Asimov's SF, September 2008

by Dell Magazine Authors

  These factors are all on display in The Future We Wish We Had (DAW, mass-market, $7.99, 306 pages, ISBN 978-0-7564-0441-3), edited by Greenberg and Rebecca Lickiss. But while the stories herein are pretty solid, for the most part they fail to address the core conceit, throwing away the chance for a really wonderful book that would have dug into the foundations of SF and futurism in general.

  The hook here is the notion of examining “yesterday's tomorrows,” all those glittering futures that SF presented at a certain crest of its consensus solidarity. Personal jetpacks, rolling roads, a colonized solar system, robots, etc. These classic yet never-now-to-be scenarios, whose nostalgic and somewhat spooky allure was best crystallized in William Gibson's “The Gernsback Continuum,” could have provided a brilliant launch pad for writers to dig deep into the roots of SF's vision and assumptions. But hardly any of the writers do so. There's practically zero pastiche or attempt to recapture or revise the tonality or style of this era of SF. Most of the writers toss in a token or two from that era and tell a tale that could have happened anytime. Let's look at what we have.

  Esther Friesner in “A Rosé for Emily” deals with a balky automatic kitchen. “Waiting for Juliette” by Sarah A. Hoyt concerns cryogenic sleep. Dave Freer's “Boys” examines a sentient house stymied by a mathematically inspired trick. Brenda Cooper portrays undersea settlements with “Trainer of Whales.” The cartoon series The Jetsons gets a new revisionist episode in Kevin J. Anderson's “Good Old Days.”

  Alan L. Lickiss evokes android members of a wedding party in “Kicking and Screaming Her Way to the Altar.” “Alien Voices” by P.R. Frost tells of an injured dancer cured by nanotech. Loren L. Coleman's “Inside Job” is about a cop whose beat is virtual reality. James Patrick Kelly and Mike Resnick produce “A Small Skirmish in the Culture War” about the cynical future of television shows. Lisanne Norman's “Dark Wings” is the only story to venture out of our solar system, dealing with mysterious aborigines. “My Father, The Popsicle” by Annie Reed is another look at cryonic hibernation.

  Julie Hyzy's “Destiny” finds an elderly woman building a cross-dimensional “shuttle” in her home. “Cold Comfort” by Dean Wesley Smith tells of a secret organization that will conquer space with borrowed tech. Irene Radford brings up the old notion of smellovision in “The Stink of Reality.” More undersea colonization occurs in “Yellow Submarine” by Rebecca Moesta. And Kristine Kathryn Rush closes out the volume with “Good Genes,” about the ethics of genetic profiling.

  As I mentioned above, none of the authors tries to sound like Heinlein or van Vogt or Simak. And out of all these stories, only the Anderson and Smith really capture any sense of interplay with the key ideological and cultural paradigms of Golden Age SF. As for stories featuring nanotech and virtual reality and genetic testing—well, however satisfying they might be on their own merits, they don't really belong in a volume whose ostensible purpose is to deal with futures conceived before such technology was even imagined or widely disseminated in the literature.

  In the quest to keep the Greenberg anthology pipeline filled, I fear that the assembly of these volumes often slights or ignores the potential wonders inherent in their own ingenious premises.

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  Not Fade Away

  SF has had a long history of positing empires underground, whether in actual “hollow earth” scenarios (Edgar Rice Burroughs and Pellucidar [1923]) or just hidden away in deep caverns (John Uri Lloyd and Etidorhpa [1895]). In fact, the life of whole races and species and isolated dwellers below the surface might very well constitute one of Rudy Rucker's definitive “power chords.” (And note that Rucker himself dealt with the theme in his The Hollow Earth [1990].) The trope is rich with atmospheric strangeness, from Tolkien's Mines of Moria to Jeff VanderMeer's crypts below Ambergris.

  In The Fade (Gollancz, trade paper, (British pounds) 10.99, 312 pages, ISBN 978-0-575-07699-0), Chris Wooding amps up the weirdness angle considerably by his choice of exotic venue, tacks on some Richard Morgan tough-guy action, adds in a bit of Judith Merrill maternal pathos, and comes up with a winning volume.

  In a solar system of two harsh suns, Orale and Mochla, there is a planet named Beyl. Beyl has a moon named Callespa. It is this satellite that hosts the human (?) and other characters of our story. A handful of humans, the SunChildren, have managed to stay alive on the surface by various tactics and adaptations. But the majority of the Callespans have long ago migrated underground, into the deep caverns of their moon. Under bioluminescent light, amidst strange fungal growths, by the shores of nighted oceans, and across tumbled plains, they live their cloistered yet full lives, mainly in affiliation with one or another of two perpetually warring empires: Eskara or Gurta.

  Our protagonist is Orna, a trained warrior and assassin from Eskara. Taken from her general role as enforcer for some of the shadier elements of her native city, she has been plunged into the front lines of the latest battles. Captured by the Gurta, she is imprisoned in the horrible fortress known as Farakza, separated from her husband and son. The first half of the book will chronicle her life as a prisoner of war and her ingenious escape plan. The second half finds her back home and forced to take a hand in the machinations of the elites.

  Right away I think you'll see that we're in a kind of Leigh-Brackett, planetary romance mode. In fact, the technology of this world is so primitive that parts of the story almost read like a Conan escapade. And Orna's hard-bitten skills and attitude jibe with the Cimmerian's. As for the fungi-based lifeforms, I'm reminded of Piers Anthony's overlooked novel Omnivore (1968).

  Told in the first person, Orna's story has a striking immediacy and believability. Wooding exhibits a well-developed, almost tactile ability to deliver descriptions of physical events, such as crossing a river of lava (think primo Keith Laumer), a skill that plunges the reader into the sometimes Clark-Ashton-Smithian milieu. Combined with his portrayal of Orna's emotional life, this adds up to a satisfying whole. When you toss in a trace of allegory (the Gurta resemble more than a little our Mos-lems, whereas the Eskara are heartless capitalists such as we know in the West), the action-oriented plot develops further interest.

  The title refers to a slang term among these people: a “fade” is both a kind of deadly ghost, and also a bit player, someone to be duped and disposed of cavalierly. Orna becomes both at times, and yet manages to transcend the destinies others try to place on her. Even amidst the fantastical setting, that's a realistic hero and storyline to me.

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  Big Fish

  The project known as The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon was originally projected to fill ten volumes. Yet here comes Volume XI, The Nail and the Oracle (North Atlantic Books, hardcover, $35.00, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-55643-661-1), and we are only up to 1971 in Sturgeon's career. (Death overtook him in 1985.) But of course, Sturgeon's output famously tailed off in his later life, and it's probable that editor Paul Williams (who provides his usual fine endnotes again) will need only one or two more books to round out this splendid monument to one of the best writers of the twentieth century. And who are we to complain about such unexpected largesse anyhow?

  This offering does not contain as high a percentage of masterpieces as some of the earlier books. But that's like saying that an exhibition of “average” Picassos is less than stellar. There's still much to admire and enjoy here, starting with the long and intimate introduction by Harlan Ellison. (These intros have been an excellent feature of the series, and Ellison's might very well be the best.) We get a baseball story, mysteries, a mimetic piece, and a western among the SF, illustrating Sturgeon's range and ambition. (And of course also serving as a testament to the freelancer's desperate attempt to serve whatever market will pay him.)

  From the SF entries we find Sturgeon's famous contribution to the first Dangerous Visions anthology (1967)—"If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister?"—as well as two utopian, world-changing pieces: “Brownshoes” and “It Was Noth
ing—Really!” These all hold up well, although the latter two, in their focus on social issues more than eternal verities of the human heart, do seem a bit dated.

  Every volume of this series allows me to see something new about Sturgeon. Here are my latest semi-random conclusions.

  Although he could do immediate action brilliantly, he could also be talky and non-dramatic as hell. This comes up in “...All Men...” which is told mainly in a flashback monologue full of theorizing and explaining! Hardly a good example of the famous writerly dictum of “show, don't tell.” But Sturgeon, a master, could violate rules he understood so well and still produce compelling tales.

  I note also that a story like “When You Care, When You Love,” where a rich woman loves and needs a man so much that she concocts an enormous social engine to recreate him after death, has a creepy, controlling, paranoid underbelly. I want to assume Sturgeon was conscious enough about his art to have done this intentionally. But multiple readings of this story leave me in some doubt. Did Sturgeon realize that one could love too much, or was love for him the paramount measure of goodness, even when bordering on greed and fanaticism?

  Several stories highlight for me an important technique and theme of Sturgeon's: the observation and depiction of certain events that are later reversed or understood differently. It's a methodology that embodies powerful conclusions about the deceptive nature of reality.

