Here There be Monsters by Keith R.A. DeCandido - Star Trek: S.C.E Book 3 - A Short Story Review

 

Here is the strength and weakens of tie-in books - they reward the dedicated reader while making somebody new to the series know they are missing context. 

This story in particular really made me feel that I was missing out on just how it fit into the wider narrative of the Star Trek Literary Universe.

Just look at the Historian's Note inserted before the story!

Here There Be Monsters takes place shortly after the events of the Gateways crossover, specifically after Book 3: Doors Into Chaos, Book 4: Demons of Air and Darkness, Book 5: No Man's Land, Book 6: Cold Wars, and the stories "Horn and Ivory," "In the Queue," "Death After Life," and "The Other Side" in Book 7: What Lay Beyond.

Whew!

Is this pure marketing or a service to the reader?  Being a completist myself, the references in the story to the events above served only to distract me from the events in front of me.  Of course, had I read those books previously, I would have been feeling quite rewarded by all this.

A good writer will not allow previous books to take away from the one he is writing nor to make those details required reading to understand the current adventure.  And that was the case here.

The gateways, which in my mind looked and worked like the time portal from the original Star Trek TV series, was causing havoc on a distant colony.  "Monsters" were coming through and making things unpleasant for the locals.

Thank goodness Star Trek is about "seeking out new life and new civilizations" and not just killing the life forms we don't understand.  The team of the U.S.S da Vinci take the time to understand what is happening before taking any action.

This is why I will always love Star Trek.  It posits that one day we will be better than our bullets.

The Riddled Post by Aaron Rosenberg - Star Trek: S.C.E Book 3 - A Short Story Review

 

Sometimes, after reading a big book like one of the Expanse tomes, I like to settle into something short and familiar.

Nothing fits that bill quite like Star Trek stories.

Best of all, if you like the ideas and the world of Star Trek, the books are a terrific way to get more ST goodness.

This series of books are collections of short stories of a different ship, with a different crew, on a different mission, to fix what is broken.

Great pains are taken to fit these adventures into the timeline established by the television shows and movies PLUS the timeline within the Star Trek Literary Universe.  Whew!

In The Riddled Post the crew of the USS da Vinci are sent to investigate what happened to a far-flung outpost that seems to have been attacked. 

These Starfleet Corps of Engineers stories are problem solving adventures - like MacGyver in space.

I must admit, I thought I had the problem figured out from chapter 3 but I was surprised by the actual source.  

It took the entire team to figure it all out and make the outpost safe again.

I do enjoy stories about smart people being smart.

Micro Stories

 

I bought a couple cups of coffee from Coffee Bureau in downtown Edmonton.  The sleeves had something rather special - short stories.

The Writers Gild of Alberta created a clever way to get stories out into the world.  Better yet, my wife got a different story than me and we got to trade them with each other.

Tuesday Night Auction Club by Ali Bryan - A beautiful and heartbreaking memory of a perfect moment.

Lucky Birds by Jacqueline Kwan - Exploitation and decisions. 

Tribute by Jack Skillingstead - A Short Story Review

A mission to Mars goes badly.  NASA is defunded.  Corporations are nearly the only players left in space.

But what of science?  What of exploration?

How can these higher pursuits be served when the profit motive is the only thing left in space?

It's an interesting story, especially for those voices who do not see the value of a government funded space agency. 

I found this last story of the collection very thought provoking.  The missions to Mars are terrific storytelling but the bigger questions of corporate priorities in space lingered in my mind.

There is room enough in outer space for all the players, if you ask me.




Jack Skillingstead's web site - https://www.jackskillingstead.com/

Jack Skillingstead

Rare (Off) Earth Elements - A Sam Gunn Tale by Ben Bova - A Short Story Review

I've been a long-time fan of Bova's.  I consider him the Clive Cussler of space.  His writing, although much more nuanced are still firmly "pulpy."  Bova's villains are often psychologically damaged, greedy or
mustache-twirlingly evil.

But there is a special place for Sam Gunn, who is a comical rogue that flitters in and out Bova's novels but more often lives in stand-alone short stories.  He is an opportunist who is constantly seeking, and losing, his fortunes.

This story hinges on asteroid mining and the limitations placed upon the activity by the Outer Space Treaty.  In order for an individual or a country to have a legal claim to the minerals of a body in space the claim must be made from the object itself.  A "flag" must be planted.

That's a pretty onerous legal detail but it forces interested parties into space, where adventure awaits.  When you think about it, it's a rather human clause.  We have a long history of exploration and this method of flag planting has long been acknowledged as the correct way to go about things.

In this little gem, the plans of a nation are pitted against the motivations of an individual.

I liked this story very much.

Ben Bova's website - http://benbova.com/

Ben Bova

The Butcher of Anderson Station by James S A Corey - A Short Story Review

Fred Johnson was a very important character in the first Expanse book.

This is the story of how he became known as the The Butcher of Anderson Station.

It was a nice way to enjoy a little bit more of this world without having to dive into another 500+ pages.

