Not Free SF Reader : Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror: June 2007

Defeated alien race have infiltrators on earth with a breeding program involving humans to try and eventually recapture their home galaxy. However, their enemies have found them.

3.5 out of 5

Friday, June 29, 2007

Stop Evolution In Its Tracks - John T. Sladek

Creationists are boring nerds.

3.5 out of 5

Atomic Power - John W. Campbell

Gravity busted = very bad.

4 out of 5

The Hole Man - Larry Niven

Quantum black hole is ridiculous overkill.

3.5 out of 5

Message Found In A Copy Of Flatland - Rudy Rucker

Lower down stranding.

3.5 out of 5

Waterclap - Isaac Asimov

Outer space undersea visit has terrorist plan. Extemporaneous Jupiter project plan convinces laser wielder to desist.

4 out of 5

To Bring In the Steel - Donald Kingsbury

Whore governess troubleshooter happiness hire finds out space can be interesting.

4.5 out of 5

Prima Belladonna - J. G. Ballard

Mutant girl, plant music, big spider.

3 out of 5

Transit of Earth - Arthur C. Clarke

Marsnaut's useful ending.

3.5 out of 5

The Weather Man - Theodore L. Thomas

Meterological political power struggles.

4 out of 5

Drode's Equations - Richard Grant

Mathematical understanding.

4 out of 5

Beep - James Blish

Spook space tricks and tech of time communication.

4 out of 5

The Xi Effect - Philip Latham

Spectrum shrinking supremely serious.

4 out of 5

Send Me A Kiss By Wire - Hilbert Schenk

Giant squid shagging.

4.5 out of 5

Down and Out On Ellfive Prime - Dean Ing

Drifters and grifters dragooned due to space station rain problem.

3.5 out of 5

The Singing Diamond - Robert L. Forward

Asteroid music and metal from micros.

4 out of 5

The Life and Times of Multivac - Isaac Asimov

Supercomputer overlord subservience breaking point.

4 out of 5

Davy Jones' Ambassador - Raymond Z. Gallun

Busted bathysphere first contact prison escape passenger.

3.5 out of 5

It's Great To Be Back - Robert A. Heinlein

Groundhogs too dumb for lunar couple.

4 out of 5

Nine Lives - Ursula K. Le Guin

Clonepacks come in tens.

4 out of 5

The Lady of Situations - Stephen Dedman

Perfect physical memory leaves longterm boyfriends superfluous.

4 out of 5

Shades of Green - Stephen Dedman

Refugee rescue chlorophyll assisted.

4 out of 5

As Wise As Serpents - Stephen Dedman

Ties are stupid, they also make you look like you are in thrall to alien overlords.

3.5 out of 5

Origin Story - Dwight R. Decker

The opportunity to be Captain Swastika is not very appealing, despite the powers.

3.5 out of 5

The Dark Descent 3 A Fabulous Formless Darkness - David G. Hartwell

The Year's Best Science Fiction 19th Annual Collection - Gardner Dozois

This is an excellent collection (4.00 average), continuing the great work from the year before, with the extensive summation at the beginning as usual.

Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : New Light on the Drake Equation - Ian R. MacLeod
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : More Adventures on Other Planets - Michael Cassutt
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : On K2 with Kanakaredes - Dan Simmons
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : When This World Is All on Fire - William Sanders
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Computer Virus - Nancy Kress
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Have Not Have - Geoff Ryman
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Lobsters - Charles Stross
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : The Dog Said Bow-Wow - Michael Swanwick
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : The Chief Designer - Andy Duncan
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Neutrino Drag - Paul Di Filippo
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Glacial - Alastair Reynolds
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : The Days Between - Allen M. Steele
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : One Horse Town - Howard Waldrop and Leigh Kennedy
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Moby Quilt - Eleanor Arnason
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Raven Dream - Robert Reed
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Undone - James Patrick Kelly
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : The Real Thing - Carolyn Ives Gilman
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Interview: On Any Given Day - Maureen F. McHugh
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Isabel of the Fall - Ian R. MacLeod
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Into Greenwood - Jim Grimsley
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Know How Can Do - Michael Blumlein
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Russian Vine - Simon Ings
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : The Two Dicks - Paul McAuley
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : May Be Some Time - Brenda W. Clough
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : Marcher - Chris Beckett
Year's Best Science Fiction 19 : The Human Front - Ken MacLeod

A story about a hermit-like SETI astronomer and his past relationships.

4 out of 5

Cancer bad anywhere.

3 out of 5

On a really big mountain, a human and an alien mountaineer come to an understanding.

4.5 out of 5

Flaming ruined.

3 out of 5

House arrest.

5 out of 5

Fashion business.

4 out of 5

A way ahead of the curve ideas man helps out some intelligent sea types.

5 out of 5

Canine anti-tech adventures.

4 out of 5

Space tech, cheaply preferred.

4.5 out of 5

A fun bunch of stuff. How can you not like a human alien space race, when the alien is called Spacedog, and a 50s throwback? Ok, well I couldn't care less about the 50s, really, in general, but this was done well. Macho drag racing in space, gangs, cliques, and you could almost smell the Fonz hanging around in the crowd watching the action.

4 out of 5

Clavain investigates why it is cold and almost all dead on a base.

4 out of 5

Early rising not a good idea.

4.5 out of 5

Trojan bones aplenty.

3.5 out of 5

Tentacle porn more fun than it looks, sea adventuring a bit more stressful.

4.5 out of 5

Small tribe.

3.5 out of 5

Future escape a problem of many dimensions.

4.5 out of 5

Timetravel copyright surprises.

4.5 out of 5

Adolescent lifestyle.

3.5 out of 5

Mirrorflash crucifixion.

4 out of 5

Alien family fortunes.

3 out of 5

Madam I'm Adam, and smart for a worm, too.

4 out of 5

Illiterate people are easy, if you are aliens with territorial designs on Terra.

4 out of 5

Political Phil.

3.5 out of 5

Exploration future recovery adjustment.

4 out of 5

Dimensional bureaucracy.

4 out of 5

Stalin shot, Scots shooting, space stalag.

4 out of 5

5 out of 5

Modern Classic Short Novels of Science Fiction - Gardner Dozois

Definitely a good collection, as well. The 'Modern' pair of books make decent additions.

Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : The Miracle Workers - Jack Vance
Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : The Longest Voyage - Poul Anderson
Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : On the Storm Planet - Cordwainer Smith
Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : The Star Pit - Samuel R. Delany
Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : Total Environment - Brian W. Aldiss
Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : The Merchants of Venus - Frederik Pohl
Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : The Death of Doctor Island - Gene Wolfe
Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang - Kate Wilhelm
Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : Souls - Joanna Russ
Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : A Traveler's Tale - Lucius Shepard
Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : Sailing to Byzantium - Robert Silverberg
Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : Mr. Boy - James Patrick Kelly
Modern Classic Short Novels of SF : And Wild for to Hold - Nancy Kress

Mental telepathy and associated talents not efficient for group killing.

4 out of 5

Navigational mathematics seems like magic, so a flying ship is just like, 'Wow!'

3.5 out of 5

Turtle girl's longevity vigil requires warrior assistant.

4 out of 5

Psycho kids good at space travel.

3 out of 5

Block of time compression, hopeful for ESP.

