Mr. Chase led me to reflect that, although
erence of such a lunar or Mars traveler. These
modern SF often treats animal augmentation
should be one-way tickets. We need to sort
as desirable (cf. Cordwainer Smith’s Under-
out that any children born en route or upon
people, Brin’s Uplift Wars, etc.), we don’t
another planet are bound to stay there, just
know if other species want to be “uplifted.”
like their parents.
As Brother Lawrence surmises, they might
I don’t think any non-zero risk to Earth is
prefer to be appreciated as they are, albeit
worth returning a planet traveler or worker.
better cared for, by homosapiens.
Many may die—just like the colonists to any
Richard M. Boothe
new area. Perhaps not—we might have the
Seal Beach, CA
proper balance, supplies, and shuttles going
back for additional supplies—but it would be
Mr. Quachri,
much easier to analyze lunar and Mars materi-
I have been reading science fiction since
al on the Moon and planet. Only data return-
the late 1940s and am as eager to see us move
ing to Earth.
off this planet as anyone. But I think that Ms.
Just because JFK said “and safely return”
Smith’s guest editorial puts the cart before the
doesn’t mean this must be part of the next
horse, to put it mildly.
steps. We need to work out the risks and
How do we know that human beings can
processes and learn a lot more before I’ll feel
survive in 0.38g surface gravity? We do know
comfortable talking about returning with po-
that prolonged stays in zero-g are debilitating,
tential contamination.
no matter how hard the astronauts exercise, at
Thanks for an interesting article. My great
least two hours per day, at least six days per
uncle was one of the first working on space
week. Astronaut bones lose calcium so fast
impacts on humans. We are still a long way
that it is difficult to keep the water-recycling
from figuring out how to survive in space, let
filters operative. This is speculative, but a five-
alone on the Moon/another planet. Many of
year continuous stay on the space station
our astronauts have suffered greatly. There is
would probably cripple the astronaut before
no reason to suspect similar exposures won’t
the mission’s end, if it didn’t kill him or her.
be life-altering.
But that’s zero-g; the lunar and Mar s
Paul Bork
colonists would have gravity. But would the
* * *
lunar 1/6g or the Martian 0.38g be enough to
197
ANALOG
keep astronauts healthy? Wouldn’t it be a
“Not Far Enough”: Mars expedition is
good idea to find out before sending them on
smashed and survivors hope they will some
a seven- or eight-month zero-g voyage with its
day get off the planet. Depressing.
attendant radiation exposure (assuming no re-
“The Fool’s Stone”: Philosopher finds a
turn trip)?
stone that kills his student, then him. De-
Clearly, this has not been thought through.
pressing.
What NASA should do, with the assistance of
“The First Rule Is, You Don’t Eat Your
other countries, is construct a rotating hab
Friends”: Scientist discovers he has been eat-
near the space station. The outer deck should
ing intelligent beings. Depressing.
produce acceleration equivalent to 0.38g,
“Alouette, Gentille Alouette”: Duct tape
while the inner deck should produce 1/6g.
saves an important project and no one gets
You will notice that von Braun proposed a
killed. Inspiring.
rotating space station a long time ago. Astro-
“Fat Bubble”: People are changed to come
nauts could stay in these gravity regimes for
to terms with food. Meh.
extended periods, long enough to see if the
“Perspective”: Suffering old woman can’t
effects are radically different from zero-g. As a
help the brain-burned President. Depressing.
collateral benefit, the space station crew
“For All Mankind”: Two women heroically
could rotate in and out of the hab to provide
save mankind, then die of radiation poison-
the long-term inhabitants with varied compa-
ing. Depressing.
ny and the space station crew with health
“Clarity of Signal”: After a lifetime of study,
benefits. Only when doctors certify that the
a scientist finds her goal doesn’t exist. De-
long-term inhabitants suffer no ill effects at
pressing.
each of the two gravity regimes should colo-
“Belly Up”: A small system struggles against
nial expeditions depart, assuming that the ra-
the evil enemy, but loses. Depressing.
diation problem has been solved.
“A Little Spooky Action”: Halloween for sci-
I have another proposal. We need an ex-
entists (two pages). Amusing.
tended reconnaissance of Mars before we col-
“Pitch”: A story about a story about a story
onize it. Rovers like Curiosity do a wonderful
(two pages). Amusing.
job, but are limited by the fact that the human
“Phuquiang: A History”: The remnants of
operators are many minutes away and the sci-
civilization evolve over the centuries. Mixed.
entific program must proceed very slowly to
“Blinking Noon and Midnight”: Man is
protect the rover.
killed by his own home. Depressing.
