Asimov's Science Fiction 01/01/11
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The Jaguar House, in Shadow (nt) . . . . . Jul . . . . . 42
Thought Experiments: The View From the Other Side: Science Fiction and Non-Western/Non-Anglophone Countries (ed) . . . . . Sep . . . . . 12
The Wind-Blown Man (nt) . . . . . Feb . . . . . 58
Di Filippo, Paul—
On Books (r) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 102
——— . . . . . Mar . . . . . 107
——— . . . . . Jul . . . . . 107
——— . . . . . Sep . . . . . 107
Dutcher, Roger—
All That Matters (p) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 107
The Now We Almost Inhabit (with Robert Frazier) (p) . . . . . Sep . . . . . 47
Emshwiller, Carol—
The Lovely Ugly (ss) . . . . . Aug . . . . . 24
Wilds (ss) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 76
Fischer, Eugene—
Adrift (ss) . . . . . Apr/May . . . . . 50
Frazier, Robert—
The Now We Almost Inhabit (with Roger Dutcher) (p) . . . . . Sep . . . . . 47
Friend, Peter—
Voyage to the Moon (ss) . . . . . Jun . . . . . 54
Fulda, Nancy—
Backlash (nt) . . . . . Sep . . . . . 28
Garger, Qadira P.—
The Great Peeloff (p) . . . . . Aug . . . . . 55
Genge, Sara—
Malick Pan (ss) . . . . . Apr/May . . . . . 104
Sins of the Father (ss) . . . . . Dec . . . . . 35
Gloss, Molly—
Unforeseen (ss) . . . . . Apr/May . . . . . 40
Heck, Peter—
On Books (r) . . . . . Feb . . . . . 107
——— . . . . . Jun . . . . . 107
——— . . . . . Aug . . . . . 107
——— . . . . . Dec . . . . . 107
Ian, Janis—
Welcome Home (p) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 141
Jablokov, Alexander—
Blind Cat Dance (nt) . . . . . Mar . . . . . 44
Warning Label (nt) . . . . . Aug . . . . . 56
Johnson, Kij—
Names for Walter (ss) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 51
Kelly, James Patrick—
On the Net: Brave New Worlds (a) . . . . . Aug . . . . . 11
——— Dude, Where’s My Hovercar? (a) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 10
——— Face the Tweets (a) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 10
——— Plus or Minus (nt) . . . . . Dec . . . . . 10
——— The Price of Free (I) (a) . . . . . Mar . . . . . 9
——— The Price of Free II (a) . . . . . Jun . . . . . 9
Kim, Alice Sola—
The Other Graces (ss) . . . . . Jul . . . . . 10
Kowal, Mary Robinette—
For Want of a Nail (ss) . . . . . Sep . . . . . 62
Landis, Geoffrey A.—
Human Potential (p) . . . . . Jun . . . . . 41
Marya and the Pirate (nt) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 14
The Sultan of the Clouds (na) . . . . . Sep . . . . . 76
Lee, Tanith—
Torhec the Sculptor (nt) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 64
Lindow, Sandra—
Of Lycanthropy and Lilacs (p) . . . . . Jun . . . . . 61
Longyear, Barry B.—
Alten Kameraden (nt) . . . . . Apr/May . . . . . 115
Ludwigsen, Will—
The Speed of Dreams (ss) . . . . . Mar . . . . . 72
McAllister, Bruce—
The Woman Who Waited Forever (nt) . . . . . Feb . . . . . 34
McDaniel, Tim—
They Laughed at Me in Vienna and Again in Prague, and Then in Belfast, and Don’t Forget Hanoi! But I’ll Show Them! I’ll Show Them All, I Tell You! (ss) . . . . . Apr/May . . . . . 62
McIntosh, Will—
Frankenstein, Frankenstein (nt) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 108
Meyerhofer, Michael—
Subatomic Redemption (p) . . . . . Feb . . . . . 71
Mirabelli, Eugene—
The Palace in the Clouds (ss) . . . . . Sep . . . . . 36
Miskell, Vincent—
Our Canine Defense Team (p) . . . . . Mar . . . . . 71
Mitenko, D.T.—
Eddie’s Ants (ss) . . . . . Jul . . . . . 48
Nelson, David Erik—
The Bold Explorer in the Place Beyond (ss) . . . . . Feb . . . . . 53
Neube, R.—
Dummy Tricks (ss) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 100
Penrose, Elizabeth—
A Wrong Turn (p) . . . . . Aug . . . . . 45
Popkes, Steven—
Jackie’s-Boy (na) . . . . . Apr/May . . . . . 144
Preston, William—
Helping Them Take the Old Man Down (nt) . . . . . Mar . . . . . 12
Purdom, Tom—
Haggle Chips (nt) . . . . . Jul . . . . . 22
Warfriends (nt) . . . . . Dec . . . . . 86
Reed, Robert—
A History of Terraforming (na) . . . . . Jul . . . . . 74
Excellence (ss) . . . . . Dec . . . . . 58
The Good Hand (nt) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 60
Monkey Do (ss) . . . . . Jun . . . . . 35
Pretty to Think So (ss) . . . . . Apr/May . . . . . 134
Rentz, Pamela—
The Battle of Little Big Science (ss) . . . . . Aug . . . . . 46
Resnick, Mike—
The Incarceration of Captain Nebula (ss) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 54
Rich, Mark—
Louisa Drifting (p) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 83
Roadside Stand (p) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 13
Sailor (p) . . . . . Dec . . . . . 69
Rusch, Kristine Kathryn—
