Lightspeed Magazine, September 2010

by Yoon Ha Lee

The September 2010 issue of Lightspeed Magazine features all types of sf, from near-future, sociological soft sf, to far-future, star-spanning hard sf, and anything and everything in in our lead story this month, “Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain,” author Yoon Ha Lee explores the notions of evitability and inevitability in a story about ancestry, multiple universes, an extraordinary gun…and the extraordinary woman who wields it; in “The Long Chase,” author (and NASA scientist) Geoffrey A. Landis tells the story of a survivor of a brutal, ideological war who escapes to the stars the only way she can. But she quickly finds that her enemies do not give up easily and are extremely patient when pursuing their prey.…; “Amid the Words of War” by Cat Rambo also tells the story of the survivor of an interstellar war. This tale takes place on the space station TwiceFar, where you can find a house of leisure called The Little Teacup of the Soul, whose patrons promise to fulfill any need…or die trying; and legendary author Robert Silverberg’s far-future “Travelers” take us on a journey throughout the galaxy, hopping from solar system to solar system as they explore everything from the living seas of Megalo Kastro to the monsters of Sidri Akrak. But what is it they’re really looking for?

Genres: Short Stories, Science Fiction, Anthologies, Fantasy, Fiction

76 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2010

About the author

Yoon Ha Lee is an American science fiction writer born on January 26, 1979 in Houston, Texas. His first published story, “The Hundredth Question,” appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1999; since then, over two dozen further stories have appeared. He lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Reviews

[Mark]

Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain by Yoon Ha Lee was easily my favorite story in this issue... worth checking out just for that one! Travelers by Robert Silverberg was another highlight, featuring a surprisingly immersive world for a short story.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain by Yoon Ha Lee, which plays with causality, time, branching universes, and deadly weapons.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories were good, but nothing outstanding.

[AsatorPrime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flower, Mercy, Needle, Chain 3/5
The Long Chase 4/5
Amid the Words of War 3/5
Travelers 3/5

[Shawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alas, not even a Robert Silverberg story could save this issue.