On the Causes and Consequences of Cat Ladies, by Richard A. Lovett

[Analog]

★★☆☆☆

(Horror) After her husband’s death, Barbara moves to a quiet farmhouse in Iowa, where she attracts the interest of the local cats. (4,736 words; Time: 15m)

Guns Don't Kill, by Richard A. Lovett

[Analog]

★★☆☆☆

(AI SF) “Smart” guns that prevent hunters from shooting things out of season start showing signs of being a little too smart. (3,063 words; Time: 10m)

Recommended By: 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)

Papoose Lake, by Richard A. Lovett

Find this issue

(Near-Future SF) The narrator’s girlfriend has an annoying friend whose conspiracy theories are threatening their relationship. (3,982 words; Time: 13m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

Defender of Worms, by Richard A. Lovett

[Analog]

★★★☆☆ Average

Brittany, an AI, and her human host, Memphis, flee across the desert from rogue AIs who want to destroy Brittany if she won't join them. (25,500 words; Time: 1h:25m)

Recommended By: 🏆Readers+0 (Q&A)

The Wormhole War, by Richard A. Lovett

Analog Science Fiction and Fact, June 2015; 12,500 words
Rating: 3, Good, ordinary, story

Earth's attempts to use wormholes to travel to other stars keep getting blocked by something.

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

Pro: What if wormholes were fairly easy to make and use? That's the "what if" for the story, and it plays extremely well. The wormhole logic is well developed, even if it gets a little complicated at times. Ending with the face-to-face meeting was an excellent choice.

Con: The more you think about it, the more hole you discover. For example, why wasn't anyone trying hard to reach the aliens via radio or laser communications? Why send a manned mission for the negotiation rather than a relay? In fact, why didn't they try a relay much, much sooner?