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Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 203, August 2023
Clarkesworld is a Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning science fiction and fantasy magazine. Each month we bring you a mix of fiction, articles, interviews and art. Our August 2023 issue (#203)
150 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2023
About the author
Neil Clarke
414 books406 followersNeil Clarke is best known as the editor and publisher of the Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning
Clarkesworld Magazine.
Launched in October 2006, the online magazine has been a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Semiprozine four times (winning three times), the World Fantasy Award four times (winning once), and the British Fantasy Award once (winning once). Neil is also a ten-time finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Editor Short Form (winning once in 2022), three-time winner of the Chesley Award for Best Art Director, and a recipient of the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award. In the fifteen years since Clarkesworld Magazine launched, numerous stories that he has published have been nominated for or won the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Sturgeon, Locus, BSFA, Shirley Jackson, WSFA Small Press, and Stoker Awards.
Additionally, Neil edits Forever —a digital-only, reprint science fiction magazine he launched in 2015. His anthologies include: Upgraded, Galactic Empires, Touchable Unreality, More Human than Human, The Final Frontier, Not One of Us, The Eagle has Landed, , and the Best Science Fiction of the Year series. His next anthology, The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Seven will published in early 2023.
He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and two sons.
Additionally, Neil edits Forever —a digital-only, reprint science fiction magazine he launched in 2015. His anthologies include: Upgraded, Galactic Empires, Touchable Unreality, More Human than Human, The Final Frontier, Not One of Us, The Eagle has Landed, , and the Best Science Fiction of the Year series. His next anthology, The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Seven will published in early 2023.
He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
partially-read
February 16, 2024Partially read -I mean to read a few more of the stories (3 of them are in the Clarkesworld readers' poll finalists)
February 15th, 2024: Gel Pen Notes From Generation Ship Y by Marisca Pichette, also on that readers' poll list. A near future kind of future, where excess "young" people on earth where given an immortality implant and stuck in a generation (surely not, but it says there on the title and story) ship to Proxima Centauri. And this story really did not click for me, the sense of centuries was not there, the choice of a very near future (our main character born in 1997) and impossible to us tech kept disturbing me (as did some other science tech related things. I must rant explicitly at the notion that the shortest route between two stars which move would always be the same and like an highway they would "see" any overtaking ships... But there were other ideas) and emotionally I never connected to the characters or the stationery thing. Clearly the story has its fans to have made it for the shortlist though.
February 12th, 2024: Window Boy by Thomas Ha, a proper sf dystopic short story, very in touch with classic sf ideas but with some modern thought details (ah, the parcel rooms... climate change and all). A bit Paolo Bacigalupi, if that means anything to you. It is very good, depressing but interesting, though I thought the characterization was not as strong as the dystopian-ness of the scenario..
Started, February 11th 2024th: “Light Speed Is Not a Speed” by Andy Dudak a dreamy novelette, with very complex (fantasy? fantasy-like!) worldbuilding. Maybe too complex worldbuilding for its length (I can deal with more experimental forms, but clear cut narratives are elegant...) or not sure if this is a universe shared with other stories from the author, but it is certainly confusing what is what, the political entities, the rules, the timeline. (I am not rereading though, I liked it but not that much) But it fits together, with some pay-off at the ending, says a few things (vaguely) about colonialism and inequality, and there is a lot of vividness to the storytelling. Not my cup of tea, but a good cup of tea for who likes this kind of thing (I thought it reminded me a bit of Premee Mohamed ...)
February 15th, 2024: Gel Pen Notes From Generation Ship Y by Marisca Pichette, also on that readers' poll list. A near future kind of future, where excess "young" people on earth where given an immortality implant and stuck in a generation (surely not, but it says there on the title and story) ship to Proxima Centauri. And this story really did not click for me, the sense of centuries was not there, the choice of a very near future (our main character born in 1997) and impossible to us tech kept disturbing me (as did some other science tech related things. I must rant explicitly at the notion that the shortest route between two stars which move would always be the same and like an highway they would "see" any overtaking ships... But there were other ideas) and emotionally I never connected to the characters or the stationery thing. Clearly the story has its fans to have made it for the shortlist though.
February 12th, 2024: Window Boy by Thomas Ha, a proper sf dystopic short story, very in touch with classic sf ideas but with some modern thought details (ah, the parcel rooms... climate change and all). A bit Paolo Bacigalupi, if that means anything to you. It is very good, depressing but interesting, though I thought the characterization was not as strong as the dystopian-ness of the scenario..
Started, February 11th 2024th: “Light Speed Is Not a Speed” by Andy Dudak a dreamy novelette, with very complex (fantasy? fantasy-like!) worldbuilding. Maybe too complex worldbuilding for its length (I can deal with more experimental forms, but clear cut narratives are elegant...) or not sure if this is a universe shared with other stories from the author, but it is certainly confusing what is what, the political entities, the rules, the timeline. (I am not rereading though, I liked it but not that much) But it fits together, with some pay-off at the ending, says a few things (vaguely) about colonialism and inequality, and there is a lot of vividness to the storytelling. Not my cup of tea, but a good cup of tea for who likes this kind of thing (I thought it reminded me a bit of Premee Mohamed ...)
August 15, 2023
An average issue, with interesting stories by Stephen Case, Thomas Ha and M. J. Pettit.
- "Every Seed Is a Prayer (And Your World Is a Seed)" by Stephen Case: in the future, an AI is assigned the task of greening the world by using algorithms to replant the trees and to monitor them using drones. But as time passes, the AI begins to make choices and introduce technology that its makers and users barely understand, or what its final objective would be.
- "Window Boy" by Thomas Ha: in the future most people live in sheltered houses, safe from the horrors of the outside world, except for some. The child of a family in such a home somehow becomes friends with one such outside person, who comes to his window. But the view of the outside is 'filtered' and it needs, some willpower for the child to reduce the filters to reveal just what is actually now found outside.
- "Light Speed Is Not a Speed" by Andy Dudak: a meandering story about the life of a storyteller in a world undergoing revolutions.
- "Who Can Have the Moon" by Congyun 'Muming' Gu, translated by Tian Huang: the story of a girl who grows up loving art but is forced by circumstance to work on more mundane artwork. But the future would appear brighter when she starts to gain an appreciate audience for her work.
- "Empathetic Ear" by M. J. Pettit: an overworked academic reluctantly takes part in a study where an earpiece gives her 'advice' to improve her empathy with students. But it becomes too much when it starts to take over her thinking, leading her to wonder which are her thoughts and which are those being fed to her.
- "Gel Pen Notes from Generation Ship Y" by Marisca Pichette: a spaceship is on a long journey to a new world, with only one generation of apparently immortal colonist. But death still happens, by accident or otherwise, and life appears deary to the people waiting for the journey to end. But an unexpected event would give new hope to the colonists.
- "Resistant" by Koji A. Dae: It's a future where nanobots connect the brain of people to the network. But some people are unable to take part due to rejection. One such person goes to a clinic that may offer hope of another kind of implant that may not be approved by other people.
- "Every Seed Is a Prayer (And Your World Is a Seed)" by Stephen Case: in the future, an AI is assigned the task of greening the world by using algorithms to replant the trees and to monitor them using drones. But as time passes, the AI begins to make choices and introduce technology that its makers and users barely understand, or what its final objective would be.
- "Window Boy" by Thomas Ha: in the future most people live in sheltered houses, safe from the horrors of the outside world, except for some. The child of a family in such a home somehow becomes friends with one such outside person, who comes to his window. But the view of the outside is 'filtered' and it needs, some willpower for the child to reduce the filters to reveal just what is actually now found outside.
- "Light Speed Is Not a Speed" by Andy Dudak: a meandering story about the life of a storyteller in a world undergoing revolutions.
- "Who Can Have the Moon" by Congyun 'Muming' Gu, translated by Tian Huang: the story of a girl who grows up loving art but is forced by circumstance to work on more mundane artwork. But the future would appear brighter when she starts to gain an appreciate audience for her work.
- "Empathetic Ear" by M. J. Pettit: an overworked academic reluctantly takes part in a study where an earpiece gives her 'advice' to improve her empathy with students. But it becomes too much when it starts to take over her thinking, leading her to wonder which are her thoughts and which are those being fed to her.
- "Gel Pen Notes from Generation Ship Y" by Marisca Pichette: a spaceship is on a long journey to a new world, with only one generation of apparently immortal colonist. But death still happens, by accident or otherwise, and life appears deary to the people waiting for the journey to end. But an unexpected event would give new hope to the colonists.
- "Resistant" by Koji A. Dae: It's a future where nanobots connect the brain of people to the network. But some people are unable to take part due to rejection. One such person goes to a clinic that may offer hope of another kind of implant that may not be approved by other people.
