The Last Mimzy Stories by Henry Kuttner
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
In contradiction to the slightly misleading title, "Mimsy Were The Borogroves," is the only story here that has any connection
to The Last Mimzy movie. Happily this is no handicap, as the book collects seventeen mostly unconnected works, all of
which are rich in entertainment value. Ray Bradbury, who writes the introduction, describes Henry Kuttner as "a man who shaped
science-fiction and fantasy in its most important years."
Kuttner, who died in 1958, was a writer's writer, whose prolific imagination anticipated the future that is our present. This
Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin
reviewed by Alma A. Hromic
One can hardly imagine a world which would come closer to Hell than a world in which, as the chilling back-blurb of
Voices has it, "...the conquerors [of this city] consider reading and writing to be acts punishable by death." Plunging a young
heroine into this terrifying milieu, the author uses the passions and fears and the waking wonder of the girl called Memer to shape a
story which wakes the wonder in her readers, too -- and in some ways rouses us all to stand up against horror and oppression by
seeking out the power and the responsibility of knowledge and understanding.
New Arrivals
compiled by Neil Walsh
Highlights among our latest new arrivals include new and forthcoming works from Harry Turtledove, Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, Alan Dean Foster, Paul McAuley, Patricia Bray, Robert Rankin, as well as a (semi-)posthumous sequel to Van Vogt's classic Slan.
Masters of Science Fiction #1: A Clean Escape
a TV review by Steven H Silver
The first episode of Masters of Science Fiction, a long delayed anthology show which is finally scheduled to have four
episodes aired on ABC in August, is an adaptation of John Kessel's "A Clean Escape,"
originally published in Asimov's in 1985. This adaptation,
which stars Judy Davis as Dr. Deanna Evans and Sam Waterston as Robert Havelmann, is essentially a duel of wits between two individuals.
Masters of Science Fiction #2: The Awakening
a TV review by Steven H Silver
The second episode of the anthology series Masters of Science Fiction, is an adaptation of Howard Fast's "The General
Zapped an Angel," retitled as "The Awakening." Set in a near future, the story opens with a strange encounter between an
American soldier and an Iraq insurgent outside of Baghdad.
The SF aspect comes into play quickly as the two men discover that they can understand each other, despite not
speaking each other's language.
Aurealis #37
reviewed by Rich Horton
The latest issue of this long-running Australian magazine is edited by Stephen Higgins and Michael Pryor. It
features an editorial by Higgins, a science article by Patricia O'Neill about our food habits, and potential alien food habits,
and two review columns (SF reviewed by Bill Congreve, Fantasy by Kate Forsyth). And seven stories.
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The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
Here, the author takes us back to the universe he has explored in most of his writing
career, starting in Revelation Space and continuing through to Absolution Gap, plus
a collection, Galactic North. The Prefect takes place earlier than any of the other novels,
and is set in the Glitter Band, a collection of over one hundred thousand habitats orbiting in the same system as the planet
Yellowstone. It's a near Golden Age for the Glitter Band, but something is amiss and all life may be in jeopardy.
The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner
reviewed by Sherwood Smith
Out of nowhere, sixteen-year-old Katherine Talbert is made an offer, by her uncle, the Mad Duke Tremontaine, to cancel
all debts and even to help the family out of poverty, if Katherine consents to live with him in the city (and eventually in the
underworld area called Riverside, which serves as synecdoche for the city) for six months and train with the sword. Of course
she's going to take the offer -- despite the fact that young ladies do not have anything to do with swords.
Babylon 5.1
TV reviews by Rick Norwood
Rick has some news about two new series starting in August, Flash Gordon
and Masters of Science Fiction. He also gives us a list of what to watch on TV in August.
Postscripts Magazine: by Volume
compiled by Rodger Turner
In the spring of 2004, PS Publishing launched a new magazine called Postscripts.
Originally, the magazine was to be digest-sized featuring about 60,000 words of fiction, a guest editorial,
book reviews, and the occasional non-fiction article in each issue. Fiction includes SF, fantasy, horror, and crime/suspense.
The book is produced in two formats: numbered, limited edition in hard cover signed by all contributors and
a perfect bound paper cover version.
Star Trek, The Animated Series: Logs Seven and Eight by Alan Dean Foster
reviewed by Steve Lazarowitz
There are two stories in this volume. The first, "The Counter-Clock Incident," involves the first captain
of the USS Enterprise, Robert T. April. Some of you, no doubt, think Captain Christopher Pike was the first captain of the
Enterprise, but that's not the case. He was only the captain before Kirk.
The story starts off with an alien vessel of unknown origin, that seems to be heading straight into an
exploding nebula, apparently unaware that the radiation is too high for even the Enterprise's shields to screen out.
The Gospel According to Star Wars by John C. McDowell
reviewed by Steve Lazarowitz
The author draws parallels to the Bible from all six of
the Star Wars movies and even some of the existing literature. The problem is, this can be done for any religion,
or any philosophy. Pulling out things that match a preconception is no trick. In fact, looking to establish any theological or
philosophical treatise when entering a body of work is easy, because you'll always find something.
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