"Improbable Times" by E. Mark Mitchell

A hilarious story that plays on the 'multi-worlds' theory of quantum physics (where every action creates a whole new universe). A lawyer suddenly finds a fish in his briefcase and decides to pay a visit to his friend who is a scientific genius but a klutz when it comes to common-sense. Of course, his friend turns out to be the cause of the fish and it is just the beginning of a cosmic disaster. But fixing it will require a lot of work along with help from an intelligence millions of years in the future. Plus, the lawyer will have to learn to live with a large, pink sofa.

• Read from Analog SF, June 2005

"NetPuppets" by Richard A. Lovett & Mark Niemann-Ross

An impressive tale that starts off with a bored computer service guy who happens to stumble on a website known as "Netpuppets". On it appears to be a simulation of some personalities which the guy and his friends set up, with some background being provided by the simulator. As time goes on and the group tweak the personalities to give them goals and motivation, you start to get the feeling that there is something more to the simulation than meets the eye and you would be right.

• Read from Analog SF, June 2005

"Working on Borrowed Time" by John G. Hemry

An interesting time travel story whose title has a double meaning made clear in the story. A time traveller travels back to London, 1908 to try to prevent a disaster that should not happen from happening, creating an alternative future. He encounters a master assasin who is there to make sure the alternative future does happen, and help in the form of another traveller who is also there to prevent the disaster.

• Read from Analog SF, June 2005

"The Policeman's Daughter" by Wil McCarthy

A fascinating tale about a future where duplicating people is as easy as stepping into a 'fax' machine and you are expected to keep 'archive' copies of yourself for backup. Into this steps a private investigator who get a weird case. An old friend asks him to protect his life from a murderer: the old friend's earlier self. When confronted, the earlier self wants to settle the matter in court but only if he is defended by the investigator's earlier self too. Expect multiple personality mayhem to take place.

• Read excerpt from Analog SF, June 2005 (http://www.analogsf.com/0506/policemans.shtml)

"Hero, the Movie: What's Left When You've Already Saved the World? " by Bruce McAllister

An interesting story that takes a look at what happens after a hero has saved the world, married the girl of his dreams and got the job he wants. As it turns out, it is not happily ever after for this hero. Suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, he loses his wife and his job and seeks ever after to redeem himself and find his place in the world. And when he does, it is with the help of some unusual people who recognise the unique skills that made him a hero in the first place.

• Read from Fantasy and Science Fiction, July 2005