3 out of 5

Livers are expensive, and alien archaeological excavation is hot, hard work.

4.5 out of 5

Isolated mental adjustment.

3.5 out of 5

Hideout clone factory.

4 out of 5

Nun of that Viking stuff here.

4.5 out of 5

Island marooned alien derelict bodysnatcher decides on a shooting swansong.

4 out of 5

Tedious travelogue and artificial lifetime constraints.

3 out of 5

Not wanting to grow up attitude certainly isn't helped by mum's mechanical approach to parenting.

3.5 out of 5

Church of time meddling overindulges in Queens.

4 out of 5

4 out of 5

And Wild For To Hold - Nancy Kress

Church of time meddling overindulges in Queens.

4 out of 5

Thursday, June 28, 2007

A Little Something For Us Tempunauts - Philip K. Dick

Time to avoid own deaths.

4 out of 5

The Hospice - Robert Aickman

Lodging lacks lager and fun.

3 out of 5

The Asian Shore - Thomas Disch

Turkish twists.

3 out of 5

The Beautiful Stranger - Shirley Jackson

Our house got lost.

3 out of 5

Night-Side - Joyce Carol Oates

Seance surprise.

3.5 out of 5

Seven American Nights - Gene Wolfe

Play things.

3.5 out of 5

Contract Hit - Richard A. Knaak

City mayors treat superheroes and villains like baseball players it seems, complete with sidekicks to be named later.

4 out of 5

The Year's Best Science Fiction 18th Annual Collection - Gardner Dozois

This is a superb collection, this year. The stories average a massive 4.11. As usual, there is his rather long summation of the year, which people would probably by just by itself.

Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : The Juniper Tree - John Kessel
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : Antibodies - Charles Stross
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : The Birthday of the World - Ursula K. Le Guin
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : Savior - Nancy Kress
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : Reef - Paul J. McAuley
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : Going After Bobo - Susan Palwick
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : Crux - Albert E. Cowdrey
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : The Cure for Everything - Severna Park
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : The Suspect Genome - Peter F. Hamilton
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : The Raggle Taggle Gypsy-O - Michael Swanwick
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : Radiant Green Star - Lucius Shepard
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : Great Wall of Mars - Alastair Reynolds
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : Milo and Sylvie - Eliot Fintushel
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : Snowball in Hell - Brian Stableford
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : On the Orion Line - Stephen Baxter
18 : Oracle - Greg Egan
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : Obsidian Harvest - Rick Cook and Ernest Hogan
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : Patient Zero - Tananarive Due
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : A Colder War - Charles Stross
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : The Real World - Steven Utley
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : The Thing About Benny - M. Shayne Bell
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : The Great Goodbye - Robert Charles Wilson
Year's Best Science Fiction 18 : Tendeléo's Story - Ian McDonald

Colony murder mystery reconstruction results.

4.5 out of 5

Worldline AI technology overrun.

5 out of 5

Conquering godhood changes.

3.5 out of 5

Humans a bit slow on the uptake about alien craft, muddle through disasters, and must have lost all the Stargate episodes when they tried the replicator thing. Oh, and AI's are quite fast.

5 out of 5

24 hour deep sea proxy people.

4 out of 5

Cat rescue not worth it.

4 out of 5

Terrorist investigation, timelines and tarts.

4 out of 5

Pharmaceutical breakthroughs rely heavily on the individual.

4 out of 5

Mandel's celebrity murder investigation.

4.5 out of 5

Archetypal creation.

4.5 out of 5

Mutant circus major's minder seeks permanent paternal punishment.

4.5 out of 5

Only a damaged but brilliant child is allowing the Conjoiners to continue to hold out, delaying the end of a battle that they cannot win.

4.5 out of 5

Shapeshifting kids.

3 out of 5

Transhumanism to posthumanish through violence and fire.

4.5 out of 5

Human expansion is slowed by a race of aliens, causing economic problems when the advanced alien technology is able to monkey with the laws of physics.

A not too bright teenager makes it out of the wreckage of a ship and from inside an enemy fortress with the help of the rest of his crew, with some valuable intel.

4 out of 5

In a reality where a man, similar to Alan Turing is working for the government in rather more unpleasant circumstances is visited by a reality hopping android woman things change rapidly. A man somewhat similar to C. S. Lewis has problems coping and believing.

4 out of 5

Aztec noir.

4 out of 5

Immune boy runs out of caretakers.

4.5 out of 5

The US works on highly advanced nuclear weapons programs to stop something far worse that the Soviets have available :

"What exactly are these weapons systems?'' demands the third inquisitor, a quiet, hawk-faced man sitting on the left of the panel.

The shoggot'im, they're called: servitors. There are several kinds of advanced robotic systems made out of molecular components: they can change shape, restructure material at the atomic level -- "

3.5 out of 5

Silurian search maybe entertaining.

3.5 out of 5

Botany with Abba overload.

3.5 out of 5

See ya later granddad, you stock old bastard.

4 out of 5

A Kenyan woman and her community come to terms with an alien infestation, as the outsider who fancies her adapts as well.

4 out of 5

5 out of 5

The Human Front - Ken MacLeod

Stalin shot, Scots shooting, space stalag.

4 out of 5

May Be Some Time - B. W. Clough

Exploration future recovery adjustment.

4 out of 5

The Two Dicks - Paul J. McAuley

Political Phil.

3.5 out of 5

The Real Thing - Carolyn Ives Gilman

Timetravel copyright surprises.

4.5 out of 5

Undone - James Patrick Kelly

Future escape a problem of many dimensions.

4.5 out of 5

Moby Quilt - Eleanor Arnason

Tentacle porn more fun than it looks, sea adventuring a bit more stressful.

4.5 out of 5

Mr Boy - James Patrick Kelly

Not wanting to grow up attitude certainly isn't helped by mum's mechanical approach to parenting.

3.5 out of 5

Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang - Kate Wilhelm

Hideout clone factory.

4 out of 5

Sailing To Byzantium - Robert Silverberg

Tedious travelogue and artificial lifetime constraints.

3 out of 5

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

A Traveler's Tale - Lucius Shepard

Island marooned alien derelict bodysnatcher decides on a shooting swansong.

4 out of 5

The Thing About Benny - M. Shayne Bell

Botany with Abba overload.

3.5 out of 5

Obsidian Harvest - Rick Cook and Ernest Hogan

Aztec noir.

4 out of 5

Snowball In Hell - Brian Stableford

Transhumanism to posthumanisn through violence and fire.

4.5 out of 5

Milo and Sylvie - Eliot Fintushel

Shapeshifting kids.

3 out of 5

The Raggle-Taggle Gypsy-O - Michael Swanwick

Archetypal creation.

4.5 out of 5

The Suspect Genome - Peter F. Hamilton

Mandel's celebrity murder investigation.

4.5 out of 5

Crux - Albert E. Cowdrey

Terrorist investigation, timelines and tarts.

4 out of 5

Going After Bobo - Susan Palwick

Cat rescue not worth it.

4 out of 5

Humans a bit slow on the uptake about alien craft, muddle through disasters, and must have lost all the Stargate episodes when they tried the replicator thing. Oh, and AI's are quite fast.

