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Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine, Issue 701, May/June 2012
NOVELLAS
Maze of Shadows – Fred Chappell
NOVELETS
Liberty's Daughter – Naomi Kritzer
Asylum – Albert E. Cowdrey
Taking the Low Road – Pat MacEwen
The Children's Crusade – Michael Alexander
SHORT STORIES
Necrosis – Dale Bailey
Typhoid Jack – Andy Stewart
City League – Matthew Corradi
Grand Tour – Chris Willrich
DEPARTMENTS
Books to Look For – Charles de Lint
Books – James Sallis
Plumage From What Immortal Hand... – Paul Di Filippo
Coming Attractions –
"Transitioning Through Ghosts, Guilt, and Superpowers" – Kathi Maio
Competition #82 –
Curiosities – Jack Womack
CARTOONS
Joseph Farris, Bill Long, Tom Cheney.
COVER
Max Bertolini for "Maze of Shadows"
Maze of Shadows – Fred Chappell
NOVELETS
Liberty's Daughter – Naomi Kritzer
Asylum – Albert E. Cowdrey
Taking the Low Road – Pat MacEwen
The Children's Crusade – Michael Alexander
SHORT STORIES
Necrosis – Dale Bailey
Typhoid Jack – Andy Stewart
City League – Matthew Corradi
Grand Tour – Chris Willrich
DEPARTMENTS
Books to Look For – Charles de Lint
Books – James Sallis
Plumage From What Immortal Hand... – Paul Di Filippo
Coming Attractions –
"Transitioning Through Ghosts, Guilt, and Superpowers" – Kathi Maio
Competition #82 –
Curiosities – Jack Womack
CARTOONS
Joseph Farris, Bill Long, Tom Cheney.
COVER
Max Bertolini for "Maze of Shadows"
405 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2012
About the author
Gordon van Gelder
294 books25 followersGordon Van Gelder (born 1966) is an American science fiction editor. From 1997 until 2014, Van Gelder was editor and later publisher of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, for which he has twice won the Hugo Award for Best Editor Short Form. He was also a managing editor of The New York Review of Science Fiction from 1988 to 1993, for which he was nominated for the Hugo Award a number of times. As of January 2015, Van Gelder has stepped down as editor of Fantasy & Science Fiction in favour of Charles Coleman Finlay, but remains publisher of the magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 24, 2019
5 • Liberty's Daughter • 27 pages by Naomi Kritzer
Excellent/VG. Beck is a finder. On the Seastead there is no general store to get stuff, so Beck has a job to track down items that people want, then trade with the current owner to get an item. She has found a pair of sandals that currently belong to a bonded worker, to get them she now has to track down Lynn who got sick, needed a doctor and hasn’t been seen for weeks. Missing persons isn't normally her thing, but she's going to give it a go. Beck tracks down lead after lead finding out where Lynn went, and was going to let it go at that until she was accosted and told to not stick her nose where it didn’t belong. Fine job of creating the Seastead world, but Beck Garrison is awesome.
48 • Asylum • 21 pages by Albert E. Cowdrey
VG. Willy wants to learn about the afterlife. A job and earning a living secondary. He inherits a fortune (ha! In his mind) and devotes himself to ghost hunting. He meets Tim who takes him to a haunted apartment where they meet some ghosts. LOL, “I can why you got confused. He looks dead.” Willy’s life is looking up, but soon he blows through the inheritance.
69 • Maze of Shadows • 67 pages by Fred Chappell
Good/VG. Falco and Maturo work with shadows. They work for Astolfo who had them put security on the chateau of baron Tyl Rendig. Falco wonders what mysterious item Rendig is protecting, what do the blind man and the girl have to do with it and what is Astolfo's part. A couple of subplots including Maturo looking to regain his voice. His was put into Sunbolt, and he has the cat's voice. The atmosphere for this mystery is a unique blend having a old time vocabulary, animals that are a bit anthropomorphic and the magic of shadows.