A base on Phobos with several commsats in
“Teamwork”: Commander lets her people
orbit to maintain constant real-time commu-
grow (three pages). Inspiring.
nication with the rovers would almost cer-
“Often and Silently We Come”: Alien de-
tainly be much more productive. A cavern
cides to stop vivisecting intelligent beings but
could be excavated in Phobos, and a rotating
must hide from its people to do so: Mixed.
hab anchored there could supply 0.38g of ar-
“Galleon”: AI loses all its friends and is ma-
tificial gravity while using the satellite’s mass
rooned in the future but maybe it has fellow
to shield the inhabitants from radiation. Pho-
AIs 20,000 lightyears away. Depressing.
bos has low density and appears to have been
“Across the Steaming Sea”: The girl is
subject to massive collisions, so excavation
killed, then restored . . . more or less. Mixed.
could be relatively easy. In addition, this habi-
Are you feeling okay? I’m not sure I am any-
tat in Phobos could serve as a refueling or re-
more. Well, I’m kidding, but this was an un-
pair stop for missi
ons to the outer Solar Sys-
usually depressing issue.
tem.
David Wolff
Malcolm K. Cleaveland
Fayetteville, AR
I’d say you and I find very different things
“depressing”: there’s a lot of room between it
and “inspiring,” and I think themes like
Dear Mr. Quachri,
“learning from your mistakes,” “sacrificing
I have finished the July/August 2017 issue
yourself for others,” “making leaps of faith,”
of Analog with some misgivings:
or even (he said, ominously) “delivering
198
BRASS TACKS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
posthumous revenge”—are all much closer
Many countries, including the United
to the latter than the former. Making the best
States, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Iran, and most of
of the world in all its infinite messiness is
Europe, have demonstrated that fertility rates
what life is about, and I can’t think of any-
tend to fall below the replacement level after
thing more inspiring than that, personally.
they achieve a middle-class standard of living.
Wikipedia’s article on “Sub-replacement fertil-
Dear Mr. Castro,
ity” provides a good overview of this phe-
I have been catching up in my reading after
nomenon. It identifies many contributing fac-
three years out of country, so I only just now
tors, including increased incomes, improved
started the March 2016 Analog, containing
education, urbanization, and availability of
“The Coward’s Option.”
contraception.
Back when I was a new teenager, there was
The major effects of prosperity on fertility
an episode of Star Trek (TOS) called “Whom
seem to occur by the time countries reach
Gods Destroy.” The final scene with Captain
one third of the US per capita income and
Garth gave me the shivers; the man in the giz-
most countries fall below the replacement
mo chair was not the Captain Garth we saw in
rate by the time they reach half the US in-
the rest of the episode. That a piece of tech-
come. Making most of the world prosperous
nology, fictional thankfully, could mind wipe
is non-trivial, of course, but it is a more pleas-
the aspects of personality that made Garth the
ant endeavor than the alternatives. Resigning
man he was—I knew it was wrong then, even
ourselves to poverty might even be self-de-
if I could not express it in words. Now, you
feating if poverty drives increasing fertility.
have brought it all back in full-blown, wide-
This may be our choice, prosperity for all
awake nightmare. Probably the best horror
or overpopulation and poverty.
story I’ve read in at least a decade. Sleep will
Gary Oleson
not be easy tonight.
Potomac Falls, VA
I want to say, “Well done,” and “Thank
you,” but . . .
Dear Trevor,
Howard Reinholdt
The science behind “Ténéré” [May/June
2017] was fascinating: a device that would
The author responds:
convert carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to
I am perfectly happy to pretend that the
oxygen and carbon nanotubes. Salak and his
words “Thank You” and “Well Done” were in-
companions were concerned about the de-
deed uttered (or written, as the case may be).
struction of the wadis because of the local in-
They are appreciated.
crease in oxygen, but I think there is a greater
Mind control does show up quite a bit in
concern. If these devices were distributed
the Andrea Cort universe, both the stories in
over the entire planet (the solution to the
Analog and the novels. This is not going away
problem posed by the story), the level of
any time soon. Stay tuned. And thanks again
Earth’s oxygen would rise. This would bring
for the kind words!
about more and increasingly virulent wild-
Adam-Troy Castro
fires, which would produce more carbon
dioxide, which, by means of the machines,
Dear Mr. Quachri,
would produce more carbon nanotubes.
I’ve been reading Analog since 1981.
If this went unchecked, Earth would rapid-
Thank you for keeping the grand tradition
ly be converted into one of the “carbon” plan-
alive and well.
ets extra terrestrial planet investigators have
Stan Schmidt’s “Sustainability Lab 101:
observed in the galaxy. Perhaps this is how
Cuba as a Simulation of Possible Futures”
those planets “came about.”
pointed to a real and familiar problem, but
Alien visitors would look at the carbonized
omitted mention of a means of stopping pop-
Earth, recognize the invention of the ma-
ulation growth that is known to work and
chine, and say, “Oh, no, not another one.”
does not provoke resistance from most peo-
Thanks for a thought-provoking story.
ple or institutions. Several labels have been
John Young
applied to it, but I prefer to call it prosperity.
Goleta, California ■
BRASS TACKS
199
2017 Index
Here is the Index to 2017, Analog’s Volume CXXXVII. Entries are arranged alphabetically by author, with month and page. When the author’s name and/or part of the entry’s title is omitted, it is the same as that of the previous entry. Multiple entries by the same author are listed alphabetically according to the story/article title. Collaborations are listed under all authors with cross references. Unless otherwise noted, each entry is identified as an Alternate View (av), editorial (ed), fact article (fa), guest editorial (ge), novella (na), novelette (nt), poem (pm), Probability Zero (pz), serial (se), special feature (sf), or short story (ss).
Adkins, Antha Ann
Clark, Maggie
Dall’s Last Message (ss) . . . .Jan/Feb
92
Belly Up (nt) . . . . . . . . . . . . .July/Aug
125
Andersen, Aubry Kae
Collins, Ron
The Fool’s Stone (ss) . . . . . . .July/Aug
58
Often and Silently We
Come (ss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July/Aug
159
Ballantyne, Tony
Cramer, John G.
The Human Way (nt) . . . . . . . .March/April
152
The Discovery of Planet
Barton, Andrew
Proxima B (av) . . . . . . . . . . . .Jan/Feb
107
Orbit of Fire, Orbit of Ice (ss) .Jan/Feb
59
Testing the Neutrino
Where the Flock Wanders (ss) May/June
164
Hierarchy (av) . . . . . . . . . . . .March/April
120
Alouette, Gentille Alouette (ss) July/Aug
80
Our Leaking Universe (av) . . .May/June
154
Bennett, Christopher L.
<
br /> Why Does Matter Exist? (av) . .July/Aug
144
Twilight’s Captives (nt) . . . . . .Jan/Feb
42
Alien Microwave Sailing and
Abductive Reasoning (ss) . . . .Sept/Oct
138
Fast Radio Bursts (av) . . . . . .Sept/Oct
122
Bergmann, F.J.
Dark Matter Gets Darker (av) .Nov/Dec
106
UFOlogy (pm) . . . . . . . . . . . .Jan/Feb
133
Creasey, Ian
Blevins, Brenta
And Then They Were Gone(ss) Nov/Dec
131
Housekeeping, 100 XP (ss) . .Nov/Dec
142
Creek, Dave
Boston, Bruce
A Grand Gesture (ss) . . . . . . .May/June
79
Space Junk (pm) . . . . . . . . . .July/Aug
124
Brady, Ken
DeLancey, Craig
Lips Together (ss) . . . . . . . . .May/June
157
Orphans (nt) . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sept/Oct
96
Brodski, Eneasz
De La Rocha, Christina
Host (nt) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .March/April
98
Arp! Arp! (ss) . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sept/Oct
116
Del Carlo, Eric
Canfield, Tracy
Ghostmail (ss) . . . . . . . . . . . .Sept/Oct
52
I Know My Own & My Own
DesJardin, Marie
Know Me (nt) . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sept/Oct
36
Long Haul (ss) . . . . . . . . . . . .Jan/Feb
68
Carroll, Michael
DuBois, Brendan
Alien Archaeology (fa) . . . . . .May/June 46
Reentry (ss) . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nov/Dec
146
Castro, Adam-Troy & Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
Dyer, Thoraiya & Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
Shakesville (ss) . . . . . . . . . . .March/April
88
The Shallowest Waves (nt) . . .Jan/Feb
110
Chase, Robert R.
Dyson, Marianne J.
The First Rule Is, You Don’t
Europa’s Survivors (nt) . . . . . .March/April
50
Eat Your Friends (ss) . . . . . . .July/Aug
70
The Absence (ss) . . . . . . . . . .Sept/Oct
108
Easton, Tom
Chilson, Rob
Fat Bubble (ss) . . . . . . . . . . .July/August
84
Across the Steaming Sea (nt) .July/August
178
Edelman, Scott
Choi, Eric
After the Harvest, Before the
Decrypted (ss) . . . . . . . . . . .May/June
86
Fall (nt) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jan/Feb
161
Clare, Gwendolyn
How Val Finally Escaped the
Unbearable Burden (ss) . . . . .March/April
117
Analog Science Fiction and Fact Page 54