Clarkesworld Issue 197

A good issue of Clarkesworld, with fascinating stories by Samantha Murray, Eric Schwitzgebel, R. P. Sand and Gu Shi.

• "The Portrait of a Survivor, Observed from the Water" by Yukimi Ogawa: on a beach, a 'person' watches over a collection of artefacts and collects debris that are (deliberately?) released by a derelict ship. It is only towards the end that the purpose of collection of debris and the nature of person is revealed.

• "Somewhere, It's About to Be Spring" by Samantha Murray: the computer on a spaceship, which has lost its crew, begins to find a new purpose. And it may have something to do with samples that were taken earlier by the crew from a lonely planet found in space that may harbour life.

• "Larva Pupa Imago" by Eric Schwitzgebel: a fascinating tale set in a world where insect larvae (and other animals) are self-aware and can exchange memories and thoughts with each other via fluids. We follow the life of one particular larva as he grows up, gains knowledge of the world, and prepares for one final flight as an adult to pass on his genes and his memories to another.

• "An Ode to Stardust" by R. P. Sand: the story starts with a new station manager on a moon who lives with chronic pain, whom he hides from all, getting to know the alien species that mines an important mineral on the behalf of man. As the story progresses, he gets to know the aliens better and becomes their friend. But a trip to another moon to show off his improved mining processes as a result of the friendship results in an unexpected revelation that changes the situation and makes him willing to defy his supervisors to let the aliens achieve their goal.

• "Introduction to 2181 Overture, Second Edition" by Gu Shi, translated by Emily Jin: a story about an introduction in a book about a new form of technology that enables people to hibernate for years and the effect that has on society as a whole and on individuals who have to make and break relationships and people go into and out of sleep at different times for different reasons.

• "Silo, Sweet Silo" by James Castles: after a war, one remaining missile in a silo lets some survivors in for shelter. Together, the intelligent missile and the survivors begin to make a home out of the silo, until the time comes when the missile has to fulfil its mission.

• "Going Time" by Amal Singh: in a future where people wait to go on to a better life while eating processed food bars, one person is suddenly confronted with food from the past, discovered by her daughter. Now she has to choose whether to try it or to stick to the life she now knows.