A Stab of the Knife • [Draiken] • novella by Adam-Troy Castro
Two series from the same author converge: Andrea Cort and Draiken. Andrea Cort is a counselor who sometimes takes unusual and drastic measures. Draiken is a former spy who wants to find out who his employer was and to get revenge for some of the unethical things he has done - and to be left alone, as he knows too much and his life is still in danger. They meet and uncover a plot to harm Andrea Cort.
The story is well told, but I was slightly disappointed, as it seemed to be mainly a set up and the actual story was over very soon. It seems that the meeting of the two characters was just a short one, more in the style of two ships passing in the night, than an actual start of cooperation. ***½
Until We Are Utterly Destroyed • novelette by Frank Wu
Arachnoid or crablike aliens live on a planet which is filled with dangerous creatures. Their lives are a constant battle and their worthiness is determined by how they beat their advisories. A group of them travels to meet the “gods.” They eventually find the habitats left by the “gods.” A good story in writing and storytelling, but the biology didn’t make any sense at all. There is no plausible biological reaction for animals that would produce oxygen from carbon dioxide – that reaction demands energy, it doesn’t produce it. ***+
Generations Lost and Found • short story by Evan Dicken
A generation ship is near its destination.
The crew members have lived there generations and have created their own culture. Now, they are supposed to wake the people in suspended animation, who will become the colonists. But what about the crew members? A bit short, but a fairly nice story. ***
A Simple Question • short story by Kris Dikeman
A man and a woman are trapped in the cafeteria of a research faculty as a zombie virus has taken over all their coworkers. The male tends to be slightly into mansplaining. It turns out that he doesn’t know or notice everything. A nice, humorous story. ****-
The People v. Craig Morrison • short story by Alex Shvartsman and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
A veteran with PTSD is on trial for keeping his driver’s license after automated cars are made mandatory. His car is very important to him, as he and his dad fixed it together years ago. An okay story, with a melancholy undercurrent that might have been a bit more developed. ***+
Potosí • novelette by Joe Pitkin
An asteroid of almost pure platinum is found. A small group is sent to get it, but they are quickly attacked. Someone else wants to get it also. Both parties are badly damaged. Not a very complex or very memorable story. ***
Eulogy for an Immortal • short story by James Robert Herndon
A man’s father liked to make things from plastic. He even made the plastic himself. Everything in their house was self-made from plastic, including water pipes and such (I wonder why anyone would do that?). He has some issues and misses his wife, who has died earlier. They had dreamed about a trip to the moon. Then, the father kills himself by eating a box of donuts. It is apparently enough to instantly kill someone with diabetes. A stupid story on so many levels. **
New Frontiers of the Mind • novelette by Andy Duncan
John W Campbell takes part to an ESP test while studying. He first succeeds very well and then later fails badly. And he discusses things with his wife. A boring story with little actual interesting plot. **+
Here's Looking at You, Cud • short story by M. Bennardo
A future when all meat products are forbidden due to widespread lack of water. A man comes to a diner. He is in an inspector trying to find out if the illegal use of meat products is going on. His ex-girlfriend owns the diner, but he is ready to turn her in and is sure that she is breaking the law. The writing is okay, but the plausibility isn’t. If one area suffers from a drought, why ban all meat? Would the draught affect all of the US? Canada? South America? New Zealand? And wouldn’t something like 1000% tax rate for meat be about as effective? ***
Render Unto Caesar • short story by Eduardo Vaquerizo (trans. of Dad al César ... 2013)
A Catholic Church has invented a way to battle the spread of atheism and free thinking and increase the number of worshippers. A pretty disgusting and extremely unlikely approach. If the church doesn’t have any influence, how they could have managed that? **½
Open Source Space • novelette by C. Stuart Hardwick
A small company tried to retrieve an old Apollo 10 module. It seemed to be a failure, but now the solar sail and lunar module have appeared on a collision course with the Chinese moon colony. The Chinese threaten to shoot it down, but for extremely contrived reasons that would be dangerous for the world peace. An okay story, in spite of its slightly forced premise. ***
Priorities • short story by Jacob A. Boyd
A man who lives on an asteroid belt tries to capture an asteroid. As his wife is pregnant, he must acquire the raw material the new inhabitant will use. Of course, there is some trouble. An okay story, which was reeled to finish pretty fast. ***
A Crystal Dipped in Dreams • novelette by Auston Habershaw
A young man who lives in a post-apocalyptic world finds a crystal in old ruins. When one looks at it, they experience a vision for all the senses of a world before the disaster as some sort of interactive vacation paradise. An immeasurably valuable object - or is it? A very well written story about a very harsh world. ****-
Left to Take the Lead • novelette by Marissa Lingen
A young woman whose family has faced some kind of a catastrophe is working on a farm. She is paying for her studies as a leased worker. She quite enjoys the farm work and the owners of the farm treat her as a family. Her real family lives in space and the extended family means everything in her culture. She has a special bond to plants and to especially trees, as she isn’t used to them. She gets very close to another girl and feels she is a cousin. Then, a tornado destroys the farm and what is worse kills all of the trees. At the same time, her uncles are having serious trouble. What should she do? A very good, moving and very well written story. ****
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