Analog Science Fiction and Fact February 1999

Ok issue. Maybe a bit better than average.

Mount Olympus  • novelette by Ben Bova
Second Martian expedition travels to Mount Olympus and encounters some trouble. Story of survival. A part of a novel, which works fairly well as a standalone story. Back-story might have been a bit better established. ***+
Vultures • novelette by Stephen L. Burns
A police-officer suffering of an untreatable form of aids works as undercover, to bust charlatans offering bogus treatment. But everything seems to seem just too good... Pretty good, not too plausible for biological viewpoint.***1/2
Odysseus • shortstory by John G. Hemry
Minor malfunction causes an interstellar ship to drop out of the warp. To everyone's surprise they receive a distress call. They discover the first ever interstellar ship, and they must decide what to do with it. Fairly simple story, writing is adequate. ***+
Found in Space • shortstory by David J. Strumfels
A producer of science fiction virtual simulations tries to make them less stupid. Surprisingly he get some sympathy from tv channel manager. Wish-fullment story, a bit to naive to be good. **1/2
Nor a Lender Be • shortstory by James Van Pelt
A very good teacher sells his teaching style to a giant company only to find out that he can't continue teaching, as that would infringe the licensing rights. A bit stupid story - hard to believe that even the most litigious company would be ready to face bad publicity just for sake of one teacher "infringing" the copyright. ***
Circles of Light and Shadow • novelette by Christopher McKitterick
Scientists are experimenting with tachyon transmitter. At the same time there are increasing reports of sightings of "ghosts". The principal scientist gets visited by his wife who died two years ago in a car accident. Are the sightings related to the tachyon experiments? What do they mean?  Good well written emotional story. Probably best of the issue. ****