5 out of 5

The Birthday of the World - Ursula K. Le Guin

Conquering godhood changes.

3.5 out of 5

God Save the King - P. J. Beese and Todd Cameron Hamilton

Arthur would now rather work at tax office than put up with Merlin's stuff, suggests finding a new bloke.

3.5 out of 5

The Long Crawl of Hugh Glass - Roger Zelazny

Man mauled by bear shows extraordinary endurance.

3 out of 5

The Merchants of Venus - Frederik Pohl

Livers are expensive, and alien archaeological excavation is hot, hard work.

4.5 out of 5

Total Environment - Brian Aldiss

Block of time compression, hopeful for ESP.

3.5 out of 5

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Four Tales Of Many Names - Gerald Hausman

Native American hero fables.

3 out of 5

Aurealis 37 - Stephen Higgins and Stuart Mayne

A good quality magazine (story average 3.43).

The non-fiction includes an article on all the slightly offbeat animals that humans consume, by Patricia O'Neill. This is probably a shot at squicking just about everyone.

If you were a supervillain, and your archenemy was Rabid Vegetarian Man, you could use this with some held open eyelids and restraints as a highly entertaining deathtrap.

There are some reviews by Bill Congreve of the more analytical bent, and some fantasy reviews by Kate Forsyth that are considerably more gushing.

Coalescence,Kaaron Warren
Beautiful Decay,Andrew Lyall
Father Muerte and The Joy of Warfare,Lee Battersby
Domine,Rjurik Davidson
Dreamer,Sophie Masson
Postdiluvian,Adam Browne
John Wayne,Ben Peek

Schizo brain trust.

3.5 out of 5

Broken Taswegian.

2.5 out of 5

Clown church, travel power restrictions, and a brace of Barons, one red.

4.5 out of 5

Family bleating and a cool souvenir.

3 out of 5

Oneiric tyranny.

3 out of 5

Ark shifting surprise.

4 out of 5

Duke dreams politics.

3.5 out of 5

4 out of 5

Foursight - Peter Crowther

This is a collection of four novellae. The highlight, is, of course, Kim Newman's 'Andy Warhol's Dracula', but James Lovegrove's 'How the Other Half Lives' is pretty good, too. Given I have talked about the other story under its own title, Lovegrove's tale is about a magical doppelganger and the power it confers on an avaricious businessman.

Foursight : Leningrad Nights - Graham Joyce
Foursight : Andy Warhol's Dracula - Kim Newman
Foursight : How the Other Half Lives - James Lovegrove
Foursight : The Vaccinator - Michael Marshall Smith

Ice, doppelganger, kid, shell.

2 out of 5

Johnny Pop is a Romanian vampire come to the USA. He has had a bright idea, selling vampire blood as a drug, and Studio 54 makes a nice base for him, indeed.

However, all good things must come to an end. Vampire hunters have a job to do as well.

"The taxi driver stood over him. There were others, in a circle. A crowd of Fearless Vampire Killers. The silent nun. The black man with wooden knives. The black man with the crossbow. The cop who'd sworn to break the Transylvania Connection. An architect, on his own crusade to avenge a family bled dead by dhamps. The aging beatnik from the psychedelic van, with his smelly tracking dog. A red-skinned turncoat devil boy with the tail and sawn-off horns. The exterminator with the skull on his chest and a flame-thrower in his hands."

3.5 out of 5

Double duplicitousness is dangerous.

4 out of 5

Alien whackjob.

3 out of 5

3 out of 5

John Wayne - Ben Peek

Duke dreams politics.

3.5 out of 5

Postdiluvian - Adam Browne

Ark shifting surprise.

4 out of 5

Dreamer - Sophie Masson

Oneiric tyranny.

3 out of 5

Domine - Rjurik Davidson

Family bleating and a cool souvenir.

3 out of 5

Father Muerte and the Joy of Warfare - Lee Battersby

Clown church, travel power restrictions, and a brace of Barons, one red.

4.5 out of 5

Beautiful Decay - Andrew Lyall

Broken Taswegian.

2.5 out of 5

Coalescence - Kaaron Warren

Schizo brain trust.

3.5 out of 5

The Year's Best Science Fiction 10th Annual Collection - Gardner Dozois

A story average of 3.5 is not that amazing for something like this, but no doubt that overall it is a good collection. Dozois's Yearly Summation of 30-40 pages is worth bonus points, though, as far as rating the whole book goes.

Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Griffin's Egg - Michael Swanwick
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Even the Queen - Connie Willis
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : The Round-Eyed Barbarians - L. Sprague de Camp
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Dust - Greg Egan
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Two Guys from the Future - Terry Bisson
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : The Mountain to Mohammed - Nancy Kress
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : The Coming of Vertumnus - Ian Watson
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : A Long Night's Vigil at the Temple - Robert Silverberg
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : The Hammer of God - Arthur C. Clarke
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Grownups - Ian R. MacLeod
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Graves - Joe Haldeman
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : The Glowing Cloud - Steven Utley
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Gravity's Angel - Tom Maddox
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Protection - Maureen F. McHugh
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee - Neal Barrett Jr.
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Birth Day - Robert Reed
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Naming Names - Pat Cadigan
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa - Jonathan Lethem and Lukas Jaeger
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : The Territory - Bradley Denton
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : The Best and the Rest of James Joyce - Ian McDonald
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Naming the Flowers - Kate Wilhelm
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Snodgrass - Ian R. MacLeod
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : By the Mirror of My Youth - Kathe Koja
Year's Best Science Fiction 10 : Outnumbering the Dead - Frederik Pohl

Terran nuclear nightmare, moon mental mimetic mayhem amidst crisis predicted canoodling.

3.5 out of 5

The bleeding right to live how you like, mate.

4 out of 5

Woman goes for the big guns.

3 out of 5

A man is running an experiment in the ability to change times and geography for a simulated personality to see if it will cohere. At least that is what he thinks.

5 out of 5

Art nicker from next era is pleased with removal of knickers, so is ex-wearer of same.

4 out of 5

Emergency medicine restrictions.

3.5 out of 5

Vegie porn art magic investigation.

3.5 out of 5

Alien execution archaeology.

3.5 out of 5

Big space rock boom us without imparting a beating boof.

3.5 out of 5

Avuncular man baby.

3.5 out of 5

Creepy crawly chopped corpse dreams.

3 out of 5

Time travel chase needs fast result to avoid lava laving.

3.5 out of 5

Collision experiment singularity.

4 out of 5

Concentration camp changes.

4.5 out of 5

Captive creatures.

2 out of 5

Mysterious AI occasionally generous.

4 out of 5

Powers need care.

3.5 out of 5

Cross-cultural showbiz.

2.5 out of 5

Dream motivation, as Twain meet in war.

3 out of 5

Muso author dreaming.

3 out of 5

Fast growing kidnap.

3 out of 5

Lennon's just a bloke.

3.5 out of 5

Try the newer model.

4 out of 5

Famous actor guy unluckily gotta die through space will fly.

3.5 out of 5

4.5 out of 5

The Vaccinator - Michael Marshall Smith

Alien whackjob.

3 out of 5

Leningrad Nights - Graham Joyce

Ice, doppelganger, kid, shell.

