the International Space Development Confer-
destruction of Earth.
ence. The festivities include a science fiction
Capobianco has also served as president of
story contest, open to original stories “about
the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of
mankind’s exciting future in space.” The win-
America twice, 1996–1998 and 2007–2008.
ning story is presented the Jim Baen Memorial
Now Capobianco returns to the field with a
Short Story Award (the exact name has varied
delightful adventure story set in a marvelous
somewhat over the years). This award, inau-
world filled with mysteries and wonders. Pur-
gurated in 2007, has since been presented an-
lieu is being marketed as a teen book, but
nually.
don’t let that put you off: it’s one of those uni-
William Ledbetter, creator of the contest
versal stories that any age can appreciate.
and editor of this anthology, is an aerospace
Here’s the setup. August lives in a simple,
engineer and SF writer. His stories have ap-
happy world with his parents. He’s content,
peared in many venues, and his novelette
especially after the night of the Pajama Wind,
“The Long Fall Up” won the 2017 Best Novel-
when strange red lights helped teach him how
ette Nebula Award.
to fly. But there’s a shadow over August’s care-
Here Ledbetter collects the winners and
free life: his parents have told him that some-
some runners-up from the first decade of the
day things will change. They’ll go away, and
Jim Baen Memorial Award. There are 16 sto-
August will have to leave home on a great ad-
ries all together, by 16 different authors. Some
venture.
names are fairly familiar: Jennifer Brozek, Nan-
When that day comes, August sets out into
cy Fulda, Daniel D. Levine, Sean Monaghan,
a strange world where he encounters helpful
Martin L. Shoemaker, and Brad R. Torgersen.
giants, menacing creatures, and always the
Only one story has appeared in Analog—Da-
enigmatic red lights. He travels across half a
vid D. Levine’s “Citizen-Astronaut,” which was
world to find his parents . . . and he has no
in our June 2011 issue. (This isn’t as odd as it
idea why.
sounds: most of the award winners were first
My friend Amanda used to say, “When I
published in Baen webzines.)
hear that a book has a ‘sense of wonder,’ I
One of the great things about anthologies
know that I’m going to spend a lot of time
based around a specific theme is how much
wondering what’s going on.” In Purlieu
variety there is in the included stories. We
there’s no uncertainty about what’s happen-
have tales set against backgrounds of space ex-
ing: the action of the story is clear and com-
ploration, colonization missions, space indus-
pelling, and it’s easy to follow August’s jour-
trialization, orbital dynamics. Stories are set on
ney. No, the main point of wonder is what it
Earth, in space, on the Moon, on Mars, and
all means. Readers, like August, have no idea.
various other destinations. There are problem
Here I’m going to counsel you to trust the
stories, inspirational tales, conspiracies, politi-
author. There are answers, things do eventu-cal machinations, family stories, alternate his-
ally make sense—but not until the very end of
tories, and even a few love stories.
the story. We find out who August is, what’s
Be sure not to miss Nancy Fulda’s “That
going on with the red lights, why he had to
Undiscovered Country,” a story of space-
take the journey, and what lies ahead. So don’t
dwelling octogenarians that longtime Analog
worry; go along with the ride, and believe me,
readers will surely identify with. David Wal-
you’ll find ample reward at the end.
ton’s “Letting Go” combines the old-fash-
ioned orbital dynamics problem story with a
tender story of the trials of fatherhood. And
The Jim Baen Memorial Award: The First
those are just two of the fine stories in this
Decade
volume.
Edited by William Ledbetter
THE REFERENCE LIBRARY
193
ANALOG
Up the Rainbow: The Complete Short Fiction
Otherworld
of Susan Casper
Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
Edited by Gardner Dozois
Random House, 368 pages, $18.99 (hardcover)
Fantastic Books, 460 pages, $34.99 (hardcov-
iBooks, Kindle, Nook: $10.99 (e-book)
er), $19.99 (trade paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-1019-3932-1
ISBN: 978-1-5154-1027-0 (hardcover), 978-1-
Genre: Games & Gaming, Teen SF, Virtual Real-
5154-1028-7 (trade paperback)
ity
Genre: Tribute Collection
* * *
Artificial realities have been around in sci-
It’s entirely possible that you’re not familiar
ence fiction for a long time. Some trace the
with the work of Susan Casper. Her stories
concept back to E.M. Forster’s “The Machine
tended to appear in places like Twilight Zone
Stops” (1909) or the “feelies” of Aldous Hux-
Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy & Sci-
ley’s Brave New World (1932). Certainly the
ence Fiction, Asimov’s, and original antholo-
idea was well established by the time it be-
gies aimed at horror or dark fantasy readers.