  Finally, I note in “Take Care of Joey” that Sturgeon must've been a fan of Damon Runyon's writing: first-person narrative as delivered by a palooka.

  Some of Sturgeon's analysis and reportage of sexual mores and hang-ups have not aged well. “Assault and Little Sister,” for instance, relies on mid-century “Old Maid” stereotypes. But you're guaranteed to emerge from this compilation with the sense that were he alive and writing today, he'd be thoroughly au courant and keenly insightful regarding whatever new hypocrisies and neuroses have come to dominate our society, and full of needful stories asking the next question about human nature.

  Copyright (c) 2008 Paul Di Filippo

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  Department: SF CONVENTIONAL CALENDAR

  by Erwin S. Strauss

  Last call for the Denver World Science Fiction Convention; But there are other cons, if you can't make it there. Plan now for social weekends with your favorite SF authors, editors, artists, and fellow fans. For an explanation of con(vention)s, a sample of SF folksongs, and info on fanzines and clubs, send me an SASE (self-addressed, stamped #10 [business] envelope) at 10 Hill #22-L, Newark NJ 07102. The hot line is (973) 242-5999. If a machine answers (with a list of the week's cons), leave a message and I'll call back on my nickel. When writing cons, send an SASE. For free listings, tell me of your con 5 months out. Look for me at cons behind the Filthy Pierre badge, playing a musical keyboard.—Erwin S. Strauss

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  AUGUST 2008

  1-3—ConnectiCon. For info, write: 705 N. Mt. Rd. #B-11, Newington CT 06111. Or phone: (973) 242-5999 (10 AM to 10 PM, not collect). (Web) connecticon.org. (E-mail) info@connecticon.org. Con will be held in: Hartford CT (if city omitted, same as in address) at the Convention Center. Guests will include: none announced. Gaming, anime, webcomics.

  1-3—DiversiCon. (612) 721-5959. diversicon.org. Minneapolis MN. Anne Frasier, Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu.

  1-3—JumpCon. jumpcon.com. Somerset NJ. Almos, M. McConnell, Boxleitner, Beltran, Furlan, J. Carter.

  1-3—Costume College. costumecollege.org. Airtel, Van Nuys CA. For fans of costume, in all its forms.

  1-3—Fandemonium. (208) 284-3858. borneo@fandemonium.com. Civic Center, Nampa ID.

  6-10—Denvention 3. denvention3.org. Denver CO. Bujold, Sternbach, Whitmore. 2008 WorldCon. $200+ at the door.

  6-10—Creation. (818) 409-0960. creationent.com. Hilton, Las Vegas NV. Commercial event with many stars.

  7-11—Terminus. terminus2008.org. Chicago IL. Harry Potter convention. Quidditch tournament.

  8—SanJapan. san-japan.org. San Antonio TX. Japanese anime and culture convention.

  8-10—OtaKon. otakon.org. Baltimore MD. Big anime meet.

  14-17—GenCon, 120 Lakeside Ave. #100, Seattle WA 98122. gencon.com. Indianapolis IN. Big gaming convention.

  14-17—Mars Society Con, Box 1312, Big Piney WY 83113. marssociety.com. U. of CO, Boulder CO. Space development.

  15-17—ArmadilloCon, Box 27277, Austin TX 78755. armadillocon.org. Austin TX. Scalzi, D. Morrissey. SF & fantasy.

  15-17—ConVersion, Box 30314, Calgary AB T2H 2W1. con-version.org. Jack McDevitt, Dr. Rebecca Bradley.

  15-17—Horrorfind, 9722 Groffs Mill Dr. #109, Owings Mills MD 21117. horrorfindweekend.com. Adelphi MD.

  15-17—VividCon, 1624 E. Virginia, Stillwater OK 74075. llamalucy@gmail.com. Chicago IL. Fan videos.

  15-18—MythCon, 434 W. 120 #5E, New York NY 10027. mythsoc.org. New Britain CT. High fantasy (Tolkien, etc.).

  21-24—GateCon, Box 76108, Colorado Springs CO 80970. (710) 574-6427. gatecon.com. Vancouver BC. StarGate.

  22-24—BuboniCon, Box 37257, Albuquerque NM 87176. bubonicon.com. Weber, Abraham, Eggleton, Stirling.

  22-24—PiCon, Box 400, Sunderland MA 01375. pi-con.org. W. Springfield MA. Doctorow, Mach, Jen Williams, XKCD.

