REVIEW SUMMARY: This week’s Short Fiction Friday looks at the three original works of fiction featured in the May 2013 issue of Clarkesworld.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: The first two works of original fiction in this issue explore vengeance, a dish best served after long and meticulous planning. The third story looks at mankind’s colonization attempts on Mars and eventual discovery of sentient life through the eyes of the beings that are in turn discovering humanity.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Two stories with a similar theme act as an interesting comparison study; story of mankind discovering life on Mars has an engaging viewpoint; all three stories handle plot tension with skill.
CONS: One story is far too short to be satisfying; another tries too hard to be clever and perhaps falls short due to cultural barriers.
BOTTOM LINE: The three stories in the May 2013 issue of Clarkesworld were quick reads, a description that can be either complementary or critical depending on the value the reader feels he/she has gained from the experience.  One satisfying, well-written story shines above the rest and another has great potential for being a much longer, richer story but is slightly marred by its abrupt, mysterious ending.

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The May 2013 issue of Clarkesworld is now posted:

FICTION

• “Soulcatcher” by James Patrick Kelly
• “Tachy Psyche” by Andy Dudak
• “(R + D) /I = M” by E. Catherine Tobler
• “The Banquet of the Lords of Night” by Liz Williams
• “From Babel’s Fall’n Glory We Fled . . .” by Michael Swanwick

NONFICTION

• When the Alien Is Us: Science Fictional Documentaries by Maggie Clark
• Assassinating the Reader: A Conversation with Yoon Ha Lee by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Another Word: The Singularity is Dead. Long Live the Singularity! by Craig DeLancey
• Editor’s Desk: Day of the Wineberry by Neil Clarke

PODCAST

• “Soulcatcher” by James Patrick Kelly

COVER ART

• “Desert Dragon” by Julie Dillon

Programming Note:  Due to various circumstances the review of the second half of the April/May 2013 issue of Asimov’s has been rescheduled to next Friday.  In the meantime enjoy this review of the April issue of Clarkesworld!

REVIEW SUMMARY: The April issue of Clarkesworld features three oddly imaginative works of sci-fantasy and the inaugural reprint selections of editor Gardner Dozois.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Two alien entities wage a surreal battle to save an alien world from absorption by powerful hegemony, Chicken Little’s prediction begins to come true in a forest world filled with useful spiders and human souls reincarnated in the detritus of suburban life mount a defense against avenging garden gnomes in this month’s original fiction.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Creative, non-standard science fiction/fantasy storytelling; mind-bending world-building; stories demand you read to the end as they do not forecast their conclusions.
CONS: Surreal and occasionally abstract storytelling may not click with even more adventurous readers; endings of all three original works fail to do justice to the artistry of the stories as a whole.
BOTTOM LINE: The April 2013 issue of Clarkesworld is bold in its selection of three original short stories that bend and break traditional science fiction and fantasy molds.  All three tales will stir the imagination and demand careful reading.  This is the kind of issue that could garner nearly hyperbolic praise or dismissive criticism depending on the reader’s tolerance for storytelling outside of the box and his/her opinion on whether these stories ultimately deliver.  I find myself wishing a host of people would read these free offerings as the commentary regarding the stories would surely be fun to witness.
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The April 2013 issue of Clarkesworld is now posted:

FICTION

• “Annex” by Benjanun Sriduangkaew
• “No Portraits On The Sky” by Kali Wallace
• “Melt With You” by Emily C. Skaftun
• “Spar (the Bacon Remix)” by Kij Johnson
• “Guest Of Honor” by Robert Reed
• “Finisterra” by David Moles

Non-fiction

• Gathered In Translation by Ken Liu
• The Military, Magic, And The Misery Ethic: A Conversation With Myke Cole by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Another Word: Literatures Of Despair by Daniel Abraham
• Editor’s Desk: How Did This Happen? by Neil Clarke

