A pretty average issue, nothing really good but nothing really mediocre, either.
The Lion Game (Part 1 of 2) • [Telzey Amberdon • 2] • serial by James H. Schmitz
A Telsey story. I was reading this story from an e-pub version of the magazine. The story ended very suddenly, so suddenly that I had to dig up my real, authentic paper version of the magazine. "Part 1 of 2" . Oh, that explains it.
Telsey is once again kidnapped, this time by mind reading aliens living in a cave system. But as she is the most beautiful, the smartest and generally the bestest of them all with totally, completely irresistible psi-powers no one naturally has a slightest chance against her. ***-
Analog • novelette by Grant Callin [as by Grant D. Callin ]
The library of congress decides to develop a computer system for searching information from the published research articles. For some very strange reason´s they think that the best approach would be to copy a live human brain as detailed as possible. Not a single thought is given to the possible ethical implications. Finally, they succeed beyond the expectations: they are able to produce a functional human brain. A newborn one. A pretty stupid and dated story. **½
Letter from an Unknown Genius • shortstory by Colin Kapp
A mediocre scientist who is working for the military of a country with some expansion desires has gotten a letter detailing a new invention which seems to break the laws of physics. A weapon which has been developed using the details of invention has destroyed a wide area. The only survivor is hiding on a monastery. A famous scientist who widely is considered to be the best in the world comes meet him and turns out to be a woman, surprise, surprise. Americans and Russians have also lost research bases in catastrophic accidents. Is someone really brilliant pranking the major nations? A fairly well written story with some dated attitudes. ***+
A Little Knowledge • [Technic History] • novelette by Poul Anderson
A group of swindlers hire a spaceship from an alien, underdeveloped planet with a fairly slow (but FTL) spaceships for a passage to another solar system. The try to hijack it and are going to sell for an even less developed planet. However, the alien defeats moronic hijackers easily. A simple story with a far too long build up. ***-
Dummyblind • novelette by Douglas Fulthorpe
The best soldier of the army is on a mission. This would be the last one before he is transferred to training and PR duties. But he must survive the last mission first…The most part of the story contains an extremely detailed description of a guerilla mission to an enemy base. As they is no real backstory for the character, mission or even of the factions which are fighting I couldn’t have cared less. There is a slight twist at the end, but it was something which was easy to guess, (the soldier has just a personality transfer of the good fighter). **½
Ratman • [LaNague Federation] • shortstory by F. Paul Wilson
A ratman uses trained spacerat to root other spacerat infestations away. But he has a side job as a spy. Someone on a neutral planet seems to give information to rebels. Will his spacerats find the culprit? Ok story with a very juvenile feel in it. ***-
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