Clarkesworld: Issue 205 (October 2023)

I ended up enjoying this issue, despite a very shaky start and three rather meh stories.

“Possibly Just About a Coach” by Suzanne Palmer – a whimsical and very short piece about a couch, the universe, and everything. I’ve read similar stuff before and this author’s stories are usually better. 3.3 stars, I guess

“The Blaumilch” by Lavie Tidhar – a fully realized, vivid world. The story takes place on Mars, it’s the outback, and people are just living their lives, finding out who they are. Brilliant. 5 stars.

“Down to the Root” by Lisa Papademetriou – the galaxy may be huge, and human lives small… But life, loss, friendship, and debts paid never fade. 4.8 stars.

“Such is My Idea of Happiness” by David Goodman – show more in a dystopian England, the gene-manipulated minority rules. Maybe there is a way out? I liked the world-building, but the story itself did not make me feel anything. 3.6 stars.

“De Profundis, a Space Love Letter” by Bella Han – in a universe where all stories are written and recycled by machines, there are no more stories that move hearts. There are lots of cool descriptions, but little plot. 3.6 stars.

“Post Hacking for the Uninitiated” by Grace Chan – hackers extraordinaire take on a corrupt government. People can be hacked too… Well-written, imaginative, moving. I want to spend more time with these characters! 4.9 stars.

“Rafi” by Amal Singh – in a dystopian society, a seed grows into something amazing. I loved everything about this story. 4.9 stars.

“Timothy: An Oral History” by Michael Swanwick – it’s a new world, a world without men. An excellent and well-written thought experiment. The characters and their different voices are very believable, it’s impressive for such a short story. 4.4 stars. show less