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Lightspeed Magazine, July 2012
Lightspeed is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine. In its pages, you will find science fiction: from near-future, sociological soft SF, to far-future, star-spanning hard SF—and fantasy: from epic fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, and contemporary urban tales, to magical realism, science-fantasy, and folktales.
In our July 2012 issue, we have original science fiction from A. M. Dellamonica (“The Sweet Spot”) and 2012 Nebula Award finalist Jake Kerr (“Requiem in the Key of Prose”), along with SF reprints by legendary authors Joe Haldeman (“Four Short Novels”) and David Brin (“The Giving Plague”).
We also have original fantasy by Maria Dahvana Headley (“Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream”) and Aidan Doyle (“Ghost River Red”), with fantasy reprints by award-winning authors Theodora Goss (“Singing of Mount Abora”) and Peter S. Beagle (“Gordon, the Self-Made Cat”).
For our ebook readers, our ebook-exclusive novella is “Lune and the Red Empress” by Liz Williams and Alastair Reynolds, and we have excerpts of the exciting new SF novels vN by Madeline Ashby and Spin the Sky by Katy Stauber.
All that, plus our usual assortment of author and artist spotlights, and feature interviews with physicist Brian Green and bestselling author Garth Nix.
In our July 2012 issue, we have original science fiction from A. M. Dellamonica (“The Sweet Spot”) and 2012 Nebula Award finalist Jake Kerr (“Requiem in the Key of Prose”), along with SF reprints by legendary authors Joe Haldeman (“Four Short Novels”) and David Brin (“The Giving Plague”).
We also have original fantasy by Maria Dahvana Headley (“Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream”) and Aidan Doyle (“Ghost River Red”), with fantasy reprints by award-winning authors Theodora Goss (“Singing of Mount Abora”) and Peter S. Beagle (“Gordon, the Self-Made Cat”).
For our ebook readers, our ebook-exclusive novella is “Lune and the Red Empress” by Liz Williams and Alastair Reynolds, and we have excerpts of the exciting new SF novels vN by Madeline Ashby and Spin the Sky by Katy Stauber.
All that, plus our usual assortment of author and artist spotlights, and feature interviews with physicist Brian Green and bestselling author Garth Nix.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2012
37 people want to read
About the author
John Joseph Adams
369 books988 followersJohn Joseph Adams is the series editor of BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY. He is also the bestselling editor of many other anthologies, such as ROBOT UPRISINGS, DEAD MAN'S HAND, BRAVE NEW WORLDS,WASTELANDS, and THE LIVING DEAD. Recent and forthcoming books include WHAT THE #@&% IS THAT?, OPERATION ARCANA, PRESS START TO PLAY, LOOSED UPON THE WORLD, and THE APOCALYPSE TRIPTYCH (consisting of THE END IS NIGH, THE END IS NOW, and THE END HAS COME). Called “the reigning king of the anthology world” by Barnes & Noble, John is a two-time winner of the Hugo Award (for which he has been nominated nine times), is a seven-time World Fantasy Award finalist, and served as a judge for the 2015 National Book Award. John is also the editor and publisher of the digital magazines LIGHTSPEED and NIGHTMARE, and is a producer for Wired's THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY podcast. You can find him online at www.johnjosephadams.com and on Twitter @JohnJosephAdams.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 19, 2021
I relished Theodora Goss' Singing of Mount Abora and enjoyed fully suspending disbelief to (very) poetic dreamlike license in Maria Dahvana Headley's Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream. Ghost River Red by Aidan Doyle was a nice, solid 3 stars for me, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but Peter S. Beagle's “Gordon, the Self-Made Cat” didn't do much for me. I think it could make a really cute kid's book, though.
Update:
I didn't get into David Brin's The Giving Plague the first time I took a run at it --I was put off by the heavy exposition- but on a retry I read through the whole thing and the idea behind the story is too cool not to love. Brin is great for big big, unusual ideas.
