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Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
July 1998
This month's issue of Asimov's features a serious look
at mutant seaweed. No, as Silverberg points out, that is not a joke.
A modified form of seaweed originally from the Pacific somehow got
into the Mediterranean Sea while being studied. As with all species
that suddenly finds itself in an environment without natural predators
to keep it in check, the seaweed begins to multiply and take over more
and more of the sea. It is also harder to eliminate as the seaweed
had mutated (under ultra-violet light) making it much hardier and more
resistant to poisons. Why bother with mutant sea-monsters from movies
where this seaweed may one in real life?
Stories featured in this issue are:
- "Nevermore" by Ian R. MacLeod is a change from his
usual type of story. Here, he looks at a world where virtual reality
is now accepted as reality with (actual) reality is a fad (known as
'foreal'). Into this steps an artist who paints on foreal canvas of
foreal objects and scenes. But he has to deal with his dead wife (who
converses with him in 'reality') and her attempts to make his life
better.
- "Echea" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch looks at a world
where most people converse via implants. Into this steps a young girl
who is a refugee from civil war on the Moon. A family who adopts her
begins to get strange dreams of war. The mother investigates and
finds the cause may be the girl itself. But fixing the cause may
involve no good solution.
- "The Literary Agent" by Kage Baker takes a funny look
at what happens when a Hollywood Agent from the future goes into the
past to get a good story idea from one of history's literary
greats.
- "Vergil Magus: King Without Country" by Avran
Davidson and Michael Swanwick is a story left unfinished by the late
Davidson which Swanwick has now completed. It tells the tale of
Vergil Magus in Rome who is a 'King without a country' and how he came
about the title and what happens when he has to face off against a
sorcerer who has powers older than his own.
- "Say Woof" by Leslie What is a quirky story about a
world where actor and actresses find work by dressing up as pets -
literally. In this story, one actress becomes the pet dog of an old
lady while another actor becomes the pet bird! How the size and
anatomical changes are handled when they step into the pet suits are
not explained here but if you can suspend your beliefs long enough,
you'll have fun with this story.
- "Starfall" by R. Garcia y Robertson takes us to a
star-system that is about to be torn apart by an approaching star.
Into this steps a diplomat with an unusual desire to visit a huge ship
called Floreal who may have an unusual plan to deal with the
situation.
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