The serial which starts I this issue takes a lot of space. The stories aren’t too good in my opinion. Most of them don’t really tell a coherent, good story with a start, middle and end – they feel more like just short segments or scenes.
The Deer Girl Hitches a Ride • shortstory by Sarah Frost
A truck driver picks up from the road a girl who is half doe. There are apparently plagues which are apparently caused by out of control nanotech. Then there is a mishap and the doe-lady behaves in a surprising way. The writing was ok, but the story was short and had too sketchy background. It was more like just an episode rather than a proper story. ***-
The Chorus Line • novelette by Daniel Hatch
It is possible to record the past with a special apparatus, but the recording must happen in the exactly same place where the event took place. An extremely interesting, popular and strange recording has surfaced in the Internet. The recording has been done at a remote place and it takes some effort to find out if recording is a real, unaltered one. The writing is ok, but the story is overlong, without a real point and depends far too heavily on the (very stupid) last chapter reveal. **
Fear Response • shortstory by Lesley L. Smith
Showing fear is an ultimate taboo for an alien species. When they face a situation when there is no other possibility the result is bad even when there is one ”runt” who learnt that fear is not something to afraid of. Another very short, too short, story. The connection to Earth felt tacked on. ***
Oedipus at the Sperm Bank • shortstory by Joel Richards
The competing clones of an eccentric businessman who has left earth to evaluating his business prospects on other solar systems are managing his businesses in this solar system. At least one of them gets an interesting offer from his stepmother. Another short story without any real point. I don’t really understand what the fuzz about the frozen sperm of the “senior”. As there are two clones around there should be an unlimited supply of fresh 100% genuine stuff available anyway.***-
Ian, George, and George • novelette by Paul Levinson
Orson Welles apparently from an alternate reality travels back in time to meet himself. He has a proposition he already knows his younger self will accept. But the runner of the time travel agency has some farther reaching plans. A fairly competent story, but plot didn’t really work. There were events which happened, but there was really no coherent plot where events would have created a cohesive whole. ***-
2 comments:
A fair enough review of "Oedipus," Tpi, but as to your point that there's plenty of Senior's sperm around (the clones') ---- yes, but it's not in Senior's control . . . and control is a large part of what this story is about.
(also, genetic materials mutate, and clones are not a one-to-one duplicate of the original; cloned dogs often have differently pigmented coloration . . . .and =their= offspring??).
Well, the possibilities of control are pretty limited form another solar system any way. The mutations should very pretty insignificant or the fetus would not by viable, anyway. The exact coloration of the dogs is probably random for a great degree.
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