Flyboys, by Stanley Schmidt

[Analog]

★★★★☆ Quite a Ride!

(Colony SF Thriller) Bob, one of the bat-like Zoeys on New Horizons, helped architect the peace treaty that ended the war with the humans, but some Zoeys who don’t want peace plan to use his son against him. (20,425 words; Time: 1h:08m)

This is a sequel to the author’s novel, “Night Ride and Sunrise.” I read this novella without having read the novel, and didn’t get the feeling I was missing anything. However, I did decide the novel sounded interesting, so I bought a copy and read it after I finished the novella. This novella is full of spoilers for the novel. That said, I did enjoy the novel a lot, but I’d advise reading the novel first; it’s worth it.

The Methuselah Generation, by Stanley Schmidt

[Analog]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Alien Encounter) Emily is spending her last year alive visiting natural wonders of the Earth, but she’s intrigued to learn that an alien will be joining her tour group visiting the Monarch Butterfly sanctuary in Mexico. (6,525 words; Time: 21m)

Recommended By: 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)

Mixipoxi Learns to Drive, by Joyce Schmidt and Stanley Schmidt

[Analog]

★★★★☆ A Most Delightful Alien Visitor

(Alien Visitor) Humanity knows there was an alien attack a few years back, they don’t know the government is hiding one. That gets harder when he insists on learning to drive a car. (16,375 words; Time: 54m)

Recommended By: 👍RSR+1 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)

Invaders, by Stanley Schmidt

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(SF) Abe waited too late to make reservations at a place to watch the eclipse, so he ends up in a very out-of-the-way location with some rather strange companions. (6,736 words; Time: 22m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

The Final Nail, by Stanley Schmidt

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(Hard SF Thriller) Something causes a lot of people to acquire an allergy to red meat, and Dr. Strassman finds even tracking down the cause may be dangerous. (12,320 words; Time: 41m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

Throw Me a Bone, by Stanley Schmidt

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(Paleontology SF) The Titanosaur bone destroyed Bill’s career because its isolation smacked of fraud. But there had to be another explanation. (1,126 words; Time: 03m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average