Podcasts

• “Spar (Making Bacon Version)” by Kij Johnson Read By Kate Baker

Art

• “The Awakening” by Alexandru Popescu

REVIEW SUMMARY:  Three inventive stories from authors who are making an impression on the genre community top a solid issue of Clarkesworld.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: The theme of revolution is examined through the eyes of a mother whose child is about to pay the price for speaking out, in the recollections of an old woman who may or may not have had her hand in sparking a revolt, and through a government sponsored clean up crew sent in to collect evidence after a bombing in New York City.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Great variety in style and presentation; common overall theme invites interesting comparison of stories; proven, award-nominated storytellers whose talent is evident; all content available to read free online.
CONS: Stories are weaker in comparison to recent releases from each author; an abrupt end lessens the impact of the third story.
BOTTOM LINE:  The March 2013 issue of Clarkesworld stands out because of the talent showcased, including recent award winners and current nominees.  Each of these authors has been prolific of late with stories published in a number of short fiction venues and the skill which makes them sought after is visible in each of these stories.  An essay on the film Videodrome on its thirtieth anniversary, a conversation with debut novelist M.C. Planck, an essay on the “original” fairy tales and what today’s children can handle in their fiction and editor Neil Clarke’s exciting announcement round out a worthy edition of the magazine.

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The March 2013 issue of Clarkesworld is now posted:

FICTION

• “The Weight of a Blessing” by Aliette de Bodard
• “The Last Survivor of the Great Sexbot Revolution” by A.C. Wise
• “86, 87, 88, 89” by Genevieve Valentine

NON-FICTION

• Videodrome at Thirty by Keith Phipps
• Accepting a More Profitable Shoe: A Conversation with M. C. Planck by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Another Word: Original Sin by Alethea Kontis
• Editor’s Desk: Forwards and Backwards by Neil Clarke

PODCASTS

• The Weight of a Blessing by Aliette de Bodard read by Kate Baker

ART

• “The Emperor’s Arrival” by David Demaret

REVIEW SUMMARY: A snowball’s chance journey to save a dying Earth, unwelcome visitors from “out there”, and a space salvage trip gone horribly wrong: all this and more awaits you in the February 2013 issue of the Hugo Award-winning Clarkesworld magazine.

MY RATING:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: This issue contains three science fiction short stories, an interview with author Karen Lord, an essay on science fiction and social media, an essay on moral judgment in reading/writing and Neil Clarke’s Editor’s Desk column.

MY REVIEW:
PROS: Creativity evident in each story; variety of science fictional and suspense elements; nonfiction articles are well written and offer compelling film and book suggestions.
CONS: One story is less successful in its overall execution; nonfiction articles could potentially lighten your wallet.
BOTTOM LINE: This is my first experience with Clarkesworld magazine and reading it left me very pleased that I subscribed. In my opinion the first story is the strongest but all three stories were vastly different from one another offering a variety that I suspect will result in wildly different opinions based on reader preference.

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The February 2013 issue of Clarkesworld is now posted:

FICTION

• “Gravity” by Erzebet Yellowboy
• “The Wanderers” by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam
• “Vacant Spaces” by Greg Kurzawa

NON-FICTION

• The Great Leap Sideways: SF and Social Media by Mark Cole
• Always a New World: A Conversation with Karen Lord by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Another Word: Reading and Writing and Moral Judgment by Daniel Abraham
• Editor’s Desk: Upgrades and Reader’s Poll Winners by Neil Clarke

PODCASTS

• “Gravity” by Erzebet Yellowboy read by Kate Baker

ART

• “Concrete 9″ by Yang Xueguo

The December 2012 issue of Clarkesworld is now posted:

FICTION

• “Your Final Apocalypse” by SANDRA MCDONALD
• “The Wisdom of Ants” by THORAIYA DYER
• “Sweet Subtleties” by LISA L HANNETT

NON-FICTION

• The Corpse of the Future: Jane C. Loudon’s The Mummy! and Victorian Science Fiction by S. J. CHAMBERS
• A Thousand Words You Can Hear All at Once: An Interview with Todd Lockwood by NAYAD MONROE
• Another Word: The Echo Chamber by DANIEL ABRAHAM
• Editor’s Desk: Getting off the Roller Coaster by NEIL CLARKE

