Analog Science Fiction and Fact, July/August 2020; Vol 140, Nos. 7 & 8

by Trevor Quachri (Editor), Vonda N. McIntyre (Contributor), Derek Künsken (Contributor)

90th Anniversary Retrospective Reprint
- Mist, And Grass, And Sand, Vonda N. Mcintyre

Serial
- The House Of Styx, Part Iii, Derek Künsken

Novella
- Flyboys, Stanley Schmidt

Novelettes
- Sticks And Stones, Tom Jolly
- The Offending Eye, Robert R. Chase

Short Stories
- The Mad Cabbage, Céline Malgen
- Aboard The Mithridates, Sean Vivier
- On The Changing Roles Of Dockworkers, Marie Vibbert
- Lowlife Orbit, Rich Larson
- Rite Of Passage, Jerry Oltion
- Mars, The Dumping Ground Of The Solar System, Andrew Kozma
- Nanoscopic Nemesis, P.K. Torrens
- Retention, Alec Nevala-lee
- Fuel Me Once, Allen Lang
- Keeping The Peace, Elisabeth R. Adams
- Ennui, Filip Wiltgren

Science Fact
- Alien Biochemistry: Rejecting The Carbon Chauvinist, Jay Werkheiser

Poetry
- Isotopical, D’ores & Deja
- Maryam Mirzakhani, Jessy Randall

Reader's Departments
- Analytical Laboratory Results
- Editorial: Outliers, Emily Hockaday & Trevor Quachri
- In Times To Come
- The Alternate View, John G. Cramer
- Guest Alternate View, Richard A. Lovett
- The Reference Library, Don Sakers
- Brass Tacks
- Upcoming Events, Anthony Lewis

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Trevor Quachri (b. 1976) has been the sixth editor of Analog Science Fiction & Fact magazine since September 2012.

Previously, he was “a Broadway stagehand, collected data for museums, and executive produced a science fiction pilot for a basic cable channel.”

Quachri started as an editorial assistant in 1999 at Asimov's Science Fiction and Analog. Former editor of Analog, Ben Bova, was an early influence.

Reviews

[John Loyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 • Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand • 12 pages by Vonda N. McIntyre
Very Good+. The healer, Snake, has crossed the desert and has made it to a village where there is a dying child. She uses snakes to create medicines. I knew I had read this before and it encouraged me to read the novel, Dreamsnake. Forty years ago it was in Fify Years of the Best from Analog.

22 • Sticks and Stones • 20 pages by Tom Jolly
Good+. The crew of an exploratory ship can’t go home because they come into contact with alien life. They don’t want to spend the rest of their lives on the ship. They investigate Hermit’s Cave. A planet not discovered before because it was hidden from Earth by another star. Facing off against nature (middle pages) is not my fave, but finished strong.

52 • Flyboys • 29 pages by Stanley Schmidt
Good/VG. We return to the world of the Zoeys. Humans came to this world had a battle with the native Zoeys, but eventually worked out a treaty. The climax of that serial was a group of humans wanted to wipe out the Zoeys. Here a group of Zoeys wants to wipe out the humans and are trying to get Bob/Longlooker on their side.

81 • The Mad Cabbage • 5 pages by Celine Malgen
OK. Nicole’s experiment has produced a weird result. Before bothering her advisor she has to verify there are no errors. Hard to concentrate with Xavier, the other doctoral student, always being snooty.

86 • Aboard the Mithridates • 4 pages by Sean Vivier
Good. Zarah is worried about how the upcoming increase in sulfur is going to affect Gavin who hasn’t adjusted to the last increase yet.

90 • On the Changing Roles of Dockworkers • 4 pages by Marie Vibbert
Good. Mary, who is one of the few that still has pride in their work, is sent to diagnose and fix the problem with Unit Four.

94 • Lowlife Orbit • 2 pages by Rich Larson
Good/OK. The uncle is stealing from the terraforming project on Mars. Rationalizing it as the payoff being a thousand years away. The nephew riding along thinks about it.

