George H. Scithers (1929–2010)

The May-June 1978 issue was edited by George Scithers and had settled into a roughly 196 page format that would continue for many years (It would drop to 180 pages in August 1991 and change format and size periodically thereafter. The rather unremarkable cover by Vincent di Fate illustrated the lead-off story in the digest, "The Last Full Measure" by George Alec Effinger which I found to be modestly entertaining. An alien has captured some earth people and is studying them supposedly to show more evaluate for how they can be conquered at some point in the future. He makes Corporal Bo Staefler relive his death 4 times on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Staefler gives the last full measure and dies for greater things than can be imagined.

In addition to an editorial from Asimov, letters to the editor, artwork, a puzzle and some brief book reviews, the fiction content is:

•18 • The Last Full Measure • shortstory by George Alec Effinger
•29 • Pièce de Résistance • shortstory by Jesse Bone
•37 • A Choice of Weapons • shortstory by Michael Tennenbaum
•38 • Polly Plus • shortstory by Randall Garrett
•53 • $tar War$ • poem by John M. Ford
•54 • Wolf Tracks • poem by Donald Gaither
•58 • Guilt • novelette by James E. Gunn
•80 • Star Train • shortstory by Drew Mendelson
•88 • Born Again • shortstory by Sharon N. Farber (AKA S.N. Dyer)
•105 • Into the Cold Blackness of Type • poem by John M. Ford
•105 • First Time • poem by Jeffrey Haas
•108 • The Man Who Took the Fifth • shortstory by Michael Schimmel
•115 • Sun Burnt • poem by S. Dale (Steven Utley)
•117 • A Child of Penzance • novelette by Tony Sarowitz
•137 • Lipidleggin' • [LaNague Federation] • shortstory by F. Paul Wilson
•146 • Singularity • novella by Mildred Downey Broxon

Some of these stories and all the poems were borderline fluff. On the other hand a few such as 'Guilt' by James Gunn have something to really chew on and think about - just as relevant today as it was 45 years ago when published. 'Star Train' by Drew Mendelson was a very good far far future story. This issue also has the first published science fiction story by Sharon Farber who became a frequent contributor to Asimov's and other magazines over the years. Her story was a vampire story of all things. Overall the fiction here was pretty decent. I thought the final story, the novella 'Singularity' was the most science-fictiony of these stories, and it was also my favorite. The author was the vice-president of the SFWA at the time. show less

This was the 25th issue of the magazine edited by George Scithers with Isaac Asimov. There are a couple poems, some illustrations, plus 8 short stories and a novella packed into about 175 pages.

Darkmorning • shortstory by Sydney J. Van Scyoc - a very good story about a small group of colonists stranded on a planet, and two youths in particular. Some are slowly evolving over the centuries. Are they still humans, or is it human to change?

Vacation on the Moon • shortstory by Martin Gardner show more - a kind of a puzzle for the reader to catch all the science errors in the story. fun

Heritage • shortstory by Joanne Mitchell - This was a cute little story about the selling of heritage.

Hark, Hark, the Quark! • poem by Grant Carrington

Martian Walkabout • shortstory by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre - I was never a big fan of the stories by this author that I would run across. I read this once long ago and decided to skip reading it again. Odd author. I don't think you could believe anything he may have said. His death was reported in a lengthy NY Times piece which mentions this story and magazine issue. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/nyregion/12froggy.html

Storyteller • shortstory by Ardis Waters - this was the author's only published story. Four friends on another planet rely on Sherry the storyteller to keep them awake. Not much to this one - kind of a filler story.

Psycho-Stars • First shortstory by Rory Harper - God has been missing. He shows up in the newspaper room to talk to the science editor. Stuff happens. Cute enjoyable short.

Cosmic Cowboys • poem by Peter Payack - kinda cute. The author has been providing poems to Asimov's magazine for over 40 years

One Kidnapped Clicka • shortstory by John Kelly - an allegory, this one was good and also very sad. A young Clicka is captured and taken from her family, taken off her planet. Much later she is rescued from her captors and efforts are made to disentangle her from humans and she is returned to her home and family. But she can never assimilate even though she tried.

Missing the Points • shortstory by Chuck McMichael - a one page story which essentially could be told by a stand-up comedian, complete with the punny punchline. This was the author's first and only sale to a science fiction magazine.

The Book of Baraboo • Circus World • novella by Barry B. Longyear - A story set in Longyear's Circus World series. This story and others by Longyear that appeared in other issues of the magazine made me a fan of the author for several years and I eagerly looked forward to the stories. I believe most or all of this story was incorporated into one of the Circus World novels. It is a circus in space story and more than a little zany. Upon re-reading it 40 years later I wondered that I really thought it was so good at the time. Tastes change, but this is still a good story that I enjoyed again and still a fond memory.

In the real world, there is a City of Baraboo and a Circus World in Wisconsin. show less

The Nancy Springer issue, featuring three of her stories. Springer's work is what I would call suburban fantasy, somewhat bland tales of ordinary people discovering the unthreatening weird in their neighborhoods. Of Springer's tales only one, about a very subtle and malicious witch, is worth reading.

Also features Ligotti's "The Lost Art of Twilight." "Swan Lake" and "The Kindred of the Crecent Moon" are enjoyable enough works of fantasy.

“Pico review” written for the SF fanzine OtherRealms (SF review zine by Chuq Von Rospach, June 1989): Callahan's Place and the White Hart aren't the only bars with unusual regulars and tellers of almost unbelievable tales. This short story collection includes famous and not-so-famous tales set in and about bars of every dimension, 22 in all (including a limerick). Most of the stories keep to SF settings or topics but a few stray into fantasy, though the editors decided to leave out the show more sword and sorcery taverns - there are probably enough of those for an entire collection of their own. Many well-known authors are represented here - Niven, Kuttner, Aximov, Clarke, Zelazney, Silverberg. My favorites: "What Goes Up" by Arthur C. Clarke, a tale about a real anti-gravity device; "One for the Road" by Gardner Dozois, questions asked in a bar; "Strategy at the Billiards Club" by Lord Dunsany, a cautionary tale from 1948 on the dangers of atomic weapons; "They Loved Me in Utica" by Avram Davidson, a down-on-his-luck bar entertainer is the same in every age, giving this story a quite surprising ending. show less