It's entirely possible this was edited out of the original manuscript.  If so, it's a nice way to get the story out there.

James S A Corey's website - https://www.jamessacorey.com/

The writing team known as James S A Corey

The Rabbit Hole by James Gunn - A Short Story Review

What are conditions like inside a wormhole?

James Gunn takes a stab at some serious alternate reality in this story.

A message form an alien culture  is decoded and instructions to build a ship capable of entering a wormhole to travel to a distant solar system is discovered.

The ship is built and flown where directed.

Hold on to your brains as life inside is difficult to understand and manipulate.

I thought Gunn did a great job of making such a challenging environment light and fun to read.

It stands apart from the other stories in that it is less blue-collar Hard SF than scientific Hard SF.


I enjoyed it very much and found it quite cinematic in my mind.  I kept seeing Event Horizon blended with Memento.

James Gunn's Wikipedia page -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_E._Gunn_(writer)

James Gunn

Ten Days Up by Curtis C. Chen - A Short Story Review

I will say, in this first sentence, the story did not work for me.

It was very well written, I loved the story about two workers on a routine run up and down a space elevator.

Things go wrong on the way up and one of the crew is trapped outside with an oncoming solar storm making things worse.

Man vs environment is a terrific plot construct but sadly there was just too much channeling of MacGyver for me to believe in the plausibility of it.

I think the author tried very hard to amp up the danger when he did not have to.  Being stuck outside, in a hard vacuum, with a solar flare en route was plenty of peril for one person to deal with.  Adding orbital mechanics to it was just a bit too much for me.

Everything else about the story was excellent, I loved the interaction with ground control and the worn-in routine of working on a space elevator. 


Curtis Chen is an author to look for.

Curtis C Chen's website - https://curtiscchen.com/

Curtis C Chen

Malf by David D Levine - A Short Story Review

Asteroid mining, automated and on a contract basis.  This is the ultimate gig-economy job.

What if asteroids were mined remotely and brought back to Earth, splashed into the ocean, recovered, and the minerals extracted?

Great idea. But, since it’s for-profit companies that are doing the mining, getting the asteroids ready and guided to Earth is a job best contracted out.

This, of course, opens the process to non-standard methods of operation.

This story reminded me of the recent demonstration of hacking into driver-less cars.  The author poses the question; what would happen if someone hacked into the propulsion systems of an inbound asteroid and changed its course?

This was an excellent story.

David D Levine's website - https://daviddlevine.com/

David D Levine

A Forest, or a Tree by Tegan Moore - A Short Story Review

Four city women go on an overnight hiking trip into the woods.  Most are ill-equipped for the task.

Once the discomforts of camping set in, real stresses between the hikers manifest.  Spooky stories around the campfire set things in motion. 

I thought the story was very well written and the characters believable and understandable.  The deep-dark woods, bad weather and a feeling of danger made for a creepy experience. 

But, truth be told, I wasn’t happy with the ending. It felt forced and did not fit with how the story was told.  I did like the open ending.  Perhaps there is a sequel in the works?  I’d gladly go back to this world

Tegan Moore’s website - https://alarmhat.com/

Tegan Moore

The New Prometheus by Michael Swanwick - A Short Story Review

Another instalment in Swanwick’s Mongolian Wizard series.

This time, we find Ritter and his wolf Freki in the Arctic chasing a new villain.

But this is no ordinary brute; he is a sympathetic, misunderstood person trying to find his place in the world.

Ritter’s assignment is clear but what will he do when he confronts his quarry?

Yup, I like this series quite a lot.

Michael Swanwick Wikipedia page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Swanwick

The whole series can be found here - https://www.tor.com/series/mongolian-wizard-stories-michael-swanwick/

Michael Swanwick

Skinner Box by Carole Johnstone - A Short Story Review

What is the nature of reality?  Who is in control of that reality?  What happens when the truth is revealed?

This story was a fantastic mind-bender.  On board a probe three individuals are running experiments but there are some dark secrets that might bring on violent responses.

The author references the ship Nostromo, from the movie Alien to instantly create the underlying menace that hangs over everything.

A Skinner Box is explained in the story and it’s then I pulled back my point of view and felt real dread for Evie, the protagonist in this story.

It is an excellent story that left me chilled for the rest of the day.

Carole Johnstone’s blog - http://carolejohnstone.blogspot.com/

Carole Johnstone

Any Way the Wind Blows by Seanan McGuire - A Short Story Review

I rather enjoy stories that break the fourth wall or are meta in nature.

This one is an homage to Tor’s office in the iconic Flatiron building in New York City.  The artwork for the story was excellent, with Stubby, the official logo of tor.com, hovering beside the building.

It reminded me of one of my favourite episodes of Deep Space 9, Far Beyond the Stars (S6-E13), where Sisko has visions of being a pulp science fiction author.

This story has the crew of Stubby, cartographers of the multiverse, and their experience when they arrive in our reality.


It was clever and fun - a delight to read.