136 • Taking the Low Road • 24 pages by Pat MacEwan
Good+. Jeanne has sold everything to take the wormhole to the stars. The trip is fairly dangerous as there is usually a fifteen percent mortality rate. During the trip we learn why she decided to leave.
160 • Necrosis • 6 pages by Dale Bailey
OK+. A group of friends encounter Condon on various occasions. At first having a fetid smell, then going on to blotches, and getting worse. It is as if his body was rotting away, not just halitosis or being unwashed.
170 • Typhoid Jack • 18 pages by Andy Stewart
OK/Good. The city is now controlled by Farmers. I got the idea they were some type on androids programmed to same humans from themselves. One of the things they’ve done is eliminated disease. Maude wants to be be sick on Wednesday and wants Jack to infect her. I want more backstory. When Seventeen first talks to Jack, I’m thinking that the Farmers are aliens that have taken over Earth.
188 • City League • 16 pages by Matthew Corradi
Very Good+. The narrator works for a company that verifies memories. When he verifies one that conflicts with what he personally remembers it leads to him having a long talk with his dad.
212 • Grand Tour • 13 pages by Chris Willrich
OK. I-Chen is from a large family and has never had privacy. Now it's time for her grand tour.
225 • The Children's Crusade • 30 pages by Michael Alexander
Very Good/Excellent. Peter wanders into a village. Peter would probably be in trouble except Will decides to vouch for him. That turns out to be a good choice. Peter knows all sorts of stuff and helps them a lot. Though some of the people are leery thinking he is in league with the devil.
Excellent/VG. Beck is a finder. On the Seastead there is no general store to get stuff, so Beck has a job to track down items that people want, then trade with the current owner to get an item. She has found a pair of sandals that currently belong to a bonded worker, to get them she now has to track down Lynn who got sick, needed a doctor and hasn’t been seen for weeks. Missing persons isn't normally her thing, but she's going to give it a go. Beck tracks down lead after lead finding out where Lynn went, and was going to let it go at that until she was accosted and told to not stick her nose where it didn’t belong. Fine job of creating the Seastead world, but Beck Garrison is awesome.
48 • Asylum • 21 pages by Albert E. Cowdrey
VG. Willy wants to learn about the afterlife. A job and earning a living secondary. He inherits a fortune (ha! In his mind) and devotes himself to ghost hunting. He meets Tim who takes him to a haunted apartment where they meet some ghosts. LOL, “I can why you got confused. He looks dead.” Willy’s life is looking up, but soon he blows through the inheritance.
69 • Maze of Shadows • 67 pages by Fred Chappell
Good/VG. Falco and Maturo work with shadows. They work for Astolfo who had them put security on the chateau of baron Tyl Rendig. Falco wonders what mysterious item Rendig is protecting, what do the blind man and the girl have to do with it and what is Astolfo's part. A couple of subplots including Maturo looking to regain his voice. His was put into Sunbolt, and he has the cat's voice. The atmosphere for this mystery is a unique blend having a old time vocabulary, animals that are a bit anthropomorphic and the magic of shadows.
136 • Taking the Low Road • 24 pages by Pat MacEwan
Good+. Jeanne has sold everything to take the wormhole to the stars. The trip is fairly dangerous as there is usually a fifteen percent mortality rate. During the trip we learn why she decided to leave.
160 • Necrosis • 6 pages by Dale Bailey
OK+. A group of friends encounter Condon on various occasions. At first having a fetid smell, then going on to blotches, and getting worse. It is as if his body was rotting away, not just halitosis or being unwashed.
170 • Typhoid Jack • 18 pages by Andy Stewart
OK/Good. The city is now controlled by Farmers. I got the idea they were some type on androids programmed to same humans from themselves. One of the things they’ve done is eliminated disease. Maude wants to be be sick on Wednesday and wants Jack to infect her. I want more backstory. When Seventeen first talks to Jack, I’m thinking that the Farmers are aliens that have taken over Earth.
188 • City League • 16 pages by Matthew Corradi
Very Good+. The narrator works for a company that verifies memories. When he verifies one that conflicts with what he personally remembers it leads to him having a long talk with his dad.