September 10, 2023
Every Seed Is a Prayer (And Your World is a Seed) by Stephen Case - Ava and Odem are helping with the Greenbelt tree reforestation. El is the artificial intelligence that runs that program to take carbon out of the atmosphere. Drones and robots create new strains of trees and create a giant forest that stretches from Canada to Mexico. I liked this the more I thought about it. The end was crazy though, I can't believe El basically created a new species of space-faring trees and Odem was killed by the fire!
Window boy by Thomas Ha - A horror-like story in Clarkesworld? Sounds good to me. A boy is feeding a wild boy that comes to his window. In a world that has been taken over by beings called "Gracklers," people have to live underground. Armed Mailmen that are half robot deliver necessities to these people. Is the wild boy to be trusted? Fun story but nothing special.
Light Speed is Not a Speed by Andy Dudak - A secondary world about bards who rewrite history and their gods. An interesting premise that builds on the idea that the ones that write the history set the truth and can change history. This specific bard, El, rewrites himself as a god. If it was executed a little better, I would have liked it a lot more.
Who Can Have the Moon by Congyun "Muming" Gu, translated by Tian Huang - Beautifully written, albeit floundering novelette about self-expression with art and what art truly is to the artist. A lot of talk about NFTs and the digital evolution of 3D modeling. Made me think a lot about what the future may look with art and the online space.
Empathetic Ear by M.J. Pettit - I really liked this one. A history teacher is struggling with the current standards and metrics of academia. They are not performing well in there job and is made to get a device that helps regulate their subvocal thoughts so that they become a more empathetic person. The device soon starts to tell them what to say in situations, even if it might be at the detriment of herself. A great story that brought up compassion fatigue and mindfulness, two things that I am very interested in learning and working more on.
Gel Pen Notes From Generation Ship Y by Marisca Pichette - A generation ship is leaving earth with a group of people who graduated high school together in the late 90s. They cannot age nor can they have children. When the trip is centuries long, can the human mind handle it? I really liked this one.
Resistant by Koji A. Dae - Some people are resistant to the nanobots that doctors are injecting into people's brains. Is this for the good or not?
Window boy by Thomas Ha - A horror-like story in Clarkesworld? Sounds good to me. A boy is feeding a wild boy that comes to his window. In a world that has been taken over by beings called "Gracklers," people have to live underground. Armed Mailmen that are half robot deliver necessities to these people. Is the wild boy to be trusted? Fun story but nothing special.
Light Speed is Not a Speed by Andy Dudak - A secondary world about bards who rewrite history and their gods. An interesting premise that builds on the idea that the ones that write the history set the truth and can change history. This specific bard, El, rewrites himself as a god. If it was executed a little better, I would have liked it a lot more.
Who Can Have the Moon by Congyun "Muming" Gu, translated by Tian Huang - Beautifully written, albeit floundering novelette about self-expression with art and what art truly is to the artist. A lot of talk about NFTs and the digital evolution of 3D modeling. Made me think a lot about what the future may look with art and the online space.
Empathetic Ear by M.J. Pettit - I really liked this one. A history teacher is struggling with the current standards and metrics of academia. They are not performing well in there job and is made to get a device that helps regulate their subvocal thoughts so that they become a more empathetic person. The device soon starts to tell them what to say in situations, even if it might be at the detriment of herself. A great story that brought up compassion fatigue and mindfulness, two things that I am very interested in learning and working more on.
Gel Pen Notes From Generation Ship Y by Marisca Pichette - A generation ship is leaving earth with a group of people who graduated high school together in the late 90s. They cannot age nor can they have children. When the trip is centuries long, can the human mind handle it? I really liked this one.
Resistant by Koji A. Dae - Some people are resistant to the nanobots that doctors are injecting into people's brains. Is this for the good or not?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2023
Originally published at myreadinglife.com.
The August issue of Clarkesworld Magazine is another that I read over my vacation. Once again, my brief reviews of the fiction in the issue.
