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Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 99, December 2014
FICTION
“Fatima's Wound” by Kali Wallace
“The Magician and Laplace's Demon” by Tom Crosshill
“Now Dress Me in My Finest Suit and Lay Me in My Casket” by M. Bennardo
“No Vera There” by Dominica Phetteplace
“The Emperor of Mars” by Allen M. Steele
“The Sledge-Maker's Daughter” by Alastair Reynolds
“Tongtong's Summer” by Xia Jia, translated by Ken Liu
NON-FICTION
“China Dreams: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction” by Ken Liu
“In Civilized Society: A Conversation with Kameron Hurley” by Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
“Another Word: Endings” by Daniel Abraham
“Editor's Desk: Giant Heads” by Neil Clarke
“Fatima's Wound” by Kali Wallace
“The Magician and Laplace's Demon” by Tom Crosshill
“Now Dress Me in My Finest Suit and Lay Me in My Casket” by M. Bennardo
“No Vera There” by Dominica Phetteplace
“The Emperor of Mars” by Allen M. Steele
“The Sledge-Maker's Daughter” by Alastair Reynolds
“Tongtong's Summer” by Xia Jia, translated by Ken Liu
NON-FICTION
“China Dreams: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction” by Ken Liu
“In Civilized Society: A Conversation with Kameron Hurley” by Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
“Another Word: Endings” by Daniel Abraham
“Editor's Desk: Giant Heads” by Neil Clarke
128 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2014
2 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Neil Clarke
403 books403 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 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 9, 2016
Although the sci-fi elements emerge from this story, it starts out with almost a traditional fantasy feel, as a poor village girl tries to avoid abuse from her father's boss' son as she runs an errand to the home of the old woman who's known - and feared - locally, as a witch. At the witch's house, the girl will receive a way to defend herself - and secrets will be revealed about not only her people's history, but what they may face in the future.
September 4, 2016
First of all, it's DAUGHTER in the title, not plural.
I very much enjoyed this short story. It's a lovely melding of post-apocalyptic earth set in and around a small iron+ age village. The 2 main characters (Kathrin and the old Witch) are interesting and real, and 2 of the supporting cast are nice.
The underlying plot is well known but very nicely realised by Reynolds. Unfortunately, the story ends just before a climax. Another chapter or two would have been nice. A sequel to this story would take Kathrin's new life into the future quite nicely and easily.
Very nice, very short
I very much enjoyed this short story. It's a lovely melding of post-apocalyptic earth set in and around a small iron+ age village. The 2 main characters (Kathrin and the old Witch) are interesting and real, and 2 of the supporting cast are nice.
The underlying plot is well known but very nicely realised by Reynolds. Unfortunately, the story ends just before a climax. Another chapter or two would have been nice. A sequel to this story would take Kathrin's new life into the future quite nicely and easily.
Very nice, very short
Read
January 25, 2018I listened to the story "The Sledge Maker's Daughter" by Alastair Reynolds as a podcast via StarShipSofa http://www.starshipsofa.com/blog/2018...
Text and audio available here as well: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/reyno...
Text and audio available here as well: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/reyno...
September 23, 2015
A magician and an AI are locked in a long, long duel.
The AI is programmed to keep humanity safe and happy. Magic is unpredictability, and that's not safe...
When the AI meets a real magician and discovers what she can do, it's clear it needs to first, understand magic, and second, eliminate magic and the threat the magicians represent.
This is a neat little conflict, seen entirely through the eyes of the AI, who over the centuries comes to permeate and control all of human existence--except the magicians. It takes over a thousand years to get lucky and find the crucial information that enables the identification and elimination of magicians, one by one.
But what if magic and magicians are essential to the survival of the universe?
And what really happens at the end?
Quick, enjoyable, and interesting. Recommended.
The AI is programmed to keep humanity safe and happy. Magic is unpredictability, and that's not safe...
When the AI meets a real magician and discovers what she can do, it's clear it needs to first, understand magic, and second, eliminate magic and the threat the magicians represent.
This is a neat little conflict, seen entirely through the eyes of the AI, who over the centuries comes to permeate and control all of human existence--except the magicians. It takes over a thousand years to get lucky and find the crucial information that enables the identification and elimination of magicians, one by one.
But what if magic and magicians are essential to the survival of the universe?
And what really happens at the end?
Quick, enjoyable, and interesting. Recommended.
March 28, 2021
Clarksworld books are an absolute treat to get in the mail and worth way more than its cost. I recommend subscribing to the book club and the podcast. It’s a terrific source for discovering new SF authors from all over the world.
January 5, 2015
A couple of the stories from this issue hung with me.
Tom Crosshill's The Magician and Laplace's Demon worked best for me. This is a highly subjective line, but its blend of science fiction and fantasy right up my alley. Occasionally, it was a little heavy-handed on the exposition, but the combination of philosophy and science (I wasn't familiar with Laplace's Demon before this) made the story come back to mind a few times and gave me some good stuff to talk about with friends.
Next was Xia Jia's Tongtong's Summer. The characters were charming, and the near future technology was interesting. It felt a bit like a short version of a bildungsroman. It didn't give me a lot to think about on its own, but, while reading Ken Liu's essay at the end, it added to the encouragement he gave to check out more Chinese science fiction. In fact, after reading Liu's piece, I immediately went out and downloaded an issue of Pathlight. I'm eager to get into it.
Dominica Phetteplace's No Vera There left me feeling a bit unsatisfied at the end. After trying to write a quick synopsis, though, I realized that the story dealt with questions, and the partly unresolved feeling of the ending completed the feel of the story. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but I'll be certain to check out more from Phetteplace.
The rest of the stories didn't strike me as much, but more of them had the problem of endings for me. The stories from Bennardo and Wallace both left me feeling unsatisfied when I was finished, even though I liked both their writing overall. This problem of endings became more interesting after I finished Daniel Abraham's short essay at the end. After just a couple issues, I've already come to look forward to these "Another Word" entries. Abraham gives a look into endings, but rather than taking a more narrow focus on the craft of writing, he pulls back to take a broader view of society and the expectations lots of us have built up.
Like Crosshill's story, Steele's and Reynolds's were a bit heavy on the exposition. They both were on the other side of the line for me, though. They both clearly have a mastery of the craft, but these particular stories were only slightly above average.
Finally is the interview with Kameron Hurley. I still haven't read any of her fiction, but the more I read from her blog and read/hear of her in interviews, the more eager I am to get to her fiction. I like this newer wave (mostly I'm thinking of Hurley, Jemisin, and Leckie) of authors who have a definite goal of making fiction more inclusive, but who primarily are interested in making exciting stories. I've even got a copy of Hurley's The Mirror Empire waiting on my ereader, I've just got to finish up a couple other things first.
Overall, this was a good issue, but I'm more excited to get to the next one. Number 100 is longer and has the first of the new stories from their Chinese SF project.
Tom Crosshill's The Magician and Laplace's Demon worked best for me. This is a highly subjective line, but its blend of science fiction and fantasy right up my alley. Occasionally, it was a little heavy-handed on the exposition, but the combination of philosophy and science (I wasn't familiar with Laplace's Demon before this) made the story come back to mind a few times and gave me some good stuff to talk about with friends.
Next was Xia Jia's Tongtong's Summer. The characters were charming, and the near future technology was interesting. It felt a bit like a short version of a bildungsroman. It didn't give me a lot to think about on its own, but, while reading Ken Liu's essay at the end, it added to the encouragement he gave to check out more Chinese science fiction. In fact, after reading Liu's piece, I immediately went out and downloaded an issue of Pathlight. I'm eager to get into it.
Dominica Phetteplace's No Vera There left me feeling a bit unsatisfied at the end. After trying to write a quick synopsis, though, I realized that the story dealt with questions, and the partly unresolved feeling of the ending completed the feel of the story. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but I'll be certain to check out more from Phetteplace.
The rest of the stories didn't strike me as much, but more of them had the problem of endings for me. The stories from Bennardo and Wallace both left me feeling unsatisfied when I was finished, even though I liked both their writing overall. This problem of endings became more interesting after I finished Daniel Abraham's short essay at the end. After just a couple issues, I've already come to look forward to these "Another Word" entries. Abraham gives a look into endings, but rather than taking a more narrow focus on the craft of writing, he pulls back to take a broader view of society and the expectations lots of us have built up.
Like Crosshill's story, Steele's and Reynolds's were a bit heavy on the exposition. They both were on the other side of the line for me, though. They both clearly have a mastery of the craft, but these particular stories were only slightly above average.
Finally is the interview with Kameron Hurley. I still haven't read any of her fiction, but the more I read from her blog and read/hear of her in interviews, the more eager I am to get to her fiction. I like this newer wave (mostly I'm thinking of Hurley, Jemisin, and Leckie) of authors who have a definite goal of making fiction more inclusive, but who primarily are interested in making exciting stories. I've even got a copy of Hurley's The Mirror Empire waiting on my ereader, I've just got to finish up a couple other things first.
Overall, this was a good issue, but I'm more excited to get to the next one. Number 100 is longer and has the first of the new stories from their Chinese SF project.
December 23, 2014
Another strong issue.
Original fiction:
"Fatima's Wound" by Kali Wallace - compelling but disturbing story about people being fed/feeding themselves to a black hole.
"The Magician and Laplace's Demon" by Tom Crosshill - really loved this one. It's about an AI hunting down magicians. Magic can exist in SF, it just can't be proven!
"Now Dress Me in my Finest Suit and Lay Me in My Casket" by M. Bennardo - wrenching story about an astronaut about to embark on a dangerous EVA.
"No Vera There" by Dominica Phetteplace - funny story about an "incomplete download" of a person who tries to understand herself by taking internet quizzes.
Non-fiction:
All good stuff. Ken Liu gives an overview of Chinese SF; there's an interview with Kameron Hurley; and Daniel Abraham writing in his Another Word column on endings.
Original fiction:
"Fatima's Wound" by Kali Wallace - compelling but disturbing story about people being fed/feeding themselves to a black hole.
"The Magician and Laplace's Demon" by Tom Crosshill - really loved this one. It's about an AI hunting down magicians. Magic can exist in SF, it just can't be proven!
"Now Dress Me in my Finest Suit and Lay Me in My Casket" by M. Bennardo - wrenching story about an astronaut about to embark on a dangerous EVA.
"No Vera There" by Dominica Phetteplace - funny story about an "incomplete download" of a person who tries to understand herself by taking internet quizzes.
Non-fiction:
All good stuff. Ken Liu gives an overview of Chinese SF; there's an interview with Kameron Hurley; and Daniel Abraham writing in his Another Word column on endings.
December 26, 2014
Clarkesworld has been my personal great discovery of 2014... and Issue 99 quite possibly is my favourite of the four I've read so far.
My favourite story is “The Magician and Laplace's Demon” with its itriguing mix of fantasy and sf, imho a true masterpiece, but I agree with Philip Morris that “The Emperor of Mars” too is an exceptionally good piece... actually I've enjoyed a lot all the stories in this issue.
Non-fiction wise “China Dreams” was a real eye-opener to me, and Kameron Hurley is yet another author for an already way too long reading list.
Very well done Mr. Clarke, and looking forward to this “big issue #100”!
My favourite story is “The Magician and Laplace's Demon” with its itriguing mix of fantasy and sf, imho a true masterpiece, but I agree with Philip Morris that “The Emperor of Mars” too is an exceptionally good piece... actually I've enjoyed a lot all the stories in this issue.
Non-fiction wise “China Dreams” was a real eye-opener to me, and Kameron Hurley is yet another author for an already way too long reading list.
Very well done Mr. Clarke, and looking forward to this “big issue #100”!
October 14, 2015
Part of my quest to read all of the Nebula Short Story and Novelette nominees for this year.
An all-seeing AI, who secretly controls the human race, set against magic and the last magician in the galaxy with the outcome in doubt even after the story ends. It's cleverly written and the prose carries you forward through the tale, but I can't help thinking that the whole thing is pointless. Nothing is really resolved, conceptually or in the story itself, and the POV character (the AI) doesn't grow or change. So, while I enjoyed the read, in the end the story left me unfulfilled and unsatisfied.
An all-seeing AI, who secretly controls the human race, set against magic and the last magician in the galaxy with the outcome in doubt even after the story ends. It's cleverly written and the prose carries you forward through the tale, but I can't help thinking that the whole thing is pointless. Nothing is really resolved, conceptually or in the story itself, and the POV character (the AI) doesn't grow or change. So, while I enjoyed the read, in the end the story left me unfulfilled and unsatisfied.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2015
Another good short story I came across via someone's review on goodreads.
The title may lead you to think this is more fantasy than science fiction but it's not.
You may want to read the wikipedia entry for Laplace's demon beforehand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laplace%...
I enjoyed the reference to Randall Munroe, the creator of xkcd.
https://xkcd.com/1235/
The title may lead you to think this is more fantasy than science fiction but it's not.
You may want to read the wikipedia entry for Laplace's demon beforehand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laplace%...
I enjoyed the reference to Randall Munroe, the creator of xkcd.
https://xkcd.com/1235/
March 12, 2016
Read it here!
Great take on post-apocalyptic SciFi. Reminded me of Star Wars The Force Awakens when the gift was passed on. Reminded me of Witchblade when, well, you know. Reminded me of Game of Thrones, with everlasting winters.
Great take on post-apocalyptic SciFi. Reminded me of Star Wars The Force Awakens when the gift was passed on. Reminded me of Witchblade when, well, you know. Reminded me of Game of Thrones, with everlasting winters.
February 1, 2015
My favorite was The Sledge-Maker's Daughter:
“There are good witches and bad witches,” Kathrin pointed out.
“And there are mad old women who don’t belong in either category.” Loved this story, every bit of it!
“There are good witches and bad witches,” Kathrin pointed out.
“And there are mad old women who don’t belong in either category.” Loved this story, every bit of it!
August 25, 2015
Fun, off-kilter story about corrupted personality backup files, past-worshipping hackers, and identity.
(Read it here!)
(Read it here!)
February 17, 2016
Uvěřitelné a chytré.
September 15, 2016
This short story is more like a first chapter in a book. It's really good but feels more like the beginning of a story than a complete story.
January 17, 2023
My comments for short story:
The Magician and Laplace's Demon by Tom Crosshill
read april 2021
2014 Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novelette
A clever story with a interesting point of view.
The Magician and Laplace's Demon by Tom Crosshill
read april 2021
2014 Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novelette
A clever story with a interesting point of view.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews