All Clear by Connie Willis

The second part of the series. This review will contain some spoilers, so beware!

I was hoping that this continuation would have been better than the first part, but I had to be disappointed. The same faults were evident. A lot of space is spent on constant worrying and going from one place to another while accomplishing nothing. Also, the characters seem as stupid as earlier - they often withhold crucial information from each other for no good or sane reason. ”Oh, I can't tell that they would worry”.

They are constantly forgetting that they are time travelers and what the sequence of events in future Oxford was doesn't really matter; for example, they remember at last possible time that another historian visited the same time period years before in the “Oxford time”. Doh.

There are some really stupid small subplots. Pages are spent on worrying one characters lost jacket. “Oh, you'll get a cold without it”. No wonder that the character who lost his jacket faked his own death, later on, apparently to rid himself of those two whining women – at least no other good reason was stated.

The characters are constantly worrying that they'll change the world, but they are constantly making decisions which certainly would change the path of history without any concern at all.

There are anachronisms, apparently, they are traveling on subway lines which built thirty years after the war (at least according to some British reviews). And I cringed every time they talked about V-1 and V-2 bombs. I really don't believe that they were called that during the war in Britain, especially why anyone would call V-1s V-ONEs before there even were any V-2 type of rockets?

And I am still wondering what is the point of time tourism? The characters were supposed to be historians, but they don't seem to have any kind of research plan whatsoever beyond “I'll go to see what the blitz looked like”.

The ending, especially the reason why the “drops” weren't working was extremely stupid and illogical. The time-space continuum apparently has a conscious mind?

I find this even worse book that the first part, probably because I was expecting that the story would have gone in a better direction. This was the first Hugo nominee I have read this year, and this will certainly be below the “No award” on my ballot.

656 pp.

Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner

Another Hugo award winner.
I approached this book with some reservations, as I had tried to read this book years ago never getting beyond page ten, and I have seen this book mentioned on at least one or two lists of unreadable sf novels. I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself enjoying most of the book. It isn't one of the most readable novels around and it takes some time to get used to it.
The books tells about a fairly near future (from a sixties point of view) when overpopulation is rampant, unemployment is more common than working, crime and terrorism are everyday fear, genetic manipulation is either a threat to human existence or the last way enabling the survival of the human race. The story is told on several segments. Some of the chapters, titled ”continuity” tell the main plot line of the novel, some of the chapters ”Tracking with Closeups ” present glimpses to the life of other charters living in the world, most of them are unconnected to the main plot. In addition there are chapters called ”context” which give background information of the world, including chapters from popular and scholarly books discussing the world and finally fourth style of chapters are those called The Happening World are flashes of the world, for example short news headlines. The unusual structure took some time to get used to, but it worked very well. The main plot line dealt with a fictional African country called Beninia which seems too good to be true. No crime, no racial prejudice, no hate crimes. Another plot line deals with a supposed major breakthrough in genetic engineering. The plot lines weren't as important as the vividly described world and I found that the most interesting segments were “Tracking with Closeups”, which dealt mainly with the background. They presented very interesting glimpses to an interesting world. The writing was fine and interesting, and even the fair amount of made up words didn't hurt. This book was really a pleasant surprise.

650 pp.

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, November 2007

A fairly good issue, the most of the stories were fairly light-hearted.


Murder in Parliament Street • [Jaggers and Shad] • novella by Barry B. Longyear
A pair of detectives investigates a murder of a pigeon. The pigeon was a human wearing a pigeon “suit”. His work was to keep real pigeons off the statues. One of the detectives is a duck. As one might guess this was a slightly lighter story. A nice story, a tad overlong, too many movie references which all weren’t even funny. ***
These Are the Times • novelette by John G. Hemry
Time travellers journey to American revolutionary war. In fact that is so popular an era, that there is abundance of visitors. There is some romance between two travellers, some excitement from a deranged traveller who tries to change past. Nice and entertaining, nothing really deep, but enjoyable. ***½
Yearning For the White Avenger • shortstory by Carl Frederick
Not really science fiction: A well-trained parrot “translates” dog “speak” to human language. The pair helps a young boy with an abusive father. A nicely written entertaining and even moving story, which could have been somewhat longer. ****-
The Suit • shortstory by Bud Sparhawk
When the clothes function as computers, and control eating habits, communications with other people’s clothes and the outside world, you shouldn’t wear a poorly functioning suit with software which hasn’t been updated. A light, humorous story, writing ok. ***+
Permission to Speak Freely • shortstory by David Walton
A machine which enables a physician really feel what the patient feels enables easier and more accurate diagnosis. A very nice concept, but the conflict in the story is slightly forced and the ethical considerations were slightly overblown. ***½
The Paradise Project • [The Paradise Project] • novelette by H. G. Stratmann
A young couple has been selected for a trip to Mars, when aliens move that planet closer to the Earth orbit and change it gravity and atmosphere to more suitable for humans. They travel there and find an alien construct. A part of a series. I still wonder why that clueless pair was selected – they are supposed to about thirty, but they behave like irritating sixteen year olds who are less mature than average. The writing isn’t my favourite either. **

Analog Science Fiction and Fact March 1976

A Dune serial takes most of space. Otherwise a slightly below average issue.

