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Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
July 1998

This month's issue of Asimov's features a serious look at mutant seaweed. No, as Silverberg points out, that is not a joke. A modified form of seaweed originally from the Pacific somehow got into the Mediterranean Sea while being studied. As with all species that suddenly finds itself in an environment without natural predators to keep it in check, the seaweed begins to multiply and take over more and more of the sea. It is also harder to eliminate as the seaweed had mutated (under ultra-violet light) making it much hardier and more resistant to poisons. Why bother with mutant sea-monsters from movies where this seaweed may one in real life?

Stories featured in this issue are:

"Nevermore" by Ian R. MacLeod is a change from his usual type of story. Here, he looks at a world where virtual reality is now accepted as reality with (actual) reality is a fad (known as 'foreal'). Into this steps an artist who paints on foreal canvas of foreal objects and scenes. But he has to deal with his dead wife (who converses with him in 'reality') and her attempts to make his life better.
"Echea" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch looks at a world where most people converse via implants. Into this steps a young girl who is a refugee from civil war on the Moon. A family who adopts her begins to get strange dreams of war. The mother investigates and finds the cause may be the girl itself. But fixing the cause may involve no good solution.
"The Literary Agent" by Kage Baker takes a funny look at what happens when a Hollywood Agent from the future goes into the past to get a good story idea from one of history's literary greats.
"Vergil Magus: King Without Country" by Avran Davidson and Michael Swanwick is a story left unfinished by the late Davidson which Swanwick has now completed. It tells the tale of Vergil Magus in Rome who is a 'King without a country' and how he came about the title and what happens when he has to face off against a sorcerer who has powers older than his own.
"Say Woof" by Leslie What is a quirky story about a world where actor and actresses find work by dressing up as pets - literally. In this story, one actress becomes the pet dog of an old lady while another actor becomes the pet bird! How the size and anatomical changes are handled when they step into the pet suits are not explained here but if you can suspend your beliefs long enough, you'll have fun with this story.
"Starfall" by R. Garcia y Robertson takes us to a star-system that is about to be torn apart by an approaching star. Into this steps a diplomat with an unusual desire to visit a huge ship called Floreal who may have an unusual plan to deal with the situation.

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Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine July 1998

Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine
July 1998