So—in due course, Tom finds himself in Purgatory. But this is not a version of that station of the afterlife that Dante would recognize. In fact, it’s got a considerable resemblance to the landscape of many American cities—though there are of course enough weird goings-on that it’s clearly not Kansas....
Not surprisingly, Tom finds both Atwater and Shasta, the woman he mourned. Equally unsurprisingly, very little turns out as he might have expected. Powers’ considerable inventiveness finds plenty of room to play in this quirky scenario, and the storytelling, as always with Powers, is compelling. If you’ve enjoyed the author’s previous work, you’ll need no special push to seek this one out.
THE DEVOURERS
By Indra Das
Del Rey, $26.00 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-101-96751-5
This striking first novel begins in present day India, when Alok, a young college professor, meets a charismatic stranger who introduces himself as a half-werewolf. Intrigued, Alok seeks to learn more about the stranger—who agrees to let the professor translate certain ancient manuscripts that will tell him some of what he wants to know.
The story is then taken up by several different narrators over a long period of time, beginning in the seventeenth century near where the Taj Mahal is being constructed. We first meet the full werewolf—he calls himself Fenrir—as one of a trio of such monsters who have traveled from Europe to India. Fenrir rapes an Indian woman, precipitating a falling-out with his companions, who consider mere humans a lesser species. But he returns to the woman—who is carrying a child, presumably the stranger who gives the manuscripts to Alok—and they embark on a series of adventures.
Das is a compelling writer, combining mythologies from several cultures with a rare ease, and managing to make the monster at the heart of the story sympathetic despite his utter alienness from human emotions and morality. If you’re bored with the usual ingredients of commercial fantasy, here’s one about as different from the formula as you’re likely to get.
CENTRAL STATION
By Lavie Tidhar
Tachyon, $15.99 (tp)
ISBN: 978-1-61696-214-2
Israeli-born, London-based author Tidhar has come onto the radar of SF readers like a new planet. This fix-up novel, tying together stories published in various outlets over about five years, is set in a huge spaceport near present-day Tel Aviv. As one would expect, the community around Central Station is home to an enormous variety of inhabitants— Jews, Arabs, African and Asian immigrants, robots, cyborgs (here called “Others”) and starfarers who’ve gone to space and have lived on distant worlds.
Tidhar follows several such characters, offering a view of the station from each of their perspectives. Several have some connection in the past, notably a love story between an older couple, Boris Chong and an African woman named Miriam Jones. We learn they were lovers long ago before Chong emigrated to Mars. Now he’s back.
The other characters cover a wide range of origins and types; many of them are scrambling to make some kind of living in the strange world that has grown up around this crossroads of the universe.
Back in the 1950s, one critic (Kinglsey Amis? Michel Butor? Tell me if you remember who) observed that the aliens in much American SF had more in common with their readers than the average Mexican did. Here’s a writer who can hardly be accused of that—and yet, even Tidhar’s most alien beings have a share of humanity. Tidhar’s well worth a look if you want an idea of what the next generation of SF is going to look like.
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SF CONVENTIONAL CALENDAR
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November is the time for many long-running cons, including LosCon, TusCon, PhilCon (where I’ll be), WindyCon and OryCon. North of the border, there’s Hal-Con and SFContario. Across the pond, NovaCon and ArmadaCon. Enjoy social weekends with your favorite SF authors, editors, artists, and fellow fans. For an explanation of our 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, Newarkå 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 five months out. Look for me at cons behind the Filthy Pierre badge, playing a musical keyboard. —Erwin S. Strauss
NOVEMBER 2016
4–6— Creation. For info, write: 217 S. Kenwood, Glendale CA 91205. Or phone: (818) 409-0960 (10 a.m. to 10 p.m., not collect). (Web) creationent.com. (E-mail) [email protected]. Con will be held in: Whippany NJ (if city omitted, same as in address) at the Marriott Hanover. Guests will include: Stars of the “Supernatural” TV show. Official convention of the TV show. Commercial event.
4–6— Hal-Con. hal-con.com. Halifax NS. Gates McFadden, Julie Czerneda, Charles deLint, others. Media SF, fantasy, gaming.
4–6— FaerieCon. faeriecon.com. Wyndham Inn, Hunt Valley (Baltimore) MD. The Frouds, others. Celebrating the magical life.
4–6— Ohio Valley Filk Fest. ovff.org. Doubletree, Worthington (Columbus) OH. Vixy & Tony, others. SF/fantasy/horror folksinging.
4–6— CONjuration. conjurationcon.com. Marriott Century Center, Atlanta GA. Juliet Martillier, Keith Hawk, others. Harry Potter.
4–6— ArmadaCon. armadacon.org. Future Inns, Mannamead UK. General SF, fantasy and horror con.
4–6— EuroCon. eurocon2016.org. Barcelona, Spain. Ailette de Bodard, Richard Morgan, Jun Myazaki, Enrique Corominas, others.
4–7— DocCon. facebook.com/azdoccon. Glendale (Phoenix) AZ. For fans of the pulp hero Doc Savage.
5— Le Bal des Vampires. peersdance.org. Elks Lodge, Alameda CA. A masked ball, in the Venetian tradition.
