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Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 144, September 2018
Clarkesworld is a Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning science fiction and fantasy magazine. Each month we bring you a mix of fiction (new and classic works), articles, interviews and art.
Our September 2018 issue (#144) contains:
* Kelly Robson ("A Study in Oils"), D.A. Xiaolin Spires ("Waves of Influence"), Elly Bangs ("Dandelion"), and Luo Longxiang ("The Foodie Federation’s Dinosaur Farm").
* Reprints by Karen Lord and Tobias S. Buckell ("The Mighty Slinger") and Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy ("Mayfly").
* Non-fiction by Doug Dluzen, an interview with Mary Robinette Kowal, an Another Word column by Fran Wilde, and an editorial by Neil Clarke.
Our September 2018 issue (#144) contains:
* Kelly Robson ("A Study in Oils"), D.A. Xiaolin Spires ("Waves of Influence"), Elly Bangs ("Dandelion"), and Luo Longxiang ("The Foodie Federation’s Dinosaur Farm").
* Reprints by Karen Lord and Tobias S. Buckell ("The Mighty Slinger") and Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy ("Mayfly").
* Non-fiction by Doug Dluzen, an interview with Mary Robinette Kowal, an Another Word column by Fran Wilde, and an editorial by Neil Clarke.
138 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2018
About the author
Neil Clarke
421 books414 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 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 3, 2018
Updated: A couple of interesting stories in this free online SF/Fantasy magazine issue, featuring Chinese characters:
3.5 stars for “Waves of Influence” by D.A. Xiaolin Spires: Chenghui, a clever young Chinese woman, has committed fraud to win a contest to be trained by Meixiu, an internet sensation and social influencer. Chenghui’s sister, Yixuan, is a devoted fan of Meixiu, and is also slowly dying of a heart ailment. Chenghui reasons that if she can work her way into Meixiu’s inner circle, she can use her position to pretend to be Meixiu and send personalized messages to Yixuan, giving her the encouragement to keep fighting her illness. But Chenghui’s plain outward appearance puts off the extremely image-conscious Meixiu.
Chenghui’s reasoning is weak ― really, VERY weak, if she thinks that abandoning her sister for an extended period of time to pursue this impersonation plan is ultimately in her sister’s best interests. But the rest of the story resonates, showing society’s fascination with celebrity and how people artificially enhance their online images to look more attractive, ending up somewhere that’s unreal and fake. The tools we currently use to improve our appearances and gain online influence have been amped up in this future world, in some intriguing ways. Chenghui’s chosen path of seeking social glory for an altruistic reason ends up taking her in a direction that she never anticipated … but should have.
3.5 stars for "A Study in Oils" by Kelly Robson, free online here at Clarkesworld magazine: Zhang Lei is a former high-profile player in the Luna hockey league. He committed a crime that resulted in a “disable button” being added to his online profile, visible to anyone that sees him, labeling him as a killer. This virtual disable button can be triggered by anyone who can see it, causing Zhang Lei to lose consciousness for several minutes. When life on Luna became untenable for Zhang Lei, he bolted for Earth. Now he’s in hiding in a remote Chinese village, Paizuo, while Marta, a semi-friendly social worker, tries to convince an Earth tribunal to revoke his punishment as overly harsh.
Time drags for Zhang Lei in Paizuo, with no friends and little to do besides work on his artistic hobby. But Marta tells him that three teams of Lunite brawlers are scouting around on Earth, slowly tracking him down, and intent on finishing him off.
“A Study in Oils” is deliberately paced (read: rather slow), and it took a while for me to get into the story. But Zhang Lei is an interesting protagonist, impatient and aggrieved, who gradually becomes more sympathetic as he tries to deal with an unfamiliar world and his vast loss, shame, and personal danger. The future world described in “A Study in Oils” feels realistic, with widespread online linkups and punishment techniques that grow out of that, while at the same time its characters display familiar human reactions and resentments.
I've also read two of the other stories in this issue, both free online as well:
3.5 stars for "Waves of Influence" by D.A. Xiaolin Spires: Chenghui, a Chinese young woman, commits fraud to win a contest to be trained by Meixiu, an internet sensation, for her own personal reasons. Chenghui's reasons for doing this are weak - really, VERY weak - but the rest of the story resonates as it shows our society's fascination with celebrity and how people photoshop and edit their online images to look better, ending up somewhere that's unreal and fake.
Above reviews first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Also, 4.5 stars for "Dandelion" by Elly Bangs. I LOVED the central premise of this SF story, about the implications of finding a UFO on Earth, and how it affects a woman, her daughter and granddaughter in turn. I need to read this one again and write a full review. Recommended!
3.5 stars for “Waves of Influence” by D.A. Xiaolin Spires: Chenghui, a clever young Chinese woman, has committed fraud to win a contest to be trained by Meixiu, an internet sensation and social influencer. Chenghui’s sister, Yixuan, is a devoted fan of Meixiu, and is also slowly dying of a heart ailment. Chenghui reasons that if she can work her way into Meixiu’s inner circle, she can use her position to pretend to be Meixiu and send personalized messages to Yixuan, giving her the encouragement to keep fighting her illness. But Chenghui’s plain outward appearance puts off the extremely image-conscious Meixiu.
Chenghui’s reasoning is weak ― really, VERY weak, if she thinks that abandoning her sister for an extended period of time to pursue this impersonation plan is ultimately in her sister’s best interests. But the rest of the story resonates, showing society’s fascination with celebrity and how people artificially enhance their online images to look more attractive, ending up somewhere that’s unreal and fake. The tools we currently use to improve our appearances and gain online influence have been amped up in this future world, in some intriguing ways. Chenghui’s chosen path of seeking social glory for an altruistic reason ends up taking her in a direction that she never anticipated … but should have.
3.5 stars for "A Study in Oils" by Kelly Robson, free online here at Clarkesworld magazine: Zhang Lei is a former high-profile player in the Luna hockey league. He committed a crime that resulted in a “disable button” being added to his online profile, visible to anyone that sees him, labeling him as a killer. This virtual disable button can be triggered by anyone who can see it, causing Zhang Lei to lose consciousness for several minutes. When life on Luna became untenable for Zhang Lei, he bolted for Earth. Now he’s in hiding in a remote Chinese village, Paizuo, while Marta, a semi-friendly social worker, tries to convince an Earth tribunal to revoke his punishment as overly harsh.
Time drags for Zhang Lei in Paizuo, with no friends and little to do besides work on his artistic hobby. But Marta tells him that three teams of Lunite brawlers are scouting around on Earth, slowly tracking him down, and intent on finishing him off.
“A Study in Oils” is deliberately paced (read: rather slow), and it took a while for me to get into the story. But Zhang Lei is an interesting protagonist, impatient and aggrieved, who gradually becomes more sympathetic as he tries to deal with an unfamiliar world and his vast loss, shame, and personal danger. The future world described in “A Study in Oils” feels realistic, with widespread online linkups and punishment techniques that grow out of that, while at the same time its characters display familiar human reactions and resentments.
I've also read two of the other stories in this issue, both free online as well:
3.5 stars for "Waves of Influence" by D.A. Xiaolin Spires: Chenghui, a Chinese young woman, commits fraud to win a contest to be trained by Meixiu, an internet sensation, for her own personal reasons. Chenghui's reasons for doing this are weak - really, VERY weak - but the rest of the story resonates as it shows our society's fascination with celebrity and how people photoshop and edit their online images to look better, ending up somewhere that's unreal and fake.
Above reviews first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Also, 4.5 stars for "Dandelion" by Elly Bangs. I LOVED the central premise of this SF story, about the implications of finding a UFO on Earth, and how it affects a woman, her daughter and granddaughter in turn. I need to read this one again and write a full review. Recommended!
October 1, 2018
The Foodie Federation’s Dinosaur Farm by Luo Longxian ★★★★★
“A dinosaur with a dream: this was a day of firsts...”
What begins as a story of human greed, a flight of fancy, evolves into a vicious thought provoking masterwork of science fiction.
All. The. Stars.
Waves of Influence by D.A. Xiaolin Spires ★★★★☆
A woman gets so caught up in the fame and fortune of her social media success she forgets the altruistic reasons for which she began posting.
The Mighty Slinger by Karen Lord and Tobias S. Buckle ★★★★☆
“One small course adjustment at the start can change an entire orbit by the end of a journey.”
This is a story about the power of music. Over generations the rhythms and rhymes of the oppressed are the catalyst for creating a better world.
A Study in Oils by Kelly Robson ★★★☆☆
An artist and athlete shows regret for his crime by painting in his own blood.
This was my second Robson and not nearly as good as A Human Stain.
Dandelion by Elly Bangs ★★★☆☆
“Maybe the Plateau is real. Maybe we’re already approaching the end of technological history.”
For a short generational story this was a harder kick in the teeth than Aurora.
I know the point is to care for the planet we have but it hurts to hear we will likely all die here, alone, unremarkable and unremembered; the stars but a dream.
I need a drink.
Mayfly by Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy ★★★☆☆
“Except I’m not acting then, Stav. Am I? I really am four, which is just the age I’m supposed to be.”
Everything goes wrong for everyone when out of love, desperation, and scientific curiosity, a child is grown with a computer for a mind.
This didn't have the feels it should have; too much resentment and horror. Interesting and sad without the emotional punch.
Average: 3.66 Rounded Up
April 10, 2024
For "A Study in Oils" by Kelly Robson and "Dandelion" by Elly Bangs--thoroughly enjoyed both of them.
March 5, 2019
Rating and review only for Kelly Robson's A Study in Oils.
While it was not a powerful as her other work The Human Stain, it's still very well written and leisurely paced. The main character, Zhang Lei, a hockey player from moon who ran from his murder conviction, was a sympathetic one. Anyway, the biggest drawback may be that it is not SF enough for me.
PS: The rural China setting is so similar with Lawrence Schoen's The Rule of Three. Is it a trend now? 😆
While it was not a powerful as her other work The Human Stain, it's still very well written and leisurely paced. The main character, Zhang Lei, a hockey player from moon who ran from his murder conviction, was a sympathetic one. Anyway, the biggest drawback may be that it is not SF enough for me.
PS: The rural China setting is so similar with Lawrence Schoen's The Rule of Three. Is it a trend now? 😆
Want to Read
September 24, 2019Place holder for A Study in Oils by Kelly Robson
July 16, 2023
A Study in Oils (Kelly Robson) - a neat blend of science fiction and fantasy, I love how the author evokes the setting. I can really picture it in my mind. Although not entirely unique, I like the idea of an Earth cultural sanctuary.
Waves of influence (DA Xiaolin Spires) - Recently I've read a slew of SFF stories dealing with futuristic or fantastical versions of social media. It makes perfect sense given their prevalence and influence on the culture this last decade. This one, written back before the current moment in which it seems Twitter might implode and we might have the next evolution in the space, tackles the facial filter aspect. Any gender can experience dysmorphia from the practice but it seems to have extra urgency in the hands of Spires, who has female pronouns in her bio at the end of the story. I also love the story she has used to explore how this might affect users - quite different from the usual narrative in real life.
Dandelion (Elly Bangs) - the frame story allows the author to tell a "hidden figures" type story about women in tech without it getting antibiotics anvilicious.
The Foodie Federation’s Dinosaur Farm (Luo Longxiang) - this turned out to be a lot funnier and more fun than I expected. This is a bit on the nose, but I loved it. Great example quote: “The foodies were insatiable. They wanted exquisite variety, minced delicacies, food that took ten or even a hundred times more energy to raise and prepare than it provided.”
The Mighty Slinger (Karen Lord and Tobias S. Buckell) - an interesting story with dining dynamics like many other space colonization stories. This time about the power of music to change humanity.
Mayfly (Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy) - I've read similar stories, even seen movies with a plot like this one. But the ending still surprised the heck out of me. It managed to be almost both kind of endings at once.
How and Why CRISPR Will Change the World (Doug Dluzen) - a review of the history of CRISPR and where it might go in the near term.
Mars, Sextants, and Puppets: A Conversation with Mary Robinette Kowal (Chris Urie) - a conversation about one of the Lady Astronaut novels.
Another Word: Softly Dying Darlings, and How to Deal with Them (Alethea Kontis) - a neat variant on the killing of darlings that ends up being great advice for writers.
Editor's Desk: Another Post-Con Crash (Neil Clark) - loved reading about Neil's experience at 2018 World Con
Waves of influence (DA Xiaolin Spires) - Recently I've read a slew of SFF stories dealing with futuristic or fantastical versions of social media. It makes perfect sense given their prevalence and influence on the culture this last decade. This one, written back before the current moment in which it seems Twitter might implode and we might have the next evolution in the space, tackles the facial filter aspect. Any gender can experience dysmorphia from the practice but it seems to have extra urgency in the hands of Spires, who has female pronouns in her bio at the end of the story. I also love the story she has used to explore how this might affect users - quite different from the usual narrative in real life.
Dandelion (Elly Bangs) - the frame story allows the author to tell a "hidden figures" type story about women in tech without it getting antibiotics anvilicious.
The Foodie Federation’s Dinosaur Farm (Luo Longxiang) - this turned out to be a lot funnier and more fun than I expected. This is a bit on the nose, but I loved it. Great example quote: “The foodies were insatiable. They wanted exquisite variety, minced delicacies, food that took ten or even a hundred times more energy to raise and prepare than it provided.”
The Mighty Slinger (Karen Lord and Tobias S. Buckell) - an interesting story with dining dynamics like many other space colonization stories. This time about the power of music to change humanity.
Mayfly (Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy) - I've read similar stories, even seen movies with a plot like this one. But the ending still surprised the heck out of me. It managed to be almost both kind of endings at once.
How and Why CRISPR Will Change the World (Doug Dluzen) - a review of the history of CRISPR and where it might go in the near term.
Mars, Sextants, and Puppets: A Conversation with Mary Robinette Kowal (Chris Urie) - a conversation about one of the Lady Astronaut novels.
Another Word: Softly Dying Darlings, and How to Deal with Them (Alethea Kontis) - a neat variant on the killing of darlings that ends up being great advice for writers.
Editor's Desk: Another Post-Con Crash (Neil Clark) - loved reading about Neil's experience at 2018 World Con
November 3, 2018
3.5
A Study in Oils by Kelly Robson 4.5/5
Set in a future where criminals are labeled and targeted by everyone, a young man who accidently killed someone has to survive grief with the aid of the inhabitants of a small village and his paintings. Very interesting world and writing.
Waves of Influence by D.A. Xiaolin Spires 3/5
A young girl wants to become an idol in the eyes of her younger sister. At first, she's disgusted by social medias gurus but you can definitely imagine how everything is going to end. Very predictable but the world was interesting.
Dandelion by Elly Bangs 5/5
Great story following the descendant of a woman who discovered an alien artefact. The writing was superb and I really enjoyed this one.
The Foodie Federation’s Dinosaur Farm by Luo Longxian 2/5
A man work in a planet where dinosaurs are raised in order to be eaten. The premise was interesting but it was too weird and absurd for me.
The Mighty Slinger by Karen Lord and Tobias S. Buckell DNF
A music band sings for Earth's future, the ideas were good but too many things were packed in this story and I was very lost, I had no idea who was fighting for what so I DNF'd about 70% in.
Mayfly by Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy 4/5
Ah I don't know how to explain it without spoiling it, i's about an AI who's living in a body of a little girl during the day. It's very grim and the ending really reminded of what I felt when I finished reading The Rifters saga: disgusted with how selfish humans can be. It was a bit too bloody for me so that's why I'm not giving it a higher rating.
A Study in Oils by Kelly Robson 4.5/5
Set in a future where criminals are labeled and targeted by everyone, a young man who accidently killed someone has to survive grief with the aid of the inhabitants of a small village and his paintings. Very interesting world and writing.
Waves of Influence by D.A. Xiaolin Spires 3/5
A young girl wants to become an idol in the eyes of her younger sister. At first, she's disgusted by social medias gurus but you can definitely imagine how everything is going to end. Very predictable but the world was interesting.
Dandelion by Elly Bangs 5/5
Great story following the descendant of a woman who discovered an alien artefact. The writing was superb and I really enjoyed this one.
The Foodie Federation’s Dinosaur Farm by Luo Longxian 2/5
A man work in a planet where dinosaurs are raised in order to be eaten. The premise was interesting but it was too weird and absurd for me.
The Mighty Slinger by Karen Lord and Tobias S. Buckell DNF
A music band sings for Earth's future, the ideas were good but too many things were packed in this story and I was very lost, I had no idea who was fighting for what so I DNF'd about 70% in.
Mayfly by Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy 4/5
Ah I don't know how to explain it without spoiling it, i's about an AI who's living in a body of a little girl during the day. It's very grim and the ending really reminded of what I felt when I finished reading The Rifters saga: disgusted with how selfish humans can be. It was a bit too bloody for me so that's why I'm not giving it a higher rating.
December 21, 2018
I just listened to "The Mighty Slinger, by Karen Lord and Tobias S. Buckell" on the Clarkesworld Podcast, and it was excellent. Really fascinating world building of the type that gets the gears spinning in your brain. And the story is basically about the power of music to change the world (er, universe), bring people together, and rally a cause. Absolutely worth your time to read/listen to this short story.
September 23, 2018
The shining star in this issue's original stories was Elly Bang's "Dandelion." I also really enjoyed the classic fiction of Peter Watts and Darryl Murphy in "Mayfly," and Doug Dluzen's non-fiction science article "How and Why CRISPR Will Change the World."
May 8, 2019
A Study In Oils - Kelly Robson ***
Waves Of Influence - DA Xiaolin Spires ***
Dandelion - Elly Bangs ***
The Foodie Federation's Dinosaur Farm - Luo Longxiang ***
The Mighty Slinger - Karen Lord & Tobias S Buckell ***
Mayfly - Peter Watts & Derryl Murphy ****
Waves Of Influence - DA Xiaolin Spires ***
Dandelion - Elly Bangs ***
The Foodie Federation's Dinosaur Farm - Luo Longxiang ***
The Mighty Slinger - Karen Lord & Tobias S Buckell ***
Mayfly - Peter Watts & Derryl Murphy ****
May 2, 2019
I can't say this enough, if you support Clarkesworld's Patreon, they send you an e-magazine of original science fiction every month. It is well worth doing. You ought to do it...
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews