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Analog Science Fiction & Fact Magazine
September 1998

This month's issue of Analog starts with an editorial by Stanley Schmidt who wonders at people who reject possible technological solutions to current problems because of mistaken connotations. For example, irradiation of food to sterilise it is unpopular because of the connection with the word, 'radiation', which people associate with cancer. Schmidt points out that radiation can cure cancer, not just cause them. He also says that the result of not irradiating food is badly sterilised food with micro-organisms that will cause even more miserly than if the food had been irradiated in the first place.

Stories featured in this issue are:

"Roundup" by W.R. Thompson is set on an alien world which has been invaded by what appear to be other-world alien insects. As the story progresses, the protagonists (some human, some alien) start to realise that there is a hidden agenda behind the help being offered by the UN organisation, an agenda that threatens the survival of the aliens to the benefit of the insects.
"Spacebiz 101" by Daniel Hatch takes a hard look at the economics of setting up settlements in space. The author does some calculations based on current and proposed future methods of space transportation and living in space and concludes that current methods are not inexpensive enough to support any kind of sustainable colony. New methods will definitely be needed if we are to establish any kind of major presence in space.
"Absent Friends" by Michael A. Burstein is set at a place where two alternate universes meet; at the SSC (superconducting super-collider). In our universe, one man decides to cross over into the other universe in the hope of finding his friend who was killed. But the journey is filled with dangers that could affect both universes.
"The Downsizing of Dr. Jain" by Charles L. Harness looks at what happens when the management of a biotech company decides to downsize one of their employees at the wrong time.
"Using DNA to Search for Dark Matter" by John G. Cramer is an Alternate View article on the search for dark matter. Cramer points out that since DNA molecules require little energy to change their state, they could be use at sensitive detectors to detect some forms of dark matter which have little interaction with matter.
"Sam Boone and the Teacup Conundrum" by Bud Sparhawk is another humourous adventure of Sam Boone. Here, he has to shepard two (or many, depending on your point of view on individual souls) aliens through a theme park. Things get messy when the aliens' short tempers get the better of them, Sam and the park.
"While You Wait" by Kathy Oltion looks at a rock musician who is in the body of a parrot while waiting for a clone to be grown (and paid) by him. The solution of the problem comes from his janitor and a girl who has dreams of becoming a singer herself.
"The Flavour of Fire" by Ramona Louise Wheeler is set on a world whose inhabitants can directly sense radio waves. But things start to go awry when they began to act violently in response to some new signals being set by humans on the planet who coorperate with the aliens. It needs an off-world trouble shooter to figure out what is happening.

[Home Page][Index of Reviews][July/August 1998][October 1998]

Analog Science Fiction & Fact Magazine September 1998

Analog Science Fiction & Fact Magazine
September 1998