The Voice, by Bruce McAllister

[Asimov's]

★★★★☆ A nice guy with a hard choice in a difficult position.

(SF Thriller; DreamPet) Jude knows his company is secretly selling engineered animals that were meant to be disposed of. He needs more proof to go public, but meanwhile one of the creations is invading his mind. (4,988 words; Time: 16m)

Breath, by Bruce McAllister

[F&SF]

★★★☆☆ Average

(Near-Future SF; DreamPet) Merfolk pets became an invasive species when they went out of style, and people fish for them and even eat them, but one man wants his intact. (1,558 words; Time: 05m)

A Former Planetary Ruler Speaks, by Bruce McAllister

[Analog]

★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended

(Space Opera) A teenage planetary ruler finds out that it’s a hard job to do well, even if all your subjects appear to love you. (1,057 words; Time: 03m)

Sandy, by Bruce McAllister

[Analog]

★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended

(Aliens) A human child makes friends with an alien classmate. (1,656 words; Time: 05m)

Frog Happy, by Bruce McAllister

[Analog]

★★★☆☆ Average

(Near-Future SF) The narrator always loved animals, ever since he collected frogs as a little boy. But lately he’s been seeing some really strange creatures—and he’s not the only one. (2,934 words; Time: 09m)

Ink, by Bruce McAllister

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(Modern Fantasy) A young hemophiliac American boy in Italy visits a creepy old house to try to get old stamps for his collection. (4,259 words; Time: 14m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

Pitch, by Bruce McAllister and Patrick Smith

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(SF) A 22nd-Century playwright proposes a screenplay for a thriller. (918 words; Time: 03m)

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ Needs Improvement

This Is for You, by Bruce McAllister

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(SF) He spent his childhood on another planet, but he’s trying to fit into highschool on Earth, and he really wants a girl. (1,245 words; Time: 04m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Extremely Effective

Killer, by Bruce McAllister

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(Modern Fantasy) You are a hunter, and your prey is angels. The city pays a bounty on them. You've got one in your sights, but for some reason this one isn't trying to get away. (1,213 words)

Rating: 3, Unremarkable

 

Bringing Them Back, by Bruce McAllister

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(SF, ~2060) A man reviews drawings and descriptions of animals he knew and loved during his life, updating them to reflect recent changes. Very moving. (1,577 words)

Rating: 3, Good, ordinary, story

 

DreamPet, by Bruce McAllister

[F&SF]

★★★★☆ Recommended

(Near-Future SF; DreamPet) The narrator is senior VP for design at a company that makes genetically-modified pets, and he likes to give them as gifts to family members. (2,555 words; Time: 08m)

Dog, by Bruce McAllister

Tor.com, March 25, 2015; 6,969 words
Rating: 4, Recommended

In the 1980s, when a young American couple goes to Mexico to study Spanish, a Mexican-American friend warns them to pay attention to the dogs.

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Pro:  All the pieces fit together nicely. The bowl attracted the dog-spirits. Jennifer was meant to die in that crash, and after that, they wouldn't leave her alone. Her "big toe's worth" of Indian blood might have had something to do with it too. The author's determination to meet the dogs and give them a good fight makes for a very solid ending.

Con: We get no sense that David felt any pain when Jennifer died. We have no sense of loss.

My Father's Crab, by Bruce McAllister

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, October 1, 2015; 4,792 words
Rating: 4, recommended

A man remembers the good times he had as a boy with his father, a US Naval officer. He remembers a strange crab that bit his father, and how it changed their lives. The boy's love for his dad feels very real.

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Very moving, very interesting angle. The aliens saved us from nuclear war, but only to protect the oceans. And the boy--now a man--wishes they'd send him a crab too.

Other Reviews

Lois Tilton gave it a neutral review, and tells us that it's part of a series of stories.