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oleksandr's review
3.0
This is the July-August 2020 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine. I’ve recently read an reviewed several issues of its sister-magazine, Analog and based on this issue alone, I liked this one slightly more.
Here are the contents and my rating of them.
The 2020 Dell Magazines Awards [Asimov's Editorials] essay by Sheila Williams awards to new authors, I hasn’t read any to judge.
Rereading L. Ron Hubbard [Reflections] essay by Robert Silverberg before becoming the founder of scientology, Hubbard had several good fiction works, including [b:Fear|952343|Fear|L. Ron Hubbard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349318665l/952343._SX50_.jpg|220921].
Bicameral poem by Herb Kauderer
Sporty [On the Net] essay by James Patrick Kelly are nerds actually like and do sports and sports in SF. 2*
Nic and Viv's Compulsory Courtship novella by Will McIntosh cities and communities are run by AI and once an AI tried to matchmake two quite different people, who in addition were engaged with others an were about to marry. A nice light story. 4*
Vintage Years poem by Deborah L. Davitt
Father short fiction by Ray Nayler alt-history 1950s written in style of old ‘golden age’ SF. A boy (narrator) lost his father in the war and to replace him VA sent a robot. The robot tries to be a father to a boy but local band of Greasers decided to attack ‘the tin can’. A very nicely done story. 5*
The Last Water Baron short fiction by Hollis Joel Henry after water wars, entrepreneurs, who sold water to thirsty are hiding, while they are pursued by former victims, think a variation of hunt for Nazi after the WW2. It is written from a POV of such a baron. 3.5*
Dog Day Afternoon poem by Adam Ford
We All Lose if They Take Mizuba short fiction by Tom Purdom mil-SF, a space battle and a protagonist, who is biologically immortal but may die – is freedom or death slogan works if you know you can live forever? 3*
The Beast Adjoins novelette by Ted Kosmatka last humans, a boy and his mother are hiding on asteroid from ‘the Beast’. Quite an interesting, even if non-scientific take on 3*
Planets poem by Richard Schiffman
Imaginary Children [Juice] short fiction by Janet Stilson a woman working in media is running out of her child-bearing age (two moths remain!) while most men have damaged sperm. She gets an experimental chip that shows expected kids if she gets around of this or that man, but she cannot find out who is the man, whose presence creates a ghost girl just like her. 2*
Marbles [Shilinka Switalla] novelette by Sean Monaghan a part of series about an artist creating extremely large projects, this time with millions of marbles created on site. 2*
Bereft, I Come to a Nameless World [The Unraveling] short fiction by Benjamin Rosenbaum a part of series about a far future version of Strugatsky’s progressors – people who try to uplift other civilizations. Interesting concepts, but hasn’t worked for me. 2*
Why I'll Never Get Tenure short fiction by Peter Wood a piece of ocean and beach exchange places, a woman scientist investigates, while her superior (a real douche) interferes. 2*
Generations short fiction by Robin Hobb [as by Megan Lindholm] flash fic about a young woman caring for her grandma in a wheelchair
The Softness of Impossible Fossils poem by Robert Borski
Tool Use by the Humans of Danzhai County novella by Derek Künsken a very interesting and unusual piece, set in (quite benevolent) near future (starts in 2020s) China, where AIs are developed to help people, especially poor. 4.5*
Next Issue (Asimov's, July-August 2020) essay by uncredited
On Books (Asimov's, July-August 2020) [On Books] essay by Paul Di Filippo some interesting new releases
The SF Conventional Calendar (Asimov's, July-August 2020) essay by Erwin S. Strauss
Here are the contents and my rating of them.
The 2020 Dell Magazines Awards [Asimov's Editorials] essay by Sheila Williams awards to new authors, I hasn’t read any to judge.
Rereading L. Ron Hubbard [Reflections] essay by Robert Silverberg before becoming the founder of scientology, Hubbard had several good fiction works, including [b:Fear|952343|Fear|L. Ron Hubbard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349318665l/952343._SX50_.jpg|220921].
