Minor Thoughts from me to you

Asimov’s, August 2014
by Sheila Williams

My rating: ★★★☆☆
Read From: 18 August 2014 - 21 August 2014
Goal: Flotsam & Jetsam

Novella

Of All Possible Worlds by Jay O'Connell—The Old Man lives downstairs, in the first floor apartment. He's busy editing Earth's history to save us from imminent doom from nuclear bombs and asteroid impacts. He's ensuring that our timeline truly is the best of all possible worlds.

Novelettes

Placebo by Nick Wolven—A medical mechanic working in a home for sick children, does what he can to bring joy into the children's lives. Even if that means putting up with a pet. Life is full of unsung heroes, but it may be a while before we forget about the protagonist of the story.

Writer’s Block by Nancy Kress—An off the beaten track novelette about a dreaded authorial problem. The protagonist tries different paths, through many a dark and stormy night, to get past his block. He finally succeeds.

Mountain Screamers by Doug C. Souza—This is Souza's first sold story. A teenager and his grandmother capture several mountain cats. They're destined for a planet that humanity will use as one massive wildlife preserve. Along the way, the teenager strengthens his bond with his grandmother and learns more about her lifelong commitment to wildlife. This story had warmth and personality. It didn't blow me away, but I'm willing to read more of Souza's work.

Short Stories

Wet Fur by Jeremiah Tolbert— This short story depics the unquestioning loyalty of humanity's best friend. Unfortunately, I didn't care for it. Tolbert told the tale entirely as a first person report, to a second person, of that second person's conversation. I thought the resulting pronoun usage was confusing—needlessly so.

The Low Hum of Her by Sarah Pinsker—This short tries to remind us of family, grief, and love. Mostly, it reminded me of how much I don't like steampunk / gollem type stories. That element just ruined the whole thing for me.

Departments

Reflections: Longevity by Robert Silverberg—Silverberg reflects on the many SF authors who have had long, productive lives. There sure are a lot of them. This was mildly interesting, but seemed like filler in that it was mostly a listing of people and ages.

My Take

I thought that "Of All Possible Worlds" was a strong story. I enjoyed the whimsy of "Writer's Block". The rest of the stories were okay, but I don't feel like I would have missed out if I hadn't read them.