The Nature Of Man. Since the days of Pinocchio, inanimate devices seem mesmerized by Man and obsessed with trying to discover the answer to what it is and what it means to be human.

This quirky yet wonderful novelette, written by Roger Zelazny in 1966, illustrates the frustratingly perplex struggle to correlate genius with folly, strength with frailty, and all the promise and pratfalls of what it means to be Man! (*)

Story Synopsis:

Long after the Last Man had perished from existence, the Earth is faithfully maintained by armies of robotized machines and computers dedicated to the rebuilding program initiated by humans before their demise.

Solcom orbits the Earth directing the effort .To aid him in this task, Solcom builds a super computer called Frost to rule the Northern Hemisphere and one called Beta to rule the Southern Hemisphere,

As a backup system, Man had created an Alternate to Solcom : Divcom. Divcom is activated prematurely and they have a constant battle to assert their claim to be the dominant force.

With no Man in existence to make the determination, Solcom and Divcom spend eons destroying each others’ rebuilding attempts.

Frost, having time and unused resources at his disposal, becomes interested in Man after unearthing some artifacts of this now extinct creature. Frost’s curiosity grows into a frantic obsession as his research produces more questions than answers.

In a parallel to God and Satan discussing Job, Solcom and Divcom make a deal between themselves based on the outcome of Frost’s insatiable desire to discern the Nature of Man.

(*) (If it’s any consolation, my dear Frost, we humans have pondered these very questions throughout our existence as well and have come away with pitifully few results.)

The Good:

• Very well written and does not suffer in the least for having no PEOPLE in the story.
• Provides us with a long hard look from the outside in, as it were, of ourselves.
• Suspenseful.

The Bad:

• Little action here and not a very complex topic.(**)
• The ending is a little corny but still a very enjoyable story.

This & That:

• Word count 11,249
• Page Count 28
• Similar Story: If you liked "For a Breath I Tarry" you’ll love “The Bicentennial Man” by Isaac Asimov!

Can be found here:

• The Last Defender of Camelot
• Science Fiction: A Historical Anthology
• You can read it free online here.

(**) This is the toughest part of doing these reviews…finding something negative to say! I agree with Rusty in his purpose for this site – namely ONLY THE GOOD STUFF! (I’m paraphrasing of course).

With very few exceptions, the only SF I read are short story anthologies and the only way I would review one here is if I feel it is one of the Best of The Best in the FIRST PLACE!

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Harry Morgan and Jack Latrobe have worked together as asteroid miners for a long time. It is a brutal and unforgiving job, but one which the citizens of the Belt Cities rely on to get their oxygen. The two men have become friends and learned to trust each other. So it is no surprise that when Jack goes missing on a trip to Earth that Harry wants to find out what happened to him. As Harry travels there he begins to unravel a deep corporate desire – but more importantly the big wigs on Earth begin to learn a few dark secrets about the citizens of the asteroid belt too! Mwa ha ha ha!

Interesting Tidbits:

• Word Count: 9,767 (22 pages)
• Did you know that in 1999 Randall Garrett won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History Special Achievement for his Lord Darcy series? Yep. You can learn more about this fascinating author at Wikipedia.
• Special thanks to Variety SF for reviewing this excellent short story and making me want to read it!

Where You Can Find Thin Edge:

• This story was originally published in the December 1963 issue of Analog Science Fact -> Science Fiction.
• You can read (or download) a free version of “Thin Edge” at Project Gutenberg.
• It is also included in the book The Second Science Fiction Megapack: 25 Modern and Classic Tales by Masters.

If you liked “Thin Edge” then you may also be enjoy “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick – about a man who desperately wants to go to Mars but can’t afford it, so he gets vacation memories implanted instead.

Benjamin William Bova’s “The Next Logical Step” from 1962 is a short and sweet tale about the dangers of U.S. military hardware.

Have a seat, Sir

A physicist, a general, and CIA man find themselves locked away in a super secret facility one night, where the computer-simulated War Games have taken on a life of their own. The military has built its crowning technological achievement, “the most modern, most complex and delicate computer in the world” – a machine that will predict and simulate wars down to their minutest detail. What makes this war game different? Wars are not only fought in the Machine, but in the mind of the user as well.

The takeaway

This is a very fun, super quick read. Bova does a great job of getting to the heart of it, putting the reader right into the actual war simulator. You see the missiles fly, the cities incinerate, all as if you were hooked into the machine yourself. It reminds me of the scene in A Clockwork Orange when Alex is locked into his seat, eyes pried open, forced to watch the Ultra Violence.