Seanan McGire’s website - http://www.seananmcguire.com/

Seanan McGuire

Murder in the Spook House by Michael Swanwick - A Short Story Review

God bless Tor.com and their quarterly “best-of” ebook giveaway.

In this summer edition the opening story by Swanwick was a delight. Set in England around World War I in a reality that knows wizards, werewolves, time travel and military intelligence; on a dark and stormy night there is a murder. 

Acting Director of British Intelligence Ritter is summoned in the middle of the night to investigate the murder of Sir Toby.

This is one of the latest instalments of his Mongolian Wizard series. If you like this one there are many more to be had. 

I rather liked this one even though I am not a big fan of magical stories because it barely relied on mystical tropes. 

A good opening story to this collection. 

The Summer 2019 Fiction Collection can be downloaded HERE.

Michael Swanwick

Windshear by Angus McIntyre - A Short Story Review

A rescue mission in the cloud tops of Venus!

Remember - the premise of the entire collection is: what if space exploration continued without NASA?  When the private sector is involved profits are paramount to decision making.

Scientific studies are being done by one corporation in the upper atmosphere of Venus.  However, the crew rotation is contracted out to another company.  Something goes wrong during the docking procedures.

The decisions to be made are obvious to those people in the thick of the situation.  But the suits back on Earth have other ideas.

Terrific stuff!

Angus McIntyre's website - https://angus.pw/

Angus McIntyre

Airtight by Michael Capobianco - A Short Story Review

More mining of the asteroids shenanigans.

This one is about contract and mineral rights negotiations from deep space.

The rules are pretty clear, a business cannot stake a claim on a body in space unless a human sets foot on it, physically.  But the negotiations are difficult because the rights to the body actually go the human who’s feet are on said body.  Corporations foot the bill getting a person out there but must negotiate a finder’s fee when the astronaut has proven that he or she has landed.

This can get tricky.  To say more would be spoiling it.


Excellent story.

Michael Capobianco’s ISFDB page - http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?3153

Michael Capobianco

Iron Pegasus by Brenda Cooper - A Short Story Review

Cynthia and her robot companion Harry are travelling between asteroids, in their mining ship, when they receive a distress call and are obligated to reply.

There is something off about the situation as it is being transmitted by the companion robot of the ship in question.

I enjoyed the lived-in feel of the asteroid belt, sure there are folks about, making a living from the ores but the distances are incredible and it is a very lonely career.

I enjoyed how practical and yet human Cynthia’s relationship was with her robot companion.  They are very much a team.


This was an excellent mystery with an undertone of danger that required careful navigation.

A terrific addition to the collection.  I am very happy that I made the purchase.

Brenda Cooper’s website - http://www.brenda-cooper.com/

Brenda Cooper

Around the NEO in 80 Days by Jay Werkheiser - A Short Story Review

When getting to orbit is an everyday occurrence that’s the future I want to inhabit.

In this story, airships are used to lift up to a floating transfer station in the mesosphere, the very top of the atmosphere, where one transfers to an orbital ascender to make the final push to space.  This takes more time but eliminates rockets, a very interesting idea.

But that is not the focus of the story, in it a rich industrialist takes a bet with a fellow billionaire to race to a Near Earth Object and back within 80 days.

But there is an obstacle in the industrialist’s way.

What I liked about this story was how the characters were no different than people today.  There is no empire and culture to learn, no alien influence and no time travel.  It’s just people being people with their egos and conflicting aspirations.  Only the technology has changed.

I liked this one very much.

Jay Werkheiser’s website - http://jaywerkheiser.blogspot.com/

Jay Werkheiser

Orpheus’ Engines by Christopher McKitterick - A Short Story Review

This is the kind of hard SF that I like.

A private corporation, JoveCo, has a mining station orbiting Jupiter to extract hydrogen from the atmosphere of the gas giant.

Nina Galindo is dispatched to the station to help resolve a problem.  There are native creatures alive in the upper atmosphere who seem to be trying to communicate with the humans.  But there is something else, there is another signal buried under the repeating “GO AWAY” which is encrypted  and far more complex.

I found the story rich in imagery, I felt like I was watching a movie instead of reading a book.  And it’s not because it was so well described, it was just the opposite, the author gave just enough information to frame a scene and I was able to colour it all in.

The orbital station was a marvel and how the story relied on it’s structure to uncover the mystery was part of the fun of it.

This story stood out in the collection.

Christopher McKitterick’s website - http://christopher-mckitterick.com/

Christopher McKitterick

The Ultimate Space Race by Jaleta Clegg - A Short Story Review

I’m a fan of The Amazing Race and The Amazing Race Canada so this story spoke to me.

What this story did was take television, corporate sponsorships, consumerism and social networking forward into an unsettling place.

The Ultimate Race pitted seven teams, in small space ships, on a race from an orbiting casino, New Vegas, to Mars’ moon Phobos and back.  But it was told from the point of view of a fan watching the show from home.

Honestly, the forward projection of media is not that outlandish, it feels very, very plausible.

I Loved this story.

Jaleta Clegg’s website - https://jaletac.com/

Jaleta Clegg