PODCASTS

• Audio Fiction: “Your Final Apocalypse” by SANDRA MCDONALD read by KATE BAKER

ART

• “The Lost City” by DAVID DEMARET

Clarkesworld #74 is now posted:

FICTION

• “(To See the Other) Whole Against the Sky” by E. Catherine Tobler
• “Aquatica” by Maggie Clark
• “Everything Must Go” by Brooke Wonders

NON-FICTION

• Foundation and Reality: Asimov’s Psychohistory and Its Real-World Parallels by Mark Cole
• The Art of Brutal Prose: An Interview with Mark Lawrence by Peter Hodges
• Another Word: It Gets Better with SFF (but SFF has to Get Better, too) by Lev AC Rosen
• Editor’s Desk: I, Cyborg by Neil Clarke

PODCASTS

• Audio Fiction: “(To See the Other) Whole Against the Sky” by E. Catherine Tobler read by Kate Baker

ART

• “New World” by Ken Barthelmey

Clarkesworld #72 is now posted:

FICTION

• “The Found Girl” By David Klecha And Tobias S. Buckell
• “Robot” By Helena Bell
• “Muo-ka’s Child” By Indrapramit Das

NON-FICTION

• Between A Ufo And A Hard Place: The Real-life Science Heroics Of Dr. Omond Solandt by Jason S. Ridler
• The Satirist’s Progress: A Discussion With Nick Mamatas And Paul Tremblay by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Another Word: Super Duper Sexual Spiritual Black Woman: The New And Improved Magical Negro by Chesya Burke
• Editor’s Desk: Professionally Speaking by Neil Clarke

PODCASTS

• Audio Fiction: “The Found Girl” by David Klecha and Tobias S. Buckell read by Kate Baker

ART

• “Awe At Thistledown” by Angel Nieves

Clarkesworld #71 is now posted:

FICTION

• “Mantis Wives” by Kij Johnson
• “Honey Bear” by Sofia Samatar
• “Fade to White” by Catherynne M. Valente

NON-FICTION

• The Spell of History: Magic Systems and Real-World Zeitgeists by Jeff Seymour
• In a Carapace of Light: A Conversation with China Miéville by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Another Word: Plausibility and Truth by Daniel Abraham
• Editor’s Desk: Finding the Good in a Dark Day by Neil Clarke

PODCASTS

• Audio Fiction: “Mantis Wives” by Kij Johnson read by Kate Baker

ART

• “Space Journey” by Martin Faragasso

Clarkesworld #68 is now posted:

Fiction

• “Astrophilia” by Carrie Vaughn
• “The Switch” by Sarah Stanton
• “Iron Ladies, Iron Tigers” by Sunny Moraine

Non-Fiction

• Life After Quatermass: Hammer Films’ ’60s Science Fiction by Mark Cole
• To Save Ourselves: A Conversation with Nancy Kress by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Another Word: The Exceptional Smurfette, or Being One of the Guys as a Superpower by Ekaterina Sedia

Audio Fiction

• Audio Fiction: “Astrophilia” by Carrie Vaughn, read by Kate Baker

Cover Art

• “Launch Day” by Cristi Balanescu

Clarkesworld #68 is now posted:

Fiction

• “Prayer” by Robert Reed
• “Synch Me, Kiss Me, Drop” by Suzanne Church
• “All the Things the Moon is Not” by Alexander Lumans

Non-Fiction

• The Fairy Tale in the TV Age by Alethea Kontis
• Straightforward and Unadorned Adventure: A Conversation with Michael J. Sullivan by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Another Word: Dear Speculative Fiction, I’m Glad We Had This Talk by Elizabeth Bear
• From the Editor’s Desk by Neil Clarke

Audio Fiction

• Audio Fiction: “Prayer” by Robert Reed, read by Kate Baker

Cover Art

• “Sci-fi Farmer” by Jessada Sutthi

Clarkesworld #67 is now posted:

