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Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
April 2002
This month's issue of Asimov's features a
Reflections column by Robert Silverberg who, after going
through a struggle to get his computer printer working again, grumbles
at 'smart-alec' programmers who insert 'Easter eggs' and other stuff
into computer software in order to 'bite' at innocent computer users.
Stories featured in this issue are:
- "Ring Rats" by R. Garcia y Robertson.
An exciting story that throws together two unlikely characters; a
young girl who hires herself to transport a cargo ship and a
crewmember of a liner who witnesses a pirate hijacking said cargo
ship. They get thrown together and must struggle to survive and
escape recapture.
- "At the Money" by Richard Wadholm.
A story that looks at a possible future and culture for financial
speculators in an exotic minerals market. Details on such speculative
dealings get mixed up with a story of people trying to unload strange
elements and isotopes found in a the remains of a supernove found on a
wrecked ship.
- "When the Night is Cold (and the Land is Dark)" by Peter T. Garratt.
An interesting story set in an alternate history where Emperor Arthur
rules Britannia. Spring is late and a cold winter is grips the land.
An Enchantress is given the task of finding out why the world is still
cold but events may overtake her even as she discovers the reason for
the overlong winter.
- "Drumlin Boiler" by Jeff Duntemann.
In this amazing, inventive story set on a world where usual metal is
scarce, people depend on a strange material known as
'drumlin'. Drumlin is generated by drumming several 'drums' in a
sequence to make a known (or unknown) alien object. In a race between
two trains, one made of metal, one made of drumlin, the mainly unknown
features of drumlin will become important and change the society on
the planet.
- "Hanuman" by Kage Baker.
A story set in Baker's Company stories about historians who
travel through time, this one has one cyborg who is recovering from a
nearly fatal historical trip who meets up with, for all appearances,
an intelligent Australopithecus who strikes up a conversation
that ultimately leads to background history to why they are they way
they are.
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