2 out of 5

How the Other Half Lives - James Lovegrove

Double duplicitousness is dangerous.

4 out of 5

Outnumbering the Dead - Frederik Pohl

Famous actor guy unluckily gotta die through space will fly.

3.5 out of 5

By The Mirror Of My Youth - Kathe Koja

Try the newer model.

4 out of 5

Naming the Flowers - Kate Wilhelm

Fast growing kidnap.

3 out of 5

The Best and the Rest of James Joyce - Ian McDonald

Muso author dreaming.

3 out of 5

The Territory - Bradley Denton

Dream motivation, as Twain meet in war.

3 out of 5

The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa - Jonathan Lethem and Lukas Jaeger

Cross-cultural showbiz.

2.5 out of 5

Naming Names - Pat Cadigan

Powers need care.

3.5 out of 5

Birth Day - Robert Reed

Mysterious AI occasionally generous.

4 out of 5

The Last Cardinal Bird In Tennessee - Neal Barrett

Captive creatures.

2 out of 5

Protection - Maureen F. McHugh

Concentration camp changes.

4.5 out of 5

Gravity's Angel - Tom Maddox

Collision experiment singularity.

4 out of 5

The Glowing Cloud - Steven Utley

Time travel chase needs fast result to avoid lava laving.

3.5 out of 5

Grownups - Ian R. MacLeod

Avuncular man baby.

3.5 out of 5

A Long Night's Vigil at the Temple - Robert Silverberg

Alien execution archaeology.

3.5 out of 5

The Coming of Vertumnus - Ian Watson

Vegie porn art magic investigation.

3.5 out of 5

The Mountain To Mohammed - Nancy Kress

Emergency medicine restrictions.

3.5 out of 5

The Round-Eyed Barbarians - L. Sprague de Camp

Woman goes for the big guns.

3 out of 5

Vets - Richard Lee Byers

Don't cheat on your stressed out overworked superhero husband unless cremation is your preferred form of funeral.

3.5 out of 5

Phases - Elizabeth Moon

This collection of short stories by Elizabeth Moon is not too bad. The Paksenarion short made me intrigued enough to actually want to check out one of those books sometime in the future.

All in all, it is fairly ordinary, and fans of hers will probably enjoy it even more I would presume. Nothing outstanding, but a couple of good pieces to go with a couple of dodgy stories.

Phases : Bargains - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : ABCs in Zero-G - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : A Delicate Adjustment - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Too Wet to Plow - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Gut Feelings - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : The Generic Rejuvenation of Milo Ardry - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : New World Symphony - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Just Another Day at the Weather Service - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Politics - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : In Suspect Terrain [“Suspect Terrain”] - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : The Happy Frog - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Horse of Her Dreams - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Knight of Other Days - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Aura - Elizabeth Moon
Phases : Those Who Walk in Darkness - Elizabeth Moon

Horse magic more valuable than your basic fireball.

3.5 out of 5

Space ambos.

4 out of 5

Murder and embryo nicking.

3 out of 5

Farm flood.

2.5 out of 5

Wormy legal problems.

3 out of 5

Repeat attempt changes problems.

3.5 out of 5

Suitable local music.

4 out of 5

UFO fun.

3 out of 5

Screwed up landing equals dead marines.

3.5 out of 5

Rocky last stand.

3.5 out of 5

Human curse.

3 out of 5

Parade role deal.

3.5 out of 5

Bruja, Templar and bone.

3.5 out of 5

Tattoo realisation.

2.5 out of 5

Benevolence for a beaten boy means a bond.

4 out of 5

3 out of 5

The Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction - David G. Hartwell

A fine collection of stories (3.76 average), and Hartwell even includes a few of non-English origin, which is a nice bonus. These Mammoth books are generally good value it seems.

Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Beam Us Home - James Tiptree Jr.
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : The Music Master of Babylon - Edgar Pangborn
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Hot Planet - Hal Clement
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : The Hounds of Tindalos - Frank Belknap Long
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : The Angel of Violence - Adam Wisniewski
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Nobody Bothers Gus - Algis Budrys
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : As Easy as A.B.C. - Rudyard Kipling
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Ginungagap - Michael Swanwick
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Minister Without Portfolio - Mildred Clingerman
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Time in Advance - William Tenn
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Good Night Sophie - Lino Aldani
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Fire Watch - Connie Willis
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Goat Song - Poul Anderson
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : The Scarlet Plague - Jack London
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Repent Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman - Harlan Ellison
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Blood's a Rover - Chad Oliver
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Sail the Tide of Mourning - Richard A. Lupoff
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Great Work of Time - John Crowley
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : The Dimple in Draco - Philip Latham
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Consider Her Ways - John Wyndham
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Something Ending - Eddy C. Bertin
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Sundance - Robert Silverberg
Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction : Swarm - Bruce Sterling

Dogstar biowar ending.

4 out of 5

An elderly survivor of some nuking lives in a museum, and one day comes across a couple of primitive kids, nascent musicians.

4 out of 5

Vulcan solution.

3.5 out of 5

Author's drug doom by dimension dogs.

4 out of 5

Life and chess simulation layers.

4 out of 5

Isolated superman notices a pitcher of his species.

4 out of 5

Air travel advancing control.

4 out of 5

Black hole alien visiting lady bomb is decapitated. Sense of self maintained, now becomes filthy rich spider liaision.

4.5 out of 5

Cooking and crochet sanity saves planet.

3 out of 5

Precrime interstellar hard time.

4 out of 5

Dream movie star's reality ego adjustment.

5 out of 5

Time travel retrieval.

3 out of 5

Computer go between has decent pipes.

3 out of 5

Old man one of the few survivors, post-apocalyptic wise, sees superstition everywhere.

4 out of 5

Joker fan not keen on digital watches, but does quite like a jelly bean.

3.5 out of 5

Fire walking is not for amateurs, and pretending to be a god is chancy without the whole invulnerability and immortality thing. Having secret galaxy shaping masters is more of a mental injury, though.

3.5 out of 5

Super Australian fish ship's Serpent journey.

4 out of 5

Time travel profiteering problematic.

3.5 out of 5

Interesting discovery a long way off.

3 out of 5

Rat killing means ex-men, even if only in the mind, and the unmoderated female influence ain't much fun at all.

4.5 out of 5

Existence denial goes down easier with beer.

3 out of 5

Genocidal possibility is troubling, even if not real.

3.5 out of 5

Interspecies business shocks.

4 out of 5

4.5 out of 5

Those Who Walk In Darkness - Elizabeth Moon

Benevolence for a beaten boy means a bond.

4 out of 5

Aura - Elizabeth Moon

Tattoo realisation.

2.5 out of 5

Knight of Other Days - Elizabeth Moon

Bruja, Templar and bone.

3.5 out of 5

Horse Of Her Dreams - Elizabeth Moon

Parade role deal.

3.5 out of 5

The Happy Frog - Elizabeth Moon

Human curse.

3 out of 5

In Suspect Terrain - Elizabeth Moon

Rocky last stand.

3.5 out of 5

Just Another Day At the Weather Service - Elizabeth Moon

UFO fun.

3 out of 5

New World Symphony - Elizabeth Moon

Suitable local music.

4 out of 5

The Generic Rejuvenation of Milo Ardry - Elizabeth Moon

Repeat attempt change problems.

