mikewhiteman's review
4.0
Conglomerate - Robert Brice **
Felt like it was cramming too much into a short story; the scope could have used more fleshing out. Nice ideas, but it felt like things were skipping from point to point too quickly.
Some Remarks On The Reproductive Strategy Of The Common Octopus - Bogi Takács ***
Uplifted octopus finds the preserved body of a human telepath able to generate the field that gives the octopus their intelligence; they learn to communicate that both have been abandoned by humanity as a whole.
Left Of Bang: Preemptive Self-Actualization For Autonomous Systems - Vajra Chandrasekera ***
Short and snappy, hinting at more going on in the background than the narrator can reveal. An assassin robot is tested to see if it is worth mass-producing.
Sunwake, In The Lands Of Teeth - Juliette Wade ***
Dog-like aliens at war with one another and a human in the middle. The alien perspective and language is really well-conceived and executed.
The Robot Who Liked To Tell Tall Tales - Fei Dao ****
Fun fable about a robot travelling the universe learning to make up stories. Full of references to other works. Reminded me of Stanislaw Lem's Cyberiad stories.
Thing And Sick - Adam Roberts *****
Two astronomers in Antarctica working for SETI. One is obsessed with Kant and claims to have solved Fermi's Paradox using his work. Love the take on alien life and the fractious, resentful relationship between the two characters gradually coming to a head.
Ancient Engines - Michael Swanwick ****
Quick take on what it would be like / what would be required to live forever. Smartly framed and entertaining; gets to the heart of the idea.
Felt like it was cramming too much into a short story; the scope could have used more fleshing out. Nice ideas, but it felt like things were skipping from point to point too quickly.
Some Remarks On The Reproductive Strategy Of The Common Octopus - Bogi Takács ***
Uplifted octopus finds the preserved body of a human telepath able to generate the field that gives the octopus their intelligence; they learn to communicate that both have been abandoned by humanity as a whole.
Left Of Bang: Preemptive Self-Actualization For Autonomous Systems - Vajra Chandrasekera ***
Short and snappy, hinting at more going on in the background than the narrator can reveal. An assassin robot is tested to see if it is worth mass-producing.
Sunwake, In The Lands Of Teeth - Juliette Wade ***
Dog-like aliens at war with one another and a human in the middle. The alien perspective and language is really well-conceived and executed.
The Robot Who Liked To Tell Tall Tales - Fei Dao ****
Fun fable about a robot travelling the universe learning to make up stories. Full of references to other works. Reminded me of Stanislaw Lem's Cyberiad stories.
Thing And Sick - Adam Roberts *****
Two astronomers in Antarctica working for SETI. One is obsessed with Kant and claims to have solved Fermi's Paradox using his work. Love the take on alien life and the fractious, resentful relationship between the two characters gradually coming to a head.
Ancient Engines - Michael Swanwick ****
Quick take on what it would be like / what would be required to live forever. Smartly framed and entertaining; gets to the heart of the idea.
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