michaeldrakich's review
3.0
Like the first & second issue, this one featured a number of articles for light reading. An EDITORIAL by Ira Nayman, JOHN GRANT INTERVIEW by Darrell Schweitzer, CITIZENS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM by Jack Clemons, SF IN FILM by Steve Fahnestalk, OH EDITOR, MY EDITOR by Shirley Meier and WHY GIVE SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE A SECOND LOOK by Veronica Scott. All are interesting in their own way.
A new addition to this magazine is a POETRY page featuring two poems. THE DAY THE ANIMALS TURNED TO SAND by Tyler Hagemann and THE GIRL WHO LOVED BIRDS by Clara Blackwood. I do not review poems as I have no idea how.
As to the short stories included, here are my reviews.
RED SHIFT by R. S. Belcher. A deep space goods hauler takes a scientist out on a very deep space trip tracking a special transmission from a previous flight by the scientist's wife. Further out than ever before, he worries the trip is too dangerous and tries to reverse the course. 4 stars
OUT-OF-MOST WORLDS CESSATION EXTRAVAGANZA by Marie Bilodeau. Shades of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams in this tale of aliens looking to destroy a planet to make way for a business district. The meddlings of a human-like character continue to muddle the effort. 3 stars
CRICKET SONGS by Kathy Kitts. Aimed at the mid-grade reader this cute story of aliens that look like and same size as crickets is both fun and well researched in classical music. 5 stars
A SWIFT DROP; TWO BITS by Sean Grigsby. A very short tale of a robot cop looking for a robot killer at a barbershop. 2 stars
IMPENDING KARMA STRIKE by Marc A. Criley. This was a hard read. Too hard. I had to backtrack and reread things to get the gist of it. I hate it when I have to do that. What went through my mind was two words. Word Salad. A mission with unclear purpose ends badly. 1 star
DAMN LOUSY TEAPOTS by Matthew A. J. Timmins. Robots strive to give an old woman her every wish. Cute. 4 stars
CONSERVATION OF MISMATCHED SHOES by Rosemary Claire Smith. Another mid-grade story about two children who have a plan to go to an alternate universe where they will find better parents. 4 stars
THE WHETHER APP by Paul Levinson. A play of words when people use an app to control the weather with unexpected consequences. 4stars
T-MINUS by Tanya Karen Gough. A spaceship and its crew caught in a time loop featuring the characters from ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll. 2 stars
GOD BLESS THE FREAKS by Elsa M. Carruthers. Another hard to follow story. I never understood the intent. 2 stars
Ten tales with an average rating of just over three. 3 stars
A new addition to this magazine is a POETRY page featuring two poems. THE DAY THE ANIMALS TURNED TO SAND by Tyler Hagemann and THE GIRL WHO LOVED BIRDS by Clara Blackwood. I do not review poems as I have no idea how.
As to the short stories included, here are my reviews.
RED SHIFT by R. S. Belcher. A deep space goods hauler takes a scientist out on a very deep space trip tracking a special transmission from a previous flight by the scientist's wife. Further out than ever before, he worries the trip is too dangerous and tries to reverse the course. 4 stars
OUT-OF-MOST WORLDS CESSATION EXTRAVAGANZA by Marie Bilodeau. Shades of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams in this tale of aliens looking to destroy a planet to make way for a business district. The meddlings of a human-like character continue to muddle the effort. 3 stars
CRICKET SONGS by Kathy Kitts. Aimed at the mid-grade reader this cute story of aliens that look like and same size as crickets is both fun and well researched in classical music. 5 stars
A SWIFT DROP; TWO BITS by Sean Grigsby. A very short tale of a robot cop looking for a robot killer at a barbershop. 2 stars
IMPENDING KARMA STRIKE by Marc A. Criley. This was a hard read. Too hard. I had to backtrack and reread things to get the gist of it. I hate it when I have to do that. What went through my mind was two words. Word Salad. A mission with unclear purpose ends badly. 1 star
DAMN LOUSY TEAPOTS by Matthew A. J. Timmins. Robots strive to give an old woman her every wish. Cute. 4 stars
CONSERVATION OF MISMATCHED SHOES by Rosemary Claire Smith. Another mid-grade story about two children who have a plan to go to an alternate universe where they will find better parents. 4 stars
THE WHETHER APP by Paul Levinson. A play of words when people use an app to control the weather with unexpected consequences. 4stars
T-MINUS by Tanya Karen Gough. A spaceship and its crew caught in a time loop featuring the characters from ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll. 2 stars
GOD BLESS THE FREAKS by Elsa M. Carruthers. Another hard to follow story. I never understood the intent. 2 stars
Ten tales with an average rating of just over three. 3 stars
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