Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 206

A better than average issue, with interesting stories by Bo Balder, Hannah Yang and Tia Tashiro. I reserve judgement on Thoraiya Dyer's story until I've re\ ad the second half.

• "Eddies are the Worst" by Bo Balder: in a future with fewer people having babies, the only way to get a workforce is to hire cheap clones of people who've sold their genetic maps. But what happens when the clones working for you is from the last person you expect to have been cloned?

• "Bird-Girl Builds a Machine" by Hannah Yang: a child grows up watching, and later helping, her mother put together an unknown machine. But it is only after the machine is put to use at the end does the child realize the various clues her mother said about her future in the story.

• "The Long Mural" by James Van Pelt: On a generational spaceship heading to a new world, one person works on a mural with others. But he is a stowaway, and forever fearful that people will discover what he is. But the stress of hiding and the fear of discovery may finally drive him to admit his crime, but the results would be unexpected.

• "The Parts That Make Me" by Louise Hughes: a robot reminisces about its ancient body parts, especially one that had to be removed, but may yet be returned.

• "The Mub" by Thomas Ha: a 'mub' latches on and follows an artist as he journeys towards a city. But what the mub wants from him may end up costing his creativity.

• "Eight or Die (Part 1)" by Thoraiya Dyer: part one of a story involving a miner who is rescued from a mining incident by aliens who are after another alien that may be planning a crime. The aliens need the miner as he resembles the aliens on the planet the criminal is hiding out on. But their journey there, and their relationship with each other, will not be easy. This part ends when the miner arrives at the planet, trying to fit in and find the criminal, who is hiding out in a mine.

• "Thin Ice" by Kemi Ashing-Giwa: a man attempts to escape a sentient 'stealer of art' but is forced to tell it the stories of his home for it to steal and return to its masters.

• "To Carry You Inside You" by Tia Tashiro: a fascinating story of a former child actress, who gets fitted with a 'port' that feeds her her lines and emotions for her roles. She grows up, the roles dry up, and she now has another job: acting as a host for dead people who are now fitted into her port. But her latest job turns out to be more than expected, when the dead person she hosts wants more than just being allowed to act out his life for a brief moment in her.