Asimov's SF, April-May 2008
Page 37
Best to stop there in order not to give away too much story. Save to say that the exudate of the frog is not really a hallucinogen, but something analogous to the quantum blade and powerful enough that quantum computers do much the same thing as it does.
Which in the case of the hardware tech is to open doorways between the alternate universes of the Multiverse through which people may pass from one to another, through which avatars of the same person may pass from one to another, so that more than one of them may even appear in the same reality.
And what the exudate of the frog can do for those who can handle it, or perhaps even for some who can't, is something far, far beyond even that.
It transports one's consciousness into direct perception of the total Multiverse itself, into a surfer through the quantum probability waves of one's own avatars in the universes within it. Here the only route to cohesive sanity is transcendence, the ability to perceive and inhabit the Multiverse entire, and the ability to choose one probability wave of self as the attractor and collapse the rest down onto it at will, to become, as McDonald puts it, Our Lady of All Worlds, able to traverse them all.
And Ian McDonald actually does it. He succeeds in putting a human face on, putting a human consciousness within, the naked quantum Multiverse, the infinite multiplicity of universes branching out fractally from every moment of time, with the infinity of her alternate selves exfoliating within it, and delivering the experience to the reader.
Well maybe only almost.
Or not.
Our Lady of All Worlds does not fully remain a surfer of the probability waves of her own selves forever, although by the logic of things she could. Even Ian McDonald is not ready to try to narrate very long sections of a novel through a consciousness like that! Our Lady of All Worlds collapses the probability waves of herselves into singular iterations in singular universes for story purposes. And perhaps to render coherent narration even possible.
But who knows, perhaps that's what we all do without being conscious of doing it, each and every one of our infinite numbers of selves in the infinite number of separate universes collapsing the probability waves onto a different attractor in each and every one of them and thus thereby calling them into being.
Science has rendered science fiction obsolete, now has it?
There have been no Big Ideas since Cyberspace?
I hardly think there is or has been a scientific concept or a science fictional idea larger than that of the theoretical Multiverse presented to us by physics, and opened up by Ian McDonald in Brasyl in literary terms as something to be explored as a state of being. As what may truly be the existential state of of truly awakened being in the Multiverse.
And if so, if every probability wave collapses onto an attractor of the possible to create a separate universe of the Multiverse, if everything that can happen does happen in some of them but not in others, if every possible version of every possible being is a probability wave in the Multiverse, is this not the quantum refutation of the previously most recent Big Idea, Vernor Vinge's concept of the Singularity because it obviates the very concept of singularity itself ?
And if arguably not, is this not the literary material for a great scientific, mystic, psychic, and literary dialectic?
A science fictional dialectic, that is, for what other mode of literature can even begin to approach such material?
Hold off on the funeral arrangements, Mr. Maddox.
Fret not, Jim Gunn.
Welcome to the next Big Idea!
It's a doozie, now ain't it?
Welcome to the opening act of the science fiction of the twenty-first century.
Copyright (c) 2008 Norman Spinrad
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Poetry: DEATHS ON OTHER PLANETS
by Joanne Merriam
Vacuum seal burst.
Uncontrolled cellular mutation.
Cancer presumably caused by radiation overdose.
Multiple stab wounds from metal claws.
Drowning.
Starvation.
Dehydration.
Oxygen poisoning.
Overgrown with mold.
Hiccups.
Eyestalk hemorrhage after hovercraft accident.
Narrative necessity.
Influenza.
Robot rebellion.
Strangled with own tentacles.
Crushed by weight of own cranium.
Beaten to pulp by human children at play;
sun-dried and washed out to sea.
—
—Joanne Merriam
Copyright (c) 2008 Joanne Merriam
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Department: SF CONVENTIONAL CALENDAR
by Erwin S. Strauss
Swing into spring with a full lineup of conventions in March and April (even one where I'm Guest of Honor!). 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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MARCH 2008
7—9—AllCon. For info, write: Box 177194, Irving TX 75019. Or phone: (817) 472-6369 (10 am to 10 pm, not collect). (Web) all-con.org. (E-mail) info@all-con.org. Con will be held near Dallas TX (if city omitted, same as in address) at venue to be announced. Guests will include: none announced. Autographs, gaming, comics, and a burlesque show.
14—16—LunaCon. lunacon.org. Hilton, Rye NY (near NYC). J. Carey, J.Y. Klukas, J.D. Siclari, W.A. Howlett.
14—16—StellarCon. stellarcon.org. Radisson, High Point NC. Toni Weisskopf, M.M. Moore, Zahn, Stackpole, McDevitt.
14—16—MillenniCon. (513) 659-2558 millennicon.org. Cincinnati OH. S. Barnes, T. Due, Tom Smith, Mark Kantlehner.
14—16—OmegaCon. omegacon.us. Sheraton, Birmingham AL. Ben Bova, Alan Dean Foster, David Drake, Steven Brust.
14—16—RevelCon. severalunlimited.com/revelcon. Houston TX. Low-key relax-a-con for adult media fanzines.
20—23—Int'l. Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts. icfa.org. V. Vinge, Gilman, Lockhurst. Academic conference.
20—23—NorwesCon, Box 68547, Seattle WA 98168. (206) 270-7850. norwescon.org. Seattle WA. Dan. Simmons, Ciruelo.
21—23—MiniCon, Box 8297, Minneapolis MN 55408. mnstf.org. Minneapolis MN area. Reynolds, Barlowe, S. McCarthy.
