"The Little Goddess" by Ian McDonald

(Novella)

An interesting tale set in a future Indian subcontinent involving a little girl born with an ability or defect, depending on your point of view. Because of this, a goddess is considered to have been reborn in her but its spirit would depart the moment her blood is spilled. Follow her story from Kathmandu through the various independent states of India as she stuggles to find meaning in her life during and after her godhood and marvel at the author's description of an Indian future where security robots can kill at a stroke and AIs (or 'aeai') are being banned for being too intelligent.

• Read excerpt from Asimov's Science Fiction (http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0506/thelittlegoddess.shtml)

"Aloha" by Ken Wharton

(Short story)

An interesting and mildly mind-bending tale about two 'concious' beings in the very far future who are facing one of their greatest challenges: the reversal of the 'arrow of time'. Told from the viewpoint of one character whose arrow of time is 'forward', he has to interact with inhabitants whose arrow of time has reversed: events about to occur to him have, in effect, already happened to other people. Now try interacting with the love of your life who has already time-reversed and whose expectations are the same, yet different in a time-reversed way.

• Buy from Fictionwise (http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook28742.htm)


• Read from Analog SF (http://www.analogsf.com/0501/aloha.shtml)

"The Tangle Strings of the Marionettes" by Adam-Troy Castro

(Short story)

The story starts off by looking at an apparent statue of a Vlhani, an alien species who performs a 'ballet' that is not only beautiful to behold and whose meaning is being argued over by many aliens (including humans), but also deadly to the performers. Into this steps a reporter who is there to investigate the story of an illegally enhanced human dancer who has joined the ballet. But the reporter gradually discovers that the true story lies with a crippled enhanced dancer who may hold the key to the meaning of the entire ballet which ties in, remarkably, with the statue again at the end of this remarkable tale.

• Buy from Fictionwise at (http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook28543.htm)

"Time Ablaze" by Michael A. Burstein

(Short story)

A young man is introduced into a German-American community in New York. But things don't add up and a young girl discovers that he is not what he claims to be. By the end, both become involved in decisions that may affect not only the future of the German-American community, but their own personal futures.

• Buy from Fictionwise at (http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook28647.htm)


• Read from Analog SF at (http://www.analogsf.com/0501/Ablaze.shtml)

"In the Late December" by Greg van Eekhout

(Short story)

This tale starts off sounding like a standard fantasy; Santa Claus getting on his sleigh to deliver presents. It is only when we see what kind of 'boys' and 'girls' he gives presents to that we start to realise that this is no ordinary Santa. As for Santa himself, he will have to face his ultimate foe (who is making the kids disappear) at the end of time.

• Buy from Fictionwise at (http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook29644.htm)


• Read from Strange Horizons at (http://www.strangehorizons.com/2003/20031222/december.shtml)

A Blog of My Reviews

Well, much as I would like to set up a web page to put up reviews of books, stories or articles I have read, I can't. At present, I have neither the time nor the energy. So sad.

Instead, I will be using this blog to do this. It will allow me to start putting up reviews again. And who knows, perhaps one day when I have to time, I can start putting up a proper web page of reviews again.