A review by beam_baum
Lightspeed Magazine, March 2016 by John Joseph Adams
3.0
Science Fiction:
1. "Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station | Hours Since the Last Patient Death: 0"
Pretty funny choose-your-adventure sequence. Pokes fun at science fiction tropes but definitely earnestly, not meanly. 3/5
2. "The Mars Convention"
Really liked this one, where historians and anthropologists in the future dissect human science fiction works to understand our race. Another funny one, though I thought the ending was a tad trite. 3.5/5
3. "RedKing"
Actually didn't like this one at all. Probably because I'm biased--never can appreciate anything to do with hackers unless the trope is dealt with less conventionally. 2/5
4. "The Waiting Stars"
Loved this one. Definitely like the author's short fiction more than her longer work, maybe because in short fiction she is forced to condense all her emotional beats/cool fantasy elements and the story is much tighter than her full-length stuff. Could definitely parse out some Loved the parallel storylines and how they merged together in the end. Also liked the minimal exposition and how the reader has to work to piece it together. 4.5/5
Fantasy:
1. "The Premature Burials"
This was interesting. Very Gothic horror, which is not something I usually go for but in the end this was just the right amount of sweetly terrifying. 3.5/5
2. "Sparks Fly"
Guy who is afflicted with a condition that makes sparks fly under his skin when he's excited meets a nice girl and is scared of chasing her away. Pass. Unoriginal content, unoriginal execution. 1/5
3. "Rat-Catcher"
I actually quite liked this one lmao, though for some reason I didn't expect to. (Also read this with zero knowledge of the October Daye series) 3/5
4. "Michael Doesn't Hate His Mother"
This was a weird one--two siblings live with a robotic machine as a mother, but no one else notices. Sounds cooler in theory than in reality. 2.5/5
Novella: "Miller's Wife"
Interesting concept of a woman called Esther Miller as the 'spirit of the valley' of a rural town, who tries to run away but in the end is kind of reborn after a devastating (cleansing?) fire and joins the main character, an initial stranger to the place. Wasn't that impressed with the typical woodland spirit succubus bit though. 2.5/5
In the end, I thought the Science Fiction section was definitely stronger, with my favorite being "The Waiting Stars" and my least favorite "Sparks Fly". I'm trying out the Lightspeed kindle subscription right now and looking at the quality of the stuff I might just continue after my free trial's over--it's only $2.99 per issue after all.
1. "Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station | Hours Since the Last Patient Death: 0"
Pretty funny choose-your-adventure sequence. Pokes fun at science fiction tropes but definitely earnestly, not meanly. 3/5
2. "The Mars Convention"
Really liked this one, where historians and anthropologists in the future dissect human science fiction works to understand our race. Another funny one, though I thought the ending was a tad trite. 3.5/5
3. "RedKing"
Actually didn't like this one at all. Probably because I'm biased--never can appreciate anything to do with hackers unless the trope is dealt with less conventionally. 2/5
4. "The Waiting Stars"
Loved this one. Definitely like the author's short fiction more than her longer work, maybe because in short fiction she is forced to condense all her emotional beats/cool fantasy elements and the story is much tighter than her full-length stuff. Could definitely parse out some Loved the parallel storylines and how they merged together in the end. Also liked the minimal exposition and how the reader has to work to piece it together. 4.5/5
Fantasy:
1. "The Premature Burials"
This was interesting. Very Gothic horror, which is not something I usually go for but in the end this was just the right amount of sweetly terrifying. 3.5/5
2. "Sparks Fly"
Guy who is afflicted with a condition that makes sparks fly under his skin when he's excited meets a nice girl and is scared of chasing her away. Pass. Unoriginal content, unoriginal execution. 1/5
3. "Rat-Catcher"
I actually quite liked this one lmao, though for some reason I didn't expect to. (Also read this with zero knowledge of the October Daye series) 3/5
4. "Michael Doesn't Hate His Mother"
This was a weird one--two siblings live with a robotic machine as a mother, but no one else notices. Sounds cooler in theory than in reality. 2.5/5
Novella: "Miller's Wife"
Interesting concept of a woman called Esther Miller as the 'spirit of the valley' of a rural town, who tries to run away but in the end is kind of reborn after a devastating (cleansing?) fire and joins the main character, an initial stranger to the place. Wasn't that impressed with the typical woodland spirit succubus bit though. 2.5/5
In the end, I thought the Science Fiction section was definitely stronger, with my favorite being "The Waiting Stars" and my least favorite "Sparks Fly". I'm trying out the Lightspeed kindle subscription right now and looking at the quality of the stuff I might just continue after my free trial's over--it's only $2.99 per issue after all.