Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 111, December 2015

by Neil Clarke (Editor), Liu Cixin, Kate Baker (Narrator)

FICTION
“Yuanyuan's Bubbles” by Liu Cixin, translated by Carmen Yiling Yan
“Union” by Tamsyn Muir
“Morrigan in Shadow” by Seth Dickinson
“When We Die on Mars” by Cassandra Khaw
“Technarion” by Sean McMullen
“Daddy's World” by Walter Jon Williams

NON-FICTION
“A Dance with Futuristic Dragons: The Science-Fantasy Glamour of Marc Bolan and T. Rex” by Jason Heller
“The Humble Swashbuckling Grandmaster: A Conversation with Gene Wolfe” by Kate Baker
“Another Word: On Reading, Writing, and the Classics” by Cat Rambo
“Editor's Desk: Hibernation Mode Activated” by Neil Clarke

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Horror, Speculative Fiction, LGBT

160 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2015

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

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yuanyuan's Bubbles
— by LIU CIXIN, translated by CARMEN YILING YAN —

Charming story about what drives us forward in life and a lesson about choices and how they shape our lives.

Sci-fi of ideas, another great story by Liu Cixin.

Can be read here: http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/liu_1...

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yuanyuan's Bubbles by Liu Cixin, TRANSLATED BY CARMEN YILING YAN
🫧🫧🫧🫧🫧
“In this way did Yuanyuan become enraptured by soap bubbles.“
What a cool story! Very imaginative. Yuanyuan is selfish in a positive way. Old meets young. What motivates us and how it shapes everything around us.

Union by Tamsyn Muir
🍄🍄🍄
“The wives come strapped ten to a transport, hands stamped by some Customs wonk. Their fingernails are frilled and raised freckles stipple each arm in shades of red and orange.“
Very strange sporror story.

Morrigan in Shadow by Seth Dickinson, novelette.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“She’s falling into the singularity.“
Military SF. Earth fights for survival. This novelette is the reason I got this Clarkesworld issue, because I liked Morrigan in the Sunglare a lot (Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 90, March 2014). It’s this story’s antecedent. I thought Morrigan in Shadow was going one way and then it wasn’t. Dickinson got me again! I should have suspected.

When We Die on Mars by Cassandra Khaw
🚀🚀🚀🚀
“You’re all going to die on Mars.”
I really disliked The Salt Grows Heavy and whilst Hammers on Bone wasn‘t all bad at first, I decided that this author is not for me. This was ok though. A story about last chances.

Technarion by Sean McMullen, novelette, re-print, originally published in Interzone #248, September-October 2013.
🧑‍💻👩‍💻👨‍💻👨‍💻
“As monsters go, I am not at all typical. I have killed hundreds, but my motives were good.“
The electrified version of steampunk. Gothic? Early computers. Alternate history. The threat of AI. The ending felt rushed.

Daddy's World by Walter Jon Williams, novelette, re-print, originally published in Not of Woman Born, edited by Constance Ash, 1999.
🌴🌴🌴🌴
“One day Jamie went with his family to a new place, a place that had not existed before. The people who lived there were called Whirlikins, who were tall thin people with pointed heads.“
This apparently won a Nebula Award in 2001. Smart story. Very odd at first, just stick with it… I can‘t really write much about the story, it would give it away. Virtual reality. Very sad and with an OMG ending.

Of the NON-FICTION I only read this one:
Another Word: On Reading, Writing, and the Classics by Cat Rambo
📖📖📖📖
Parts of Cat Rambo‘s youth sounds similar to mine in terms of her reading. I haven‘t read as many of the F&SF classics though. As a teen I was more focussed on the horror classics, like Dracula, Frankenstein or Jekyll & Hyde. And Sherlock Holmes. I only read LOTR in my 30s, after the first Peter Jackson movie.
I sometimes read a classic, but bounce off the old style. I have been planning to re-read LOTR, but I am a little scared how I will like it 20 years later. An enduring re-read is Dune, although I do pick up more of the things that are not PC anymore these days. It‘s a journey worth traveling though.

All the stories can be read for free here.

[Blanca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating for Union by Tamsyn Muir

[Peter Tillman]

Tried "Morrigan in Shadow" by Seth Dickinson, confusing mil-SF. I didn't care for the previous Morrigan story either. Oh, well. Left unrated.

May come back to this issue and try more.... In the sweet bye and bye. Who am I kidding? I can't even keep up with the award nominees!

[Rachel (Kalanadi) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most were OK, but I very much enjoy Seth Dickinson's "Morrigan in Shadow".

[Zana]

Union by Tamsyn Muir
4/5 stars

A bunch of futuristic farmers receive wives, who might or might not be sentient? Honestly, I have no idea what goes on in Tamsyn Muir's stories more than half the time, but the vibes are always there.

And the vibes were definitely there with this short story. I expected sci-fi vibes, but surprisingly, I received sci-fi horror vibes and I'm totally here for it. For a short story where I only understood 30% of what was happening, this delivered (in that strange, can't-tear-my-eyes-away Tamsyn Muir-style).

How did she manage to make me care about a group of futuristic farmers and their maybe/maybe-not sentient wives? (In 5510 words, no less.) I honestly have no clue.


When We Die on Mars by Cassandra Khaw
2/5 stars

I loved Khaw's The Salt Grows Heavy. I thought the writing was exquisite and the vibes were definitely peak dark fantasy horror.

But this short story... It's full of purple prose. I'm not sure what the point is supposed to be. A bunch of people go to Mars to colonize it or work out colonization logistics?

Nothing much actually happens. I think it's supposed to be a feel-good story, but there's barely even a hint of conflict to make it interesting, other than a woman who was a teen mom meeting her daughter that she had adopted out. Idk. It didn't work for me.

[Brian]

Just read for Union by Tamsyn Muir.

[jess the ninth · Rating 3 out of 5]

no entendí nada, ya saben lo normal con tamsyn

[Finrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great issue of a great magazine. My personal favourites are the steampunk “Technarion” by Sean McMullen and the virtual reality (something very '90s now, almost vintage!) “Daddy's World” by Walter Jon Williams. In fact I've enjoyed quite a lot the “giant bubbles” in Cixin's story, the sci-fi “horror” of “Union” and I was amazed by “Morrigan in Shadow” by Seth Dickinson , both by its plot and also because I had read its “antecedent” (“Morrigan in the Sunglare”) and by pure chance I purchased the issue with the conclusion! I quite liked also all the other short stories and the non-fiction bits, all in all one of the issues I've enjoyed more… and looking forward reading again Clarkesworld in the new year.

[Jules]

"Union" by Tamsyn Muir: 40 horrific minutes of expertly-crafted feminist dread

CW:
- Ableism: eugenics; intellectual disability stigma; genetic discrimination
- Medical: implied epidemic; genetic mutations; chronic illness; infertility; death
- Misogyny: sex trafficking; sexual slavery; rape; forced pregnancy; violent prejudice toward women

[Anita]

very beautiful. the imagery is so amazing.

the amount of story liu(/translator yan) squeezes into such a short length is really quite incredible.

(i have to admit, when i first started reading it, i thought the language sounded kind of stilted, but-- as the story picked up pace, i was just blown away, just like the bubbles)

[Michael Whiteman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yuanyuan's Bubbles - Liu Cixin ***

Union - Tamsyn Muir ****

Morrigan In Shadow - Seth Dickinson *****

When We Die On Mars - Cassandra Khaw ***

Technarion - Sean McMullen *

Daddy's World - Walter Jon Williams **

[Brandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, the stories were...meh. Nothing really all that exciting. But that cover! Wowza! I am in lurve!

I did enjoy:
“Morrigan in Shadow” by Seth Dickinson
“Technarion” by Sean McMullen

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Dimitar Dakovski · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Yuanyuan's Bubbles" by Liu Cixin ★★★★

[Lucy Madsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just read "Union" by Tamsyn Muir as part of my attempt to read all of her short fiction. It was really good, and wow, the vocabulary she uses is so interesting and different.

[Ashley]

I only read Tamsyn Muir's "Union."

3 stars

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read “Union” by Tamsyn Muir, and it was pretty weird. Spookier than I was expecting.

[Anka Cebula]

Tamsyn Muir, „Union” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[doğa]

just muir's 'union'. incredibly odd. makes me feel closed in--like i'm out of options at every turn. confined to a life that's not so bad, only you didn't choose it for yourself and couldn't get out if you tried. you're on thin ice so just comply and it'll be fine. step on eggshells, you'll get used to it. aaaaaaaaaaah. prince of scifi horror, Tamysn Muir

[Lex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy hell boys. This was A Ride.

"She rolls her shoulders and arms her coilguns and starts killing the things come to kill her."

I loved the continual mortality questions and the really really big world shifting questions that this piece posed. And I loved the entire bit about all the Simms and the Laportes and how Humanity Stands. The continual struggle between monstrosity and humanity is just my absolute favorite.

*

But she is all those things now. Born from the tragedy of a war as unnecessary as it was inevitable. Shaped by combat and command and (between it all, pulling in the opposite direction) the love of the finest woman she’s ever met.

Remember that? After the ambush at Saturn? Remember adjusting Simms’ blankets and pressing your cheek to her throat? Hoping she’d live long enough for both of you to die together, as you’d always dreamed?

give up your gentle ties. Come with me, towards victory. Become a necessary monster.

Laporte grins and knocks her helmet twice against her ejection seat, crash crash, polymer applause for the mad gentleman on her trail. She knows who it is. She’s glad he’s come.

That’s right. Monsters shouldn’t be warm. They shouldn’t have fun. Being a monster should feel like it costs.

Simms is still exploring Laporte’s new crazy side, separate (in her practical mind) from Laporte’s old crazy side, before their long radiation-cooked severance.

Laporte opens her arms in a gesture of animal challenge. “Are you worried,” she says, grinning, “that I might be unwell?”
Al-Alimah laughs. She can pretend to be very warm, when she wants, although it’s terrifyingly focused. Like all her charm radiates from a naked wire charged red-hot.

Love is about knowing the rules of your connection. You know how you could hurt her, if you wanted, and she trusts you with this knowledge. And war is about that too. You learn the enemy’s victory conditions, her capabilities and taboos. You build a model of her and figure out where it breaks. You force the enemy into unsurvivable terrain, pinned between an unwinnable war and unacceptable compromise.

That’s how the Federation and the Alliance became separate things—sometimes that’s how you define yourself, in the space when you are separated, when you have abandoned all hope of reunion.

What do you call this? The decision to know something not because it is true, but because it’s useful?

Imagine a Simms-god rampant, organizing the universe, winning the love of all the Laportes. So productive and persuasive that no one notices its ultimate agenda is hollow, self-referential, malignant.

To fight them is to instruct them how to kill you.

Laporte wants to say something clever, to fix this. An alien told me that every Laporte needs a Simms. That monsters have to love makers, so they can hone each other. So they can keep a safe orbit. Simms, if you go, I don’t know how to find my way back.

Hidden from Haywain van Aken’s communion. From his semiosis weapon, his dream of ants, his bridge into conscious minds.

“Eject!” In pilot code, you always say it three times, to make it real. “Eject, eject!”
She gets a nanosecond glimpse of Simms in the backseat mirror. She’s grinning like an idiot."

Is monsterhood conditional? Like a mirror you hold up to the war around you, just long enough to win?

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first full edition of this magazine which I have read in a LONG time and I'm definitely glad that I signed up for more. Several stories really, really worked for me, but the ones that didn't were intriguing. I liked the broad range of the stories and also the freedom of the structure where neither length nor genre guided the arrangement. I like reading stories in an order specifically created by an editor.

I wasn't mad about the non-fiction pieces so hopefully that will improve in future editions that I read.

Perfect for Me

Enjoyable, worked for me
"Yuanyuan's Bubbles" by Liu Cixin - A girl grows up in a dying city overflowing with a love of bubbles. I loved the combination of whimsicality and hard science, and also how it showed that sometimes following our passions, rather than the practical, can still be very valuable. Sometimes science has to be loved for itself alone.
"Union" by Tamsyn Muir - Mail-order brides that aren't quite human can cause more trouble than you can imagine. There were a lot of interesting layers in this story; I think the one I found most interesting is how we handle dissent and what we choose to ignore.
"Technarion" by Sean McMullen - Oooh, this was such fun. It was an alternate history with some really fun elements. I loved how it felt so right for the age it was set in but it made such an interesting point about the age we live in.

Fine, but didn't speak to me
"Morrigan in Shadow" by Seth Dickinson - Interesting story here, I think. But the structure was very complicated and I'm not sure if I entirely followed the central conceit of the story which seemed to be to do with the characters both being individuals and/or archetypes.
"When We Die on Mars" by Cassandra Khaw - I think this looked at the irrevocability of decisions, families and the decisions we make for other people. But I read it a week ago and I can't really remember so it clearly didn't resonate with me.
"Daddy's World" by Walter Jon Williams - I've seen the idea of putting people we've lost into virtual worlds, but I thought this was an interesting exploration of the practicalities of that concept.

Not my Cup of Tea

[Mo Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Christmas Present to me I enjoy short stories so I got myself a subscription to Clarkesworld Magazine. I started off with the December issue. I had read a few stories on their site previously but decided for $2.99/month I can treat myself to the whole thing. 
 
A short story has to grab the reader and involved them in very few words, like a comic only without the added help of art work. These issues do have a few renderings that make the feel of Science Fiction and Fantasy more pronounced. 
 
Issue #111 was decent as with most magazines you have exceptional stories and those that just fly through just so you felt you got your money's worth of reading the whole issue. 
 
Yuanyan's Bubbles by Liu Cixin was the first story and I must say I was debating on whether I wasted my $2.99, at first. The story is about bubbles, blowing them or at least the first few paragraphs and being a short story one tends to get a bit worried since the first few paragraphs are what are supposed to keep you interested before moving on. But I was not disappointed in the end. 
 
The most confusing story Morrigan in Shadow, by Seth Dickinson. Confusing but good and again I was worried I probably should have just went with buying single issues that interested me instead of committing to a monthly subscription. 
 
The best story in my opinion, which is what this is all about anyway, was Union by Tamsyn Muir. So much information into a few pages was profound. I really wish I had this talent. The use of dialog is very important in any story but short stories much more so since this is how the reader understand the characters in such a short time. Muir did an excellent job of portraying the different characters and giving us each a sense of who they are and why they are that way.
 
All in all it was a decent issue and I look forward to the next one. What better way to learn about past writers and find new ones to follow than in a format such as Clarkesworld Magazine 

[Kinsey_m · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting Chinese SF short story about the girl Yuanyuan, who is obsessed with soap bubbles and her birth city in the desert. Many interesting topics are highlighted, like desertification, boom time construction, and most interestingly intergenerational cultural differences. The descriptions were extremely vivid, but for me the highlight of the story was the generational clash, and I wish it hadn't been so neatly resolved.

Merged review:

Yuanyuan’s Bubbles" by Liu Cixin (translated by Carmen Yiling Yan)****
"Union" by Tamsyn Muir***
"When We Die on Mars" by Cassandra Khaw***

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clarkesworld rocks. New speculative fiction. Translated specfic. Classic scifi. Articles. Author interviews. What's not to love! I subscribed a few years back after meeting Neil Clarke at Capclave. You should subscribe, too!

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review available here : https://thecurioussffreader.wordpress...

Good issue overall. My favorites are the stories by Liu Cixin, Sean McMullen and Walter Jon Williams.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starke Ausgabe zum Abschluss des Jahres mit tollen Geschichten von Liu Cixin und Seth Dickinson.

[Kat Hooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story! Clarkesworld podcast. Review coming soon at www.fantasyliterature.com.

[Fantasy Literature]

Featured in our Short Fiction Monday column:

http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Yuanyuan's Bubbles” by Liu Cixin, translated by Carmen Yiling Yan