As a whole very nice issue, the last story is the almost the only one I didn’t like. Slow Life • novelette by Michael Swanwick
An expedition studying Titan meets very different kind of life.
Good, not entirely no surprising first contact story, well written. ****
Witness • shortstory by Jerry Oltion
When immortality is achieved, the only way to have a child is to have a life willed to you by someone committing suicide. But when that might happen? Another good one, interesting premise. ****
Swap-Out • shortstory by Shane Tourtellotte
When direct brain enhancing is norm, maybe someone wants even more direct approach to be able to compete at work and otherwise. But when it goes too far there may be consequences. Good, but not as good as the first two. Pretty standard addiction story. ***½
Green Light, Red Light • shortstory by Stephen L. Burns
A pair of scientist develop a machine capable of finding fanatics of any sort. But all fanatics are not necessarily terrorist. Thought provoking , interesting story, well writing. Would be very interesting to see aftermath of this technology. ****+
You Gotta See This! • shortstory by Ian Randal Strock
Probability zero story about a prank done by moon miners. Not even entirely impossible, not much of a point in a story anyway. Very much ”meh”. *½
Voices • shortstory by Charles L. Harness
Short story about a story told/playacted by semi self aware play-dolls. Nicely told, even moving story, but not much of a point. **½
The Hunters of Pangaea shortstory by Stephen Baxter
Intelligent, evolving, but ultimately doomed, dinosaurs hunt and follow a pack of diplodocus. Very nice, even exiting story. ****
Generation Gap • novelette by John G. Hemry
Generation ship arrives to target planet. But is social system which is designed for stability even too stable? Moving to the surface of a planet from controlled environment of a space ship is after all something which demands a lot of flexibility. Maybe a bit clichéd, but overall pretty good take on the generation ship genre. ***½
Garbage Day • novelette by Wil McCarthy
Future where there is longevity and perfect health through a matter transplanter system. A kind of a generation gap, or youth rebellion, story. Premise is fairly good, but the storytelling sucked. A LOT of telling what kind of the word is, a lot of idle dialog, but the motivations of characters are left open. Characters were dis-likable. I must confess that I just skimmed after about half way, and even that was a struggle. *
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