99 • Rite of Passage • 1 pages by Jerry Oltion
Fair/OK. Being a graduate finally seems real when suiting up at the airlock and seeing a new suit.

100 • Mars, the Dumping Ground of the Solar System • 6 pages by Andrew Kozma
OK. Modified humans are sent to the planets for terraforming. When they're done, they can't survive in the conditions made for baseline humans. They're resettled on Mars. Jonquil is an advocate for them, making sure they have proper living conditions.

106 • Nanoscopic Nemesis • 2 pages by P.K. Torrens
Fair. A program with attachments is fighting cancer. A bit too technical for me.

108 • Retention • 5 pages by Alec Nevala-Lee
OK+. Gimmicky. Perry is trying to cancel his service. The agent on the other end keeps suggesting alternatives. There is a non-gimmick twist.

116 • Fuel Me Once • 5 pages by Allen Lang
OK/Good. Derrick is a big oil man and wants Mark to invest in a new resource...on Titan.

118 • Keeping the Peace • 6 pages by Elisabeth R. Adams
Fair/OK. The pages of ritual did not hook me into the story, but the ending was pretty satisfactory. The clan wants to expand by killing other beings. Sol doesn’t want to be a part of an invasion.

124 • Ennui • 8 pages by Filip Wiltgren
Very Good. The population aboard Mord’s ship and other generation star ships is slowly, but inexorably decreasing. The people just lose the will to live. What are these AIs to do? Their core directive is to keep humanity going.

132 • The Offending Eye • 16 pages by Robert R. Chase
Very Good+. Dr. Chaz is assigned to investigate the behavior of the Percival Lowell’s AI. To see if it was compromised by an enemy. The humans are no longer at war with the Eternals or TransHumans, but it’s an uneasy peace. This is a sequel to “Vault” in the Jul/Aug 2019 Analog.

148 • The House of Styx • 52 pages by Derek Kunsken
Good. The D'Aquillons have merged with two other families to create the house of Styx. The government is taking their habitat in the upper atmosphere. Their plan is to steal it before it's taken away. It's in poor condition. Their idea is to make it look like it failed and sank to the surface, but intercept it on its way. They need the metal because of the wormhole they found on the surface. I have more trouble suspending disbelief with the setting on Venus than if it were set in a different star system. After I realized what was holding me back I sat back and let the story flow to me. The man vs. nature isn't my favorite subgenre, but there was enough character building to keep it interesting.

[Oleksandr Zholud · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the July-August 2020 issue if Analog magazine.

Here are the contents and my rating of them.


The Analytical Laboratory (,) essay by uncredited the best works published in the magazine in 2019. I haven’t read them so cannot judge.
Outliers essay by Emily Hockaday and Trevor Quachri About stories that were published in the magazine, but usually considered “not in the style” like softer SF. This is a slight preface to this year “best of 90 years” selection
Letter (Analog, July-August 2020) essay by Ben Bova another preface from old (and sadly recently deceased Ben Bova.
Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand by Vonda N. McIntyre this is 1973 Analog story, which was nominated for Hugo and won Nebula for the Best Novelette in 1974. It grew up to an award-winning novel, Dreamsnake which I reviewed here. 3.5*
In Times to Come (Analog, July-August 2020) essay by uncredited a glimpse in next issue(s)
Sticks and Stones novelette by Tom Jolly a strange planet, Earth-size but a fraction of mass is discovered by a human-crewed research vessel. It is a world formed from chained together asteroids. Wo made it and why? A nice concept, but it is a part of larger series I guess. 3*
Alien Biochemistry: Rejecting the Carbon Chauvinist essay by Jay Werkheiser a very nice view of life chemistries alternatives to carbon and their problems. 4*
Isotopical poem by d'Ores and Deja
Flyboys by Stanley Schmidt another story set in the already established universe, this time a planet were males are bat-like and females are marine creatures. They made a contact with Earth colonists in the earlier story and now a group of males plans to violate a peace treaty and attack humans. 2.5*
The Mad Cabbage short story by Céline Malgen? an old style invention SF, this time in the lab an extreme acidophile bacteria (pH 1) are developed in cabbage. 3.5* for bringing true science back
Aboard the Mithridates short story by Sean Vivier a generation ship on a way to a planet with high sulfuric acid content is atmosphere. The future colonists train (and modify) their organisms to withstand it by slowly increasing its presence. One buy cannot come and a girl protagonist tries to save him. 2*
On the Changing Roles of Dockworkers short story by Marie Vibbert one of robots in docks has strange damages. Can they be self-inflicted, a robot’s curator tries to find out. 2.5*
Lowlife Orbit short story by Rich Larson two guys at the Earth’s Lagrange point wait to intercept (illegally) a regular terraforming rocket sent to Mars. Why they do it? 2*
Frame Dragging and Pulsars essay by John G. Cramer another experimental proof of Einstein’s theory
Rite of Passage short story by Jerry Oltion a flash-fic about wearing a new spacesuit. 1*
Mars, the Dumping Ground of the Solar System short story by Andrew Kozma far future when all (modified) people from all over the Solar system are dumped on Mars. A protagonist is a clerk in local community and among multitude of daily problems a woman comes asking to help her find her daughter. 1.5*
Nanoscopic Nemesis short story by P. K. Torrens a flash-fic told from POV of nanite, whose goal to find and kill cancer cells. 4*
Retention short story by Alec Nevala-Lee someone calls to a company to cancel his account. The AI tries to keep him subscribed. Then a surprising twist. 4*
Baby Talk [The Alternate View] essay by Richard A. Lovett a review of studies what infants (?) her before birth and how speaking develops.
Fuel Me Once short story by Allen Kim Lang [as by Allen Lang] flash fic about getting funds to mine Titan’s hydrocarbons. 3*
Keeping the Peace short story by Elisabeth R. Adams some kind of alien ritual is on the way, and the narrator is passing it. 1.5*
Maryam Mirzakhani (1977-2017) poem by Jessy Randall
Ennui short story by Filip Wiltgren an AI helps future humans to fight a strange disease – boredom and ends up needing human help. 3.5*
The Offending Eye novelette by Robert R. Chase an inquisitor helps to find who changed AI and grows a mutual respect with the AI in the universe split between people like him, the society of Eternals and Trans-humans. 3.5*
The House of Styx (part 3 of 3) by Derek Künsken1] The final part of the first volume. 3.5*
The Reference Library (Analog, July-August 2020) [The Reference Library] essay by Don Sakers
Review of non-fiction book: "To Mars with Love" by Patricia Ann Straat essay by Don Sakers
Review of graphic novel: "ba.i.ley" by Jared Barel and Shane Riches essay by Don Sakers
Brass Tacks (Analog, July-August 2020) [Brass Tacks] essay by various
 Letter (Analog, July-August 2020) essay by Ron Miller
 Letter (Analog, July-August 2020) essay by John Vester
 Letter (Analog, July-August 2020): The Author Responds essay by Gregory Benford
Upcoming Events (Analog, July-August 2020) [Upcoming Events] essay by Anthony R. Lewis [as by Anthony Lewis]

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Marie Vibbert's writing voice and enjoyed her cute bot story "On the Changing Roles of Dockworkers," heard on the Analog podcast.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ratings for this issue:

A (excellent):

Baby Talk (non-fiction) by Richard A. Lovett
Ennui by Filip Wiltgren
Fuel Me Once by Allen Lang
Retention by Alaec Nevala-Lee
Mars, the dumping ground of the Solar System by Andrew Kozma
Sticks & Stones by Tom Jolly

B (very good):

Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand by Vonda N. McIntyre
Flyboys by Stanley Schmidt
The Mad Cabbage by Celine Maigen
On the Changing Roles of Dockworkers by Marie Vibbert
Lowlife Orbit by Rich Larson
Rite of Passage by Jeerry Oltion
Nanoscopic Nemesis by P.K. Torrens
Keeping the Peace by Elizabeth R. Adams
The Offending Eye by Robert R. Chase
Editorial: Outliers by Emily Hockaday & Trevor Quachri

C (average):

The House of Styx part 3 by Derek Kunsken
Aboard the Mithridates by Sean Vivier

[Timo Pietilä · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty average issue.

Sticks and Stones • novelette by Tom Jolly

A spaceship has been on an exploratory mission and has found an intelligent bacteria colony from another planet that is on board. They have been forbidden to ever return to Earth, and the crew is bitter about that. There is a promise of a world with an oxygen atmosphere and they go there. They find a bizarre world with a lot of promise, have some adventures, encounter some hostile creatures and possible invaders, and eventually, everything goes well. A very naive story where both plot and writing are straight from the 50s. I am not sure if this should have been taken as a parody - but it was too near to the original style to mock it well enough. There were some problems with logic, also. If you always have a mess with tomatoes when you transit from 1 g to zero-g, shouldn’t you pick up the ripe fruits beforehand? If they are carrying an alien organism considered so dangerous that they can never return to Earth, how can they study other inhabited worlds for the same reason (wouldn’t that go without saying)? ***

Flyboys • novella by Stanley Schmidt

A young boy of a species where males are flyers and females aren’t, passes his initiation to adulthood. There are humans on the planet, also. There has been a battle between the humans and flyers, but after a peace treaty, things seem to have settled down. But there are some flyers who want humans out and they kidnap the youngster and try to persuade him to help them. A fairly nice story with average writing and a fair amount “as you know, Bob” style of exposition. The aliens behave very human-like, up to judicial customs. ***½

The Mad Cabbage • short story by Céline Malgen

A young scientist is studying fermented red cabbage as she notices that its color is off: the solution is far too acidic for what it is supposed to be. Lactic acid bacteria aren’t supposed to survive in such conditions - what is going on? A very simple story with very little actual plot. ***-

Aboard the Mithridates • short story by Sean Vivier

A spaceship is traveling to a planet with high sulfur content in the air. The air in the ship is slowly being adjusted to that content so that the passengers evolve to it. There is some gene therapy but strangely it is used after the air change to help current passengers (with autosomal changes?). One boy struggles with adjusting. I wonder why he isn’t on the list for gene therapy? The author seems to have an extremely strange Lamarckian view of evolution, and a bad understanding of gene therapy. Does Analog really have no editor who has any grasp of science at all? A pretty bad story. **-

On the Changing Roles of Dockworkers • short story by Marie Vibbert

A dock worker tries to find out why a robot doesn’t work like it supposed to. It has become self-aware. But could it be talked around to continue working? A short simple OK story. **½

Mars, the Dumping Ground of the Solar System • short story by Andrew Kozma

Mars is a slum where the most inept people, criminals, and unneeded scum live. All planets (including Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury) have been terraformed and the genetically modified workers of that process live in apparent slum-like conditions on Mars. A girl has gone missing and almost no one cares. The story apparently tries to achieve some sort of a racial point, but manages to be clumsy and extremely stupid, and the “science” part of the story, which is implied, would have been ridiculous even in a story written at end of the 40s. Terraforming Jupiter and Venus is easier than using Mars for a living? Transporting the works to Mars, when the planet they have designed it for would at least have the right gravity? **

Retention • short story by Alec Nevala-Lee

Someone is trying to cancel his cable service/security system and is talking to a very insistent bot, which won’t allow cancellation. It talks and talks and eventually it turns out both are bots that have been left behind by disappeared humans. ***½

Keeping the Peace • short story by Elisabeth R. Adams

Lizard like aliens want to conquer habited worlds. They have sent ships to nearby solar systems with little success, but then the ship from Earth arrived offering information of a ripe catch to be won. But the lizard who is responsible for the solar conquest is having second thoughts. Not bad, takes a while to get into as there was little backstory, but this time that approach worked pretty well. ***½

Ennui • short story by Filip Wiltgren

The AI of a generation spaceship is worried, as its immortal passengers start to give up on life without any reason it can understand or correct. There are also similar problems at the other human settlements. The AI tries to find a solution, but eventually an alternative solution by the AI is needed. A pretty good and even moving story. ****

The Offending Eye • novelette by Robert R. Chase

Continues an earlier story. There are three factions of humans: Stability (authoritarian and conservative faction), Eternals (aiming to prolong human life span at almost any cost), and TransHumans (who aim for uploading human consciousness to computers). A political officer (who keeps watch on too much free thinking and anything which might hint on a machine AI), has returned from an exploration trip where there was a find which might be a threat to all factions of humans. Also, the computer on that ship has apparently achieved self-awareness, and that demands careful study and eventually even visiting the enemy camp, Eternals. Clearly a better story than the first part. There was still a bit too much obvious exposition at places, but there were fewer problems with logic. Even the writing felt better than before. ****-

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A survey ship is prevented from returning to Earth by a hastily passed law forbidding ships that contact alien biology from infecting the Earth. The ship must find a new home and discovers a honeycomb world constructed of thousands of asteroids and girders.…and some native life, in Tom Jolly's "Sticks And Stones". Stanley Schmidt takes us back to the planet of the Zoeys - four-armed flying/swimming indigenes - where Bob and Junior try to avert a massacre of the marooned human settlement in "Flyboys". When the Percival Lowells Al seemed to become self-aware it is up to Riviere Chaz, a spy for the Stability to investigate how and why, as he suspects the Eternals or even the TransHumans, in "The Offending Eye" by Robert R. Chase. The final part of Derek Kunsken's "The House Of Styx" closes the issue, where the ailing habitat Causapscal-des-Vents is deliberately sunk to the surface of Venus to form a base for examining the alien wormhole, but not before the planet demonstrates its utter indifference to humans in a tragic way. Great stuff!

[Jeppe Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always difficult to properly rate magazines and anthologies, but I rate it as whether there are enough good stories to recommend picking it up, and not as an average of all the stories. This issue comes a bit in between. Some stories worth reading if you already are subscribing, but not really worth buying the single issue for.

The standout stories for me were "Retention" by Alec Nevala-Lee, "The Offending Eye" by Robert R. Chase and "Sticks and Jones" by Tom Jolly.

"Retention" is a great short story with an orignal take om automated customer service. The two others are longer and with some great worldbuilding and ideas, but the plots are not very tight.

The rest of the stories are mostly "meh" and especially the novella by Stanley Schmidt was very clunky with painful dialogue, so overall this issue was mostly average and only few memorable stories.

[Michael Goodine · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite Analog of the year so far. "Retention" by Alec Nevala-Lee is a very smart and funny story about an individual who is having some serious trouble cancelling an online service. Surely Nevala-Lee must be one of the best regular contributors to the magazine these days.

Filip Wiltgren's "Ennui" is a wonderful story about AI struggling to deal with the realities of running a colony ship where life has gotten a bit too hum-drum. I'm a sucker for good colony ship stories.

Stanley Schmidt's "Flyboys" reads like something that would have appeared in the magazine forty years ago. Which is nice.

Also included is the last installment of Derek Kunsken's serialized novel "House of Styx." That's been a fun story to follow.

Recommended.

[Seth Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion to the serial was definitely a bit of a gut punch and a cliffhanger, but it left me wanting more, so... The rest of the issue was a mixed bag, but overall enjoyable. Standouts were Wiltgren's Ennui, and the two novelettes by Tom Jolly (Sticks and Stones) and Robert Chase (The Offending Eye). Marie Vibbert's "On The Changing Role of Dockworkers" was also solid.

[Eric Bauman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A better than average mix of stories this issue.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved some stories, honestly struggled with some but hut and miss is what you get with this format, ymmv

[Mark Catalfano · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked “Of Mist, Grass, and Sand” by Vonda McIntyre