A pretty good issue. The theme seems to be the future after the fall of the civilization.
Cryptids • shortstory by Alec Nevala-Lee
An expedition is trying to find the source of poison a certain bird has on its’ feathers. They make a stranger and more dangerous find they were expecting. The story starts very slowly and then gets faster and faster until it ends very abruptly. A pretty decent story in spite of the hurried ending. ***
All Human Things • novelette by Dave Creek
An artificial human must fight aliens with a hive mind and the human prejudices and face the horrors of his origin. An Ok story, not bad, but not unforgettable. Writing was nice and easy to read. ***
In Perpetuity • shortstory by Ellis Morning
Intrigue at a moon base. There is a finding of some rocks which should be where it was found. At the same time a member of the group seems to be behaving erratically. An overlong and talky story – not among my favorites. ***-
Bodies in Water • shortstory by Sarah Frost
A Young girl who lives in a post-apocalyptic world catches a mechanical fish. A story with little plot, aiming more for the mood. I am not sure when the story is supposed to be happening as on the other hand the fall of society seemed something which had happened on the lifetime of the parents, but the other hand it seemed something centuries old. Enjoyable read with nice, poetic language. ***½
Snapshots • shortstory by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Scenes where guns cause harm for generations of an American-African family. Finally one member of the family might have a solution. A story with an agenda, one I agree with, but there is little actual story there, more preaching. ***-
Repo • shortstory by Aaron Gallagher
A repo woman takes over a spaceship. She is bringing the ship back to her employers when she encounters a man with a similar agenda. Two extremely professional people end up in "friendly" or not so friendly combat over who will get whose target. A fairly nice and intriguing story. ***+
Another Man's Treasure • shortstory by Tom Greene
A down in her luck woman excavates an old landfill trying to find worthwhile items in a future where all raw materials are extremely scarce. She is facing thugs and corporate competition. Will she able to face her adversaries? Another story about a bleak future and another story with nice writing. ***+
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