Bicameral poem by Herb Kauderer
Sporty [On the Net] essay by James Patrick Kelly are nerds actually like and do sports and sports in SF. 2*
Nic and Viv's Compulsory Courtship novella by Will McIntosh cities and communities are run by AI and once an AI tried to matchmake two quite different people, who in addition were engaged with others an were about to marry. A nice light story. 4*
Vintage Years poem by Deborah L. Davitt
Father short fiction by Ray Nayler alt-history 1950s written in style of old ‘golden age’ SF. A boy (narrator) lost his father in the war and to replace him VA sent a robot. The robot tries to be a father to a boy but local band of Greasers decided to attack ‘the tin can’. A very nicely done story. 5*
The Last Water Baron short fiction by Hollis Joel Henry after water wars, entrepreneurs, who sold water to thirsty are hiding, while they are pursued by former victims, think a variation of hunt for Nazi after the WW2. It is written from a POV of such a baron. 3.5*
Dog Day Afternoon poem by Adam Ford
We All Lose if They Take Mizuba short fiction by Tom Purdom mil-SF, a space battle and a protagonist, who is biologically immortal but may die – is freedom or death slogan works if you know you can live forever? 3*
The Beast Adjoins novelette by Ted Kosmatka last humans, a boy and his mother are hiding on asteroid from ‘the Beast’. Quite an interesting, even if non-scientific take on
Spoiler
Wave function collapse, if an observer by observation determines the result – s/he creates our world, so we are demiurges.Planets poem by Richard Schiffman
Imaginary Children [Juice] short fiction by Janet Stilson a woman working in media is running out of her child-bearing age (two moths remain!) while most men have damaged sperm. She gets an experimental chip that shows expected kids if she gets around of this or that man, but she cannot find out who is the man, whose presence creates a ghost girl just like her. 2*
Marbles [Shilinka Switalla] novelette by Sean Monaghan a part of series about an artist creating extremely large projects, this time with millions of marbles created on site. 2*
Bereft, I Come to a Nameless World [The Unraveling] short fiction by Benjamin Rosenbaum a part of series about a far future version of Strugatsky’s progressors – people who try to uplift other civilizations. Interesting concepts, but hasn’t worked for me. 2*
Why I'll Never Get Tenure short fiction by Peter Wood a piece of ocean and beach exchange places, a woman scientist investigates, while her superior (a real douche) interferes. 2*
Generations short fiction by Robin Hobb [as by Megan Lindholm] flash fic about a young woman caring for her grandma in a wheelchair
Spoiler
who is actually a superheroThe Softness of Impossible Fossils poem by Robert Borski
Tool Use by the Humans of Danzhai County novella by Derek Künsken a very interesting and unusual piece, set in (quite benevolent) near future (starts in 2020s) China, where AIs are developed to help people, especially poor.
Spoiler
The main protagonist is a woman of Miao ethnicity, who was pressured by her professor to sex and later became a fierce activist for women rights, helping to develop AIs that help to prevent harassment and replace HRs, workers and even judges. A minor but important sub-plot is about kids with Down Syndrome who were left by their parents, but with insertion of a chip with AI helper are able to care for themselves and others. While the story is very well written, it overlooks the authoritarian nature of the current Chinese regime, whitewashing it as a benevolent force helping to improve living conditions. I hope it is a honest attempt to show our diverse world and not following Chinese propaganda money. For example, [b:Red Moon|38496710|Red Moon|Kim Stanley Robinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520263303l/38496710._SY75_.jpg|60137489] is presenting a more complex picture, showing both advances and problemsNext Issue (Asimov's, July-August 2020) essay by uncredited
On Books (Asimov's, July-August 2020) [On Books] essay by Paul Di Filippo some interesting new releases
The SF Conventional Calendar (Asimov's, July-August 2020) essay by Erwin S. Strauss
crunden's review
3.0
⚜ poetry review ⚜
I quite liked 'Planets' by Richard Schiffman.
As if the future, while not quite visible to the naked eye,
was not light-years away either
but something a child could almost reach up
and pluck
It feels like a coming of age poem, centred around the space race.
I quite liked 'Planets' by Richard Schiffman.
As if the future, while not quite visible to the naked eye,
was not light-years away either
but something a child could almost reach up
and pluck
It feels like a coming of age poem, centred around the space race.
b_mcg's review
3.0
Nic and Viv's Compulsory Courtship 3/5
Tool Use by the Humans of Danzhai County 4/5
The Beast Adjoins 4/5
Marbles 2/5
Father 3/5
The Last Water Baron 2/5
We All Lose if They Take Mizuba 2/5
Imaginary Children 2/5
Bereft, I Come to a Nameless World 3/5
Why I'll Never Get Tenure 2/5
Generations 2/5
Tool Use by the Humans of Danzhai County 4/5
The Beast Adjoins 4/5
Marbles 2/5
Father 3/5
The Last Water Baron 2/5
We All Lose if They Take Mizuba 2/5
Imaginary Children 2/5
Bereft, I Come to a Nameless World 3/5
Why I'll Never Get Tenure 2/5
Generations 2/5
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