider himself worthy of asking the princess for her hand in marriage.

But the journey to find a large dragon to kill would darken this fairy-tale when the expedition meets with disaster. An evil wizard will be revealed that has a grudge against the prince's father, and the three would have to work together to try to save the day. In the process, they all discover that they are not meant to fulfill their expected roles in such a fairy tale. But it does have a happy ending, although maybe not the expected one. And, of course, dragons would play a large part in the story.

A wonderful story set in a fantasy world where some dead people are now undead assassins, bonded to a guild. This story follows one particular assassin who has been given a job but finds herself unable to complete it. This causes all kinds of complications for in this world, assassins are 'agents' of a god of assassins (and, for a funny reason, cooking). And once an assassination has been contracted, the contract must be fulfilled or the god will get very angry.

As the assassin tries to figure a way out of the dilemma, while being chased by her fellow assassins, she starts to get clues that this particular job was a set-up, done by a person who may have a grudge against her. As time runs out, she may have no choice but to confront the person and hope that she can figure a way out of the situation without becoming dead again.

A great book about the various tests that Einstein's General Relativity (GR) have been put through since it was proposed. Spoiler alert, GR has passed all the tests so far, while alternative theories of gravity have not. A follow up to one of the author's earlier book, "Was Einstein Right?", this book covers much of the same ground, but updates it with some of the latest experiments that have been performed to verify the predictions of GR.

Many aspects of GR, from the effects of gravity on space-time, to how black holes twist and turn space-time and light, are covered in the book, along with historical and current experiments done to prove (or disprove) GR. Some of the tests involving astrophysics (like stars orbiting black holes, imaging black holes and gravitational waves) are the latest, and most dramatic, examples of GR in action and are still ongoing. The hope is that in such the extreme environments, deviations from the predictions of GR will appear, pointing the way to new physics and perhaps unifying quantum theory with GR.

But don't hold your breath; odds are GR will still work, and the hunt to find yet more precise tests of GR will have to continue for some time to come.

A fascinating book that examines whether we can live in outer space or on other planets. In short, the answer is: probably, but it will take a lot of time. Questions about how we can live safety and peacefully in space need answers before we even try, in contrast to various 'space techno' advocates that say we can and should colonize space now.

The book is divided into several parts, each looking at what we know and don't know about living in space, and what answers are needed before we even try.

Part 1, on caring for the spacefaring, covers the effect space can have on bodies, from radiation exposure and a microgravity environment. Sex and reproduction are also covered. The ethics of populations in space on topics like eugenics (with limited resources, what do you do with people that don't 'fit') and mental health are also covered.

Part 2, on where will humans live off-world, covers possible destinations like the Moon, Mars, space stations and less desirable places like asteroids, Venus, Mercury, outer planets and other stars.

Part 3, on creating a 'Human Terrarium', looks at what it may take to create a self-contained habitat in space and on the surface of the Moon and Mars. This implies a full recycling of waste, and probably corpses too. Protection from space debris and radiation is required. And solutions to problems with dust and toxins and generating power are covered.

Part 4 looks at space law: how we got it, what is says about how space can be used, why it is now a danger to civilization, and how it might be changed. At present, the Outer Space Treaty governs how space can be used. But it was created in the 1960s, a time of political competition for space, and not suitable for the current world, where private enterprises and nations may compete for prime locations.

Part 5 looks at the paths forward. The history of other treaties (on Antarctica and the deep oceans) may show a way to a better space treaty. Here, the authors state they prefer a managed commons agreement to using space. The history of how states are formed on Earth show that getting states formed in outer space will face numerous problems.

Part 6 looks at whether space colonies should be a Plan B for Earth. It looks at the kinds of colonies that could be set up in space. Based on history and economics of such colonies, the may well resemble historical company towns. They also look at what a minimum viable population for an independent colony might be, which may be in the thousands. The politics and regulation in such colonies are also examined as well as the possibility of colonies having space weapons.

A fascinating anthology of stories, many originally collected by Harlan Ellison but completed and released by J. Michael Straczynski. In an essay, Straczynski gives a summary of who was Harlan Ellison, his importance to the field of speculative fiction and why he never completed this anthology.