It opens with a technological retelling of Adam, Eve, and the garden of Eden in "Every Seed is a Prayer (And Your World is a Seed)" by Stephen Case. Ava joins Odem at a station in the midst of a forest managed by AI El. Their job is to fix the drones, but they drift further and further apart regarding doing what they are told. An interesting future perspective on an old myth. (My rating: 4/5)
"Window Boy" by Thomas Ha starts out as a simple enough story. A boy sits staring out a window while waiting to go to boarding school and occasionally talks to the "window boy". But after the window boy asks him for something, he starts to realize that things aren't what they seem. An interesting take on haves and have-nots in the future. (My rating: 3/5)
I didn't really get "Light Speed Is Not a Speed" by Andy Dudak. For me it was a confusing mish-mash of a history of a storyteller on a world seeded by humans. (My rating: 2/5)
Clarkesworld often has Chinese science fiction in its pages. In "Who Can Have the Moon" by Congyun ‘Muming’ Gu, translated by Tian Huang, a poor Chinese woman with nothing grows up to become a famous artist of 3D dream boxes. It's about the transition from 2D to 3D and digital art. Well told, and it is always good to get a different culture's view of science fiction. (My rating: 4/5)
A history lecturer at an English university deals with discrimination and becomes an unwitting accomplice in a plan that eliminates her job in "Empathetic Ear" by M. J. Pettit. An interesting perspective and exploration of discrimination and the politics surrounding it. (My rating: 4/5)
"Gel Pen Notes from Generation Ship Y" by Marisca Pichette is a unique twist on the story of a ship that will take generations to reach its destination. The ship leaves earth for Proxima Centauri with a crew of people sterile and unable to age. How does one handle generations of time without aging? What does endless life aboard a ship do to those on board? (My rating: 3/5)
In the future, everyone has nanobots installed in their body. These regulate and heal the body. Everybody has them implanted in their youth. But what happens if your body rejects them? That is the premise of "Resistant" by Koji A. Dae. For me it felt a bit like an allegory for an abortion clinic(?). (My rating: 3/5)
This issue tried some unique story lines. Some worked for me. Others not so much. Over all for me the issue is 3.29 out of five starts.
The August issue of Clarkesworld Magazine is another that I read over my vacation. Once again, my brief reviews of the fiction in the issue.
It opens with a technological retelling of Adam, Eve, and the garden of Eden in "Every Seed is a Prayer (And Your World is a Seed)" by Stephen Case. Ava joins Odem at a station in the midst of a forest managed by AI El. Their job is to fix the drones, but they drift further and further apart regarding doing what they are told. An interesting future perspective on an old myth. (My rating: 4/5)
"Window Boy" by Thomas Ha starts out as a simple enough story. A boy sits staring out a window while waiting to go to boarding school and occasionally talks to the "window boy". But after the window boy asks him for something, he starts to realize that things aren't what they seem. An interesting take on haves and have-nots in the future. (My rating: 3/5)
I didn't really get "Light Speed Is Not a Speed" by Andy Dudak. For me it was a confusing mish-mash of a history of a storyteller on a world seeded by humans. (My rating: 2/5)
Clarkesworld often has Chinese science fiction in its pages. In "Who Can Have the Moon" by Congyun ‘Muming’ Gu, translated by Tian Huang, a poor Chinese woman with nothing grows up to become a famous artist of 3D dream boxes. It's about the transition from 2D to 3D and digital art. Well told, and it is always good to get a different culture's view of science fiction. (My rating: 4/5)
A history lecturer at an English university deals with discrimination and becomes an unwitting accomplice in a plan that eliminates her job in "Empathetic Ear" by M. J. Pettit. An interesting perspective and exploration of discrimination and the politics surrounding it. (My rating: 4/5)
"Gel Pen Notes from Generation Ship Y" by Marisca Pichette is a unique twist on the story of a ship that will take generations to reach its destination. The ship leaves earth for Proxima Centauri with a crew of people sterile and unable to age. How does one handle generations of time without aging? What does endless life aboard a ship do to those on board? (My rating: 3/5)
In the future, everyone has nanobots installed in their body. These regulate and heal the body. Everybody has them implanted in their youth. But what happens if your body rejects them? That is the premise of "Resistant" by Koji A. Dae. For me it felt a bit like an allegory for an abortion clinic(?). (My rating: 3/5)
This issue tried some unique story lines. Some worked for me. Others not so much. Over all for me the issue is 3.29 out of five starts.
September 7, 2023
There, always there, whether he watched the screen or not.
This was my first Clarkeworld, and like a lot of short fiction collections it was a mixed bag! I really, really enjoyed Window Boy (Thomas Ha) and all the creepy, looming horror it brought. Every time Jakey turned down the filters, I had a physical response--It was genuinely unsettling. I thought Resistant (Koji A. Dae) was also especially relatable in its intersection of technology, neurodivergence, and the medical system--but most especially in the line about liking people rather than patients. Finally, Gel Pen Notes from Generation Y Ship (Marisca Pichette) was such a lovely, horrible look at memory and immortality. I always love having an optimistic piece to treasure.
That said, most of the NFT and AI works were a flop for me. I didn't find any of them particularly enlightening or saying very much of importance (though several definitely believed they had something important to say). The NFT story in particular, Who Can Have the Moon (Congyun "Muming" Gu) had an interesting feeling of a very outdated work despite first being published in 2022. I would have liked to see more connection to the story telling to help carry these pieces through such rapid technology changes.
I was happy with the non-fiction selections. None of them particularly wowed me, but I did find them interesting and worthwhile. I look forward to the next edition!
October 23, 2023
This one was an average issue at best, there were too many unimpressive stories.
“Every Seed a Prayer (And Your World is a Seed)” by Stephen Case – so, you want to reverse climate change and have built an AI to do it? Are sure this is a good idea? Creepy! 4.0 stars.
“Window Boy” by Thomas Ha – a dystopian tale of friendship and betrayal. I liked the writing and the world building. 4.0 stars.
“Light Speed is Not a Speed” by Andy Dudak – the world was interesting, but the story felt too disjointed. It didn’t move me. The ending was nice, though. 3.5 stars.
“Who Can Have the Moon” by Congyun ‘Muming’ Gu – a reflective, speculative story of near future, technology, and art. It was fragmented and slow, but I enjoyed it anyway. 3.8 stars.
“Empathetic Ear” by M. J. Petit – the academic setting made my eye twitch. The story idea is very interesting, but I didn’t care for neither the execution nor the writing/characters. 2.8 stars.
“Gel Pen Notes from Generation Y” by Marisca Pichette – as a generation ship story, this one doesn’t make sense. It works as a thought experiment and exploration of human condition. I have mixed feelings. 3.2 stars.
“Resistant” by Koji A. Dae – in a future world where you are required to have nano implants, what happens if you are one of the few whose bodies reject them. The premise is excellent. 4.2 stars.
“Every Seed a Prayer (And Your World is a Seed)” by Stephen Case – so, you want to reverse climate change and have built an AI to do it? Are sure this is a good idea? Creepy! 4.0 stars.
“Window Boy” by Thomas Ha – a dystopian tale of friendship and betrayal. I liked the writing and the world building. 4.0 stars.
“Light Speed is Not a Speed” by Andy Dudak – the world was interesting, but the story felt too disjointed. It didn’t move me. The ending was nice, though. 3.5 stars.
“Who Can Have the Moon” by Congyun ‘Muming’ Gu – a reflective, speculative story of near future, technology, and art. It was fragmented and slow, but I enjoyed it anyway. 3.8 stars.
“Empathetic Ear” by M. J. Petit – the academic setting made my eye twitch. The story idea is very interesting, but I didn’t care for neither the execution nor the writing/characters. 2.8 stars.
“Gel Pen Notes from Generation Y” by Marisca Pichette – as a generation ship story, this one doesn’t make sense. It works as a thought experiment and exploration of human condition. I have mixed feelings. 3.2 stars.
“Resistant” by Koji A. Dae – in a future world where you are required to have nano implants, what happens if you are one of the few whose bodies reject them. The premise is excellent. 4.2 stars.
October 5, 2023
Clarkesworld Magazine issue #203 (August, 2023). You can read the stories online or listen to the podcast, hosted and narrated by the lovely Kate Baker https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/prio...
Consider supporting them on Patreon.
Onwards with more high quality sci-fi offerings:
Every Seed Is a Prayer (And Your World Is a Seed) by Stephen Case
Window Boy by Thomas Ha
Light Speed is Not a Speed by Andy Dudak
Who Can Have the Moon by Congyun ‘Murning’ GU
Empathetic Ear by M.J. Pettit
Gel Pen Notes by Marisca Pichette
and Resistant by Koji A. Dae
All stories were exceptional and very diverse, I really Empathetic Ear by M.J. Pettit.
(I didn’t read the three non-fiction offerings).
Themes: sci-fi, fantasy, space opera, dystopian, AI, aliens.
4 Stars
Consider supporting them on Patreon.
Onwards with more high quality sci-fi offerings:
Every Seed Is a Prayer (And Your World Is a Seed) by Stephen Case
Window Boy by Thomas Ha
Light Speed is Not a Speed by Andy Dudak
Who Can Have the Moon by Congyun ‘Murning’ GU
Empathetic Ear by M.J. Pettit
Gel Pen Notes by Marisca Pichette
and Resistant by Koji A. Dae
All stories were exceptional and very diverse, I really Empathetic Ear by M.J. Pettit.
(I didn’t read the three non-fiction offerings).
