★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended
(Allegory) The DENALI machine gives America an edge over other countries, but the public has to take regular votes as to what it’s supposed to do. (12,089 words; Time: 40m)
"Denali," by Robert Reed [bio] (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction issue 09-10|18, published on August 16, 2018 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The story seems to be an allegory for how US policy has varied over the past century, starting around World War I, when the US first became a world power. Instead of politicians and parties, issues are reduced to simple slogans the people vote on.
A happy future only comes when scientists program the machine with the morals from the Shaman program (which were very nice, but impossible to get kids to follow) and then destroy the controls, locking the machine into that mode forever.
Con: The plot is dull, the characters are dull, and it goes on and on and on.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 09-10|18)
Robert Reed Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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A happy future only comes when scientists program the machine with the morals from the Shaman program (which were very nice, but impossible to get kids to follow) and then destroy the controls, locking the machine into that mode forever.
Con: The plot is dull, the characters are dull, and it goes on and on and on.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 09-10|18)
Robert Reed Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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