Novella:
Killer Advice by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: 2
Novelette:
Two Thieves by Chris Beckett: 1.5
Short Stories:
Interloper by Ian McHugh: 3.5
Ashes on the Water by Gwendolyn Clare: 3.5
Dolly by Elizabeth Bear: 3
Visitors by Steve Rasnic Tem: 2
And two poems, rising as high as "meh"+ and sinking as low as "meh"-.
Ian McHugh's "Interloper" is far and away the standout story of the issue. I didn't blow me away, but it was the most exciting, most interesting, and probably second most thoughtful.
"Ashes on the Water" by Gwendolyn Clare was a very short, heartwarming tale of mourning in water-scarcity future India.
Elizabeth Bear's "Dolly" is the only other story I enjoyed, being an Asimov Detectives-And-Robots homage. It's funny and philosophical, but ultimately feels too familiar. Still, this is probably the most thought provoking story, and while I didn't love it, it is still worth reading.
I actively disliked all the other stories, which were much longer, making this issue a waste in terms of pagecount. Read the three short stories in the bookstore, or from a subscribing friend, or when they get anthologized later.
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