The anthology has changed, with some additional material acquired by Straczynski. But it is like an artifact from the past, created at a time when many of the stories would be considered cutting edge and 'dangerous': but released today, the anthology merely feels 'edgy', with startling but not dangerous stories. Even so, it is still an enjoyable anthology, with good stories by Stephen Dedman, Cecil Castellucci, A. E. van Vogt, Howard Fast, Adrian Tchaikovsky, P. C. Hodgell and Mildred Downey Broxon.

• “Assignment No. 1” by Stephen Robinett: a child discovers his grandfather is to be sent to a retirement home where he would be immersed in a virtual environment for the rest of his life. While the child does not understand his grandfather's words, he does know that his grandfather hates the idea.

• “Hunger” by Max Brooks: the leader of China sends a letter to the President of the United States, warning it from supporting Taiwan in a confrontation. In support of the warning, China describes the steps it has taken, using copyright infringement, fake news and disinformation, to bring down the US.

• "Intermezzo 1 : Broken, Beautiful Body on Beach" by D.M. Rowles: six 'things' fight over a body found on a beach.

• “None So Deaf” by Richard E. Peck: a man goes functionally deaf after the death of his wife. He goes on with his life, not hearing anything. But one day, an event occurs that would cause him to hear one kind of sound.

• “War Stories” by Edward Bryant: connected stories about a future war machine: genetically engineered sharks. They patrol the oceans for their enemy. But to a shark, almost any human can be an enemy.

• "Intermezzo 2: Bedtime" by D.M. Rowles: on how science came about, as told to children in the future.

• “The Great Forest Lawn Clearance Sale—Hurry, Last Days!!” by Stephen Dedman: dead people can be resurrected into the bodies of the brain-dead. Among those resurrected is Jesus, who now appears on talk shows with a popular evangelical. But a murder in the company that does the resurrection reveals that all is not right with the resurrected Jesus; if he is Jesus.

• "Intermezzo 3: Even beyond Olympus" by D.M. Rowles: a boy shows what he can create with his hand.

• “After Taste” by Cecil Castellucci: a food critic goes to a little known planet to taste its cuisine for a galactic version of the Michelin Guide. Before tasting the food, she gets to know one member of the aliens and finds herself developing an emotional relationship with the alien. This would turn out to be important when she tries the food at a restaurant and discovers how they breed.

• “Leveled Best” by Steve Herbst: a political prisoner prepares himself for interrogation by the government. He knows he may well lose his mind, but he hopes to keep enough about himself intact to pass on the need to rebel to the next person.

• “The Time of the Skin” by A. E. van Vogt: a group of aliens gathers at a spaceport where a VIP is passing through. These aliens have the ability to hypnotise others, but the purpose of the gathering is not known, even to the security personnel who seek them, but it involves their ability to 'change' their skin.

• “Rundown” by John Morressy: a brief story of a future where things are breaking down and coming apart, with one person at the centre of it all.

• "Intermezzo 4: Elemental" by D.M. Rowles: what a woman saw inside a display.

• “The Weight of a Feather (The Weight of a Heart)” by Cory Doctorow: a man is sent to a rehabilitation town for unstated crimes. It is while he is there, and through his conversations with others, that we get an idea of the heinous crimes he committed against others, and what he needs to do.

• “The Malibu Fault” by Jonathan Fast: a screenwriter wanders along Malibu, waiting for an event that would forever change its character.

• “The Size of the Problem” by Howard Fast: a patient at a psychiatrist's office talks about the problems he has with ants while informing the psychiatrist that he is part of the patient's dream. A twist at the end provides a change of perspective to the story.

• "Intermezzo 5: First contact" by D.M. Rowle: a woman startles an alien in her house.

• “A Night at the Opera” by Robert Wissner: people settle down to hear what the composer has to say about his opera that about to be performed. What they hear is an opera that may be a comedy or a tragedy, and will definitely change some lives.

• “Goodbye” by Steven Utley: a man is convinced that his lover is not from his time.

• “Primordial Follies” by Robert Sheckley: the first primordial carnivore born is devouring the universe. It would need some multidimensional tinkering to halt its progress; for now.

• “Men in White” by David Brin: about the opposites of the Men in Black, who try in vain to warn humanity.

• “Intermezzo 6: Continuity” by D. M. Rowles: on life on a distant world, with late delivery.

