Jim Baen’s Universe, Vol. 1, Issue 3, Review 3

We’ve come to the end of the review, folks. Thanks for sticking through it. I hope it has piqued your interest in this magazine. Maybe a few of you have actually bought an issue or subscription. I’d highly recommend it. And I wanted to thank the staff at Jim Baen’s Universe for letting me read through this issue.

Onto the last review. We’ve got several stories by new authors.

The Men in the Mirror, by Steven Ray:
Synopsis: Another time-travel story. This one more convoluted and crowded than most, and it relies on the often unexplained “machine” to do most of the space-time continuum gobbledygook. A man’s efforts to further himself by manipulating his past have far-reaching consequences concerning who he becomes and what kind of man he will allow himself to be.
My take: I was concerned this was going to fall prey to a lot of the time-travel cliches that inundate science fiction these days. Fortunately, the ending actually surprised me, and the author was meticulous in handling the minor details, so there was never a loose thread to ruin the experience. It almost seems plausible, if complicated. A cool twist on a classic theme.

Songbird, by Jeremiah Sturgill:
Synopsis: Do we ever stop and listen to the world? Music is sound, and all of life makes sounds, so life can be sung. A master singer takes on a lifelong servant who turns out to be more of a friend and companion than either of them would have guessed.
My take: This is one of the most beautiful and poetic pieces in the issue. Even though the story is told from a more bitter and cynical perspective, at the end, one’s love for life and the heralding of music and sound in everything we do. A gorgeous work.

Devil May Care, by Jason Kahn:
Synopsis: A mid-level demon uncovers a conspiracy brewing in the office ranks of Hell when he is sent to reap a soul from among the earthly mortals.
My take: Another supernatural office environment. Another one with demons. Amusing, but I didn’t ever feel much for it. It came across little tired and jaded, much like its main character, and there weren’t many elements to it that I haven’t seen in other “Hell” stories.

Then there’s a classic story, by Rudyard Kipling- A Matter of Fact:
Synopsis: A trio of journalists must decide how to relate their stories to the world when they spot a mythical beast during an ocean journey.
My take: A bit dry, though with that dramatic, almost pulp-fiction style during the exciting parts. The action occurs within a very short, gory scene, and then the rest of the time revolves around the journalist’s decision to either hide or expose the truth of what went on. The moral of the story ended up coming across in a final, evocative image, and I almost wonder if the tale was inspired by and written entirely for the last line.

Lastly, there were some nonfiction articles and columns. I found Terraforming, by B.B. Kristopher to be among the most interesting of these, as it relates the many methods and possibilities of terraforming a planet, and tells why Mars really isn’t a viable candidate for this process. The article also talks about what planets and moons within our solar system might prove to be the most probable for colonization. Methods ranged from seeding the planet crust with water-bearing asteroids to building habitable domes on the surface to even moving a few heavenly bodies around in space until they the right distance from the sun to develop earth-like conditions. A fascinating read, if a bit technical.

And that’s it! We’re done! It was great to read through all of this. Seeing so many styles of writing and all these awesome ideas was a great way to find inspiration for my own writing. Seeing how others work their imagination and draw me in…it’s quite an experience. I hope you all are able to enjoy some of these stories as well. I’d say my top three favorites were:

Femme Fatale, by Jason Whitman
Baby Girl, by Jon Skovron
Protection Money, by Wen Spencer

Any questions? Arguments? Loudly voiced differences of opinions by others who might have read this issue?

I see that smile.