A review by thesffreader
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 141 by Vajra Chandrasekera, Elizabeth Bear, Xing He, Dora Klindžić, Steve Rasnic Tem, Neil Clarke, D.A. Xiaolin Spires, Karin Lowachee, Cat Rambo, Chris Urie, Douglas F. Dluzen
3.0
3.5*
As usual with Clarkesworld, some stories such as Dora Klindžić's The Cosmonaut's Caretaker, Vajra Chandrasekera's Heron of Earth and by Elizabeth Bear's The Deeps of the Sky left me pretty indifferent. I didn't find them bad by any means but they had interesting themes but either the writing or the plot didn't really click with me.
Xing He's Your Multicolored Life and D.A. Xiaolin Spires's Vault were both 3.5* stars for me, I realized over the various issues that I like all the translated Chinese stories Clarkesworld publish and it's the main reason I continue to support the magazine, they really make an effort to give a voice to writers that are from different parts of the world and that have others stories to tell.
Karin Lowachee ("Meridian") was a 4* story, it managed to grab me in a couple of lines, the pacing, the writing and the themes explored such as family and living with PTSD were very interesting . I really want to read the anthology it was reprinted from which is Where the Stars Rise edited by Lucas K. Law and Derwin Mak.
My favorite story in the issue is the first one A Space of One's Own by Steve Rasnic Tem, a story about a dystopian future where people have to live in tiny rooms that keep on getting smaller and smaller each night to accomodate more people. It's creepy, claustrophobic and very well done. Five stars for this one.
As usual with Clarkesworld, some stories such as Dora Klindžić's The Cosmonaut's Caretaker, Vajra Chandrasekera's Heron of Earth and by Elizabeth Bear's The Deeps of the Sky left me pretty indifferent. I didn't find them bad by any means but they had interesting themes but either the writing or the plot didn't really click with me.
Xing He's Your Multicolored Life and D.A. Xiaolin Spires's Vault were both 3.5* stars for me, I realized over the various issues that I like all the translated Chinese stories Clarkesworld publish and it's the main reason I continue to support the magazine, they really make an effort to give a voice to writers that are from different parts of the world and that have others stories to tell.
Karin Lowachee ("Meridian") was a 4* story, it managed to grab me in a couple of lines, the pacing, the writing and the themes explored such as family and living with PTSD were very interesting . I really want to read the anthology it was reprinted from which is Where the Stars Rise edited by Lucas K. Law and Derwin Mak.
My favorite story in the issue is the first one A Space of One's Own by Steve Rasnic Tem, a story about a dystopian future where people have to live in tiny rooms that keep on getting smaller and smaller each night to accomodate more people. It's creepy, claustrophobic and very well done. Five stars for this one.