A review by bookwyrmknits
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 184, January 2022 by Neil Clarke
4.0
I enjoyed most of the stories in this magazine, and it was nice to read more science fiction pieces. (Prior to this, I've mostly been reading magazines heavy on fantasy stories; I subscribed to Clarkesworld partly for the higher dose of science fiction pieces, and I'm glad I did.)
Thoughts on the stories, which may include spoilers:
"The Uncurling of Samsara" by Koji A. Dae ~ This is a beautifully crafted story about grief and renewal, set on a generational ship populated by people who have never known anything else. It is a touching read, but be careful if you have experienced grief lately. (CW: eating disorder triggered by the death of a grandparent)
"The Lion and the Virgin" by Megan J. Kerr ~ Interesting take on how humans might react to long periods of space travel. I think I liked it?
"The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro" by Geoffrey W. Cole ~ I did not care for this one. The characters annoyed me too much for me to focus on any of the rest of this story.
"Bishop's Opening" by R.S.A. Garcia ~ I was VERY confused by this one at first, and then I gradually realized that I've read another one of Garcia's short stories (novelettes?) set in this same universe. By the end of this story, I was still a little confused, but I also really enjoyed my time reading it. The two storylines seem completely unrelated at first, but I like the way they twist together by the end. (CW: violence, torture shown minimally onscreen)
"No One at the Wild Dock" by Gu Shi, translated by S. Qiouyi Lu ~ While I can't say that I like the story being told here of AI that gains sentience—it's too close to the issues with the AI art & text generators making a splash right now—it was well crafted and is certainly worth a read.
"Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism" by Andrea Kriz ~ This was both a neat look at inspiration vs. copying and a peek into multi-racial social interactions. I can't help but feel like this story itself took inspiration from the "Bad Art Friend" story from a while back, though I don't know if that is true. Still, I enjoyed the read.
"For Whom the Psychopomp Calls" by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko ~ I really liked this science fiction short story. I can't go into detail without spoilers, but I highly recommend this one. It's a short and quick read, and the science isn't too heavy or hard to understand.
Thoughts on the stories, which may include spoilers:
"The Uncurling of Samsara" by Koji A. Dae ~ This is a beautifully crafted story about grief and renewal, set on a generational ship populated by people who have never known anything else. It is a touching read, but be careful if you have experienced grief lately. (CW: eating disorder triggered by the death of a grandparent)
"The Lion and the Virgin" by Megan J. Kerr ~ Interesting take on how humans might react to long periods of space travel. I think I liked it?
"The Five Rules of Supernova Surfing or A For Real Solution to the Fermi Paradox, Bro" by Geoffrey W. Cole ~ I did not care for this one. The characters annoyed me too much for me to focus on any of the rest of this story.
"Bishop's Opening" by R.S.A. Garcia ~ I was VERY confused by this one at first, and then I gradually realized that I've read another one of Garcia's short stories (novelettes?) set in this same universe. By the end of this story, I was still a little confused, but I also really enjoyed my time reading it. The two storylines seem completely unrelated at first, but I like the way they twist together by the end. (CW: violence, torture shown minimally onscreen)
"No One at the Wild Dock" by Gu Shi, translated by S. Qiouyi Lu ~ While I can't say that I like the story being told here of AI that gains sentience—it's too close to the issues with the AI art & text generators making a splash right now—it was well crafted and is certainly worth a read.
"Learning to Hate Yourself as a Self-Defense Mechanism" by Andrea Kriz ~ This was both a neat look at inspiration vs. copying and a peek into multi-racial social interactions. I can't help but feel like this story itself took inspiration from the "Bad Art Friend" story from a while back, though I don't know if that is true. Still, I enjoyed the read.
"For Whom the Psychopomp Calls" by Filip Hajdar Drnovšek Zorko ~ I really liked this science fiction short story. I can't go into detail without spoilers, but I highly recommend this one. It's a short and quick read, and the science isn't too heavy or hard to understand.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder and Death
Minor: Torture and Violence