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Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
December 1997

This month's issue of Asimov's features a Reflections column by Robert Silverberg that looks at the sometimes absurd lengths some groups will go to apparently protect themselves against man-made radioactivity; sometimes to the point of cutting off radiation-related research that may actually save lives.

Stories featured in this issue are:

• "The 43 Antarean Dynasties" by Mike Resnick is the usual Resnick fare. Here, a group of (bored) Terran tourist visits a world which, as explained by their native guide, had a glorious past. Unfortunately, The writing was reasonable although the apparent similarities to the way Asian and African empires were treated by Europeans to be somewhat obvious.
• "Standing in the Spirit" by Janet Kagan is a neat tale about the Christmas Spirit and the influence of Charles Dickens's Scrooge character.
• "Do We Dare Disturb the Universe?" by Rob Chilson takes a strange look at a "Schrodinger's Cat" type experiment and how it must be resolved.
• "Noodle You, Noodle Me" by B.J. Thrower looks at a young man who tries to get a American-Native magician to help him win a local fish catching competition so that he can use to leave his town. But his quest is complicated by a girl he loves and the relation he has with the magician.
• "El Castillo de la Perseverancia" by Howard Waldrop takes a weird look at the world of professional wrestling. Things get weider when three masked wrestlers may turn out to be more than just human.
• "The Wisdom of Old Earth" by Michael Swanwick shows a future where humanity has moved into space and enhanced themselves, leaving behind those humans on earth. Into this comes a safari-like expedition by a 'spacer' on earth that highlights the differences that have developed between them.
• "Newsletter" by Connie Willis is Willis's usual, funny story. This time, it revolves around the writing of a newsletter for Christmas. What do you put in it that won't bore your friends? As the writer of this newsletter finds out, there is a lot to write especially when it turns out she may be in the middle of an 'insidious' alien invasion!

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