came a staple in the work of Philip K. Dick in
Still, if you ran across one of her tales, you
the 1950s. The cyberpunk stories of the 1980s
weren’t likely to forget it. She specialized in
endlessly explored the notion of computer-
quick little stories about very ordinary people
generated virtual reality.
confronted by distinctly odd situations, or
With all this excitement, you knew it was
looking at familiar situations from an odd an-
only going to be a matter of multiple decades
gle.
before the mainstream world discovered virtu-
al reality . . . and not much longer before main-
Susan Casper was the wife of SF writer and
stream publishers attempted to make money
editor Gardner Dozois. The two were happy
on the craze. Sure enough, sixty or so years
and devoted to one another, and their friends
behind science fiction, here comes Other-
included a who’s who of current SF authors.
world: a virtual reality thriller aimed at teens.
Casper passed away in 2017, but for private
According to the publisher’s publicity, Jason
reasons unknown to her friends, she stopped
Segel is “an actor, a writer, and an author.”
writing many years before that.
He�
�s written for movies and television, as well
In Up the Rainbow, Dozois collects all of
as (with Kirsten Miller) the best-selling Night-
Casper’s short fiction, along with a number of
mares series for children. In addition to her
nonfiction essays. Michael Swanwick wrote a
work with Segel, Miller has written her own
personal introduction to Casper, her work,
New York Times bestsellers. Their new col-
and the collection. Andy Duncan provided a
laboration, Otherworld, is being launched
short afterword.
with a “major marketing & publicity cam-
This isn’t a book to read in one sitting.
paign” which includes “Major Feature at Com-
Rather, take your time. There’s a lot of variety
ic-Con (San Diego and New York).”
here. There are stories about finding a lost uni-
I want you to ignore all of that, if you can.
corn (“The Stray”), dealing with a particularly
Because Otherworld is actually a fun little
toxic mother (“Mama”), a visit to the land of
book, one that adults and teens can both en-
Oz by Dorothy Gale’s granddaughter (“Up the
joy.
Rainbow”), and an adventure on Baker Street
Teen Simon is a fairly typical awkward
(“Holmes Ex Machina”).
gamer, a decent kid who’s intelligent, quick-
Casper enjoyed travel, especially to sci-
witted, and not at all antisocial. He jumps at
ence fiction conventions and exotic loca-
the chance to test out a new variety of virtual
tions. She wrote witty and informative re-
reality goggles, which allow him to enter the
ports on her travels, which she shared online
alternate space of the game Otherworld. Si-
with her friends. Dozois has included seven
mon’s thrilled . . . until his friend Katherine
of these reports, which provide a delightful
goes missing. It seems she’s been kidnapped
glimpse into the world of this fascinating
into the game, and now Simon has to find and
woman.
rescue her.
From there, it’s a perfectly competent sci-
ence fiction thriller, with some interesting
194
DON SAKERS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
speculation about the nature of reality and
Here are 32 stories, eight of which have ap-
such. Simon and his friends are likable, sym-
peared in these pages. If you like Analog, if
pathetic characters. The book carefully avoids
you care about the history of science fiction,
any of the problematic aspects of real-world
or if you just want to read some good stories,
gaming culture.
you’ll be happy with this one.
Any smart teen (or even pre-teen) would
like this story; get it for your favorite young
folks, and sneak in time to read it before you
Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial
hand it over. There are ideas enough to fuel
Intelligence
some good conversations, and you’ll cement
Max Tegmark
your reputation as a cool adult.
Knopf, 384 pages, $28.00 (hardcover)
* * *
iBooks, Kindle, Nook: $15.99 (e-book)
ISBN: 978-1-1019-4659-6
The Best of Bova volume III
Genre: Nonfiction
Ben Bova
* * *
Baen, 491 pages, $16.00 (trade paperback)
I’m not even going to start on how long SF
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8259-2
readers have been concerned about artificial
Series: Best of Bova 3
intelligence. Since the dawn of time, at least.
