★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention
(Far-Future SF) As the last stars in the universe are dying, an entity piloting an enormous starship that used to be the Earth tries to decide what to do next. (2,311 words; Time: 07m)
"Cosmic Spring," by Ken Liu [bio] (edited by John Joseph Adams), appeared in Lightspeed Magazine issue 94, published on March 1, 2018.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: A cute end-of-the-universe tale, and the science is consistent with the latest thinking from cosmologists.
The image of the remnants of the civilizations of the universe huddled around a dying star telling each other stories is poignant.
Con: Given the nature of the story, there are no characters other than the narrator, and the only plot is him waiting to die. This is quite a downer, even if a new universe is due to be created.
It’s a quibble, but in the terms of the story, our current era is much more like very early spring rather than high summer. Our universe is only 13.8 billion years old, while his is almost 500 times older, so in linear terms, we're still in the very first day of spring.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 94)
Ken Liu Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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The image of the remnants of the civilizations of the universe huddled around a dying star telling each other stories is poignant.
Con: Given the nature of the story, there are no characters other than the narrator, and the only plot is him waiting to die. This is quite a downer, even if a new universe is due to be created.
It’s a quibble, but in the terms of the story, our current era is much more like very early spring rather than high summer. Our universe is only 13.8 billion years old, while his is almost 500 times older, so in linear terms, we're still in the very first day of spring.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 94)
Ken Liu Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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