(Hard SF) Long after the loss of its crew, Kade-5 continues its mission of terraforming the planet. It finds something interesting, but whom can it tell? (5,525 words; Time: 18m)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended
"Number Thirty-Nine Skink," by Suzanne Palmer [bio] (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction issue 03-04|17, published on February 16, 2017 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The world is described in glorious detail.
Con: The science falls apart at the end. The idea that the AI somehow absorbed Mike’s nature from his corpse is magic, not science, as is his miraculous resurrection.
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Suzanne Palmer Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Con: The science falls apart at the end. The idea that the AI somehow absorbed Mike’s nature from his corpse is magic, not science, as is his miraculous resurrection.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 03-04|17)
Suzanne Palmer Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
I disagree; I thought this story was quite good. An interesting mystery, well-being realized planet, and satisfying emotional arc. Maybe the problem is thinking about it as hard SF when it's not.
ReplyDeleteSkimming over the story again, yes, I read it as hard SF, since that's how it starts off. When it switches from that to fantasy science, I just mark it as "bad hard SF."
DeleteI'll claim, though, that this is still the fault of the author. :-)