Field Test • [Bolo] • shortstory by Keith Laumer
An automated tank with a self-aware AI is used in a battle for a first time despite some reservations. It wins the battle against insurmountable odds, as fights ”for the honor of the regiment”. An overlong story with too much exposition first, and then with a boring description of battle, and everything leading to ”shaggy dog” -like last line. **-
 Blessing in Disguise • shortstory by Herbie Brennan
A Muslim-like sect has a ”real” messiah, and a pilgrim is traveling to visit him. The messiah is a result of selective ”breeding” campaign, to ”pilgrim is a brain washed assassin whose goal is to murder the figure head. Writing was ok, maybe a longer form would have been better suited for the story. ***
A Penny's Worth • novelette by Stephen Robinett
A lawyer takes a case involving a battery. A young man walked into a house of another and beat him badly. He claims that he doesn't remember anything about the assault, and didn't even know the man he beat. The beginning of the story was pretty good, the ending was somewhat overlong, and the plot decayed too much. ***

Analog Science Fiction and Fact May 2011

Average, or somewhat above average issue.

Tower of Worlds • novella by Rajnar Vajra
The story begins when a man is facing execution. How and why aren't known. Suddenly, he seems to start transforming to a reptile, and manages escaped as he suddenly gains a set of very impressive skills, among other ability to stretch his body through unbelievably small openings. After that, he encounters strange creatures, diabolic plots and almost endless action (except for a very long stretch of exposition). The beginning of the story was excellent, but then it decays to pretty mindless action. The story feels more like fantasy than science fiction. (when an immortality treatment is reversed the person turns to a withered corpse - feels more like a magic spell than a scientific treatment). The first fifth was a solid four star story, the rest with all the exposition and boring action felt like a two star story. ***-
Boumee and the Apes • shortstory by Ian McHugh
Intelligent elephants and the first humans encounter each other, and a war leading to genocide seems imminent. A pretty good story, but I found unclear if the story was supposed to happen in an alternative past, or in the "real" past and the smart elephants were ultimately wiped out by the humans. The odds for that happening seemed fairly bad...***½
The Wolf and the Panther Were Lovers • shortstory by Walter L. Kleine
A kind of "tall tale" of a card hustler who came to a small wild west town. He encounters a pair of intelligent wolf and puma, and wonders if he is being scammed in one way or other. Pretty good, maybe somewhat too short a story. ***+
The Old Man's Best • shortstory by Bud Sparhawk
A pair of bored asteroid workers decide to brew some beer to lighten their days. They encounter a score of difficulties which they are able solve, but usually very poorly. A very light story without any deeper meaning, ok read. ***
Ellipses . . . • novelette by Ron Collins
An author start to wonder why his neighbors have a few freshly dug grave-like mounds on their backyard. He starts to investigate and finds himself as a prisoner. Pretty good start for a story - where is the rest of it? Very entertaining anyway. ****
Blind Spot • novelette by Bond Elam
A detective examines an extortion case. A formula for a memory wipe has been stolen. The examination can be slightly hard when everyone, eventually including the man who was extorted seems to have lost their memory. A pretty good story. ***+

Märta Tikkanen: Emma ja Uno : rakkautta tottakai

A “lovestory” of the grandparents of a renown Finnish author. The story is mostly based on letters they exchanged during their fairly short marriage. Uno, the husband, was arrogant bastard, Emma, the wife, was a naïve country girl who later had to cope with taking care of half a dozen children. The story is told with very detached way with a narrative voice which is outside of the events.

Puolisoni piti tästä kirjasta hyvin paljon, ja sen takia otin sen omaankin lukupinooni.
Kirja kertoo Marta Tikkasen isovanhempien “rakkaus”tarinan. Kirja pohjautuu pitkälti säilyneisiin kirjeisiin ja osaltaan suvussa säilyneeseen perimätietoon. Emma oli viaton kartanontytär, joka ihastui silmittömästi vanhempaan, sivistyneeltä vaikuttaneeseen herrasmieheen. Unoa kiinnostaa ainakin odotettavissa oleva perintö, jota hän hehkuttaa kirjeessä omalle äidilleen. Sivulauseessa sentään muistaa mainita, että morsian on myös terve. Nopeaan tahtiin syntyy iso lauma lapsia, joita Emma hoitaa ja Uno viettää pääosan ajastaan Ruotsissa kansanopistoissa opettamassa ja kansanvalistustyöstä luennoimassa. Emmalle hän ei kirjeitä kirjoita, liittääpä kuitenkin äidilleen kirjoittamiin kirjeisiin terveiset puolisolleen. Emma kirjoittaa Unolle päin viikoittain ikävöiviä kirjeitä. Erohan siitä sitten lopulta tuli, suhteellisen lyhyen avioliiton jälkeen. Ihmetyttämään hiukan jäi, missä vaiheessa tämä pari sen puolen tusinaa lasta oikein ehti siittämään, sen verran etäiseltä vaikuttava suhde oli. Ja mikä oikein oli taustalla Emman niin suureen hullaantumiseen, sillä aikamoiselta ylimieliseltä ku*ipäältä Uno vaikutti - tosin taisi olla aika normaali 1800-luvun korkeamman sosiaaliluokan mies.
Koko kirja kerrotaan ulkopuolisen havainnoijan näkökulmasta. On olemassa paljon siteerattu kirjoitusohje: “show, don’t tell“. Tämä kirja ei noudata tätä ohjetta, vaan koko kerronta perustuu siihen, että vain kerrotaan mitä tapahtui. Henkilöiden mielenliikkeitä korkeintaan arvaillaan, ja sitäkin vain harvakseltaan. Sinällään tässä kerrontaratkaisussa on omatkin puolensa, mutta jotenkin kovin ulkokohtaiselta tarina tuntui, ja olisin itse kaivannut persoonallisempaa otetta.