212 • Grand Tour • 13 pages by Chris Willrich
OK. I-Chen is from a large family and has never had privacy. Now it's time for her grand tour.
225 • The Children's Crusade • 30 pages by Michael Alexander
Very Good/Excellent. Peter wanders into a village. Peter would probably be in trouble except Will decides to vouch for him. That turns out to be a good choice. Peter knows all sorts of stuff and helps them a lot. Though some of the people are leery thinking he is in league with the devil.
June 18, 2012
- "Maze of Shadows", by Fred Chappell - An excessively-long entry into his Shadow Master/Apprentice fantasy series. It is unfortunate that this story took over the bulk of the issue. I found it meandering and repeatedly lost interest between moments reading it. The plots build on previous stories, involving the eponymous shadow maze protecting an uncertain treasure and the retrieval of a human voice from a cat. Perhaps published all as a novel this could work much better.
- "Liberty's Daughter", by Naomi Kritzer - A good story that starts off the issue and makes one look forward to future stories with this universe/character. A girl living with her powerful father on a future string of semi-independent, linked, man-made islands has a business finding things for people, but finds herself getting in too deep when she starts searching for a missing worker. The sociopolitical underpinnings of this story make for interesting ideas explored and lots of opportunities.
- "Asylum", by Albert E. Cowdrey - Usually a Cowdrey New Orleans ghost story holds my attention, but it did not resonate here, perhaps the atmosphere never quite felt right for a ghost story.
- "Taking the Low Road" by Pat MacEwen - A sister tries to escape her famous life by fleeing across the universe via a wormhole. The method of transit and its complications made this story very interesting, more so than the characters, which is an unusual way for me to appreciate stories.
- "The Children's Crusade", by Michael Alexander - The final story in the issue is introduced as an archetypical 'stranger enters town' story. Compelling characters, a level of mystery, and witty dialogue make this a highly enjoyable story and it is another example of a universe/characters that I'd be happy to read again. At first it wasn't clear if it took place on a post-apocalyptic Earth or something else. Alexander does a great job with-holding info and giving the reader the pleasure of figuring out others in bits.
- "Necrosis", by Dale Bailey - Described as 'evoking a bygone era', this short story does just that, and also evokes stories of a bygone era, like those of MR James or Clark Ashton Smith. Short, creepy, and sweet.
- "Typhoid Jack", by Andy Stewart - In a closely-monitored world, a man is hired to infect a businesswoman so that she can have a timely sick day. Her motives, and the exact nature of this monitoring/how it came about is slowly revealed. As a microbiologist I was left thinking of whether the technique for achieving infection really made sense or would be the best.
- "City League", by Matthew Corradi - A science fiction story about the pervasive use of memory enhancements/replacements, against the backdrop of a father-son relationship and baseball. Very enjoyable and interesting ideas.
- "Grand Tour", by Chris Willrich - Another story this issue of a girl/young woman growing up to enter in the world as her own individual. This is more infused with sci fi gadgetry, particularly involving modification of genetics and technology-enhanced biology. It also goes the route of involving sexual relationship. As such it didn't feel as original at its heart, and there was little mystery to keep things interesting. Average.
- "Liberty's Daughter", by Naomi Kritzer - A good story that starts off the issue and makes one look forward to future stories with this universe/character. A girl living with her powerful father on a future string of semi-independent, linked, man-made islands has a business finding things for people, but finds herself getting in too deep when she starts searching for a missing worker. The sociopolitical underpinnings of this story make for interesting ideas explored and lots of opportunities.
- "Asylum", by Albert E. Cowdrey - Usually a Cowdrey New Orleans ghost story holds my attention, but it did not resonate here, perhaps the atmosphere never quite felt right for a ghost story.
- "Taking the Low Road" by Pat MacEwen - A sister tries to escape her famous life by fleeing across the universe via a wormhole. The method of transit and its complications made this story very interesting, more so than the characters, which is an unusual way for me to appreciate stories.
