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Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
September 1998
In this month's Reflections column, Robert Silverberg
looks at how a fantastic myth may develop by looking at the myth of
giant gold digging ants on a lost plateau. He traces the origins of
the myth back to Greek time, shows how it was developed before getting
to the heart of the matter by describing what people actually found on
such a plateau. Fascinating reading.
Stories featured in this issue are:
- "Market Report" by Alexander Jablokov looks at a
community that is apparently built up via the marketing of an idea.
But it may be threatened by another marketing idea unless it can hide
itself. Can it?
- "With Arms to Hold the Wind" by Mark W. Tiedemann
looks at one woman who goes to help a family whose son has been
injured while connected to a virtual sensory system. But the woman
has her own reasons for helping the family.
- "Xiaoying's Journey" by Robert L. Nansel looks at two
women on a Chinese colony on the moon. One of them, who had her baby
taken from, snatches her back in desperation and together, they try to
escape to a UN colony. But all may not be what it seems in this
tale.
- "How Meersh the Bedeviler Lost His Toes" by Gregory
Frost tells a humourous tale of Meersh, a man who one day is asked to
take care of two children. Unfortunately, he 'loses' them (so to
speak) and the tale of his journey to escape the wrath of their mother
and gain freedom are told in this story.
- "Radiant Doors" by Michael Swanwick tells the tale of
a refugee camp filled with people who have escaped from atrocities;
atrocities committed in the future. Are they doomed to repeat history
or can they break the cycle of horror?
- "Sea Change, With Monsters" by Paul J. McAuley is set
on Jupiter's moon, Europa, after a war partially won by seeding
Europa's seas with bio-engineered monsters. Now, after the war, one
person is sent to destroy a 'dragon' disturbing a monastery. But she
discovers that the monastery may be harbouring more than just monks
and the monster may be less than a monster.
- The magazine ends with an article/reviews column by Norman
Spinrad who has doubts about the future of Science Fiction as a
literary field. He wonders why the major publishers appear to be
'dumbing' down books while the small presses appear to be the only
ones who are publishing cutting-edge books that breath life into the
field.
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