Bova wrote this story in the heat of the cold war, when the threat of nuclear holocaust was an everyday, visceral experience. Perhaps instead of letting it bother him, Bova turned the fear into a great little sci-fi tale. It shows that what U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates in 2008 called the Pentagon’s “next-war-itis,” was alive and well in 1962, and has probably been alive since war was invented. The denouement of "The Next Logical Step," like many short short stories, is something of a zinger, but it certainly hits the reader with the point: modern war is utterly futile.

The story left me wondering what effect today’s awesomely realistic video games have on us, and… what exactly does the Pentagon have up its sleeves these days?

War Games Facts

• 5th Century B.C. – The Greeks begin playing petteia, one of the first war-themed board games.
• 6th Century A.D. – Chess is invented in Northern India, which spreads across the globe over the next 1000 years.
• 1950s – American Cold War strategists recreate full blown nuclear holocaust in elaborate games which simulate both military and geopolitical conflicts.
• 1958 – Computer-based war gaming is born with the Navy Electronic Warfare Simulator, a $7 million system that occupies three floors of a building at the Naval War College.
• 1962 – Students at M.I.T. create the game Spacewar!, the world’s first shooter-oriented video game.

Story Facts

• Publish Date: 1962
• Word count: 2,212
• Reading time: 9 Minutes
• Ben Bova (1932 – ) is an American SF author and editor. He has won six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction during the 1970s. Check out his Official Website .

Where to find it

• Here’s a link to a free copy of “Next Logical Step” , which you can download for PDF or Kindle.

They’re Like Totally Spaced Out, Man!

Drugs: the tiny miracles of modern medicine and the bane of federal agents everywhere. We use them to cure illnesses, pain and boredom. Here is a story about the government sanctioning drug use on extremely long interstellar flights – and some of the side effects that come about because of that.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

After many years of trying to create a faster-than-light space ship the government and scientists of the world finally concede that it isn’t possible, so they build a half-the-speed-of-light space ship instead! But there is another vexing problem to solve: how to keep humans from going crazy during the long flights. After several failed experiments the government finally hits on viable solution: using hallucinogenic drugs to help crew members pass the long stretches of boredom between the stars. There is one little problem though, how do they deal with those pesky hallucinations when they can no longer control them? Hmm… like good question man!

Interesting Tidbits:

• Page Count: 11
• Word Count: 3,937
• Did you know that Norman Spinrad has twice served as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America? Yep. You can learn more about this science fiction author at Wikipedia.
• Special thanks to Variety SF for recommending this cool story!

Where You Can Find Subjectivity:

• This short story first appeared in the January 1964 issue of Analog Science Fact & Fiction.
• You can read "Subjectivity" for free at Project Gutenberg.
• "Subjectivity" is also included in Spinrad’s short story collection Last Hurrah of the Golden Horde.

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you liked "Subjectivity" then you may also enjoy Insomnia by Waldo van der Waal – about a man who is cuffed to his acceleration couch at the beginning of a very long space journey.

NON SPOILER SUMMARY

Am I Still There? begins with the main character, Lee, finishing up a round of physical exams before a surgery. He banters with the doctor about all the fuss, but the story gets really interesting when you realize that all the fuss is called for because Lee is having brain surgery. Brain replacement surgery. Oh, by the way, Lee is 409 years old. And he’s very concerned about the fact that once his brain is replaced, his body will no longer have any original parts.

MY THOUGHTS

I’m sure this story will attract your undivided attention at the exact moment it attracted mine: several paragraphs in when the patient’s age is revealed. 409 years old!? Really!? How cool is that!? And reading further on, it really made sense that living that long could one day be a possibility, as the author points out that humans have been replacing their body parts for over a hundred years now, our time! Am I Still There? was an entertaining and contemplating read. I tend to shy away from older stories, but I’m really glad I chose to read this one.

INTERESTING TIDBITS

• Word Count: 2,900
• Page Count: 8
• This story was first published in Analog Science Fact & Fiction September 1963.
• I couldn’t find any information out there in cyberspace about the author, James R. Hall. Has anyone else heard of him?
• The illustration at the beginning of the story is by Leo Summers, and looks a little strange, but after reading the story, be sure to look at it again, it makes much more sense.

WHERE TO FIND AM I STILL THERE?

You can read it for free at Project Gutenberg.

Traffic Safety

I sometimes feel unsafe while driving, realizing that the only thing keeping the on-coming traffic from smashing into me is a line of yellow paint. I know, I know – that’s a depressing thought. However, after reading about the futuristic traffic in this story I’m thinking maybe our roads aren’t so bad after all!

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Ben Martin, Clay Ferguson and Kelly Lightfoot are the team aboard Beulah – a giant, hovering, patrol car / wrecker / ambulance of NorCon. It is their job to spend weeks at a time patrolling the massive freeways spanning all of North America. They direct traffic, clean up wrecks, help stranded motorists, write tickets and even help catch criminals – all from the comfort of Patrol Car #56. It is a good thing Beulah is equipped for all these activities – what with her kitchen, surgical room, bunks and specialized arms – because they are going to need all the help they can get on this tour of duty.

