Analog: Short Fiction Reviews by A.C. Wise

Analog 11-12/24

“That Far, Uncharted Ocean” by Auston Haber­shaw in the November/December issue of Analog features recurring characters and a world appear­ing in previous Analog stories by the author. Amos Tambly is recruited by the Thraad, snaillike aliens, who want to win a sailing regatta but have no knowledge of boats and are afraid of the ocean. Amos agrees, but ultimately learns that the Thraad intend to wipe out their competition, not having the same views as other species on concepts like murder. The story is smoothly written, with a good voice. “Lady Ballistic: Fast and Accurate Cleaning” by Alexander Jablokov centers on a main character whose specialty is cleaning up interdimensional messes. After she’s hired by a real estate agent to clean up a house, she realizes too late that the problem is not in fact the alien spider spreading webs all over the house, but rather the alien bees – the source of the spider’s food – that are now loose in the neighborhood with the webs removed. “Mirrorstar” by Sean McMullen is set on a remote observation station, where Dr. Con­nell is tasked with investigating the mysterious death of a crew member found floating in the telescope observation chamber naked, frozen to death, and covered in fur. Over the course of the investigation, he realizes that Wright isn’t in fact dead. Radiation from the planet has transformed her, preparing her to survive the planet’s harsh winter – a discovery which could revolutionize human medicine, but which also prompts sus­picion and the threat of annihilation from the humans back on Earth who are deeply paranoid regarding alien contamination.

“Hell Five” by Arlan Andrews, Sr. follows Le­roi9X, a street rat who survives by stealing from tekkies as he gets an unexpected chance to go Up There and live a better life. “Emergency Calls Only” by Kelsey Hutton effectively packs a lot of emotion into a relatively brief story as the narra­tor records a message to her ex-girlfriend as she’s falling into a black hole. Even though she knows there’s a good chance her message will never be received, she gives herself what closure she can in her final moments of life. “Galilean Cross­ing” by Pauline Barmby is a flash piece about a courier making a dangerous trip across Europa to deliver lifesaving bone marrow. “Death of an Intelligence” by Mjke Wood feels like a story that should be a part of a larger cycle featuring recur­ring characters, as history professor Marcus Petri and his student Alyssa investigate the murder of an artificial intelligence.

“If This Flesh Were Thought” by Matt McHugh stood out for me in this issue. Officer Marie Dombroski investigates a murder car­ried out by a proxy body – technology used by individuals with disabilities for greater mobility outside their homes. During the investigation, she teams up with a lawyer named Jeffries who uses a proxy body himself. The relationship between the two is where the story really shines, with charm­ing back-and-forth dialogue that adds to the procedural mystery. “A Short History of Future Whales” by Jenny Williams is another standout story, told in alternating viewpoints between Dr. Phoebe Misky and Lt. Estuardo Valdez as they search for the source of a mysterious underwater sound referred to as the Song. The sections told from Phoebe’s point of view are particularly strong as she addresses her unborn child, reflecting on her past and projecting forward to her concerns about the future, all of which eventually gives her the key to unlocking the Song’s mystery.

“In Your Dreams” by Jerry Oltion sees two people who were in a near-fatal crash discover the ability to access alternate worlds in their dreams. As they test whether they can communicate with those worlds, they realize their actions may have unintended consequences. “Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc” by Mary Soon Lee is a flash piece about superstition among space travelers. In “A Garden in the Sky” by William Paul Jones, xenohorticulturalist Larysa grows vegetables on a station orbiting above Venus. When a safety cable fails, she must climb back up to the station through her garden, prompting memories of her family and reflections of how her garden is now caring for her the way she cared for it.

“The New Saharan Energy Company Annual Report 2058” by David McGillveray is a story with a strong voice and nice worldbuilding. Am­mar lives a nomadic lifestyle, tending his goats and listening to Midnight Radio, a broadcast used by the Coalition – a group fighting back against the Company that has taken over the region. When a dying member of the Coalition hands him a data stick, he comes up with a clever means of smuggling it to the Midnight Radio broadcast station. “The Touchstone of Ouroboros” by David Cleden is another story with excellent worldbuilding. Cardino Vassari is a member of the Ecclesia, guardians of a mysterious artifact and object of worship that absorbs anyone who touches it for too long. When the Pontifex at­tempts to blackmail Vassari into helping him fake a miracle, Vassari finds a way to turn the tables on him. “The Outsiders” by Shane Tourtellotte is a novella told from a series of different viewpoints – the linguist, the diplomat, the engineer, etc.– as the yehdol make contact with a human colony world they suspect may be responsible for the Malady – a sickness that killed thousands. When they learn the truth, they must decide whether to seek out Earth and revenge.

Recommended Stories
“Emergency Calls Only”, Kelsey Hutton (Analog 11-12/24)
“If This Flesh Were Thought”, Matt McHugh (Analog 11-12/24)
“A Short Future History of Whales”, Jenny Williams (Analog 11-12/24)

This review and more like it in the January 2025 issue of Locus.

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