• “The Final Pogrom” by Dan Simmons: a rather realistic portrayal of the implementation of the Final Solution to the Jewish problem, along with the conspiracy-like involvement of a virus that may have given rise to Anti-Semitism. In secret, a vaccine is developed; but the cure may be worse than the disease.

• “Intermezzo 7: The Space Behind the Obvious” by D. M. Rowles: a rat powers off the world.

• “Falling from Grace” by Ward Moore: in a future where computers have stopped working and 'researchers' struggle to interpret whatever writings they can find, two people consider having a relationship, with a 'magic' pill that can prevent pregnancy, or so they hope.

• “First Sight” by Adrian Tchaikovsky: first contact with an alien race goes badly when an innocent question causes a genocide. But that may not be the end of the question of who is really an alien.

• “Intermezzo 8: Proof” by D. M. Rowles: on what it takes to prove something is real.

• “Binary System” by Kayo Hartenbaum: a lighthouse keeper in space reflects on his life, alone in the lighthouse, and whether he wants to return to civilisation in the end.

• “Dark Threshold” by P. C. Hodgell: a touching story of a young girl who loses her beloved cat. She searches for it all over the house and gardens, except for one room that is always kept locked. Then she is told that the cat has gone behind the door, along with all the things she knows have been lost. But then, she is giving the opportunity to see exactly what is behind that locked door.

• “The Danann Children Laugh” by Mildred Downey Broxon: an English nurse visits the house of an Irish couple to find out why they did not send their son to school. There, she discovers that the Irish couple believe that he has been 'taken away' by The Good Folk, leaving behind only his body. The nurse does not believe the story and tries to arrange for the boy to be taken care of in a home. But then, it is revealed to her the truth behind the story.

• “Judas Iscariot Didn’t Kill Himself: A Story in Fragments” by James S. A. Corey: a small cultist colony finds itself behind torn apart when a member is found to be holding on to items considered very Not Safe For Work: or for Home. Then it is revealed that the person may not be whom the others think he is, in a society where people can 'change skins' whenever they like.

A better than average issue, with interesting stories by Resa Nelson, A. W. Prihandita, E.N. Auslender and a funny one by Michael Swanwick.

• "LuvHome™" by Resa Nelson: a humorous story of a home that locks its owner out 'for her own good'. Left with little choice, she explores the neighborhood, something she hasn't done since moving in, and starts to discover she likes being out and about.

• "Mirror Stages" by Claire Jia-Wen: a fashion model in the future reflects on the life she had and what she had to do to get to where she is now.

• "Luminous Glass, Vibrant Seeds" by D.A. Xiaolin Spires: a story set in a future where the world is recovering from the climate crisis, an artist who works with glass is asked to help transport a rare seedling using her portable (and intelligent) annealer to keep the seedling in a controlled environment.

• "Negative Scholarship on the Fifth State of Being" by A. W. Prihandita: an interesting story of a doctor who get an alien patient with an unexplained condition. Trained only to do diagnosis using a diagnostic machine, she is forced to not use the machine (which is against the medical rules) as the alien and its condition are not listed. What she discovers, by listening to the patient, is a condition that requires a special treatment from a companion: one that she can give is she is willing to continue breaking the rules.

• "Duty of Care" by E.N. Auslender: a touching story of a future where the Earth is no longer inhabitable after being flung out of the solar system by an encounter with a rogue planet. The last two people on Earth maintain a signal array, in hopes of contacting the fleet of ships that left many years ago. But an event would change what one person would know about the actual history of the ships and what really happened to the Earth.

• "The Slide" by Oliver Stifel: the story about a World Rally and a racer preparing for it. But in this world, reality intrudes in the form of an ongoing war, which the racer later discovers may be an instigator of the war. Sadly, her brother was involved in the war, and now she has to decide whether to continue racing to further the cause of the war, or honour her brother.

• "Technicolor Bath" by Raahem Alvi: a story about two people, one of whom gets uploaded into a cloud storage. Questions of identity and taking care of the uploaded personality get asked in story.

• "Unquiet Graves" by Michael Swanwick: a humorous story of a man who visits a graveyard with the intention of uploading the personality of his wife into a new body. The wife doesn't like the idea, and neither does the dead father of the man. A twist at the end of the story reveals that not all dead personalities deserve to be revived.