11–13— WindyCon. windycon.org. Westin Yorktown Center, Lombard (Chicago) IL. A. Selzer, Art Baltazar, the Passovoys, others.
11–13— TusCon. tusconscifi.com. Radisson Airport, Tucson AZ. G. R. R. Martin, Peri Charlifu, William Malone, Ed Bryant, others.
11–13— Long Island Who. longislanddoctorwho.com. Hyatt, Hauppauge NY. P. Davison, C. Baker, P. McGann, others. Doctor Who.
11–13— OmegaCon Fall. omegacon.org. The Lodge at Crooked Lake, Siren WI. Low-key SF/fantasy/horror relaxacon.
11–13— Crime Bake. crimebake.org. Hilton, Dedham (Boston) MA. W. K. Kreger, J. C. Estevao, R. Daniel, others. Mystery fiction.
11–13— NovaCon. novacon.org.uk. Park Inn, Nottingham UK. Juliet McKenna, others. SF, fantasy and horror.
11–14— Creation. Contact as above. Airport Marriott, Burbank (Los Angeles) CA. Commercial event for “Supernatural” fans.
17–20— TeslaCon. teslacon.com. Marriott Madison West, Middleton WI. Steampunk themed.
18–19— SFContario, c/o 151 Gamma, Toronto ON M8W 4G3. sfcontario.ca. Ramada Plaza. SF, fantasy and horror.
18–20— PhilCon, Box 8303, Philadelphia PA 19101. philcon.org. Cherry Hill NJ. C. J. Cherryh, D. Seeley, L. E. Modesitt Jr., others.
18–20— OryCon, c/o Box 5464, Portland OR 97228. orycon.org. David Weber, Diana Gill, David Mattingly, Mark Usier, others.
18–20— AtomaCon. atomacon.org. Radisson, N. Charleston SC. Keith DeCandido, others. SF, fantasy, horror, comics, media, gaming.
18–20— Days of the Dead. daysofthedead.net. Marriott, Schaumburg (Chicago) IL. For fans of “The Walking Dead” TV show.
20— Our Disappearing Planet. tenthplanetevents.co.uk. Capthorne, Windsor UK. Freddie Jones, Tom Baker, others. Autograph show.
25–27— LosCon, c/o LASFaS, 6012 Tyrone Ave., Van Nuys CA 91401. loscon.org. Los Angeles CA. Gerrold, Charlifu, others.
25–27— ChamBanaCon, c/o Box 2908, Springfield IL 62708. chambanacon.org. Marriott. Gene Wolfe, others. Relaxacon.
25–27— ChessieCon, c/o TSFS, Box 83032, Gaithersburg MD 20883. chessiecon.org. Timonium (Baltimore) MD. S. Pinsker, others.
25–27— Chicago Tardis. chicagotardis.com. Lombard (Chicago) IL. Migel Faris, Frazer Himes, Louise Jameson,
others. Doctor Who.
25–27— Fright Night Horror Weekend. frightnightfilmfest.com. Expo Center, Louisville KY. Horror film.
27— Pulp Adventure Con. pulpadventure.com. Bordentown NJ. For collectors of old pulp magazines and related paper materials.
DECEMBER 2016
1–4— Midwest FurFest. furfest.org. Hyatt. Rosemont (Chicago) IL. For fans of cartoon animals, especially costuming like them.
2–4— SMOFCon. smofcon34.org. Rosemont (Chicago) IL. “Opening Conventions to Everyone.” Convention organizers meet to talk shop.
2–4— Creation. Contact as above. SFO Hyatt, Burlingame (San Francisco) CA. Official commercial event for “Supernatural” fans.
AUGUST 2017
9–13—WorldCon 75, c/o Maa ja Ilma ry, PO Box 665, Helsinki 00101, Finland. worldcon.fi. Helsinki, Finland. ⇔145/US$140+.
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Information
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Stories from Asimov’s have won 53 Hugos and 28 Nebula Awards, and our editors have received 20 Hugo Awards for Best Editor.
Please do not send us your manuscript until you’ve gotten a copy of our guidelines. Look for them online at www.asimovs.com or send us a self-addressed, stamped business-size (#10) envelope, and a note requesting this information. Write “manuscript guidelines” in the bottom left-hand corner of the outside envelope. We prefer electronic submissions, but the address for manual submissions and for all editorial correspondence is Asimov’s Science Fiction, 44 Wall Street, Suite 904, New York, NY 10005-2352. While we’re always looking for new writers, please, in the interest of time-saving, find out what we’re looking for, and how to prepare it, before submitting your story.
Asimov’s Science Fiction. ISSN 1065-2698. Vol. 40, No. 12, Whole No. 491, December 2016. 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, 44 Wall Street, Suite 904, New York, N.Y. 10005. Asimov’s Science Fiction is the registered trademark of Dell Magazines, a division of Crosstown Publications. © 2016 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. Please visit our website, www.asimovs.com, for information regarding electronic submissions. All manual 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. Foreign Subscription return to Penny Publications, LLC., 570 Route 106 N, Loudon, NH 03307.
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