Non-Spoiler Summary

Lukasz has had a hard life. When he was a child in Poland a horrible new plague swept across the world killing nearly everyone. Now he ekes out a living with a handful of other survivors. It is in this situation that his city receives some unlikely visitors – first a *real* family with a young woman who can still bear children, and then a group of African elephants who take a keen interest in Lukasz life. Oh, and the two sets of visitors aren’t entirely unrelated – as Lukasz is about to discover for himself!

Some Juicy Tidbits About This Story

• Word count: 9,141 (13 pages)
• "The Elephants of Poznan" was nominated for the 2001 Nebula Award for Best Novelette.
• Did you know that Orson Scott Card also works as a professor of writing and literature at Southern Virginia University? Yep. You can learn more about this excellent science fiction author at his web site.

Where To Find The Elephants of Poznan

• This story first appeared in the January 2000 edition of Galaxy Online.
• You can read a free online version of "The Elephants of Poznan" at Lightspeed Magazine.
• This story is also included in Orson Scott Card’s anthology Keeper of Dreams.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "The Elephants of Poznan" then you may also enjoy Orson Scott Card’s story “Ender’s Game” – which lead to his excellent and famous novel with the same title!

“Flowers for Algernon”, a 1959 short story by Daniel Keyes, is about a human test subject whose intelligence significantly increases after undergoing a special surgery.

Summary

Charlie Gordon, the main protagonist, is a sweet-tempered and mentally disabled man. He has an I.Q. of 68 and works a menial job. He is selected to undergo an experimental surgical technique to increase his intelligence. This technique has already been successfully tested on Algernon, a laboratory mouse. The surgery on Charlie proves to be a success as well; his I.Q. triples. He surpasses everybody intellectually, including the scientists who performed the surgery on him. But as his intelligence increases, he becomes unable to relate to others who were once smarter than him.

The story is told through a series of journal entries written by Charlie.

My thoughts on this story

This is one of my favourite stories. The use of progress reports written by Charlie is very effective to tell the story. I also like the fact that some important themes are explored in the story: the treatment of the mentally disabled and the conflict between intellect and emotion or happiness.

Here are a few lines that struck me:

Interesting tidbits

• Word count: 11,745
• In 1958, on submitting the story to Galaxy Science Fiction magazine, the editor suggested changing the ending. Keyes refused to make the change and sold the story to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
• It won a Hugo award for best short story in 1960.
• It was voted third out of 132 nominees for a Nebula award in the late 1960s (when SFWA decided to give Nebula Awards retroactively).
• In 1961, it was adapted for television in the drama The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon.
• It was expanded into a full novel and was published in 1966 by Harcourt Brace.
• In 1968, it was adapted into a movie: Charly.
• In 1978, it was adapted into a Broadway musical called Charlie and Algernon.
• It was adapted into a television drama in 2000.
• Both in its short-story format and its full-length novel, it is part of many school curriculums.

Where to find the story

• Flowers for Algernon was published for the first time in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1959.
• It was reprinted several times in different magazines during the subsequent years.
• You can read it online here.
• You can also read it in the book The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One published in 1970.

"Air Raid", a 1977 short story by John Varley, is about time travelers rescuing people from airplanes that are about to crash with no survivors.

Non-Spoiler Summary

Wearing make-up, wigs and dressed up as the airline crew members, the Snatch Team waits for the portal to activate and jump into action. They have to hurry, because 90 minutes or so after take off the plane will crash and everybody on board will die. But what is so important about this particular rescue mission? Or any other rescue mission for that matter?

My thoughts on this story

I found this story very entertaining. It is fast paced, written in the first person. We follow the action through the eyes of one member of the Snatch Team. I really enjoyed this story.

Interesting tidbits

• Page count: 14
• "Air Raid" was first published under John Varley’s pseudonym Herb Boehm.
• Best Short Story Hugo nominee in 1978.
• Best Short Story Nebula nominee in 1978.
• "Air Raid" provided the basis for the 1989 film Millennium.
• The 1983 novel Millennium by John Varley is also based on the short story "Air Raid".

Where to find this story

• This story first appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine in 1977.
• It was also published in the short story collection Nebula Winners Thirteen in 1981.
• It was also published in the science fiction anthology Timegates in 1997.
• It is included in the excellent collection The John Varley Reader.
• To find out about other stories by John Varley, you may visit his official website varley.net.

Not Really Science Fiction

So, this story isn’t really a SF story. It kind of falls more in the fantasy arena, although the ending could be considered a little bit more SF-ish. Oh well, it was nominated for a Nebula award so I’m thinking that makes it fair game. Anyway, it is a very cool story and one that I think most of you will probably enjoy so I’m reviewing it here – have fun!

Non-Spoiler Summary

In life Naeva was a powerful sorceress to the Queen, but she was betrayed and killed in a very unceremonious way. But hey, being dead doesn’t mean that one stops being useful! As Naeva is about to find out there will be all kinds of people who need her specialized knowledge for their own ends. There is the unscrupulous daughter, some crazy shamans and the man who lets her share his body. But Naeva’s favorite is Misa, the academic who wants more from Naeva than just her knowledge. Has Naeva finally found a home in this strange life-after-death? Maybe… at least until something more important occupies Misa’s world and changes everything.

Some Juicy Tidbits About This Story

• Word count: 18,925 (33 pages)
• This story was nominated for the 2011 Nebula Award for Best Novella.
• Special thanks to Jason Sanford for recommending this awesome story!

Where To Find The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window

• This story first appeared in the Summer 2010 edition of Subterranean Online – where you can still read it for free.
• "The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window" is also included as one of the stories in The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume 5.

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

If you liked "The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window" then you may also enjoy “Stone Wall Truth” by Caroline M. Yoachim – about a woman whose job is to torture and then heal the enemies of her state.

Non-Spoiler Summary

Njeri is a doctor… of sorts. That is, she sews people back together after cutting them apart and hanging them on the Wall of Truth! Does that sound a little disconcerting? That’s because it is! Anyway, this story follows Njeri as she teaches her young apprentice the finer arts of cutting and sewing human beings. Why do they do this you ask? Because the ruling general of their land (who changes frequently, by the way) demands it of them. Yeah, instead of killing his enemies (which would anger the ghosts of their ancestors) the general now stakes them out on a strange crystalline wall to face the darkness inside of them. Nope, not a pleasant experience at all. And after Njeri is chastised by a childhood friend she is about to learn even more about what kind of pain the wall can bring.

Some Juicy Tidbits About This Story

• Word count: 8,081 (16 pages)
• This story was nominated for the 2011 Nebula Award for Best Novelette.
• The interesting ideas in this story reminded me of a cross between anatomy class and Hyperion’s Shrike!

Where To Find Stone Wall Truth

• This story originally appeared in the February 2010 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction. Read it if you got it!
• You can read "Stone Wall Truth" for free online at the author’s web site – thanks to Jason Sanford for the recommendation!

Craving More SF Stories Like This One?

Was "Stone Wall Truth" right up your alley? Then maybe you’ll like “Through Thy Bounty” by Lucy A. Snyder – about a chef who is forced to cook humans as gourmet meals for ruthless aliens!

Becoming Part of Another Culture

Have you ever tried to be part of a different culture? It is difficult and takes a long time, but the rewards for learning a different way of thinking are extremely satisfying. I spent a year living on the pacific island of Pohnpei, and I can relate to the feelings the protagonist of this story describes: curiosity, fear, embarrassment, paranoia, not fitting in, striving to understand… and ultimately a bit of acceptance. It is very difficult to describe, but I think this story does a great job of it.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

The narrator of this story is an unemployed man who is wandering across the United States working odd jobs and staying with self-sustaining communities. Variety is the spice of life, and he is getting a lot of it. As he gets closer to California he comes across a commune of deaf-blind people and his curiosity forces him to see how they live. He finds out that they are children whose mothers were infected with Rubella while pregnant – which caused their condition. There were initially loads of deaf-blind children in the early 1960s, but these hundred or so have been educated and subsequently fought for their right to live on their own. They are a tight-knit community with some strict rules, but our drifter is determined to learn their ways – especially since getting to know Pink, the teen aged daughter of one of the deaf-blind people. She helps him learn their language, culture and rules. But there is something he is missing and he can’t quite put his finger on it – perhaps it is better that he doesn’t find out what it is!

My Two Cents…

• There is a lot of so-called “hippy” culture in this story – liberal amounts of free-love and self-expression. I found it fascinating but your tastes may vary.
• The narrator’s discussions about communication, language, learning and love is deeply interesting.
• Wow – this story is told in a fantastic way! The writing style, the characters, the situations – excellent!
• "The Persistence of Vision" is a very soft science fiction story – so don’t be expecting anything too alien. Ha – pun intended!
• Warning: There are a few sexually explicit scenes in this story – so stay away if that kind of stuff bothers you.

Interesting Tidbits:

• Page Count: 40
• Audio Length: 2 hours
• Did you know that John Varley was once an unemployed drifter himself? Yep. You can learn more about this fascinating author on his web site.
• "The Persistence of Vision" won the 1979 Hugo Award for Best Novella, the 1979 Nebula Award for Best Novella and placed 1st in the 1979 Locus Readers Poll.
• Special thanks to Variety SF for pointing out this great story!

Where You Can Find The Persistence of Vision:

• This story was first published in the March 1978 edition of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
• You can listen to (or download) a wonderful audio version of "The Persistence of Vision" at spiderrobinson.com. (The story begins at time index 5:43, and there is a 12 minute musical intermission.)
• It is included in the excellent collection The John Varley Reader.
• You can also read this story online for free courtesy of Google Books. (This link may not work if you are outside the United States)
  

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you enjoyed "The Persistence of Vision" then you might also like "…For a Single Yesterday" by George R. R. Martin – about a musician in a post-apocalyptic commune who uses a powerful drug to re-live the past.

The End Is Scary Enough Already!

The death of the universe is not a pleasant thing to think about, and I have read several stories describing the nasty, bitter end. But what about all the fun things in life – like Santa Claus – did anybody stop to think what the end of it all would mean to them? Here’s a short story that does just that.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Santa has been doing his job for a long, long time. So long, in fact, that there is only a handful of life-forms still around. So, after billions of years of delivering gifts, Santa prepares his sleigh and reindeer once more. This time, however, Santa is having some trouble finding the kids on his list, and that can mean only one thing: his arch-enemy, The Big Empty, has been taking them down! The line has been crossed, and now Santa is going to do something about it!

Interesting Tidbits About This Story:

• Page Count: 5
• Word Count: 2,798
• "In the Late December" was nominated for the 2005 Nebula Award for Best Short Story.
• Special thanks to one of my readers, Mangelo, for suggesting this cool little story.

Where You Can Find In the Late December:

• This story was originally published on 22 December 2003 in the web-zine Strange Horizons – where you can still read it online for free.
• You can listen to an audio version of "In the Late December" at Escape Pod.
• This short story can also be found in Greg van Eekhout’s chapbook Show and Tell and Other Stories.

If you liked this story you may also be interested in Ancient Engines by Michael Swanwick – about robots who try to live to the end of the universe.

Just Like Daddy Warbucks

Do you have rich or famous parents? Do you wish you did? What if you were a normal teen-aged kid who did normal teen-aged things – would you give it all up for the chance of a plush life with a mother you never knew? That is an interesting question and one the protagonist of this story is required to answer.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Mariska is your stereo-typical teen-aged girl: she has to be nagged to get up in the morning, she is uncomfortable having serious talks with her father and her heart goes thumpity-thump when she is around her boyfriend Jak. So even though she lives on the Moon and wishes people would treat her more as a grown-up, she soon discovers that big decisions can force a person to take drastic actions.

My Two Cents…

• I liked the idea of data-feeds. Although it is not a new idea it is still neat and one that I am desperately hoping will be invented before I die!
• How about that squirrel gene that was used to allow humans to hibernate during space travel? Very cool!
• I enjoyed the small parts that talked about Mariska’s contract father – I think that would be a very difficult job to take.

Interesting Tidbits:

• Page Count: 11
• "Going Deep" was nominated for the 2010 Nebula Award for Best Short Story, and placed 5th in the 2010 Locus Poll.
• Did you know that James Patrick Kelly served on the Board of Directors of the New England Foundation for the Arts? Yep. You can learn more about this excellent science fiction author on his web site.

Where You Can Find Going Deep:

• This short story first appeared in the June 2009 edition of Asimov’s Science Fiction.
• You can read a free pdf version of "Going Deep" at Asimov’s web site.
• This story is also included in The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume 4.

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you liked "Going Deep" then you might also enjoy A Jar of Goodwill by Tobias Buckell – about a specially trained human who takes a job on a risky space flight in hopes that it will pay off big.

NON SPOILER SUMMARY

Just before his wife is killed, a man enjoys a silly conversation with her, a conversation about the gods.  Big gods in charge of grand things like love, war, or joy.  And little gods, in charge of fine details, such as dark chocolate, hot showers or angel food cake.

Following her death, he comes face to face with the little gods of grief.  The gods are intrigued by him because he can see them, and he has some amusing interactions with them.

MY THOUGHTS

The author did an amazing job with description and imagery in this story.  I love stories that I can see and feel as I read.  I was fascinated that Tim Pratt took imagery a step further, and visually described feelings.  I’ve never thought about how a feeling would look.  The grief of the character was palpable, and I was pleased with how he chose to deal with it.  After reading “Little Gods” I am left pondering…  and I think that is the mark of a story well written.

INTERESTING TIDBITS

• Word Count: 5250
• Page Count: 9
• Published: 2002
• “Little Gods” was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story.
• You can find more about Tim Pratt at his website www.timpratt.org or at wikipedia.org.

WHERE TO FIND THIS STORY

• You can read “Little Gods” for free at the Strange Horizons web site.
• It is also included in Tim Pratt’s 2005 short story collection Little Gods.

CRAVING MORE TIM PRATT STORIES?

If you liked “Little Gods” then be sure to check out another of Tim Pratt’s award winning short stories: “Impossible Dreams”

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.