Themes: sci-fi, fantasy, space opera, dystopian, AI, aliens.
4 Stars
September 3, 2023
FICTION
Every Seed Is a Prayer (And Your World Is a Seed) BY STEPHEN CASE
Deforestation. 3 ⭐
Window Boy BY THOMAS HA
Incredible setting & creepy atmosphere. Feels like apocalyptic dystopian. 5 ⭐
Empathetic Ear BY M. J. PETTIT
I love this. The idea of AI who learns from teachers's response to students which is used to completely replace the human role. Also, the Ear is whispering at you. 5 ⭐
Resistant BY KOJI A. DAE
In the near future where the brain implants is possible, one patient is resistant to it (they've had synesthesia). 3 ⭐
- Light Speed Is Not a Speed BY ANDY DUDAK
- Who Can Have the Moon BY CONGYUN 'MUMING' GU, TRANSLATED BY TIAN HUANG
- Gel Pen Notes from Generation Ship Y BY MARISCA PICHETTE
Every Seed Is a Prayer (And Your World Is a Seed) BY STEPHEN CASE
Deforestation. 3 ⭐
Window Boy BY THOMAS HA
Incredible setting & creepy atmosphere. Feels like apocalyptic dystopian. 5 ⭐
Empathetic Ear BY M. J. PETTIT
I love this. The idea of AI who learns from teachers's response to students which is used to completely replace the human role. Also, the Ear is whispering at you. 5 ⭐
Resistant BY KOJI A. DAE
In the near future where the brain implants is possible, one patient is resistant to it (they've had synesthesia). 3 ⭐
- Light Speed Is Not a Speed BY ANDY DUDAK
- Who Can Have the Moon BY CONGYUN 'MUMING' GU, TRANSLATED BY TIAN HUANG
- Gel Pen Notes from Generation Ship Y BY MARISCA PICHETTE
November 29, 2023
Fell off the wagon with Clarkesworld back in the summer and I'm only just now putting it together that the current issue was also part of the problem. One of the weaker ones-- and I think every story except the first was guilty of meandering, which is such a strange and unfortunate problem for them all to share. Hoping I can clear that mental hurdle now and get back to finishing the backlog.
September 14, 2023
Every Seed is a Prayer - 3.5
Window Boy - 3
Light Speed is Not a Speed - DNF
Who can have the Moon- 3
Empathetic Ear - 3.8
Gel Pen Notes from Generation Ship Y - 4 (reminded me of Aniara, which i watched 2 days ago)
Resistant - 4
Window Boy - 3
Light Speed is Not a Speed - DNF
Who can have the Moon- 3
Empathetic Ear - 3.8
Gel Pen Notes from Generation Ship Y - 4 (reminded me of Aniara, which i watched 2 days ago)
Resistant - 4
Read
November 2, 2025"Window Boy" is a fantastic concept but a disappointing execution.
"Every Seed is a Prayer" held my interest throughout, and did a great job of exploring the thought experiment it was proposing. The finale was a little bit cheesy but understandable.
I haven't read the others.
"Every Seed is a Prayer" held my interest throughout, and did a great job of exploring the thought experiment it was proposing. The finale was a little bit cheesy but understandable.
I haven't read the others.
August 12, 2023
Favorite stories from this issue:
- Every Seed Is a Prayer (And Your World Is a Seed) by Stephen Case
- Who Can Have the Moon by Congyun ‘Muming’ GU, Translated by Tian Huang
- Every Seed Is a Prayer (And Your World Is a Seed) by Stephen Case
- Who Can Have the Moon by Congyun ‘Muming’ GU, Translated by Tian Huang
Read
October 28, 2023Gel Pen Notes and Empathetic Ear are both very good, though I'm not convinced by the second's ending.
November 7, 2023
Final rating: 2.66/5 stars
March 5, 2024
Strong issue. I particularly enjoyed the Ha story.
Read
July 28, 2024Nebula finalist:
"Window Boy", Thomas Ha (good!)
"Window Boy", Thomas Ha (good!)
August 26, 2024
Worth it for Window Boy, if nothing else. Although the rest is pretty good too.
Read
January 15, 2026Only read "Window Boy"
February 22, 2026
Read: WINDOW BOY (Thomas Ha)
Very efficient, very chilling, 10/10 sort of short story. Fantastic.
-> https clarkesworldmagazine dot com slash ha_08_23
Very efficient, very chilling, 10/10 sort of short story. Fantastic.
-> https clarkesworldmagazine dot com slash ha_08_23
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews