Mulligan, by Bud Sparhawk

[Analog]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(SF Adventure) Bobby’s a Lunar prospector fallen on hard times, so he can’t say no to a job, even when it’s from a woman who swindled him once. Even when it’s about finding a lost golf ball. (4,807 words; Time: 16m)

The Invitation, by Bud Sparhawk

[Analog]

★★★☆☆ Average

(SF) A foreign visitor with a gold-plated invitation turns up at a bar and wonders where everyone is. (1,088 words; Time: 03m)

Recommended By: 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)

The Fading Pages of a Short Story, by Bud Sparhawk

[Analog]

★☆☆☆☆ Needs Improvement

(Medical SF) Bill tries to help his 98-year-old father cope with his increasing memory loss, but the old man resists the technology that might help him. (5,345 words; Time: 17m)

Downsized, by Bud Sparhawk

Find this issue

(Dystopia) Now that his wife has passed away, Matthew must move from their spacious apartment on the retirement space station into smaller quarters. (5,472 words; Time: 18m)

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended

Heaven's Covenant, by Bud Sparhawk

Find this issue

(Colony Ship SF) Larisha is very excited about being part of the crew for new colony ship, but the politics involved in building it takes a lot of the fun out of it. (21,307 words; Time: 1h:11m)

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended

The Return, by Bud Sparhawk

Find this issue

(SF) An worn old man struggles to get to his cabin, and he lets the young man assisting him know just how easy kids have it these days. (1,184 words; Time: 03m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

High Jack, by Bud Sparhawk

Find this book.

(Hard SF) At 51, Phil is ready to take one last big risk and retire, so he leaves Mars to take a job supervising orbital construction on Amalthea at Jupiter. (~6,000 words)

Rating: 2, Not Recommended

 

Footprints In The Snow, by Bud Sparhawk

Find this issue

Alberto seems to be a caricature of a bigot. He hates the family of spider-like alien refugees who've moved in next door and won't give them a fair chance. But first impressions can be misleading--this story rewards readers who persist.  (5,152 words; Time: 17m)

Rating: ★★★★★, Award-Worthy

Recommended By: SFRevu:4

Slider, by Bud Sparhawk

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, May 2015; ~6,600 words
Rating: 3, Good, ordinary, story

Around 2050, a failed minor-league baseball star has high hopes for his son, but when the boy gets an unexpected offer from the Orioles, there are strings attached.

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

Pro: It's a very moving story about choosing what matters to you, even if it's not what gains the most fame or makes the most money. The ending is not unexpected--the doctor did tell us that he was relying on Todd's report of the pain. The vivoplasty idea was an interesting one.

Con: We hate the narrator. His disregard for his son's health and future is disturbing, and he never gets over it--never realizes he was wrong. Instead, he just moves his focus to his grandson.

Delivery, by Bud Sparhawk

Find this issue

What if online shopping software was so good it could ship what you needed before you even ordered it? (900 words; Time: 03m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Recommended