Genre: Short Fiction Collection
Over the last few years, the tech intelli-
gentsia have begun to worry about A.I. Recent
Ben Bova is a living legend. He’s touched
developments in the field have convinced the
virtually every part of the universe of science
world that the development of true A.I. is im-
fiction, and his influence and reputation have
minent enough to be worth serious considera-
reached far beyond the field. Author, editor,
tion (or, in the real world’s delightfully conde-
futurist, Hollywood science advisor, President
scending phrase, “isn’t science fiction any
Emeritus of the National Space Society—Bova
more.”) The A.I. research community is all a-
is a modern renaissance man. Along the way
buzz with the possibility of artificial intelli-
in a career spanning six decades, he edited
gences taking over the world. (Gosh, why did-
Analog from 1972–1978.
n’t we think of that?)
Beginning in 2016, Baen has been publish-
Max Tegmark, a cosmologist, is the latest
ing a series of career-spanning collections of
scientist to try addressing the future of artifi-
Bova’s short fiction—over eighty stories at
cial intelligence. Life 3.0 is his attempt to raise the moment. If you’ve read the two previous
questions and invite input not just from scien-
volumes (reviewed here in July/August 2016
tists, but from the world in general. He calls
and March/April 2017), then you don’t need
this “the most important conversation of our
me to tell you to read this one too. But just in
time.”
case . . .
Despite kidding, no Analog reader needs
Unlike most retrospective collections, Bova
to be convinced that artificial intelligence has
doesn’t present his stories in chronological or-
enormous promise as well as the threat of
der. Instead, each volume contains stories
equally enormous disaster. Tegmark does an
from all stages of his career. This approach
excellent job of summarizing both possibili-
might make it a little more difficult for those
ties and spurring thought about the future.
studying Bova’s development as a writer—but
In Tegmark’s concept, life in the Universe
it’s a winning formula for those who just want
goes through three phases. Life 1.0 represents
to enjoy the stories.
simple organisms that can survive and repro-
The hallmarks of Bova’s fiction, whether it’s
duce, but can’t change either its software (in-
alternate reality or hard SF or fantasy, are be-
stincts) or hardware (genetics). Life 2.0—of
lievable human characters and complete ratio-
which human beings are an example—can
nality. He adheres to the philosophy articulat-
change its software (instincts) but not its hard-
ed by John W. Campbell, Jr., and still alive in
ware (genetics). And Life 3.0, A.I., will be able
Analog today, that the best science fiction in-
to change its own software (programming)
volves not just science and technology, but
and hardware (physical form).
their impact on people.
After making the case that A.I. is not only
THE REFERENCE LIBRARY
195
ANALOG
possible but also inevitable, Tegmark goes on
for Analog readers. But Tegmark’s heart is in
to consider various scenarios of how it will
the right place, and the book serves well as a
ultimately relate to humans. Here he lays out
spur to further thought and discussion.
models, many drawn from SF, such as Liber-
Tegmark has a breezy, irreverent style, so the
tarian Utopia, Benevolent Dictator, Protector
book is both rewarding and fun.
God, Zookeeper, Descendant, or Luddite Re-
And now it’s time to say, as the Aussies do,
version. He’s fully aware that his scenarios
hooroo. See you next time.
are neither complete nor exhaustive; they’re
* * *
simply examples of what should concern us.
Don Sakers is the author of Meat and Ma-
Along the way, Tegmark introduces discus-
chine, Elevenses, the Rule of Five serial at
sions of physical limits to growth, the ethics of
rule-of-5.com, and A Cosmos of Many Man-
various A.I. goals, the question of conscious-
sions, a collection based on previous
ness, and many other matters.
columns. For more information, visit
Very little of this is going to be new ground
www.scatteredworlds.com.
196
DON SAKERS
BRASS TACKS
ear Editor,
Dear Mr. Quachri and Mr. Chase:
Why would we, mankind, take any-
[Insert here the usual about being an avid
one to Mars who wasn’t willing to stay
reader of Astounding/Analog since age 7, in
Dthere forever? If Earth has billions of 1953, when I took copies from my father’s people and, let’s assume, at least one hundred
desk to find out why your magazine fascinat-
million people who would be useful in help-
ed him.]
ing the Mars colonies survive, why spend way
I presume Dr. Harold Wells is related to the
over half of the one-way costs to return some-
H. Wells who issued the seminal paper on
one who might have something that causes
augmented animals in 1896. In my view, the
unforeseen issues on Earth?
earlier Wells glossed over how surgical modi-
I have the same question for the lunar
fications of animal brains and larynges endow
bases, as the decontamination processes were
augmented creatures with spoken English,
almost meaningless. Any chance of adversely
virtually overnight.
impacting Earth would not be worth the pref-
Analog Science Fiction and Fact Page 53