Analog Science Fiction and Fact

by January February 2018 (pdf)

  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 onlyr />
  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-