Interesting Tidbits About This Story:

• Page Count: 35
• Word Count: 21,616
• “Code Three” was nominated for the 1964 Hugo Award for Best Short Fiction.

Where You Can Find Code Three:

• This story was first published in the February 1963 issue of Analog Science Fact.
• You can read “Code Three” online for free at Webscription.
• It is also included in the excellent anthology The World Turned Upside Down.

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you enjoyed “Code Three” then you might also like “The Last Command” by Keith Laumer – about an old war machine that is reactivated decades after being buried in a radiation-proof landfill.

What’s That Sound?

Have you ever been alone, in the woods, at night? If so then you know how the slightest little sound can cause your heart to pound and imagination to race. Now just imagine having another sense – a sixth sense – that compounds that feeling of fear and anxiety. Would that be better or worse? In this story one young girl finds out how a special ability can make a scary situation even scarier! Eek!

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Telzey is smart for her age. At fifteen she is already in college – but could her special psionic abilities have something to do with it? Probably. Anyway, when she goes camping with a bunch of friends in the remote and wild Melna Park she becomes aware of a brutal murder that takes place. Yeah, probably not a good idea to investigate on her own, but like all good horror movies she ignores the cautions of the audience and goes anyway. You would think that the combination of her abilities and powerful technologies would keep her safe. Yep, you would think that wouldn’t you? Well, guess again.

My Two Cents…

• This was the first story I’d ever read by James H. Schmitz, and I thought his writing was excellent. A great story told very well – you can’t ask for much more than that!
• Although it is not a horror story, I still found it to be quite scary. The general creepy feeling throughout the story, and the way the author keeps the tension high made for one spooky tale!
• Telzey was an awesome character. I love seeing smart, young girls surprise people with their amazing abilities – bravo!

Interesting Tidbits:

• Page Count: 22
• Word Count: 13,489
• “Goblin Night” was nominated for the 1965 Nebula Award for Best Novelette.
• Did you know that James H. Schmitz was born in Germany and lived there until World War II? Yep. You can learn more about this excellent author at Wikipedia.

Where You Can Find Goblin Night:

• This story was originally published in the April 1965 edition of Analog Science Fiction.
• You can read it online for free at Webscription’s preview of the excellent The World Turned Upside Down.
• If you like this story you’ll be happy to know that James H. Schmitz published several other stories featuring the young Telzey, the main character in “Goblin Night”. Check out the collected stories in the book Telzey Amberdon.

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you liked “Goblin Night” then you might also enjoy The Menace from Earth by Robert Heinlein – about a 15 year old girl who lives on the Moon and gets jealous when her partner acts as a tour guide for a beautiful Earth woman.

Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:

In the future everyone is finally equal in every way. How is this possible? Well, the government has their hand in it for sure, and they use handicapping equipment (such as birdshot weights on strong people, and ear piercing bursts of sound on people who concentrate too much) to pull talented people back down to “normal.” In this oppressive environment one couple has a son who dares take on the government restrictions – with some very interesting results.

THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General.

My Two Cents:

• The good:

• The idea of using handicaps to bring down talented people was both revolting and funny at the same time.
• Harrison is a pretty amazing dude! And the stuff he does at the end is fun to read about.
• The style and tone of “Harrison Bergeron” was quite interesting – being both sad and humorous at the same time. That made it totally fun to read.

• The bad:

• While I liked the character of Harrison, the descriptions of him and his actions seemed a little bit too fantastical. That dance at the end was something else wasn’t it?

Fact Sheet:
• Page Count: 8
• Word Count: 2,201
• “Harrison Bergeron” garnered the following awards:

• It placed 24th in the 1999 Locus All-Time Poll for short stories.

Where you can find “Harrison Bergeron”:

• This short story first appeared in the October 1961 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
• “Harrison Bergeron” is included in the amazing anthology The Road to Science Fiction: Volume 3: From Heinlein to Here.
• You can read an online version of this story at The American View web site.

Some Interesting Links:

• Did you know that Kurt Vonnegut used his famous book Cat’s Cradle as his thesis for a masters degree in anthropology? Yep. You can learn more about this science fiction author at Wikipedia.
• Special thanks to my good friend Dane for recommending this story!

Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you might also like The First Men, about a group of gifted children, raised in a controlled environment, who evolve into super humans, by Howard Fast.

Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:

Beowulf Shaeffer has been out of work since Nakamura Lines folded eight months ago, so when he is approached by a puppeteer who works for the most famous spaceship company in the galaxy it seems his luck has finally turned. General Products, however, has some disturbing news – it seems that something has damaged one of their so-called “indestructible” ships, and they want to find out what it was. They make Beowulf an offer he can’t refuse, set him up with the best ship possible and send him off to the scene of the crime. Sure, he is ultra prepared, but is he smart enough to figure out what happened to the doomed explorers before the same thing happens to him? Hmm… let’s hope so.

Curdled stars, muddled stars, stars that had been stirred with a spoon.

The neutron star was in the center, of course, though I couldn’t see it and hadn’t expected to. It was only eleven miles across, and cool. A billion years had passed since BVS-l burned by fusion fire. Millions of years, at least, since the cataclysmic two weeks during which BVS-l was an X-ray star, burning at a temperature of five billion degrees Kelvin. Now it showed only by its mass.

The ship began to turn by itself. I felt the pressure of the fusion drive. Without help from me my faithful metal watchdog was putting me in a hyperbolic orbit that would take me within one mile of the neutron star’s surface. Twenty-four hours to fall, twenty-four hours to rise… and during that time something would try to kill me. As something had killed the Laskins.

My Two Cents:

• The good:

• I am a big Larry Niven fan, and I really enjoyed the Ringworld books. If you are a Niven fan too then you will enjoy this story and its references to familiar aliens and places in the Known Universe.
• The idea behind “Neutron Star” is pretty cool. Seriously, wouldn’t it be totally fascinating to orbit a neutron star and study its peculiar effects?

• The bad:

• You’ve got to remember that this story was written in the 60′s, and as such there are some outdated expressions and ideas. Nothing so serious that you shouldn’t read this otherwise great story though!

Fact Sheet:
• Page Count: 12
• Word Count: 6,836
• “Neutron Star” garnered the following awards:

• It won the 1967 Hugo Award for Best Short Story.
• It placed 30th in the 1999 Locus All-Time Poll for best novelette.

Where you can find “Neutron Star”:

• This short story first appeared in the October 1966 issue of If.
• “Neutron Star” is included in Larry Niven’s famous collection of Known Space stories: Neutron Star.
• You can read a free online version of “Neutron Star” at the Real Pulp Fiction website.

Some Interesting Links:

• You can learn more about science fiction author Larry Niven at Wikipedia.
• Special thanks to Free SF Reader for pointing out the link to this story.

Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you’ll probably enjoy The Color of Sunfire, about a man who tells the story of discovering the elusive Puppeteer home world, also by Larry Niven.

Non-Spoiler Summary In A Nutshell:

Douglas Quail is driving his wife crazy with his constant wishing to go to Mars. She is good at pointing out why he’ll never go though, such as the enormous amount of money it would cost to actually go there, and the fact that he isn’t important enough to be considered for a trip anyway. See – it’s good to have a practical spouse in life! Douglas decides that if he can’t go there he can do the next best thing – get memories of a trip implanted in his brain. Enter “Rekal, Inc.” a company that specializes in memory implants, and which prepares a fake Mars trip (complete with an identity as an Interplan agent) for Mr. Quail. Yeah, there is a little problem though, for when they try to implant the memories they discover that he really has been to Mars, and really was an Interplan agent! Whoops! That is not the kind of information anyone wants to stumble upon, and now some very scary people are looking for Mr. Quail.

I will go, he said to himself. Before I die I’ll see Mars.

It was, of course, impossible, and he knew this even as he dreamed. But the daylight, the mundane noise of his wife now brushing her hair before the bedroom mirror – everything conspired to remind him of what he was. A miserable little salaried employee, he said to himself with bitterness.

My Two Cents:

• The good:

• The idea of false vacation memories being implanted is pretty cool! As I read “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” I wondered which fake vacations I would get implanted – a month long trip to Italy perhaps?
• This is a fun story to read, what with all the action, plot twists and surprise ending!

• The bad:

• You’ve got to remember that “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” was written in 1966, so there are some far-fetched ideas: a bare breasted receptionist for one, and the ending was a bit of a stretch also. Oh well, it was still a super fun read!

Fact Sheet:
• Page Count: 17
• Word Count: 8,159
• “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” garnered the following awards:

• It was ranked 32nd in the 1999 Locus All-Time Poll.

Where you can find “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale”:

• This novelette first appeared in the April 1966 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
• “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” is included in the excellent short story collection The Philip K. Dick Reader.

Some Interesting Links:

• You can read a very nice biography about Philip K. Dick on his official website.
• “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” was the basis for the 1990 movie “Total Recall” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone. Have you seen it? Here is the trailer:

Craving More Stories?
If you enjoyed this story then you might also like The Hunted Heroes, about a team of uranium miners who are captured by a madman on Mars, by Robert Silverberg.