The only one I actively did not like was Requiem in the Key of Prose (great title, though) by Jake Kerr. It was nothing but a Gary Stu hero story with a satellite female character to orbit the hero and provide adulation. That would be fine but annoying, but the worst part is that the MC is objectively a jerk -he's late for a class that is his last and only hope at passing and graduating, careens into The Girl and knocks her lunch tray flying, and was going to just keep going and leave it for her to deal with; the only reason he doesn't is that he double-takes and realizes she's pretty. The author makes a point of writing that she just stood there and watched him clean it up without helping as though this was a haughty thing to do instead of just ...letting him clean up a mess he made. Then he decides, because of The Girl, to not show up at that class after all, and the narrative voice informs us that in that moment, he gave up his entire future for her --this is delivered as a totally straight line. (Shh, don't point out that he was completely responsible for his academic performance up to then: he's busy nobly sacrificing.) Then Girl does what cardboard cutouts of validation do and drifts along in his wake (this is actually, literally spelled out in the story), giving up her own ambitions to adore him until he does what heroes do. The end. [If icky self-insertion lasts longer than you're comfortable with, seek medical advice.]
Update:
I didn't get into David Brin's The Giving Plague the first time I took a run at it --I was put off by the heavy exposition- but on a retry I read through the whole thing and the idea behind the story is too cool not to love. Brin is great for big big, unusual ideas.
The only one I actively did not like was Requiem in the Key of Prose (great title, though) by Jake Kerr. It was nothing but a Gary Stu hero story with a satellite female character to orbit the hero and provide adulation. That would be fine but annoying, but the worst part is that the MC is objectively a jerk -he's late for a class that is his last and only hope at passing and graduating, careens into The Girl and knocks her lunch tray flying, and was going to just keep going and leave it for her to deal with; the only reason he doesn't is that he double-takes and realizes she's pretty. The author makes a point of writing that she just stood there and watched him clean it up without helping as though this was a haughty thing to do instead of just ...letting him clean up a mess he made. Then he decides, because of The Girl, to not show up at that class after all, and the narrative voice informs us that in that moment, he gave up his entire future for her --this is delivered as a totally straight line. (Shh, don't point out that he was completely responsible for his academic performance up to then: he's busy nobly sacrificing.) Then Girl does what cardboard cutouts of validation do and drifts along in his wake (this is actually, literally spelled out in the story), giving up her own ambitions to adore him until he does what heroes do. The end. [If icky self-insertion lasts longer than you're comfortable with, seek medical advice.]
December 24, 2017
I'm going to give this one 5 stars, because they really collected some winners here. I even gave one of the interviews 5 stars! As usual, I skipped some of the fantasy, as I have a definite sci-fi bias, but I was plenty satisfied with this issue. Keep'em coming, J.J. Adams!
Lune and the Red Empress by Liz Williams and Alastair Reynolds - 4 stars - This story had great suspense and plot movement, interesting characters, and a very atmospheric dystopia. I was fascinated by the conflicting struggles going on, and some of the descriptions of cold and light were very poetic. I would have liked more emotional background/connection to the characters, but pretty good for a short story. I was invested in the outcome and enjoyed the curious ending, which invited discussion about what is truly important for existence.
vN [excerpt] by Madeline Ashby - 5 stars - Seems strange to give a book excerpt 5 stars, but this one made me want to go out and buy it, so I can't think of how it could have been better. Very thought-provoking world she is creating here, I am curious to see where it goes.
Spin the Sky [excerpt] by Katy Stauber - 4 stars - Great space yarn told with humor and tension. The excerpt works well in this magazine because it is a complete short story. The novel evidently intersperses little short story reflections among the current day plot, so it isn't clear what the plot is from this snippet, but it is a good introduction to the writing style.
Interview: Brian Greene - 5 stars - Wow, I don't think I've given an interview 5 stars before, this guy is such a great explainer and is absolutely brilliant. Plus, the science / sci-fi connections were delicious, I've added a bunch of books to my to-read list!
Interview: Garth Nix - 3 stars - This was a standard interview: whatcha writing, what's your inspiration. Good, but nothing really stood out and I could have skipped it, except maybe for the Twisterlands referral.
Artist's Gallery/Spotlight - Chris Cold and Tobias Roetsch - 4 stars - These looked stunning but it is really hard to view these on an e-reader, the website version is much better but even that doesn't allow you to see them full size in all their glory.
Requiem in the Key of Prose by Jake Kerr - 5 stars - Wow, this one really moved me. The story by itself was probably just 3 stars, or maybe 4: it was interesting, but it's not something that hasn't been done before. But the execution - just amazing. It is kind of an experimental writing, using writing conventions (metaphor, passive voice, fragments) as actual section headings. The effect is like seeing the story from multiple points of view and reminded me of scenes in Ancillary Justice that did something similar (though in a totally different way). And that finale!
Four Short Novels by Joe Haldeman - 4 stars - This was a quartet of fun stories playing on a fun idea (immortality). Would have been nice if it weren't about four "guys" and the immortality of "man", but it was still entertaining and thought-provoking.
The Sweet Spot by A.M. Dellamonica - 5 stars - This was a haunting story, and not just because of the melancholy singing. The relationships, the trauma of death and desperation, the incomprehensible aliens, the shadow of war - it all worked to create a very atmospheric tale. (It even had fog!) I'm quite pleased that M. Dellamonica has written more stories set in this world.
The Giving Plague by David Brin - 4 stars - A clever idea, with some interesting science, although I thought the characters could have been rounded out more, and at times there was a bit too much exposition. Evidently it was nominated for the Hugo when it was published, so other people must have liked it even more than me.
Ghost River Red by Aidan Doyle
Singing of Mount Abora by Theodora Goss
Gordon, the Self-made Cat by Peter S. Beagle - 4 stars - I read this one because my 7-year-old and I just finished The Tale of Despereaux and the subject reminded me of that book. It had the same kind of cleverness in many ways, and though it was not quite as emotionally moving, it had an even funnier ending. I shared it with my 7-year-old and they enjoyed it even more (63 stars out of 5, Dad!).
Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream by Maria Dahvana Headley - 4 stars - This is one of the weirdest stories I've read in a while (the last one was also from Lightspeed, I'm pretty sure). I did love Ms. Headley's delicious phrasings and imagery, but it was a bit confusing for me and I felt kind of unresolved at the end.
9 Author spotlights - 4 stars - Some good, some meh (Joe Haldeman, could you be any less forthcoming??), but so far I have always found something interesting in this section whether it is an explanation or a book reference or an idea, and so I usually read all of these.
Lune and the Red Empress by Liz Williams and Alastair Reynolds - 4 stars - This story had great suspense and plot movement, interesting characters, and a very atmospheric dystopia. I was fascinated by the conflicting struggles going on, and some of the descriptions of cold and light were very poetic. I would have liked more emotional background/connection to the characters, but pretty good for a short story. I was invested in the outcome and enjoyed the curious ending, which invited discussion about what is truly important for existence.
vN [excerpt] by Madeline Ashby - 5 stars - Seems strange to give a book excerpt 5 stars, but this one made me want to go out and buy it, so I can't think of how it could have been better. Very thought-provoking world she is creating here, I am curious to see where it goes.
Spin the Sky [excerpt] by Katy Stauber - 4 stars - Great space yarn told with humor and tension. The excerpt works well in this magazine because it is a complete short story. The novel evidently intersperses little short story reflections among the current day plot, so it isn't clear what the plot is from this snippet, but it is a good introduction to the writing style.
Interview: Brian Greene - 5 stars - Wow, I don't think I've given an interview 5 stars before, this guy is such a great explainer and is absolutely brilliant. Plus, the science / sci-fi connections were delicious, I've added a bunch of books to my to-read list!
Interview: Garth Nix - 3 stars - This was a standard interview: whatcha writing, what's your inspiration. Good, but nothing really stood out and I could have skipped it, except maybe for the Twisterlands referral.
Artist's Gallery/Spotlight - Chris Cold and Tobias Roetsch - 4 stars - These looked stunning but it is really hard to view these on an e-reader, the website version is much better but even that doesn't allow you to see them full size in all their glory.
Requiem in the Key of Prose by Jake Kerr - 5 stars - Wow, this one really moved me. The story by itself was probably just 3 stars, or maybe 4: it was interesting, but it's not something that hasn't been done before. But the execution - just amazing. It is kind of an experimental writing, using writing conventions (metaphor, passive voice, fragments) as actual section headings. The effect is like seeing the story from multiple points of view and reminded me of scenes in Ancillary Justice that did something similar (though in a totally different way). And that finale!
Four Short Novels by Joe Haldeman - 4 stars - This was a quartet of fun stories playing on a fun idea (immortality). Would have been nice if it weren't about four "guys" and the immortality of "man", but it was still entertaining and thought-provoking.
The Sweet Spot by A.M. Dellamonica - 5 stars - This was a haunting story, and not just because of the melancholy singing. The relationships, the trauma of death and desperation, the incomprehensible aliens, the shadow of war - it all worked to create a very atmospheric tale. (It even had fog!) I'm quite pleased that M. Dellamonica has written more stories set in this world.
The Giving Plague by David Brin - 4 stars - A clever idea, with some interesting science, although I thought the characters could have been rounded out more, and at times there was a bit too much exposition. Evidently it was nominated for the Hugo when it was published, so other people must have liked it even more than me.
Ghost River Red by Aidan Doyle
Singing of Mount Abora by Theodora Goss
Gordon, the Self-made Cat by Peter S. Beagle - 4 stars - I read this one because my 7-year-old and I just finished The Tale of Despereaux and the subject reminded me of that book. It had the same kind of cleverness in many ways, and though it was not quite as emotionally moving, it had an even funnier ending. I shared it with my 7-year-old and they enjoyed it even more (63 stars out of 5, Dad!).
Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream by Maria Dahvana Headley - 4 stars - This is one of the weirdest stories I've read in a while (the last one was also from Lightspeed, I'm pretty sure). I did love Ms. Headley's delicious phrasings and imagery, but it was a bit confusing for me and I felt kind of unresolved at the end.
9 Author spotlights - 4 stars - Some good, some meh (Joe Haldeman, could you be any less forthcoming??), but so far I have always found something interesting in this section whether it is an explanation or a book reference or an idea, and so I usually read all of these.
October 5, 2024
This is quite like Alastair's previous story,
Sleepover
, in that it's a collision of various genres tightly packed together into a novella: shaken, stirred, blended, and any other means necessary to squash them in.
Where it's different to Sleepover , is that this novella actually works. Maybe Liz Williams' co-writing helped.
I liked it anyway.
Alastair's next story in the timeline of publishing is At Budokan .
Where it's different to Sleepover , is that this novella actually works. Maybe Liz Williams' co-writing helped.
I liked it anyway.
Alastair's next story in the timeline of publishing is At Budokan .
June 12, 2013
This issue stories:
Novella:
Lune and the Red Empress by Liz Williams ****
Science Fiction Short Stories:
The Sweet Spot by A. M. Dellamonica ****
Requiem in the Key of Prose by Jake Kerr ***1/2
Four Short Novels by Joe Haldeman ****1/2
The Giving Plague by David Brin ****
Fantasy Short Stories:
Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream by Dahvana Headley ****
Ghost River Red by Aidan Doyle ****
Singing of Mount Abora by Theodora Goss ***1/2
Gordon, the Self-Made Cat by Peter S. Beagle ****
Novella:
Lune and the Red Empress by Liz Williams ****
Science Fiction Short Stories:
The Sweet Spot by A. M. Dellamonica ****
Requiem in the Key of Prose by Jake Kerr ***1/2
Four Short Novels by Joe Haldeman ****1/2
The Giving Plague by David Brin ****
Fantasy Short Stories:
Give Her Honey When You Hear Her Scream by Dahvana Headley ****
Ghost River Red by Aidan Doyle ****
Singing of Mount Abora by Theodora Goss ***1/2
Gordon, the Self-Made Cat by Peter S. Beagle ****
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews