djotaku's review
5.0
Another awesome series of stories compiled by Mr. Neil Clarke. I loved all but the last fiction story and enjoyed the non-fiction. Here's what I thought of each story/article:
An Age of Ice (a translated story): A story involving a multi-generational family and a world in which cryonics are realistic. About how the world changes because this exists. It's a very short story, but quite poignant.
Travelers: Another cryro story. This one seems to be starting with the trope of being awakened too early on a spaceship. I was wondering if it was going to end up being horror or not. Don't want to spoil, but Mr. Larson does some really good plotting.
The Significance of Significance: The way that discovering that the universe is a simulation affects various people in the world. Written in a quirky and fun prose that is a delight to read. Pretty much a perfect ending.
The Bridgegroom: On a visit back to his village, Alois finds himself saddled with a job he doesn't quite understand, but is of utmost importance. Because so much of what makes this story great is in its unfolding, I don't want to say more. But I *DO* want to read more in this universe.
Last Chance: OH MAN, SO AMAZING! A Post-apocalyse story told from the point of view of someone a little too young to understand a lot of what's going on, but old enough that its not too annoying to read from that POV. I WANT MORE IN THIS UNIVERSE!
Forever Bound: Haldeman doing what Haldeman does best - military SF and awesome world-building that makes you wonder at how the world got to that point. Also, always slightly reminding the reader of the untrustworthiness of the military aparatus. I really, really enjoyed this story.
The Oracle: A story that jumps back and forth in time and is a bit confusing at first. The origins of an AI society and the fringes of how their existence has affeected the world.
Non-Fiction
Impossible Colors of an Infinite Universe: A discussion of the colors we can and can't perceive in reality and how authors of SFF use that metephorically.
Dystopian Muder Mysteries...: A look at how Carrie Vaughn decided to create the world in Bannerless.
Another Word: Invisible and Visible: Engineering in Science Fiction: Where are the engineers in SF? For most writers they are in the background, not even supporting characters. The author does mention a few stories that feature engineers. But modern SF does not have too many. (The article doesn't mention it, but I think they were more common in Golden Age SF)
Editor's Desk: Listening to the Universe: Five years from his heart attack, looking back at what Neil Clarke has accomplished.
An Age of Ice (a translated story): A story involving a multi-generational family and a world in which cryonics are realistic. About how the world changes because this exists. It's a very short story, but quite poignant.
Travelers: Another cryro story. This one seems to be starting with the trope of being awakened too early on a spaceship. I was wondering if it was going to end up being horror or not. Don't want to spoil, but Mr. Larson does some really good plotting.
The Significance of Significance: The way that discovering that the universe is a simulation affects various people in the world. Written in a quirky and fun prose that is a delight to read. Pretty much a perfect ending.
The Bridgegroom: On a visit back to his village, Alois finds himself saddled with a job he doesn't quite understand, but is of utmost importance. Because so much of what makes this story great is in its unfolding, I don't want to say more. But I *DO* want to read more in this universe.
Last Chance: OH MAN, SO AMAZING! A Post-apocalyse story told from the point of view of someone a little too young to understand a lot of what's going on, but old enough that its not too annoying to read from that POV. I WANT MORE IN THIS UNIVERSE!
Forever Bound: Haldeman doing what Haldeman does best - military SF and awesome world-building that makes you wonder at how the world got to that point. Also, always slightly reminding the reader of the untrustworthiness of the military aparatus. I really, really enjoyed this story.
The Oracle: A story that jumps back and forth in time and is a bit confusing at first. The origins of an AI society and the fringes of how their existence has affeected the world.
Non-Fiction
Impossible Colors of an Infinite Universe: A discussion of the colors we can and can't perceive in reality and how authors of SFF use that metephorically.
Dystopian Muder Mysteries...: A look at how Carrie Vaughn decided to create the world in Bannerless.
Another Word: Invisible and Visible: Engineering in Science Fiction: Where are the engineers in SF? For most writers they are in the background, not even supporting characters. The author does mention a few stories that feature engineers. But modern SF does not have too many. (The article doesn't mention it, but I think they were more common in Golden Age SF)
Editor's Desk: Listening to the Universe: Five years from his heart attack, looking back at what Neil Clarke has accomplished.
pearseanderson's review
3.0
Really fun nonfiction section: great-as-always article about color in SFF, a good Carrie Vaughn interview, and conversations about engineering, and a cool cover. BUT when I got into the stories, they really sagged. I've recently read Tidhar's Central Station, so i didn't want to reread The Oracle, but I'm glad it was included and expanded from the book form. But the others: ugh. "Forever Bound" lacked a conflict, and although the writing was swell and the organization of a 2054 military was motivation enough to keep reading, it needed a B-plot, or even just a stronger conflict. And then it ended, just as one developed! Zhang Ran's piece was really interesting in the ideas it presented, and I'm happy more Chinese SFF is getting translated, Dudak was good, but then it ended. Robert Reed's piece ended because I ended it, because I didn't like it. Too confusing and it wasn't motivating me to continue. This isn't the first time I've done that on a Reed Clarkesworld's story. Maybe I should just come to terms with the fact that our styles don't mesh. Last Chance had some nice things going for it, but, eh, a long child-slave narrative from the child's underdeveloped perspective didn't hold me, probably because of its length and the fact it was fictional.
The story I have the biggest problem with is Travelers. It read as a twisted version of Passengers, which is a great idea, but it came across in tone as pretentious. It's vision of abuse felt as developed as a Saw film with a voiceover constantly saying "see that? That's evil. Don't do that. Not even in space. I've taught you something about the human condition." Ugh.
Bridgegroom was pretty good! As with all of these, at least a bit unbalanced, but a cool story that made me smile. Unsure why the bridge was a bridge though. Overall, these were well-written pieces of fiction and nonfiction. Pretty sure I saw a typo or two. But the fiction was maddening at times. But that means I'm invested! And that has to count for something.
The story I have the biggest problem with is Travelers. It read as a twisted version of Passengers, which is a great idea, but it came across in tone as pretentious. It's vision of abuse felt as developed as a Saw film with a voiceover constantly saying "see that? That's evil. Don't do that. Not even in space. I've taught you something about the human condition." Ugh.
Bridgegroom was pretty good! As with all of these, at least a bit unbalanced, but a cool story that made me smile. Unsure why the bridge was a bridge though. Overall, these were well-written pieces of fiction and nonfiction. Pretty sure I saw a typo or two. But the fiction was maddening at times. But that means I'm invested! And that has to count for something.
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