Pretty average issue all in all.
NOT QUITE TATERONA KEMPI, Ryan W. Norris
Two stories are told in alternating chapters. One tells about a day in the life of a scientist who is examining rodents in an African rainforest. Another about far future sentient beings who have evolved on Earth after humans have disappeared. They have found the said journal in an archive people left on the Moon. They translate and ponder if the journal is important. A pretty good story about how "aliens" don't always come from space. Probably the best story in the issue. ***½
THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS, Ian Creasey
Florists develop flowers with themes, according to old Victorian "language of flowers" rules. They add pheromones which cause actual feelings for the theme. Then someone asks for a flower corresponding to racism for a funeral of a "peculiar" uncle. It works pretty well, but some of his friends are offended, as they think he was a patriot. They ask for a flower which would correspond to that feeling. They get what they are asking for, but pheromones causing patriotic feelings might have some drawbacks... A pretty fun little story. ***+
O WHAT FREEDOM, THIS GREAT STEEL CAGE, Shane Halbach
Three people are using a robot as a "surrogate" for their minds, all for different reasons. A very short but good story.***
THE TREATY BREAKER, Brendan DuBois
An asteroid which is inhabited gets visitors, who remotely take control of all computer systems. When the ship docks, the visitors claim that they have come to inspect if the children are treated well and they have papers from the UN to prove that claim. But their guns seem slightly suspicious... An OK story with several pretty unbelievable plot points. ***
PROMISED LAND, Bethany Gilton
A man is awake alone in a generation ship. He was supposed to have some company, but someone who awoke before him used up stores more than he was supposed, as he woke several women from the deep sleep to entertain him. And now there isn't enough food to keep more than one person awake at one time. A pretty stupid story: the women he woke up were apparently mindless morons and had no way to stop that stupid activity. ***-
MOUNTAIN, Andy P. Smith
A story that starts with little background given. A woman's son has apparently died in some sort of post-apocalyptic world. Apparently there has been an alien artifact which has produced limitless electric power until it stopped working. There are some sort of cargo cult style religions, which try to restore power (apparently including suicides). The writing was OK, but the story was too short with little background and little resolution. Another typical story for analog during current editor: just a fragment of the real story. ***
ARTIFICE OF ETERNITY, Lettie Prell
A man is being tried for a shooting he did 60 years ago (the victim survived, but died as an old man due the late complications - there are several problems with that: how it can be said with certainty that the problem causing death was due to ancient gun shot? And aren't there any statutes of limitations in shooting which was not even premeditated? ) And it turns out that the victim is still alive as an uploaded personality in an android body. A decent story but the ending is pretty weak and the story just fizzles out. ***
THE INFINITE MANQUÉ, Howard V. Hendrix
A researcher uses an experimental treatment to turn bonobos sentient. It seems to work very well. One monkey especially seems to be very smart and develops an obsession towards an ancient lost play and wants to recreate it. His mental state seems to deteriorate and the ending isn't too happy. A bit dense story, a little longer format with more background might have made it better. ***
Proofreading by eangel.me.
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