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Analog Science Fiction & Fact Magazine
November 1998

This month's issue of Analog starts with an editorial by Stanley Schmidt who looks at language. He looks at the changing use of language and wonders who really controls it; the people who use it or the people who try to set rules on how to use the language.

Stories featured in this issue are:

"Duel for a Dracowolf" by Wold Read is set on a world where a rare avian giant, a dracowolf, has been cited. Two young teens set out to stop a native hunter of the world from hunting it. But by doing so, they may violate with their own non-interference policy. An interesting story with a satisfying ending.
"Catching the Wind From the Sun" by Alexis Glynn Latner is a science article about a possible space mission ("Genesis") which is to gather particles emitted by the sun and return them to Earth for study. It goes into detail on the difficulties faced (like contamination) and the possible benefits of the mission.
"Kissing Cousins" by Jerry Oltion is the continuing story of three astronauts who resemble 'ghosts' as they are mostly electro-magnetic energy. In this story, they travel to a world inhabited by humans and have a most enjoyable time there. Maybe too enjoyable as they wonder whether they should continue traveling or not.
"Waltzing My Tilde" by F. Alexander Brejcha tries to take an amusing poke at current World Wide Web technology in the future but ends up flat. The premise, while plausible, is too silly to be acceptable. Still, it may amuse some readers.
"Wrench and Claw" by S.D. Howe is set in the distant past and the present and gives an interesting perspective on whether dinosaurs may have been intelligent and built up a civilisation or not.
"The Music of the (Neutron) Spheres" by John G> Cramer is an Alternate View article about how infalling matter on a neutron star can create harmonics in the radiation pulse detected from it. This can help to determine the size and mass of the neutron star. A fascinating article.
"The Dream of Nations" by Wil McCarthy is set in a world where individual homes are nations and shows that even in such a world, being neighborly is still an important asset.
"I Don't Know and I Don't Care" by Shane Tourtellotte is a Probability Zero story about a new IRS form and various reactions to it.
"Aggravated Vehicular Genocide" by Christopher L. Bennett looks at what happens when a human ram-jet space-craft accidentally destroys the habitat of an alien species.

[Home Page][Index of Reviews][September 1998][January 2002]

Analog Science Fiction & Fact Magazine November 1998

Analog Science Fiction & Fact Magazine
November 1998