Amelia Pillar’s Etiquette for the Space Traveler (ss) . . . . . Jul . . . . . 70
Becoming One With the Ghosts (na) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 14
The Tower (nt) . . . . . Mar . . . . . 78
Roberson, Chris—
Wonder House (ss) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 53
Sargent, Pamela—
Mindband (na) . . . . . Apr/May . . . . . 70
Schweitzer, Darrell—
Tourists from Outer Space (p) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 141
Shoulders, Felicity—
Conditional Love (ss) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 32
The Termite Queen of Tallulah County (ss) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 87
Sidorova, J.M.—
The Witch, the Tinman, the Flies (ss) . . . . . Aug . . . . . 71
Silverberg, Robert—
Reflections: The Antikythera Computer (ed) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 6
——— Brave New Worlds (ed) . . . . . Aug . . . . . 8
——— Calling Dr. Asimov! (ed) . . . . . Sep . . . . . 7
——— Ghost Stories (ed) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 6
——— Rereading Clarke (ed) . . . . . Feb . . . . . 6
——— Rereading Kornbluth (ed) . . . . . Dec . . . . . 7
——— The Search For Other Earths . . . . . Jul . . . . . 6
——— Showing and Telling (ed) . . . . . Mar . . . . . 6
——— Showing and Telling II (ed) . . . . . Apr/May . . . . . 6
Spinrad, Norman—
On Books: Third World Wonders (r) . . . . . Apr/May . . . . . 181
———Time, Space, and Culture (r) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 182
Steele, Allen M.—
The Emperor of Mars (nt) . . . . . Jun . . . . . 12
The Jekyll Island Horror (nt) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 84
Steinmetz, Ferrett—
Under the Thumb of the Brain Patrol (ss) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 132
Strauss, Erwin S.—
The SF Conventional Calendar (a) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 112
——— . . . . . Feb . . . . . 112
——— . . . . . Mar . . . . . 112
——— . . . . . Apr/May . . . . . 192
——— . . . . . Jun . . . . . 112
——— . . . . . J
ul . . . . . 112
——— . . . . . Aug . . . . . 112
——— . . . . . Sep . . . . . 112
——— . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 192
——— . . . . . Dec . . . . . 112
Sullivan, Susan Abel—
Crushed (p) . . . . . Jun . . . . . 53
Swanson, Peter—
Reincarnation (p) . . . . . Feb . . . . . 22
Swanwick, Michael—
Libertarian Russia (ss) . . . . . Dec . . . . . 28
Tambour, Anna—
Dreadnought Neptune (ss) . . . . . Jun . . . . . 62
Taylor, Jessica—
Blueprint for a Domed City (p) . . . . . Dec . . . . . 85
Tem, Steve Rasnic—
A Letter from the Emperor (ss) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 44
Wall, Alan—
Superluminosity (ss) . . . . . Aug . . . . . 14
Werkheiser, Ian—
Variations (ss) . . . . . Dec . . . . . 49
Wilber, Rick—
Several Items of Interest (na) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 142
Wilhelm, Kate—
Changing the World (ss) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 124
Williams, Sheila—
Editorial: A Magazine by Any Name (ed) . . . . . Jan . . . . . 4
——— Affecting Eternity (ed) . . . . . Feb . . . . . 4
——— Affecting Eternity II (ed) . . . . . Mar . . . . . 4
——— Do Androids Dream of Electric Zhu Zhu Pets? (ed) . . . . . Jun . . . . . 4
——— Mermaids and Pink Elephants (ed) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 4
——— Readers’ Award (ed) . . . . . Sep . . . . . 4
——— Sheila and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (ed) . . . . . Dec . . . . . 4
——— Out of This World (ed) . . . . . Jul . . . . . 4
——— The 2010 Dell Magazines Awards (ed) . . . . . Aug . . . . . 4
In Memoriam: George H. Scithers (ed) . . . . . Sep . . . . . 35
Wolven, Nick—
On the Horizon (ss) . . . . . Aug . . . . . 80
Yoachim, Caroline M—
Stone Wall Truth (nt) . . . . . Feb . . . . . 10
Yolen, Jane—
Foxwife (p) . . . . . Oct/Nov . . . . . 63
Zumsteg, Derek—
Ticket Inspector Gliden Becomes the First Martyr of the Glorious Human Uprising (ss) . . . . . Mar . . . . . 64
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Departments
SF CONVENTIONAL CALENDAR
Erwin S. Strauss
A last burst of activity before the holiday lull. Good bets for Asimovians are WindyCon, SFContario, and PhilCon. Plan now for social weekends with your favorite SF authors, editors, artists, and fellow fans. For an explanation of con(vention)s, a sample of SF folksongs, and info on fanzines and clubs, send me an SASE (self-addressed, stamped #10 [business] envelope) at 10 Hill #22-L, Newark NJ 07102. The hot line is (973) 242-5999. If a machine answers (with a list of the week’s cons), leave a message and I’ll call back on my nickel. When writing cons, send an SASE. For free listings, tell me of your con 5 months out. Look for me at cons behind the Filthy Pierre badge, playing a musical keyboard.
NOVEMBER 2010
12-14—WindyCon. For info, write: Box 184, Palatine IL 60078. Or phone: (973) 242-5999 (10 am to 10 pm, not collect). (Web) windycon.org. (E-mail) info@windycon.org. Con will be held in: Lombard (near Chicago) IL (if city omitted, same as in address) at the Westin. Guests will include: Steven Barnes, Nene Thomas, Eric Flint. “The Lands of Faerie.”
12-14—NovaCon. +44 0114281-1572. novacon.org. Park Inn, Nottingham UK. Ian M. Banks. Long-time SF/fantasy con.
12-14—Anime USA. animeusa.org. Arlington (Crystal City) VA (near Washington DC). Many guests. “Of, by, for otaku.”
12-14—FaerieCon. faeriecon.org. Marriott, Hunt Valley MD. J. Yolen, M. Hague, the Frouds. “Celebrating the Magical Life.”
12-14—KollisionCon. kollisioncon.com. Hyatt, Schaumburg (Chicago) IL. Staples, Axelrod, Mercer. Anime and cosplay.
12-14—Dimensions. tenthplanet.co.uk. Holiday Inn, Newcastle-on-Tyne UK. Paul McGann, Colin Baker, Mary Tamm. Dr. Who.
12-14—Chevron. massiveevents.co.uk. Park Inn, Northampton UK. Michael Shanks, Teryl Rothery. Stargate.
12-14—YuleCon. yulecon.com. Ft. Worth TX. Anime.
12-14—IzumiCon. izumicon.com. Oklahoma City OK. Anime.
19-21—SFConTario. sfcontario.ca. Ramada Plaza, Toronto ON. Michael Swanwick, Patrick & Teresa Nielsen-Hayden.
19-21—SteamCon. steamcon.org. SeaTac Marriott, Seattle WA. Blaylock, Hensley, Priest. “Weird Weird West.” Steampunk.
20-21—Arkansas Anime Festival. aaf.calm-media.com. Clarion, Bentonville AR.
26-28—Darkover, Box 7203, Silver Spring MD 20907. darkovercon.org. Timonium (Baltimore) MD. E. Bear, K. Kurtz.
26-28—Tardis, Box 2660, Glen Ellyn IL 60138. (888) 724-7386. chicagotardis.com. Lombard (Chicago) IL. Dr. Who.
26-28—SorcererCon, Box 142283, Austin TX 78714. (512) 709-3307. sorcerercon.com. “A fantasy-based con.”
DECEMBER 2010
3-5—SMOFCon, Box 61363, Sunnyvale CA 94088. smofcon.com. San Francisco CA. Con organizers meet to talk shop.
31-Jan. 2—IkkiCon, Box 1641, Bastrop TX 78602. ikkicon.com. Hilton, Austin TX. Anime and Japanese pop culture.
31-Jan. 2—M. E. W. Con. mewcon.com. Airport Sheraton, Portland OR. Manga and Exotic Worlds.
JANUARY 2011
14-16—MarsCon, 131B King Henry Way, Williamsburg VA 23188. marscon.net. Jim and Shannon Butcher, Ursula Vernon.
14-17—Arisia, Box 392596, Cambridge MA 02139. arisia.org. Westin Waterfront, Boston MA. K. Armstrong, S. Garrity.