Fiction

• “Fragmentation, or Ten Thousand Goodbyes” by Tom Crosshill
• “Draftyhouse” by Erik Amundsen
• “The Womb Factory” by Peter M. Ferenczi

Non-Fiction

• The Latest Apocalypse: Popular Music and the End of the World by Brian Francis Slattery
• Passing Through Each Other: A Round-Table Discussion of Speculative Fiction and Academia by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Suitably Strange: A Round-Table Discussion of World-Building by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Another Word: Reading as Performance by Daniel Abraham

Audio Fiction

• Audio Fiction: “Fragmentation, or Ten Thousand Goodbyes” by Tom Crosshill, read by Kate Baker

Cover Art

• “Place to Ponder” by Steve Goad

Clarkesworld #66 is now posted:

Fiction

• “Sunlight Society” by Margaret Ronald
• “The Bells of Subsidence” by Michael John Grist
• “From Their Paws, We Shall Inherit” by Gary Kloster

Non-Fiction

• The Romance of Ruins by E. C. Ambrose
• The Biker Chick Who Rides Her Own Bike: A Conversation with Nathan Long by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Writing Is Magic: A Conversation with John R. Fultz by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• And Now for a Few Short Words from our Editor by Neil Clarke

Audio Fiction

• “Sunlight Society” by Margaret Ronald, read by Kate Baker

Cover Art

• “Dead Space Girl” by Sergio Diaz

Clarkesworld #65 is now posted:

Fiction

• “And the Hollow Space Inside” by Mari Ness
• “A Hundred Ghosts Parade Tonight” by Xia Jia
• “All the Young Kirks and Their Good Intentions” by Helena Bell

Non-Fiction

• From Farm to Fable: Food, Fantasy, and Science Fiction by Matthew Johnson
• Everything’s Surprising: A Conversation with Lev AC Rosen by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Wendigo Waistcoat Spyglass and Other Words with Lisa L. Hannett by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• 2011 Reader’s Poll Results by Neil Clarke

Audio Fiction

• “And the Hollow Space Inside” by Mari Ness, read by Kate Baker

Cover Art

• “Pilot” by Alexander Trufanov

CAT: Web Sites, Free Fiction
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Clarkesworld #63 is now posted:

Fiction

• “Scattered Along the River of Heaven” by Aliette de Bodard
• “What Everyone Remembers” by Rahul Kanakia
• “All the Painted Stars” by Gwendolyn Clare

Non-Fiction

• The Future Sounds of Yesterday: A Sequence of Synthesizers in Science Fiction by Christopher Bahn
• Things You Will Never Understand: A Conversation with Robert Jackson Bennett by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• 2011 Reader’s Poll by Neil Clarke

Audio Fiction

• Audio Fiction: “Scattered Along the River of Heaven” by Aliette de Bodard, read by Kate Baker

Cover Art

• “Rockman” by Arthur Wang

The contents of free web ‘zine Clarkesworld Magazine #43 have been posted:

Fiction

• “Between Two Dragons” by Yoon Ha Lee
• “January” by Becca De La Rosa

Non-Fiction

• Peculiar Notes of Contradiction: A Conversation with N. K. Jemisin by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• We Come in Pieces: The Alien as Metaphor by Daniel M. Kimmel

Podcast

• Audio Fiction: “Between Two Dragons” by Yoon Ha Lee, read by Kate Baker

[Cover art: "Bagadurn" by Aimé Jalon]

The contents of free web ‘zine Clarkesworld Magazine #42 have been posted:Fiction

• “Alone With Gandhari” by Gord Sellar
• “The History Within Us” by Matthew Kressel

Non-Fiction

• A Terrifying Mix of Honesty and Rigor: A Conversation with Kij Johnson by Jeremy L. C. Jones
• Future Brains: Neuroscience Fiction versus Neuroscience Fantasy by Luc Reid

Podcast

• “Alone With Gandhari” by Gord Sellar, read by Kate Baker

Cover Art

• Retro Robots by Georgi Markov