- "The Children's Crusade", by Michael Alexander - The final story in the issue is introduced as an archetypical 'stranger enters town' story. Compelling characters, a level of mystery, and witty dialogue make this a highly enjoyable story and it is another example of a universe/characters that I'd be happy to read again. At first it wasn't clear if it took place on a post-apocalyptic Earth or something else. Alexander does a great job with-holding info and giving the reader the pleasure of figuring out others in bits.
- "Necrosis", by Dale Bailey - Described as 'evoking a bygone era', this short story does just that, and also evokes stories of a bygone era, like those of MR James or Clark Ashton Smith. Short, creepy, and sweet.
- "Typhoid Jack", by Andy Stewart - In a closely-monitored world, a man is hired to infect a businesswoman so that she can have a timely sick day. Her motives, and the exact nature of this monitoring/how it came about is slowly revealed. As a microbiologist I was left thinking of whether the technique for achieving infection really made sense or would be the best.
- "City League", by Matthew Corradi - A science fiction story about the pervasive use of memory enhancements/replacements, against the backdrop of a father-son relationship and baseball. Very enjoyable and interesting ideas.
- "Grand Tour", by Chris Willrich - Another story this issue of a girl/young woman growing up to enter in the world as her own individual. This is more infused with sci fi gadgetry, particularly involving modification of genetics and technology-enhanced biology. It also goes the route of involving sexual relationship. As such it didn't feel as original at its heart, and there was little mystery to keep things interesting. Average.
March 10, 2012
I'm just about to start the novelet "Twenty-Two and You," and I'm really loving this magazine. This is my first experience with any sort of Fantasy/SciFi magazine and I have to say, I will subscribe. I may even subscribe to another SciFi magazine as well. Keep up the good work FandSF.
June 8, 2012
I'm normally a big fan but none of these stories really stood out for me.
April 3, 2013
This issue is compose of one novella, 4 novelette and 4 short stories:
NOVELLA
Maze of Shadows by Fred Chappell: ****
NOVELETS
Liberty's Daughter by Naomi Kritzer: ***
Asylum by Albert E. Cowdrey: ***
Taking the Low Road by Pat MacEwen: ****
The Children's Crusade by Michael Alexander: ****
SHORT STORIES
Necrosis by Dale Bailey: ****
Typhoid Jack by Andy Stewart: ****
City League by Matthew Corradi: ****
Grand Tour by Chris Willrich: ****
NOVELLA
Maze of Shadows by Fred Chappell: ****
NOVELETS
Liberty's Daughter by Naomi Kritzer: ***
Asylum by Albert E. Cowdrey: ***
Taking the Low Road by Pat MacEwen: ****
The Children's Crusade by Michael Alexander: ****
SHORT STORIES
Necrosis by Dale Bailey: ****
Typhoid Jack by Andy Stewart: ****
City League by Matthew Corradi: ****
Grand Tour by Chris Willrich: ****
May 27, 2012
When I found out that Naomi Kritzer had another story in this issue of F&SF Mag I decided it was time to subscribe on my kindle so I could get the full issue. It's super cheap for what you get, which is great.
So far I've only read 'Liberty's Daughter', which I enjoyed - but not as much as I enjoyed 'Scrap Dragon'. Will read the other stories here and there when I need something short.
So far I've only read 'Liberty's Daughter', which I enjoyed - but not as much as I enjoyed 'Scrap Dragon'. Will read the other stories here and there when I need something short.
February 29, 2012
Nothing really great, nothing really bad. Was a group of ok stories.
July 15, 2012
A lot of good stories in this issue, especially Liberty's Daughter and The Children's Crusade, which had a good plot twist.
June 23, 2015
I really liked the bookends -- "Liberty's Daughter" by Naomi Kritzer and "Children's Crusade" by Michael Alexander -- but the rest of the issue left me pretty flat.
May 21, 2016
Only a few of the stories I ended up enjoying. Had to skip one, but the few I enjoyed made the read worth it I think :)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews