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Asimov's SF, September 2008
by Dell Magazine Authors
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Science Fiction
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Dell Magazines
www.dellmagazines.com
Copyright ©2008 by Dell Magazines
NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.
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Cover Art for “The Ice War” by John Picacio
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CONTENTS
Department: EDITORIAL: 2008 READERS’ AWARDS by Sheila Williams
Department: REFLECTIONS: ANOTHER THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY by Robert Silverberg
Novelette: IN THE AGE OF THE QUIET SUN by William Barton
Short Story: SOLDIER OF THE SINGULARITY by Robert R. Chase
Poetry: PERSPECTIVE by G. O. Clark
Short Story: HORSE RACING by Mary Rosenblum
Short Story: CUT LOOSE THE BONDS OF FLESH AND BONE by Ian Creasey
Poetry: THE GHOSTS OF CHRONOPOLIS by Bruce Boston
Short Story: SLUG HELL by Steven Utley
Novelette: MIDNIGHT BLUE by Will McIntosh
Poetry: SCREAMS by Ian Watson
Short Story: USURPERS by Derek Zumsteg
Novelette: THE ICE WAR by Stephen Baxter
Department: ON BOOKS by Paul Di Filippo
Department: SF CONVENTIONAL CALENDAR by Erwin S. Strauss
Department: NEXT ISSUE
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Asimov's Science Fiction. ISSN 1065-2698. Vol. 32, No.9. Whole No. 392, September 2008. GST #R123293128. Published monthly except for two combined double issues in April/May and October/November by Dell Magazines, a division of Crosstown Publications. One year subscription $55.90 in the United States and U.S. possessions. In all other countries $65.90 (GST included in Canada), payable in advance in U.S. funds. Address for subscription and all other correspondence about them, 6 Prowitt Street, Norwalk, CT 06855. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for change of address. Address for all editorial matters: Asimov's Science Fiction, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10016. Asimov's Science Fiction is the registered trademark of Dell Magazines, a division of Crosstown Publications. (c) 2008 by Dell Magazines, a division of Crosstown Publications, 6 Prowitt Street, Norwalk, CT 06855. All rights reserved, printed in the U.S.A. Protection secured under the Universal and Pan American Copyright Conventions. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner without express permission is prohibited. All submissions must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope; the publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. Periodical postage paid at Norwalk, CT and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER, send change of address to Asimov's Science Fiction, 6 Prowitt Street, Norwalk, CT 06855. In Canada return to Quebecor St. Jean, 800 Blvd. Industrial, St. Jean, Quebec J3B 8G4.
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ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION
Isaac Asimov: Editorial Director (1977-1992)
Sheila Williams: Editor
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Stories from Asimov's have won 44 Hugos and 25 Nebula Awards, and our editors have received 18 Hugo Awards for Best Editor.
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Please do not send us your manuscript until you've gotten a copy of our manuscript guidelines. To obtain this, send us a self-addressed, stamped business-size envelope (what stationery stores call a number 10 envelope), and a note requesting this information. Please write “manuscript guidelines” in the bottom left-hand corner of the outside envelope. The address for this and for all editorial correspondence is Asimov's Science Fiction, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. While we're always looking for new writers, please, in the interest of time-saving, find out what we're loking for, and how to prepare it, before submitting your story.
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Department: EDITORIAL: 2008 READERS’ AWARDS
by Sheila Williams
This year's Readers’ Award celebration was held in Austin, Texas, in conjunction with the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America's annual Nebula awards banquet. The Readers’ Awards were distributed at a breakfast party at Ancho's, a restaurant in the Omni Hotel. Unfortunately, none of our winners were in attendance, but we did entertain an exceptional crew of accepters and guests. Although our readers could only be there in spirit, you were well represented by the warm comments I received on so many ballots. Once again, readers mentioned how difficult it was to choose three stories from among the many deserving tales in each category. While we only ran one serial, it was clear, too, that, if possible, many of you would have given Allen M. Steele an award for for his novel, Galaxy Blues. Subscriber Jeffrey David Powell summed up these thoughts when he wrote, “Thanks for another great year ofAsimov's. Willis's Christmas novella, Allen Steele's novel serialization, and the reprinting of Isaac Asimov's “Nightfall” were all high points. Once again, there was such an abundance of great stories, that I wish I could have voted for so many more.”
The award for best poem went to Bruce Boston. Bruce asked fellow poet and Nebula-award winning fiction author, Mary Turzillo to accept his award for him. Donato Giancola's July 2007 cover was the recipient of the award for best cover. Although the painting was from Donato's private collection, I knew it was a perfect match for Nancy Kress's “Fountain of Age” the moment I saw it. Nancy attended our breakfast, and was a very good sport about coming in second in two categories. At the banquet that night, she would have more excitement to look forward to because both of these stories were also nominated for the Nebula award. Nancy accepted the short story award for Elizabeth Bear. “Tideline” (June 2007), which won with an impressive lead over the other stories in its category, was the author's first tale for our magazine. It and two other stories from Asimov's—Mike Resnick's “Distant Replay” and Michael Swanwick's “A Small Room in Koboldtown"—are also nominated for this year's Hugo award for best short story. The latter two stories both appeared in our April/May 2007 Thirtieth Anniversary Issue.
