F&SF Magazine, April 1994

The April 1994 issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction introduced Charles de Lint as the new monthly book reviewer. In general I have enjoyed de Lint as a book reviewer over the years. He has certainly brought some books to my attention that would probably have not gotten a first glance from me otherwise. Here he introduces the column with a discussion of what he thinks the purpose of his book reviews should be, and how he plans to highlight the good books that teach us something we never knew as well as being an entertaining diversion. He plans a conversational style of review, rather than academic analysis. He begins with a good review of Robert Holdstock’s “The Hollowing”, a followup novel to the imaginative classic “Mythago Wood”.

John Kessel also provides an occasional book review column and this issue was an essay in which he argues that the canon of science fiction was established through anthologies of golden age science fiction compiled and published in the 1950’s and tackles a discussion and review of four large recent (for 1994) anthologies of science fiction, and how much science fiction has changed since the 1950’s. I found it to be a real highlight of the issue and very well thought out. Compared to de Lint’s column this is much more of an academic analysis, but an excellent one!

There are some nice "names" writing stories in this issue, including Ben Bova, David Brin, Kristine Kathryn Rusch (also the editor of F&SF at that time) and the cover story by R. Garcia y Robertson. However, none of the stories really knocked me out, and, also, nothing was terrible, with the result that this felt like a so-so issue of the magazine, notwithstanding the excellent book review columns.

Ben Bova's story "Inspiration" was Nebula nominated; an interesting but not overly exciting story about a fictional meeting between H.G.Wells, Lord Kelvin and a teen-aged Albert Einstein in Germany in 1896. It is arranged by a time traveler to spark Einstein's "inspiration." Adolph guest stars in a cameo role.

“Clinging To a Thread” by Leslie What was a sad and dreary ghost story about a woman finding a connection to her dying mother’s siblings lost in the holocaust.

“Coyote Ugly” by new writer Pati Nagle I found to be unremarkable. It concerns a young Native American woman in New Mexico, a woodcarver taught by her grandfather, struggling to overcome a bullying older brother and her perceived ugliness compared to the blonde, blue-eyed Anglos. Cultures collide. The fantasy element is her ability to control the wind. I did like the parts that involved the creation of her art.

I thought “Sarah at the Tide Pool” by Marina Fitch was one of the better stories in the issue. A scientist works almost without rest with nudibranchs trying to develop an artificial organic skin replacement in a world where the sun is doing great damage to people. Her mother has melanoma so there is a strong personal drive as well. Her marriage has failed and she works on, only to be told by her company that she must now turn her prototype into a weapon, an assassin’s weapon where the touch of the wearer will kill.

I’m not quite sure how to describe Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s “Without End”. It is a philosophical piece about a man who has lost his wife and he believes, as did his wife, that they can be reunited if they can just get their minds to understand time in a non-linear fashion. An interesting character study.

Next up was David Brin’s Natulife™ This was a funny over the top story about the future where virtual reality and advertising has promoted a return to being hunters and gatherers via plugging into your body suits and headsets. It gave me several chuckles as well as a groan or two.

Gregory Benford has a science fact article discussing possible ways we will be warning future generations about our atomic tests sites and hazardous waste dumps.

Two strong stories finish up the issue. Epiphany Beach by Stephen R Boyett was also a funny (and a bit sad) story about the creature from the black lagoon and how he spends his time these days. I really liked this one quite a bit. The foreword described this as an excerpt from an upcoming novel “Green”, but that was apparently never published. A follow-up story did appear in F&SF in January 1998, however: “Current Affairs”.

Wendy Darling. RFC by R Garcia y Robertson finished up the issue, with the best of the stories saved for last. Wendy Darling, of Peter Pan fame, confronts World War I in England. Wendy learns to fly. Aeroplanes this time. She takes on the Hun. Tink and Peter to the rescue, sorta. Good adventure story. ( )