Short SF Marathon Day 26: Karl Schroeder, Lewis Shiner, Alex Shvartsman

Karl Schroeder, “Jubilee.” Tor.com, February 26, 2014.

In an universe where common cryogenics and such has meant entire communities and worlds can live out their lives one day per several decades, the simple adoscelent love between a boy and a girl from opposing communities has created a legend among those living their lives in real time. But what happens to the society that grew up around the legend when the love affair ends?

Lewis Shiner, “The Black Sun.” Subterranean, Summer 2014.

It’s 1934 and the world’s greatest magicians develop a plot to over throw Hitler by using his and Himmler’s mysticism against him. A neat little adventure story that’s science fiction only in that it’s almost alternate history, told well. However I’m not sure I like it; doesn’t it sort of devalue the real suffering Hitler caused by imagining this sort of fantasy of overthrowing him before he could do much harm?

Alex Shvartsman, “Icarus Falls.” Daily Science Fiction, September 23, 2014.

A clever little story about the world’s first interstellar explorer, her daughter and the value of memories even when they’re not real.

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