“Dark Integers,” Greg Egan's novelette from our October/November 2007 issue, took its category with a commanding lead as well. Greg's award was accepted for him by Hugo- and Nebula-award-winning-author Geoffrey A. Landis. “Dark Integers” is also on this year's Hugo-award ballot.
Kristine Kathryn Rusch won the Readers’ Award for her novella, “Recovering Apollo 8” (February 2007). In a speech that was read by Connie Willis, Kris said that she especially wanted to thank the readers—"They've debated this story and they've let me know how they've loved this stor
y. I appreciate it all.” This was our closest fiction category, because readers who thoroughly enjoyed “Recovering Apollo 8” also liked Nancy Kress's novella, “Fountain of Age.” In addition, both Kris and Nancy's novellas, along with Connie Willis's “All Seated on the Ground” (December 2007), are currently finalists for the Hugo award.
Other guests at our joint celebration with Analog Science Fiction and Fact included Asimov's stalwart Jack Skillingstead, and AnLab winners Michael F. Flynn, Richard A. Lovett, and Barry B. Longyear. Paparazzi and press included Liza Groen Trombi from Locus, Scott Edelman from SF Weekly, Margie Flynn, and Jean Longyear. Analog's editor, Stanley Schmidt, and managing editor, Trevor Quachri, co-hosted the breakfast with me.
I had one of the best seats in the house at the Nebula awards that evening. Seated to my right was Karen Joy Fowler. Karen won the short story Nebula for “Always,” another story from our all-star Thirtieth Anniversary Issue. Nancy, seated to my left, picked up the best novella Nebula for “Fountain of Age.”
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Left to right: Connie Willis, Mary A. Turzillo, Sheila Williams, Geoffrey A. Landis, Nancy Kress
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In addition to our Readers’ Award winners and finalists, and the list of this year's Nebulas winners, this issue includes one more award winner. When I told Steven Utley that I needed new information for the biographical note that would accompany his story, “Slug Hell,” Steven asked for permission to hold a blurb-writing contest on the Asimov's Forum. Knowing how quickly discussions on the internet can go astray, I reserved absolute veto power. Fortunately, we struck gold with Forum regular Byron Bailey's entry.
Copyright (c) 2008 Sheila Williams
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2008 READERS’ AWARD WINNERS
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BEST NOVELLA
1. RECOVERING APOLLO 8; KRISTINE KATHRYN RUSCH
2. Fountain of Age; Nancy Kress
3. All Seated on the Ground; Connie Willis
4. Dead Money; Lucius Shepard
5. Alien Archaeology; Neal Asher
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BEST NOVELETTE
1. DARK INTEGERS; GREG EGAN
2. Safeguard; Nancy Kress
3. The Prophet of Flores; Ted Kosmatka
4. Trunk and Disorderly; Charles Stross
5. The Mists of Time; Tom Purdom
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BEST SHORT STORY
1. TIDELINE; ELIZABETH BEAR
2. How Music Begins; James Van Pelt
3. Distant Replay; Mike Resnick
4. Strangers on a Bus; Jack Skillingstead
5. The Rules; Nancy Kress
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BEST POEM
1. THE DIMENSIONAL RUSH OF RELATIVE PRIMES; BRUCE BOSTON
2. The Wings of Icarus; John Morressy
3. Rainstorm; Debbie Ouellet
3. Cendrillon at Sunrise; Jo Walton
5. Classics of Fantasy: “A Christmas Carol"; Jack O'Brien
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BEST COVER
1. JULY; DONATO GIANCOLA
2. January; Michael Whelan
3. June; John Allemand
4. September; Dan O'Driscol
5. December; Michael Carrol
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ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION SALUTES THE WINNERS OF THE 2008 NEBULA AWARDS
Best Novel: The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
Best Novella: “Fountain of Age” by Nancy Kress (Asimov's July 2007)
Best Novelette: “The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate” by Ted Chiang
Best Short Story: “Always” by Karen Joy Fowler (Asimov's April/May 2007)
Best Script: Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro
Grand Master: Michael Moorcock
[Back to Table of Contents]
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Department: REFLECTIONS: ANOTHER THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY
by Robert Silverberg
Just over a year ago I devoted this column to a celebration of this magazine's thirtieth anniversary. And the other day I discovered that I have a different thirtieth anniversary to celebrate this year—that of this very column.
No, “Reflections” hasn't been running in Asimov's all that time. The opinions and reflections of a very distinguished predecessor occupied this space from the magazine's first issue, which was dated Spring 1977, until its 189th, date August, 1992—none other than Isaac Asimov himself. Isaac died in April of 1992, and in the issue dated September 1992, editor Gardner Dozois wrote a brief editorial piece to announce the sad news.