21—23—Anime Boston, Box 1843, New York NY 10150. animeboston.com. Hynes Convention Center, Boston MA. Huge.
21-23—AniZona, Box 67641, Phoenix AZ 85082. anizona.org. Wigwam Resort, Litchfield Park AZ. Epcar. Anime.
21—24—UK Nat'l. Con, c/o Scarlett, 8 Windmill Close, Epsom Surrey KT17 3AL, UK. orbital2008.org. Near London.
27—30—AggieCon, Cepheid Var. (958460), Box 5688, College Station TX 77844. (979)268-3068. aggiecon.tamu.edu.
27—30—World Horror Con, Box 802, Layton UT 84041. whc2008.org. Radisson, Salt Lake City UT. Etchison, Palencar.
27—30—EcumeniCon, 18A S. Paula, Laurel MD 20707. (240) 786 5025. Baltimore MD. J. Lichtenberg. Spirituality.
28—30—Ad Astra, Box 7276, Toronto ON M5W 1X9. ad-astra.org. General SF and fantasy convention.
28—30—MidSouthCon, Box 11446, Memphis TN 38111. midsouthcon.org. E. Flint, Ben Bova, Bob Eggleton, Glen Cook.
28—Pulp AdventureCon. (609) 346-4184. boldventurepress.com. Ramada, Bordentown NJ. Old pulp magazines.
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APRIL 2008
4—6—ICon, Box 550, Stony Brook NY 11790. iconsf.org. State U. of NY, Stony Brook NY. Harlan Ellison, B. Malzberg.
4—6—OdysseyCon, Box 7114, Madison WI 53707. (608) 260-9924. oddcon.com. Radisson. P. David, G.R.R. Martin.
4—6—FILKONtario, 145 Rice Ave. #98, Hamilton ON L9C 6R3. (905) 574-6212. filkontario.ca. SF/fantasy folksinging.
4—6—PortmeiriCon, 871 Clover Dr., N. Wales PA 19454. portmeiricon.com. Portmeirion UK. “The Prisoner” TV show.
25—27—Nebula Awards. sfwa.org. Driskill Hotel, Austin TX. SF and Fantasy Writers of America annual get-together.
25—27—RavenCon, 9623 Hollyburgh Terr., Charlotte NC 28215. ravencon.com. Richmond VA. Hickman, Strauss (me!).
25—27—Malice Domestic, Box 8007, Gaithersburg MD 20898. (301) 730-1675. Crystal Marriott, Arlington VA. Mysteries.
25—28—CostumeCon, 1875 S. Bascom Ave., #116-276, Campbell CA 95008. cc26.info. San Jose CA. Costume fans.
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AUGUST 2008
6—10—Denvention 3, Box 1349, Denver CO 80201. denvention3.org. Bujold, Sternbach, Whitmore. WorldCon. $200.
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AUGUST 2009
6—10—Anticipation, CP 105, Montreal QE H4A 3P4. anticipationsf.ca. Gaiman, Hartwell, Doherty. WorldCon. US$150+.
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Department: NEXT ISSUE
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JUNE ISSUE
In our June issue, we feature the return of some of our most popular and honored authors, as well as a number of Asimov's debuts by writers whom we feel represent tomorrow's exciting SF talents. To start things off, we welcome back critically acclaimed and award-winning author Ian R. MacLeod, not seen in these pages since 2002's “Breath-moss,” with his latest story: “The Hob Carpet.” It's an epic, surprising, and transgressive tale of an innovative genius who must withstand the hardships caused by the controversial conclusions of his beliefs in a singularly conservative world. This is a beautifully imagined work, as readers have come to expect from MacLeod, and is sure to be one of the most talked-about stories of 2008.
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ALSO IN JUNE
The month continues with a happy tradition: that of James Patrick Kelly's annual June fiction offering (his 25th in a row—how does he do it?). This year he throws an unusual “Surprise Party” during which we see even tomorrow's augmented humans may still find making it “over the hill” a distinctly stressful experience. Lawrence Person brings us to the sunny seaside where a beach-bum discovers (and must figure out what to do about) the unfortunate, chilling affects of “Gabe's Globster"; up-and-coming experimental SF author Forrest Aguirre makes his Asimov's debut with “The Auctioneer and the Antiquarian, or, 1962,” a touching story that reaches into one of US history's most uncertain moments to mirror the same uncertainty in a young boy's heart; Felicity Shoulders makes a strong Asimov's debut with a laugh-till-you-cry tale about the difficulties of single-motherhood while working as a “Burgerdroid"; perennial favorite Nancy Kress returns with a story of troubled teens presented with an even worse world than they'd imagined in “Call Back Yesterday"; and Derek Kunsken's Asimov's debut, “Beneath Sunlit Shallows,” dramatically displays his careful attention to world building and scientific extrapolation in a tale of three post-humans’ lives in the deep blue sea.
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OUR EXCITING FEATURES
In his"Reflections” column, Robert Silverberg mourns “The Death of Gallium"; James Patrick Kelly sires the “Son of Gallimaufry” in his On the Net column; Peter Heck expounds “On Books"; plus an array of pleasant poetry by many of your favorite poets. Look for our giant April/May issue at your newsstand on March 4, 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)—and make sure that you don't miss any of the great stuff we have coming up!
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Visit www.dellmagazines.com for information on additional titles by this and other authors.