Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 40, January 2010

by Neil Clarke (Editor), Peter Watts, Megan Arkenberg

FICTION
"The Things" by Peter Watts
"All the King's Monsters" by Megan Arkenberg

NON-FICTION
"Lucius Shepard: An Expatriate Writer of Exotic Tales" by Jason S. Ridler
"Video Game Sci-Fi Comes of Age" by Brian Trent
"2009 Reader's Poll and Contest" by Neil Clarke

Received Shirley Jackson Award in 2010 for "The Things" by Peter Watts

Genres: Short Stories, Horror, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook

47 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Neil 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.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

WELCOME TO DECEMBER PROJECT!

last year, i carved out my own short story advent calendar as my project for december, and it was so much fun i decided to do it again this year! so, each day during the month of december, i will be reading a short story and doing the barest minimum of a review because ain't no one got time for that and i'm already so far behind in all the things. however, i will be posting story links in case anyone wants to read the stories themselves and show off how maybe someone could have time for that.

here is a link to the first story in last year's project,

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

which in turn links to the whole monthlong project, in case you wanna do some free short story reading of your own! links to the stories in this year's advent-ure will be at the end of each review.

enjoy, and the happiest of decembers to you all!

DECEMBER 21

this is for The Things by peter watts

Every thing here is walking dead and yet it all fights so hard to keep going just a little longer. Each skin fights as desperately as I might, if one was all I could ever have.

fantastic story - a retelling of Who Goes There?, or - you know - The Thing



from the perspective of the...thing. and it's pretty awesome. it's thinky and philosophical and sad, with a few surprises, and it's funny. i wouldn't call it a comedy by any means, but it's very critical and dismissive of the construction of the human form, and i personally found that worth a giggle or two. this one has made the whole project worthwhile. woo-hoo!

read it for yourself here:

http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/watts...

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[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I've read only "The Things" by Peter Watts)

Every time I miss Watts' writing, I dig one of his short stories. I think there was a time when this one appeared as a standalone here, on GR, but I can't find it anymore.

Anyway, it's a brilliant little gem, set in the universe of John Carpenter movie, The Thing, which in turn is based on John W. Campbell's novella, Who Goes There?.

However, Watts' story is told from the alien point of view, which makes it really eerie, to say the least.

Highly recommended.
It can be read online on Clarkesworld: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/watt...

[Jennifer (bunnyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve mentioned before The Thing, is one of my favorite movies. I have seen it dozens of times…in fact enough times that even with a ten-year gap I recognized every scene from the Things pov in this short by Peter Watts.

This was a thought-provoking little story about the organism/monster the Thing, as it learns about us as it assimilates to each body, and its horror as it realizes how unconnected we are from ourselves and one another.
Probably works better as companion piece but really just knowing that The Thing is essentially an alien organism that mimics, is likely more than enough to enjoy this story. Well done.

[Netanella · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Peter Watts' "The Things", a retelling of the best movie in the world, from the alien's point of view.

[Paul (Life In The Slow Lane) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Things by Peter Watts was my main reason for getting this edition of Clarkesworld.

A retelling of John Carpenter's, The Thing from the alien's point of view. It's an interesting concept and told very well. Watts' style is abstract, but understandable. Good job mate.

Megan Arkenberg's All the King's Monsters however, is also abstract. The main difference being, I had no bloody idea what was going on! Anyone care to explain?

⭐⭐⭐⭐ for Things
⭐ for King's Monsters

[Fuego · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Carpenter's "The Thing" is one of my favorite movies of all time, but I haven't rewatched it for a long time before I read "The Things." I read it, then rewatched the movie, then reread it. Dang, "The Things" takes "The Thing" to a whole new level of depth and meaning. It really hits the ball out of the park, or maybe even the entire Solar System. What a stunning idea!

I shared my flesh with thinking cancer.

and

I will have to rape it into them.

My hats off to you, Mr. Watts.

[Jonathan G. Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking magazine.

The stories were great. I especially liked "The Thing" from the creatures perspective. Definitely worth reading. My kind of Sci-Fi.

[Andre Simonsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Responde a pergunta “O que A Coisa do Enigma do Outro Mundo quer? Como é ser vários indivíduos?”.

“Enigma” é um dos meus filmes favoritos e esse conto é um ótimo complemento.

Recomendo ambos!

Obs. o episódio da Unity em Rick and Morty também é incrível

[Matjaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story from the perspective of "the Thing". As it turns out there's no sinister intentions behind its gruesome actions, only natural inclination towards growth. That's too bad though, I'd still roast it 10/10 times with a flamethrower ;)

[Mark Schoen]

Really liked “The Things” by Peter Watts.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable short story exploring the events around John Carpenter's The Thing from the perspective of The Thing itself. It excellently presents a wholly alien perspective, and in turns horrifies us through what The Thing does, and presents its human attackers as horrifying in their own right.

Well worth the time it takes to read, and it can be read in full (or listened to in audio form) at Clarkesworld Magazine: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/watts...

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

(A Spoiler Review for "The Things," Specifically)

I desperately want a paperback version of this short story. I read it while listening to the audio recording by talented Kate Baker and I'll be thinking about it and about Baker's performance for a long time to come.

The Thing is one of my favorite creatures in horror/sci-fi, but this work may have shot the Thing to the number one spot. Alien morphology/xenobiology are a special interest of mine, and seeing the events of John Carpenter's "The Thing" from the Thing's perspective was beyond fascinating.

I genuinely felt bad for the Thing and wished the outcome could have been different for it.

//Spoilers Below//

The Thing's loss of memory and knowledge as it lost pieces of itself is something that I deeply relate to as a disabled person with cognitive disfunction. Part of me, while reading, began to long for the assimilation that the Thing described. Communion. The way it viewed human independence as isolating and lonely (soulless, even) really struck a chord in me. Human society as a whole is largely isolating, especially if you're in any way different.

The realization that the Thing comes to by the end -- that life on earth has always been incapable of shapeshifting -- was a real sucker punch. Part of me hoped that maybe life on earth really had simply lost the ability to shapeshift. And that, if they managed to fully assimilate and commune with the Thing, they would regain that knowledge. But that wasn't the case.

And rather than accept this different, the Thing has decided to force assimilation anyway. I'm glad that Watts concluded the story in this way. While I do feel bad for the Thing, and while I'm sure that communion is great and all, the Thing is still the antagonist. The monster.

Assimilation, or communion, shouldn't be forced regardless of any misunderstandings. And I'm glad that Watts doesn't completely paint the Thing as this mindless creature that consumes purely out of instinct. It is a colonizer. And although it first presented as confused, curious, afraid and wanting to share its pleasure with the world, it had a sinister side. It could be resentful, cold, calculating and vengeful.

And the ending sentence sent a chill all over my body.

I would recommend this short story to anyone who loves creature features, body horror, existential dread and, of course, the Thing. It adds so much to the films that I'm currently racing to go re-watch them and to read the novel it's based off of, "Who Goes There?" by John H. Campbell.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thing, the film specifically, tells one story. A monster threatens everything it means to even be human. You feel the paranoia, disgust, and fear at basic biology being violated in such a violent manner.

The Things switches to the other perspective, that of the creature being immolated at every turn. This perspective is such a fantastic reversal of expectations. I haven't read much that encapsulates just how alien the mind of an alien could be. And how terrifying we, humans, would be in turn.

I can't speak to whether this story stands its ground without prior context but I can say that it complements the film masterfully and I've rated it with that context in mind.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pair of stories themed around imprisonment and monsters. There's also an interview with Lucius Shepard and an essay about science fiction in video games.

The Things by Peter Watts is the story of the monster from John Carpenter's The Thing. I've reviewed it already.

All the King's Monsters by Megan Arkenberg is a story about an imprisoned woman, a rebellion, and a king. I'm not entirely sure what all was going on and the narrator isn't reliable, but its an interesting story. 4/5

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great, though I wonder if it would work at all for someone who has neither read nor seen any version of The Thing (which includes the 1978 Carpenter film of that name, its 2011 prequel, The Thing from Another World (1951), and of course Campbell's original Hugo-nominee novella).

[Simon Håkansson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thing (1981) told from the perspective of the titular thing, an incredible insight into the mind of something very different from ourselves, a xenopsychological masterpiece.

Read at http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/watts...

[Noah Drisdell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling take on the classic John Carpenter film The Thing. I liked the use of the alien perspective in this one to tell the narrative. It allowed the author to break some traditional structures such as the concept of time. I found the use of language was also interesting, there was a quirky but effective blend of religious phrasing and scientific jargon.

[JacesLaces · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comes off as a bit edgy at the beginning, but I find the thing’s ignorance of this world’s inability adapt, it’s atomization, and it’s eventual realization these facts pretty interesting. A great companion piece for when I eventually watch The Thing(1982)

[Pardeep Aujla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great take on John Carpenter's The Thing in which the POV is from the alien entity. Highly recommended if you're a fan of the film.

[Jochem · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was solid and the idea was pretty interesting but in general this wasn't really my thing.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember this being a really well-written riff on the story Who Goes There?/the film The Thing, that played with ideas of individuality, perspective, culture shock, and colonization.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely terrifying. Excuse me while I never sleep again.

[Alfredo Amatriain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true delight. 5/5.

[Cynthia Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly Recommended

[Gingiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Things is *chef's kiss*

[Zachary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for Watts. Interesting and a little confusing, as usual.

[Gentry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure if this story has ended up as canon in The Thing universe, but I really loved how it played out from the alien’s pov. Would quell a lot of debates on how the 1982 movie ends.

[Jim Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was turned on to this story by someone on Quora during a Q&A about science fiction parasites. The original question was "What science fiction parasite is the best?" The discussion started with me bringing up the wonderful 1938 story by John W. Campbell, "Who Goes There" which started things off. From there we went to the terrific 1982 movie that stayed fairly true to the novella, especially in inducing the same feeling of paranoia. Someone then mentioned that there was a short story telling the movie version story from the alien's POV and gave me the link to Clarksworld. While the story follows the timeline and characters of the movie it still works as a counterpoint to the original story.

I love the changing of the negative connotation of "The Thing" for the alien to a negative connotation (from the alien's POV) of humans being "The Things". I gave it 4 stars so I obviously enjoyed it. I was born in '47 and I'm a classic SF fan so I always go back to the original 1938 story. I would recommend that anybody who liked the movie to dig up a copy of "Who Goes There".

Watts story was written 28 years after the movie. Maybe in some alternate universe someone wrote a similar treatment in 1956 as an alien alternative to the 1938 novella? I wonder who could have done a satisfactory job of showing the alien's POV back then? Maybe nobody. The few possibilities that come to mind would be Eric Frank Russell, Clifford Simak, or Theodore Sturgeon. Phillip Jose Farmer might have given it a try but unfortunately it would have probably been an oversexed pastiche. Maybe somebody out there can write a "1956" version of "the Things" in the style of Russell, Simak or Sturgeon.

[Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the aliens point of view from the movie Thing. It is a very very cool take on the aliens view of humanity and how it perceives life so very differently. I think you do gain a lot more from this book if you have seen the movie, which I haven't. I am going to have to rent the movie now and see it from the humans point of view. Even without the movie knowledge, it is still a fascinating read.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting short story based on the film, 'The Thing' directed by John Carpenter, but from the point of view of the alien.

A chilling alternative 'retelling', with the view of the shape-shifting alien, a very sentient being, trying comprehend the Things (us humans) and the world it crash landed in and disappointed with what it finds.

If you're a fan of the original movie, which I'd recommend watching beforehand just so events are fresher in the mind, give this a read.