14-17—ChattaCon, Box 23908, Chattanooga TN 37422. chattacon.org. K. K. Rusch, C. Q. Yarbro, T. Weiskopf, R. Thompson.
29-30—Sci-Fi Expo. sci-fiexpo.com/dcc. Dallas Convention Center, Richardson (Dallas) TX. Media SF and toys.
FEBRUARY 2011
4-6—Cre2c3ndo, 16 Ann’s Rd., Cambridge CB1 8TN, UK. contabile.org.uk/cre2c3ndo. Grantham UK. SF/fantasy singing.
11-13—EatonCon, c/o Conway, UCR Libraries, Box 5900, Riverside CA 92517. eaton-collector.ucr.edu. Academic con.
18-20—Boskone, Box 809, Framingham MA 01701. boskone.org. Boston MA. C. Stross, C. Harris, G. Manchess, E. Neely.
18-20—ConDFW, 750 S. Main #14, Keller TX 76248. condfw.org. Dallas TX. J. McDevitt, T. Powers. SF, fantasy, horror.
18-20—FarPoint, 11708 Troy Ct., Waldorf MD 20681. farpointcon.com. Timonium (Baltimore) MD. Star Trek and media SF.
AUGUST 2011
17-21—RenoVation, Box 13278, Portland OR 97213. renovationsforg. Reno NV. Asher, Brown, Powers. WorldCon. $160.
AUGUST 2012
30-Sep. 3—Chicago WorldCon, Box 13, Skokie IL 60076. chicago2012.org. Chicago IL. Unopposed bid for WorldCon.
Previous Article Novelette
Novelette
TWO THIEVES
Chris Beckett
Chris Beckett’s seventh story for us is a glittering tale of two avaricious and adventuresome thieves and the dangers they encounter. The author’s latest novel, Dark Eden (Corvus, July 2011), takes up the short story of the same name (first published in Asimov’s, March 2006). It will look at the...
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Novelette
TWO THIEVES
Chris Beckett
Chris Beckett’s seventh story for us is a glittering tale of two avaricious and adventuresome thieves and the dangers they encounter. The author’s latest novel, Dark Eden (Corvus, July 2011), takes up the short story of the same name (first published in Asimov’s, March 2006). It will look at the society that has developed on the sunless planet Eden, five generations on. Readers can find more information about Chris and his writing at www.chris-beckett.com.
Two thieves stood glumly at the railings of a ship, watching their destination s
lowly transform itself from a blemish on the horizon, to a toy island with a single green papier-mâché hill, to an actual place that was no longer “there” but “here.” Dockhands waiting for the ropes, seagulls squabbling on the quay, weeds poking up between the flagstones: it would all be “here” for a very long time to come, if this place’s reputation was anything to go by.
“Oh crap,” muttered Pennyworth
He was short, bald, fat, and prone to sweat. His friend was slight and wiry, with a pockmarked face and shock of almost vertical ash-blond hair that made him look a little like a toilet brush. Their full names were Penitence Worthiness Gestas II and Surefaith Solicitude Dismas III, but Pennyworth and Shoe were what they always called themselves.
Shoe looked out at the settlement’s score or so of stone buildings, the vegetable gardens, the lighthouse. He looked down at the faces looking up from the quay, strangers, but soon to become all too familiar. He ran his hands through his spiky white hair and gave out a groan of despair.
“Dear God, I swear I will die of boredom.”
The police had ambushed their gang in a jeweler’s shop, acting on a tip-off from an informer. Three gang members were shot dead in the firefight. Another was wounded and died two streets away from loss of blood. But Shoe and Pennyworth were old hands and knew, or thought they did, when to play the game and when to throw in your hand. They’d surrendered themselves at once, expecting perhaps eight years in jail, with time off for not resisting arrest.
But this time they’d got the calculation wrong, for when the panel of judges was reminded of their long records of extortion, pimpery, house-breaking, drug dealing, and deceit, it decided the time had come for Last Resort.
“What?” the two thieves bellowed in dismay.
Up to that point they had been off-hand and nonchalant, as if the trial was a matter of indifference to them and they were keen to get on with more important business. Now they both leapt howling to their feet.
“We never wanted to rob that shop in the first place!” protested Shoe. “We were set up!”
“It’s not fair!” cried Pennyworth, “You let other people have another chance!”
But the judges bowed to the court, and gathered up their robes, and filed out to their chambers.
“Gentlemen,” said the voice of the ship’s captain over the PA system. “Please pick up your things and disembark.”
A couple of dozen prisoners trudged down the gangplank onto the quay, some surly, some silent and alert, some trying to make light of their situation with jokes.
“It doesn’t look such a bad place,” observed a tiny timid-looking little man, glancing anxiously at Shoe.