  22-24—JumpCon. jumpcon.com. Detroit MI. Almos, M. McConnell, Boxleitner, Beltran, Furlan, J. Carter.

  22-24—Fan Expo, 38 Riverlea Dr., Toronto ON M9P 2H4. (416) 241-7827. hobbystar.com. Metro Convention Center.

  22-25—DiscWorldCon, Box 4101, Shepton Mallet BA4 9AJ, UK. dwcon.org. Metropole, Birmingham UK. T. Pratchett.

  23-24—Japan National Con. daicon7.jp/. Namikiri Municipal Hall, Kishiwada City, Osaka Japan.

  29-31—CopperCon, Box 62613, Phoenix AZ 85082. 480949-0415. coppercon.org. M. Davidson, G. Weisman, A. Alongi.

  29-31—Mephit FurMeet, Box 190512, St. Louis MO 63119. mephitfurmeet.org. Holiday Inn Arpt., Memphis TN. Furries.

  29-31—KumoriCon, 960 Anderson Lane #1, Springfield OR 97477. kumoricon.org. Hilton, Vancouver WA. Anime.

  29-31—MeCon, 115 Malone Rd., Belfast BT9 6SP, UK. meconbelfast@yahoo.co.uk. Elms Centre, QUB. P. Cornell.

  29-Sep. 1—DragonCon, Box 16459, Atlanta GA 30321. (770) 909-0115. dragoncon.org. McCaffrey, Koenig. Huge.

  AUGUST 2009

  6-10—Anticipation, CP 105, Montreal QC H4A 3P4. anticipationsf.ca. Gaiman, Hartwell, Doherty. WorldCon. US$150+.

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  Department: NEXT ISSUE

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  OCTOBER/NOVEMBER DOUBLE ISSUE

  The satisfying thump you'll hear next month is the arrival of our outstanding October/November double issue in your home's mailbox. We've done our best to cram the 240 pages of it to the breaking point, starting with not one, but two striking novellas by two of your favorite Asimov's authors. Our first, by Nebula and Hugo award-winning dynamo Nancy Kress, concerns the bizarre goings-on in a managed care home where the elderly residents are unsure whether the startling effects of “The Erdmann Nexus” are age specific, scientific, or metaphysic! Next, Hugo winner Robert Reed returns with a claustrophobic, troubling meditation on justice and the lengths frightened government interrogators are willing to go to find the “Truth” according to an imprisoned terrorist from the future. We're sure this will be considered one of 2008's most talked-about and controversial stories.

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  ALSO IN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

  Peter Higgins, making his impressive Asimov's debut, presents a haunting tale, reminiscent of the best of Tanith Lee, about a naval officer who hears a lot more than expected while “Listening for Submarines"; the acclaimed Gord Sellar returns with “Dhuluma No More,” a counterpoint to Robert Reed's novella from the perspective of a desperate African terrorist in an uncertain future; Ian R. MacLeod presents a striking reversal of British history, recounting the bloody affair of “The English Mutiny"; Brandon Sanderson, the young talent currently com
pleting the late Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time saga, pens his debut for Asimov's, an action-packed SF novelette, “Defending Elysium"; Jack Skillingstead entertainingly explains why someone left a “Cat in the Rain"; Leslie What returns with a charming piece about the trouble a bottomless wallet may cause when “Money Is No Object"; and Sara Genge, making her Asimov's debut, treats us to a sad day in the life of some unusual aliens in “Prayers for an Egg.”

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  OUR EXCITING FEATURES

  Robert Silverberg honors Murray Leinster's fecund imagination by “Beaming It Down” in his “Reflections” column; James Patrick Kelly examines various “Alternativities” in “On the Net"; Norman Spinrad predicts a future of “Post-Genre Speculative Fiction” in “On Books"; plus an array of poetry. Look for our October/November double issue at your newsstand on September 2, 2008. Or you can subscribe to Asimov's—by mail or online, in varying formats, including downloadable forms, by going to our website, www.asimovs.com. We're also now available on Amazon.com's Kindle!

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  COMING SOON

  new stories by Nancy Kress, Brian Stableford, Chris Beckett, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Tim Sullivan, Melanie Tem & Steve Rasnick Tem, Carol Emshwiller, Jack McDevitt, Larry Niven, Geoffrey A. Landis, Jerry Oltion, David Ira Cleary, Steven Utley, and many others....

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  Visit www.dellmagazines.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.