But Gardner, swamped with manuscripts to read for a monthly magazine, preferred not to have to write a monthly editorial column as well. And so for the next couple of years no such columns appeared here, except for the very occasional guest editorial, until I took over Isaac's old slot as columnist with the July 1994 issue, the 218th. And here I have been, issue after issue, ever since. (Minus one, around a dozen years ago: at the time I was struggling to finish a novel that was running greatly overdue, and my wife Karen stepped in and wrote one month's essay on my behalf. Not as a ghost-writer, mind you. She got her own byline.) Except for that one I've done them all, month in and month out, for the past fourteen years, well over 150 columns by now. Some demon bibliographer will probably be able to supply the exact number. I can't.
Though I've been an Asimov's columnist for the past fourteen years, the column itself had already been in existence for sixteen years when I transferred it to this magazine, and so this year marks its thirtieth anniversary. I provided this account of its history in my initial Asimov's column:
“It was just about sixteen years ago—the spring of 1978—that I took upon myself the task of writing a regular column of commentary on the science fiction scene. The magazine that invited me to sound off was called Galileo, which was pretty much a shoestring operation, published out of Boston by a bunch of people whose main excuse for publishing it was that they loved SF, and edited by the ambitious and determined Charles C. Ryan.
I suppose you would have to call Galileo a semi-pro operation, considering its irregular publishing schedule, its not-quite-ready-for-prime-time format, and its basically subscriptions-only distribution scheme. But so far as its editorial content went it was as professional as any SF magazine of its era—including Asimov's, which was all of one year old at the time, and just beginning to hit its stride. Looking through my file of Galileo, I see its contents page studded with names such as Connie Willis, Joan D. Vinge, John Kessel, Alan Dean Foster, and Lewis Shiner, all of them in the early years of careers that soon would shine with high accomplishment. Veterans like Brian Aldiss, Harlan Ellison, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and Jack Williamson had stories in it too; and there were non-fiction pieces by the likes of Carl Sagan, Arthur C. Clarke, Hal Cle-ment, and Frederik Pohl. All in all, it seemed to me a fine place for me to set up shop in as a pontificator.
I very much wanted to do some pontificating, too. After a quarter of a century as a professional science fiction writer, I had wandered into a time of personal and creative crisis that had led me, late in 1974, to retire from writing “forever.” A great deal of my motivation for walking away from my career had to do with the changing nature of science-fiction publishing in the United States in the mid-1970s. The exciting revolution of concepts and literary technique that had acquired the label of “The New Wave” had failed in a big way; the ambitious work of the writers who were considered to be part of the New Wave was swiftly going out of print, and what was coming in was the first surge of Star Trek novelizations, Tolkien imitations, juvenile space adventure books, and other highly commercial stuff that I had no interest in writing or reading. I felt crowded out by all the junk; and, having also hit a period of mental burnout after years of high-level productivity, I was too tired to fight back against the overwhelming trend toward more juvenile SF. So I simply picked up my marbles and walked away, intending my disappearance from the field to be permanent.
When Charlie Ryan approached me about doing a regula
r column three and a half years later, I was still deep in my irrevocable and permanent retirement, but I had begun to feel as though I were living a weirdly posthumous existence. It was apparent to my friends, if not yet to me, that I was growing increasingly troubled and confused by my extended period of self-imposed silence. Although I had had plenty of offers to write my kind of science fiction on quite generous terms, I wasn't yet ready to get back into the business of writing fiction again; but I wanted to write something, if only to re-establish my connection with the field of fiction that had been the center of my imaginative experience since my boyhood. The truth was that I missed science fiction and my role in shaping it. I could no longer bear to be invisible, after so many years at the center of things. So I accepted Galileo's invitation to do a regular commentary piece gladly and eagerly, and with some relief.
I wrote six columns for Galileo before it vanished with its sixteenth issue, dated January 1980. By then my retirement from fiction had ended—I was working on a long novel called Lord Valentine's Castle when Galileo went under—and I was definitely back in harness with the bit between my teeth. Scarcely had Galileo been laid to rest but I had an offer from Elinor Mavor, then the editor of the venerable Amazing Stories, to move my column to her magazine. Which indeed I did, beginning with the May 1981 Amazing; and there it remained for thirteen years, through a change of publisher, three changes of editor, one change in the column's name (from “Opinion” to “Reflections"), and a total transformation of the magazine's format. Issue after issue, Silverberg spouting off on this topic or that for something like a hundred columns.
Then Amazing too went under, and, caught without a podium for my orations and accustomed after sixteen years to holding forth, I quickly accepted Gardner Dozois’ invitation in the spring of 1994 to transfer the site of my column to Asimov's, and here I still am, hoping that both the magazine and I enjoy enough longevity to allow me to equal Isaac's record for long-term column production.
Asimov's SF, September 2008 Page 1