250 s.

Galaxy Science Fiction January 1952

The first part of Demolished Man takes about half of the magazine. There are classics among the rest of the stories.


Dead End • shortstory by W. Macfarlane [as by Wallace Macfarlane ]
Consciousness can be transferred to a “pseudo-life” body, which is otherwise perfect, but has no creativity at all. And the real humans are becoming extinct…Also, eating in public is considered horribly indecent. I really didn’t get why those two totally unrelated ideas were combined in this story. The writing was average. **-
The Girls from Earth • novelette by Frank M. Robinson
The colonies have few women, as many of the men have left the earth in search of adventure. The earth has a surplus of women. As men can’t make food, wash clothes or clean houses, and the ultimate goal of all women is to get as good a man as possible (and if they don‘t succeed in that mission, they turn to bitter spinsters who will want to forbid everything), things aren’t going well. Laughably old fashionable attitudes. **½
The Furious Rose • shortstory by Dean Evans
A man is facing execution (or rather personality stripping). His wife is going has a compulsory divorce after that act. There is some pointless ritual of giving a red rose for the victim before the execution. I didn’t really get the point of the story if there was any. The writing wasn’t too good, either. *½
The Addicts • shortstory by William Morrison
A couple lives on an isolated asteroid tending an important space beacon. Rock eating creatures of some sort have invaded the asteroid and there seem to be no chance of long term survival. The husband is using a drug that removes all troubles (supposedly having no effect at all to rational brain functions), and is almost looking forward to his death. The wife tries to convince her husband that without the drug he might be able to find a way to get rid of the creatures. There is a way: they give the “happy pills” for the aliens, and they practically line up to be shot. Felt a little like something by Sheckley, but worse. ***-
Hallucination Orbit • novelette by J. T. McIntosh [as by J. T. M'Intosh ]
Being alone in space causes "solitosis". That is a kind of psychosis with clearly defined hallucinations of different sorts. Ord has spent months on an asteroid, and he has been visited by several beautiful women, and he has always been able to find out that those have been only hallucinations. The latest beauty‘s spaceship seems surprisingly real. Could she be real? (yeah, she is, but she isn’t beautiful, she is an elderly doctor, who has come to check Ord’s health - her looks was the hallucination). ***

Liza Marklund: Prime time

A nice “detective” story about a newspaperwoman solving crimes. A popular TV anchorwoman has been murdered, and the best friend of Annika Bengtzon is among the suspects. Annika also faces some domestic difficulties. Very fluent and enjoyable mystery.


Annika Bengtzon dekkari, mukavaa hyvin kirjoitettua viihdettä tähän stressin keskelle.

Annika selvittää kuuluisan ja iltapäivälehtien kansissa viihtyneen TV-toimittajan murhaa. Murha oli tapahtunut eristyneessä hotellissa tehdyn kuvaussession päätteeksi, ja mahdollisia syyllisiä on klassiseen dekkarityyliin rajallinen määrä, ja useimmilla oli motiivi päästää juontaja päiviltä. Yksi mahdollisista syyllisistä on Annikan paras ystävä, joka antaa murhaan selvittämiseen tavallista henkilökohtaisemman sävyn. Tuttuun tapaan rinnakkaisina juonina kulkevat Annikan perhe-elämän ja työpaikan ongelmat. Annikan ja hänen miehensä suhde rakoilee taas kerran, ja kun Annika joutuu lähtemään töihin juuri ennen sovittua yhteistä Juhannuksen viettoa miehen pinna kiristyy pahasti. Työssä taas lehden päätoimittaja vaikuttaa olevan hukassa, siinä määrin että lehden toimituspäällikkö (?) ryhtyy omiin toimenpiteisiinsä asian suhteen. Molemmissa asioissa kirjan lopussa vaikuttaa valo pilkistävän tunnelin päästä.

Aika hyvä dekkari, selvästi parempi kuin vaikka saman kirjoittajan Paratiisi (jossa ilmeisesti kirjailijalle tärkeän asian herättämät tunteet heikensivät kirjan kirjallista laatua). Hyvin kirjoitettua, sujuvaa tekstiä, jota oli miellyttävä lukea. Käännöskin on ilmeisesti nappiin onnistunut.

368 s.