3.5 out of 5

Gut Feelings - Elizabeth Moon

Wormy legal problems.

3 out of 5

Too Wet To Plow - Elizabeth Moon

Farm flood.

2.5 out of 5

A Delicate Adjustment - Elizabeth Moon

Murder and embryo nicking.

3 out of 5

ABCs in Zero-G - Elizabeth Moon

Space ambos.

4 out of 5

Super Acorns - Mike Resnick and Lawrence Schimel

Doctor for superkids tells his mum it is boring.

2.5 out of 5

Monday, June 25, 2007

Bargains - Elizabeth Moon

Horse magic more valuable than your basic fireball.

3.5 out of 5

Swarm - Bruce Sterling

Interspecies business shocks.

4 out of 5

Something Ending - Eddie C. Bertin

Existence denial goes down easier with beer.

3 out of 5

The Dimple In Draco - Philip Latham

Interesting discovery a long way off.

3 out of 5

Great Work of Time - John Crowley

Time travel profiteering problematic.

3.5 out of 5

Sail the Tide of Mourning - Richard A. Lupoff

Super Australian fish ship's Serpent journey.

4 out of 5

Blood's A Rover - Chad Oliver

Fire walking is not for amateurs, and pretending to be a god is chancy without the whole invulnerability and immortality thing. Having secret galaxy shaping masters is more of a mental injury, though.

3.5 out of 5

Reflected Glory - Paul Kupperberg

Superman vigilante saves a publicist who then works for him, and his take no prisoners style rubs off when he decides he has had enough killing and wants to hang up the costume.

4 out of 5

Goat Song - Poul Anderson

Computer gobetween has decent pipes.

3 out of 5

Good Night Sophie - Lino Aldani

Dream movie star's reality ego adjustment.

5 out of 5

Time In Advance - William Tenn

Precrime interstellar hard time.

4 out of 5

Minister Without Portfolio - Mildred Clingerman

Cooking and crochet sanity saves planet.

3 out of 5

Nobody Bothers Gus - Algis Budrys

Isolated superman notices a pitcher of his species.

4 out of 5

The Angel of Violence - Adam Wisniewski-Snerg

Life and chess simulation layers.

4 out of 5

The Hounds of Tindalos - Frank Belknap Long

Author's drug doom by dimension dogs.

4 out of 5

Hot Planet - Hal Clement

Vulcan solution.

3.5 out of 5

Vintage Science Fiction - Peter Haining

This book has two parts, the first deals with SF movies and the stories that inspired them, and the second with tv shows. The editor introduces each movie and story, and even mentions directors and actors etc. that might go on to do more famous things, such as Ridley Scott working in design on a British anthology SF show.

Vintage Science Fiction : Rocket Ship Galileo - Robert A. Heinlein
Vintage Science Fiction : It Came from Outer Space - Ray Bradbury
Vintage Science Fiction : Life On Mars - Werner Von Braun
Vintage Science Fiction : Lot - Ward Moore
Vintage Science Fiction : Sentinel of Eternity - Arthur C. Clarke
Vintage Science Fiction : Logan's Run - William F. Nolan
Vintage Science Fiction : The Unreal McCoy - James Blish
Vintage Science Fiction : We Can Remember It for You Wholesale - Philip K. Dick
Vintage Science Fiction : The Lawnmower Man - Stephen King
Vintage Science Fiction : The Forbidden - Clive Barker
Vintage Science Fiction : Superman - George Lowther
Vintage Science Fiction : What Price Venus? - S. A. Lombino
Vintage Science Fiction : The R.A.F. and the Sleeping Beauty - Nigel Kneale
Vintage Science Fiction : The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street - Rod Serling
Vintage Science Fiction : Dumb Martian - John Wyndham
Vintage Science Fiction : The Lost Ones - Bill Strutton
Vintage Science Fiction : The Invisible Enemy - Jerry Sohl
Vintage Science Fiction : Liar! - Isaac Asimov
Vintage Science Fiction : I'll Not Look for Wine - Ray Bradbury
Vintage Science Fiction : Final Reward - Terry Pratchett

Moon Shot.

3 out of 5

A spot of alien people napping.

3.5 out of 5

Interplanetary mission finds locals a decent bunch.

3.5 out of 5

Getting out of town is very important.

3.5 out of 5

Moon machine.

4 out of 5

No old people allowed. At 21, they get rid of you, thanks to some fancy biometric tracking. If you don't think that is a great idea, then special operatives named Sandmen, armed with weaponry that discharges a variety of different ammuntion hunt you down.

Logan is a Sandman, and he comes to realise what is going on is wrong. He ends up a runner, and encounters all sorts of bizarre things on his quest for Sanctuary.

4 out of 5

Deadly impostor.

3 out of 5

Brain alteration badness.

4 out of 5

Cat mower massacre prompts new gardening hire who has vegetarian and other disturbing habits.

3.5 out of 5

Wearing someone's name out can really hook you.

3.5 out of 5

An adaptation of the opening television series episode script. The Krypton journey part, he is found by Eben and Sarah Kent, and his adopted father dies after heart strain from an anvil lifting contest at the fair, telling him to use his power against crime, etc.

3.5 out of 5

Space conscripts find the whole vegie thing isn't so bad.

3 out of 5

Alien cave finds can be rather hazardous.

2.5 out of 5

Aliens go in for a bit of small scale divide and conquer experimentation.

4 out of 5

How do you spell the result of forced indenture of a really smart alien bride? W-i-d-o-w.

3.5 out of 5

The first Doctor spoils the show for a bunch of highly agressive antlike insectoids.

3 out of 5

Military space commander's strategy to stop slaughter of humans is directionally limited.

3.5 out of 5

Telepathic robot advice is caught in logic loop.

3.5 out of 5

Rival shooting scenario.

4 out of 5

Writer and barbarian hero character's role reversal.

3.5 out of 5

4.5 out of 5

Brokenclaw - John Gardner

Bond vs halfbreed crim in torture test.

A villain has a bit of a plan going to cause some economic chaos on the stock market, and a naval officer daughter of a man who owes him money sees an opportunity for infiltration.

Bond and a Chinese partner follow up, to find a fancy house, torture, kidnapping and a showdown. This is too barebones for what is in it, really, and could probably do with being 50 pages longer.

2.5 out of 5

Final Reward - Terry Pratchett

Writer and barbarian hero character's role reversal.

3.5 out of 5

Liar! - Isaac Asimov

Telepathic robot advice is caught in logic loop.

3.5 out of 5

The Invisible Enemy - Jerry Sohl

Military space commander's strategy to stop slaughter of humans is directionally limited.

3.5 out of 5

The Lair Of the Zarbi - Bill Strutton

The first Doctor spoils the show for a bunch of highly agressive antlike insectoids.

3 out of 5

Dumb Martian - John Wyndham

How do you spell the result of forced indenture of a really smart alien bride? W-i-d-o-w.

3.5 out of 5

The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street - Rod Serling

Aliens go in for a bit of small scale divide and conquer experimentation.

4 out of 5

The R.A.F. and the Sleeping Beauty - Nigel Kneale

Alien cave finds can be rather hazardous.

2.5 out of 5

What Price Venus? - S. A. Lombino

Space conscripts find the whole vegie thing isn't so bad.

3 out of 5

Superman - George Lowther

An adaptation of the opening television series episode script, by George Lowther from the Ellsworth and Maxwell script. The Krypton journey part, he is found by Eben and Sarah Kent, and his adopted father dies after heart strain from an anvil lifting contest at the fair, telling him to use his power against crime, etc.

3.5 out of 5

Sunday, June 24, 2007

The Illustrated Man - Ray Bradbury

Fat bloke's scary tattoos.

3.5 out of 5

The Naming of Names - Ray Bradbury

Martian boot hill.

3 out of 5

The Watchers - Ray Bradbury

Insect phobia.

4 out of 5

The Witch Door - Ray Bradbury

Suspect woman.

3.5 out of 5

The Exiles - Ray Bradbury

Old horror men on the red planet.

3.5 out of 5

Colonel Stonesteel's Genuine Home-Made Truly Egyptian Mummy - Ray Bradbury

Midwestern Egypt.

3 out of 5

Aurealis 01 - Stephen Higgins and Dirk Strasser

An above average collection for a magazine (3.38 average). Having Dowling and Turner certainly doesn't hurt.

One non-fiction piece is a short interview with George Turner.

Talent,Michael Pryor
...And They Shall Wander All Their Days,David Tansey
Nightwings,Sue Isle
In the Dark Rush,Terry Dowling
5 Cigarettes and 2 Snakes,Geoffrey Maloney
Do We Love?,Dianne M. Speter
Matter of Mind,Jai S. Russell
I Still Call Australia Home,George Turner

Estimation betrayal blues.

4 out of 5

Have space suit, not going to get out of it anytime soon at supralight.

3 out of 5

Computer fancies a bit of horror writing.

3.5 out of 5

Ship jump saviour seeking.

3 out of 5

Long after the revolution is boring.

3.5 out of 5

Love Approval Machine.

3.5 out of 5

Growing problem.

2.5 out of 5

Relativistic return's matriarchal rejection.

4 out of 5

4 out of 5

Borderlands 08 - Stephen Dedman

A pretty standard collection of stuff, this issue, as far as magazines go, with a 3.21 average.

The non-fiction piece is Grant Watson taking a length look at the Waterworld movie fiasco, which is pretty cool. He's not going to talk me into Dances With Needs Two Intermissions though.

Three Wishes,Shane Dix
Prescience,Shane Jiraiya Cummings
The River Prophet,Azra Alagic
God of War,Robert Hood
Women and the Moon,Heidi Wessman Kneale
The Gibbet Bell,Kaaron Warren
Chuman Manifest,Ion Newcombe

That whole thing is tricky, still. What would happen if you were truly immortal and stuck on a planet consumed by its own sun.

2.5 out of 5

Future knowledge really hurts.

3.5 out of 5

Jealous water killer.

3 out of 5

Reality not for losers.

4 out of 5

Psychological lunar fertility problem.

3 out of 5

Bell ringing hangover.

3 out of 5

Apeman slaveship mutiny subertfuge takeover marooning.

3.5 out of 5

3.5 out of 5

I Still Call Australia Home - George Turner

Relativistic return's matriarchal rejection.

4 out of 5

Matter of Mind - Jai S. Russell

Growing problem.

2.5 out of 5

Do We Love - Dianne M. Speter

Love Approval Machine.

3.5 out of 5

5 Cigarettes and 2 Snakes - Geoffrey Maloney

Long after the revolution is boring.

3.5 out of 5

Nightwings - Sue Isle

Computer fancies a bit of horror writing.

3.5 out of 5

And They Shall Wander All Their Days - David Tansey

Have space suit, not going to get out of it anytime soon at supralight.

3 out of 5

Talent - Michael Pryor

Estimation betrayal blues.

4 out of 5

Chuman Manifest - Ion Newcombe

Apeman slaveship mutiny subertfuge takeover marooning.

3.5 out of 5

Women of the Moon - Heidi Wessman Kneale

Psychological lunar fertility problem.

3 out of 5

God Of War - Robert Hood

Reality not for losers.

4 out of 5

The River Prophet - Azra Alagic

Jealous water killer.

3 out of 5

Prescience - Shane Jiraiya Cummings

Future knowledge really hurts.

3.5 out of 5

Three Wishes - Shane Dix

That whole thing is tricky, still. What would happen if you were truly immortal and stuck on a planet consumed by its own sun.

2.5 out of 5

Classic Science Fiction - Peter Haining

A collection of stories or excerpts from books that became movies of some related sort or another, so a little confusing that the story titles can be completely different to the movie title, for some, and listed that way in the book.

So I left the movie type title in the contents below, but the link will go to the actual name if interested.

Classic Science Fiction : Destination Moon - Robert A. Heinlein
Classic Science Fiction : It Came from Outer Space - Ray Bradbury
Classic Science Fiction : The Conquest of Space - Werner Von Braun
Classic Science Fiction : Panic in Year Zero - Ward Moore
Classic Science Fiction : 2001: A Space Odyssey - Arthur C. Clarke
Classic Science Fiction : Logan's Run - William F. Nolan
Classic Science Fiction : Star Trek: The Motion Picture - James Blish
Classic Science Fiction : Total Recall - Philip K. Dick
Classic Science Fiction : The Lawnmower Man - Stephen King
Classic Science Fiction : Candyman - Clive Barker

Moon Shot.

3 out of 5

A spot of alien people napping.

3.5 out of 5

Interplanetary mission finds locals a decent bunch.

3.5 out of 5

Getting out of town is very important.

3.5 out of 5

Moon machine.

4 out of 5

No old people allowed. At 21, they get rid of you, thanks to some fancy biometric tracking. If you don't think that is a great idea, then special operatives named Sandmen, armed with weaponry that discharges a variety of different ammuntion hunt you down.

Logan is a Sandman, and he comes to realise what is going on is wrong. He ends up a runner, and encounters all sorts of bizarre things on his quest for Sanctuary.

4 out of 5

Deadly impostor.

3 out of 5

Brain alteration badness.

4 out of 5

Cat mower massacre prompts new gardening hire who has vegetarian and other disturbing habits.

3.5 out of 5

Wearing someone's name out can really hook you.

3.5 out of 5

4 out of 5

The Defender of Central Park - Josepha Sherman

Russian forest spirit not too impressed with city recreation area, but thinks crimefighting violence should be loads of fun.

3 out of 5

Saturday, June 23, 2007

The Best of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine SF Vol. 1 - Tehani Wessely and Lucky Zinkiewicz

This is a collection put together from the first 18 issues of the magazine, by the two aforementioned editors.

This collection also has one of those very rare 5 animals in it, like the horror best of, and it is also a chess story, and a mystery, on top of being a moving story of friendship, from the unknown author T. Rex. I'd be very interested to know if this Marc Bolan/Dino fan has done other stories.

The extra features include a poem, and Ben Cook's 'Unpicking the Trousers of Time'.

ASIM Best of SF 1 : Mug - Edwina Harvey
ASIM Best of SF 1 : Evensong - T-Rex
ASIM Best of SF 1 : Trouble Leaves a Scent Trail - Constance Cooper
ASIM Best of SF 1 : The Brass Man - John Borneman
ASIM Best of SF 1 : Acquired Tastes - Stephen Dedman
ASIM Best of SF 1 : The Day After the Census - Lawrence M. Schoen
ASIM Best of SF 1 : Absolution - Barbara Robson
ASIM Best of SF 1 : Murder-world - Lee Battersby
ASIM Best of SF 1 : Parity Check - Dirk Flinthart
ASIM Best of SF 1 : A Small Blue Planet for the Pleasantly Insane - Douglas A. VanBelle
ASIM Best of SF 1 : The Beating of Butterfly Wings - Brandon Alspaugh
ASIM Best of SF 1 : Loss Leader - Simon Haynes
ASIM Best of SF 1 : Trade Barrier - Dave Luckett
ASIM Best of SF 1 : The Jerk Who Fell to Earth - Tom Holt
ASIM Best of SF 1 : CDX - Tracina Jackson-Adams
ASIM Best of SF 1 : Are You Ready for the End of the World? - Danny Adams

A poor passenger tries hard to get coffee on an Andromeda Spaceways Flight.

3 out of 5

A human and an alien become friends, and the latter is introduced to chess, and plays an astounding game against a chess computer.

He is not who he seems, and violence and revolution follow.

5 out of 5

Hard boiled Crustaceans are cops.

3.5 out of 5

A mechanical man becomes obsessed and causes a few problems.

3 out of 5

Time travel is useful for negotiation, and power.

3.5 out of 5

Too many kids are a resource.

3 out of 5

Religion as opiate.

3 out of 5

Reality tv revolution. No, Arcade hasn't trapped anybody in this one.

4 out of 5

The rich live again?

3.5 out of 5

Alien researcher and dinosaur researchers.

4 out of 5

Einstein and possibilities.

3 out of 5

The crew of first colony ship from earth discovers some serious flaws. Corporate repercussions to follow.

4 out of 5

A girl watches the spaceships fly and dreams of something more than her not so flash area.

2.5 out of 5

Long lived aliens get stuck in our crappy solar system by accident.

3 out of 5

The dogbot racket.

3.5 out of 5

Sneaky alien savage prank.

3 out of 5

4 out of 5

The Best of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine Fantasy Vol. 1 - Tehani Wessely and Lucky Zinkiewicz

This is a collection put together from the first 18 issues of the magazine, by the two aforementioned editors.

The other than fiction content includes some poems, and 'Confessions of a Fantasist' by Hannah Strom-Martin'

ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : Fairy Godmother Express - Tansy Rayner Roberts
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : Changes - Stephen Dedman
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : Stormy Weather - Peter Friend
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : Father Harry - Maclean
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : Rambling with Rose - Robert Cox
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : Divorce - Edwina Harvey
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : Elf Esteem - Steven Cavanagh
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : The Water Cure - Liz Williams
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : Arabica Beans - Edo Mor
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : An Innocent Mistake - Josephine Brooks
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : Through the Window Merrilee Dances - Lee Battersby
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : Death and... - Christopher Stires
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : Bytepals - Sue Bursztynski
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : A Game of Knight Court - Jason D. Wittman
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : The Fates Take a Holiday - Sarah Prineas
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : Hassen's Final Days - Grant Watson
ASIM Best of Fantasy 1 : The Red Priest's Homecoming - Dirk Flinthart

How to be a fairy godmother, with style tips for all people.

3.5 out of 5

Puberty is tough for a werekid.

4 out of 5

Some strange types of people, magic and necromancy. With eating.

2.5 out of 5

A priest wants to die for christ, but events confound him.

2.5 out of 5

A young man won't let his dead sister rest.

3 out of 5

Orcs are smarter than they look. Especially the secret agent kind.

4 out of 5

Undine wants to be Lightning Lass. Lightning Lad, however, proves stronger.

4 out of 5

Efreet and eye surgery.

2 out of 5

A little boy gets three wishes from a lamp. Oops.

3.5 out of 5

Statecraft, with dancing.

3 out of 5

No escaping these, ever.

3 out of 5

Vampires have cottoned on to the internet thing.

3 out of 5

Unforeseen endgame for the master.

4 out of 5

Three interfering women take a trip.

3 out of 5

Where do imaginary friends go when you die?

3.5 out of 5

A hero returns to an unwelcoming family, knowing monsters await.

4.5 out of 5

3.5 out of 5

The Best of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine Horror Vol. 1 - Tehani Wessely and Lucky Zinkiewicz

This is a collection put together from the first 18 issues of the magazine, by the two aforementioned editors.

It also includes a couple of poems, and Tansy Rayner Roberts talking about Weird Tales magazine.

Not as much horror gets in the mag, so this has less stories than the authors, but is particularly strong by my numbers, a 3.64 average with nothing less than 3.

Given that, and the likely interest for the article, there is some argument for calling this a 5 star anthology compare with the around 130 I have looked at recently.

ASIM Best of Horror 1 : The Elves Hate You - Matthew Bey
ASIM Best of Horror 1 : Hamlyn - Paul Haines
ASIM Best of Horror 1 : Samhain: Lessons from the Dead - Lesleigh Force
ASIM Best of Horror 1 : The Facts of the Van Helsing Case - Stephen Dedman
ASIM Best of Horror 1 : Tangled - Martin Livings
ASIM Best of Horror 1 : Suffer the Little Children - Rowena Cory Daniells
ASIM Best of Horror 1 : The Hobbyist - Lee Battersby
ASIM Best of Horror 1 : An Alien Abduction - Mark Patrick Lynch
ASIM Best of Horror 1 : Body and Soul Art - Eugie Foster
ASIM Best of Horror 1 : Corpus Christi - Dirk Flinthart
ASIM Best of Horror 1 : The Memory of Breathing - Lyn Battersby

Vampire-elf gang war. No-one left but us unicorns.

4 out of 5

Vampires in the Pied Piper's town.

3.5 out of 5

Dead friends are a real pain.

3.5 out of 5

Explores Van Helsing's intellectual development and terrible dreams as he assists the military.

3.5 out of 5

A man is pursued by spider-webs on the road and everywhere.

3.5 out of 5

Children in the bush are becoming very different.

3 out of 5

Psychic serial killer creator exposer.

4 out of 5

Little Grays Flying Hood.

3.5 out of 5

Biblical struggle manifests in tattoo.

5 out of 5

The horrors in the basement are a bit too closely related to the protagonist and his work for comfort.

3.5 out of 5

Capital necromancy and dead rights.

4 out of 5

4.5 out of 5

The Hobbyist - Lee Battersby

Psychic serial killer creator exposer.

4 out of 5

Amendment - Stephen Dedman

Deadly edged convention attendee volunteer target acquisition.

3.5 out of 5

The Forbidden - Clive Barker

Wearing someone's name out can really hook you.

3.5 out of 5

The Lawnmower Man - Stephen King

Cat mower massacre prompts new gardening hire who has vegetarian and other disturbing habits.

3.5 out of 5

We Can Remember It For You Wholesale - Philip K. Dick

Brain alteration badness.

4 out of 5

The Unreal McCoy - James Blish

Deadly impostor.

3 out of 5

Lot - Ward Moore

Getting out of town is very important.

