A fairly average or below average issue for its’ time.
High Justice • novelette by Jerry Pournelle
Seems to continue an earlier story. The former confident of the US president has apparently blown the whistle in a wide spread corruption scandal and has become a persona non grata. He goes to Mexico where a former lover has established an empire of space transportation. The beginning has a lot of discussion about the evils organized labor and improvement of the work conditions and long lectures of the economics of private space exploration and the evilness of governments. In addition there is an added on plot about a murder in a space station, which is finished in about three pages in the best of libertarian style. The writing is ok, but the background isn't very clearly presented and the overall philosophy of the story is mainly appalling if you really think about it. ***
Walk Barefoot on the Glass • shortstory by Joseph Green
A leader of a moon observatory is trying to get a budget approved for the next few years without real success as the people of the US have turned inside and apparently think that they must feed the people of Brazil (for free?) rather than use money for exploration. He also meets his family and overreacts badly when there is some difference of options. A very black and white story with naive caricatures as characters and an unbelievable ending. If the public opinion is what the story describes and as strong, would anyone really have cared about what happened in the moon? ***-
Closing the Deal • shortstory by Barry N. Malzberg
A father tries to sell a daughter who can levitate to a company and isn't getting enough money. A simple and simplistic story. **+
Some Are Born to Sweet Delight • shortstory by Wayne Barton
People of the future are happy and adjusted. If they aren't, they will be adjusted to be happy. For some reason everyone isn't too ready for that, and have escaped the civilized world. Officials are trying to find a leader of the refugees... There is a nice surprise at the end, but not really special story. ***-
Fourth Reich • shortstory by Herbie Brennan
A monastery of some kind has the only complete historical database. They find that history is cyclical, and a new Hitler is rising. They advise a preventive strike against his country. Ok story, but the almost supernatural nature of the inevitability of repeating history is irritating (all attempts to murder the "new Hitler" fail, as it is so certain that he will get to power.) **+
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