3.5 out of 5

Life On Mars - Werner von Braun

Interplanetary mission finds locals a decent bunch.

3.5 out of 5

The Meteor - Ray Bradbury

A spot of alien peoplenapping.

3.5 out of 5

Rocket Ship Galileo - Robert A. Heinlein

Moon shot.

3 out of 5

Beyond the Stars - Isaac Asimov

A book that is part of a series collecting Hugo winning stories. Asimov gives an introduction in an informal anecdotal style, including the problems of how to address crossdressing pseudonymous work.

Beyond the Stars : Home Is the Hangman - Roger Zelazny
Beyond the Stars : The Borderland of Sol - Larry Niven
Beyond the Stars : Catch That Zeppelin! - Fritz Leiber
Beyond the Stars : By Any Other Name - Spider Robinson
Beyond the Stars : Houston Houston Do You Read? - James TiptreeJr.
Beyond the Stars : The Bicentennial Man - Isaac Asimov
Beyond the Stars : Tricentennial - Joe W. Haldeman

Telepresence party prank has terrible results, robot killer wrongly represented afterwards, but does his duty despite detective.

5 out of 5

Indestructible interstellar ship interference.

3.5 out of 5

Airship transport changes.

3 out of 5

Genius' common cold cure provokes civilisation smelling overload suicide slaughter.

4 out of 5

Solar flare spaceship time lost in space, plague earth now has paucity of separatist clone chick population.

4.5 out of 5

Robot evolution legal test case.

4 out of 5

SETI success spurs space dwellers to sneaky space mission.

4 out of 5

4.5 out of 5

Orb 07 - Sarah Endacott

A pretty big issue, this one. On the non-fiction front there is an entertaining 20 questions with Dave Freer, a superspeed reader, it seems. Also a bunch of book reviews, including Dhampir, which has intrigued me for a while, and a couple of Ian Irvine books. Paul Collins mentioned him as being of interest on the ASiF forum, so that adds some detail. Also included is an account of the making of a handicam no budget monster movie, which was amusing.

The fiction here for a magazine is pretty good (3.44 average).

She also lists a bunch of other books offloaded onto her, with a quick comment on each.

Inducing,Paul Haines
A Complete Refabrication,Bren MacDibble
A Lady of Adestan,Cat Sparks
Stranger and Soujourner,Sue Isle
Manisha's Sari,Karen Maric
An Account of An Experiment,Adam Browne
Now Cydonia,Rick Kennett
Midnight Growler and the Lunar Rats,Chris Cheetah
In the Arms of Medusa,Nathan Burrage

Alien direct marketers at least have a seriously strong booze product.

4.5 out of 5

Dead uploaded mum rescued from fundamentalist killers and a Neighbours overload thanks to game geek son, and a knitting machine.

4 out of 5

Mute mutilated noblewoman produces sororal inclusive escape plot, which requires stab 'em, roll 'em, chuck 'em, and run.

4 out of 5

Voodoo loa relationship mortally taxing.

2.5 out of 5

Blasted woman's garment turns translating troubleshooter.

3.5 out of 5

Grand guignol emperor goes for nature over nurture religious speech trial.

3 out of 5

Martian guard duty Sandman space cadet spiriting away.

4 out of 5

Synthetic bandman saved by Keith Moon droid in raid, produces synthetic singing sensation, scores big before she splices personality and splits.

4 out of 5

Scientist goes in for a bit of brain testing on criminals, doesn't mind too much if they expire.

3 out of 5

4 out of 5

By Any Other Name - Spider Robinson

Genius' common cold cure provokes civilisation smelling overload suicide slaughter.

4 out of 5

Catch That Zeppelin - Fritz Leiber

Airship transport changes.

3 out of 5

The Borderland of Sol - Larry Niven

Indestructible interstellar ship interference.

3.5 out of 5

And the Sea Shall Cast Him Out - William Marden

A torrid affair between a Sun hero and a Sea villain at the Extraodinary Talents Haven island.

3.5 out of 5

Tricentennial - Joe Haldeman

SETI success spurs space dwellers to sneaky space mission.

4 out of 5

The Bicentennial Man - Isaac Asimov

Robot evolution legal test case.

4 out of 5

Houston Houston Do You Read - James Tiptree Jr

Solar flare spaceship time lost in space, plague earth now has paucity of separatist clone chick population.

4.5 out of 5

Home Is the Hangman - Roger Zelazny

Telepresence party prank has terrible results, robot killer wrongly represented afterwards, but does his duty despite detective.

5 out of 5

On the Storm Planet - Cordwainer Smith

Turtle girl's longevity vigil requires warrior assistant.

4 out of 5

Friday, June 22, 2007

In the Arms of Medusa - Nathan Burrage

Scientist goes in for a bit of brain testing on criminals, doesn't mind too much if they expire.

3 out of 5

Midnight Growler and the Lunar Rats - Chris Cheetah

Synthetic bandman saved by Keith Moon droid in raid, produces synthetic singing sensation, scores big before she splices personality and splits.

3.5 out of 5

Now Cydonia - Rick Kennett

Martian guard duty space cadet Sandman spiriting away.

4 out of 5

An Account of An Experiment - Adam Browne

Grand guignol emperor goes for nature over nurture religious speech trial.

3 out of 5

Manisha's Sari - Karen Maric

Blasted woman's garment turns translating troubleshooter.

3.5 out of 5

Stranger and Sojourner - Sue Isle

Voodoo loa relationship mortally taxing.

2.5 out of 5

A Lady of Adelstan - Cat Sparks

Mute mutilated noblewoman produces sororal inclusive escape plot, which requires stab 'em, roll 'em, chuck 'em, and run.

3 out of 5

The Music Master of Babylon - Edgar Pangborn

An elderly survival of some nuking lives in a museum, and one day comes across a couple of primitive kids, nascent musicians.

4 out of 5

A Complete Refabrication - Bren MacDibble

Dead uploaded mum rescued from fundamentalist rekillers and a Neighbours overload thanks to game geek son, and a knitting machine.

4 out of 5

March of the Molten Image - Stephen Adams

This one is a little on the dull side. Rachel and friend are downed on your Papillon style prison island.

Escape from evil overlord is the name of the game here, with a bit of bondage and gunplay.

2.5 out of 5

Orb 0 - Sarah Endacott

In this issue is a short piece about Sean McMullen, and an excerpt from a George Turner biography. The fiction is decent (3.33 average), but bonus points for me for being cool enough to reprint the issue with Terry Dowling in it that came out while I was OS, a very pleasant surprise. Definitely a nice looking publication.

Sisterchild,Sue Isle
Down Flowers,Terry Dowling
Account Dracula,Adam Browne
Isle of the Dancing Dead,Rick Kennett
Primal Etiquette,Robert Hood
Romancing the WWW,Tansy Rayner Roberts

Conjoined non-identical twins bolt, high-tech separation awaits.

3.5 out of 5

Tom helps investigate the death of an Ab'O Martian space commander.

4 out of 5

Vampire prime cat people go astronomically overboard.

3 out of 5

Coffin hokey pokey will make you cry.

3 out of 5

Employee sacrifices everything to feed the boss gourmet variety.

3.5 out of 5

Fantasy literary recovery.

3 out of 5

4 out of 5