Synthetic Voices #21 – August 2013 Top Picks

*Top Picks from August 2013* "The Lovers" by Eleanor Arnason Clarkesworld Magazine's August Issue ~1 hr -- A lot of stories nowadays use fantastic worlds to explore gender, sexuality, and other topics that were largely hidden away by previous generations. Often these stories bug me because they feel like required reading in a women's studies class, not engaging fiction with a solid plot, characters, and, in this case, world-building. This story bucked that trend, however. In it, a female protagonist in an alien culture must navigate her duty to her family, her life goals, and the difficulties of consorting with MEN. I say this last because her society generally keeps men and women separated except during "breeding." Reading back on these last few lines, it does sound like a pretty dull women's studies text...but somehow this story is fantastic instead. The culture was perverse but believable and her experiences and decisions felt genuine. You may just have to take my word on this one until you read it for yourself. "Face Value" by Sean Williams Lightspeed Magazine's August Issue ~33 mins -- It's been a while since we've had a nice detective story, so here ya go! In this futuristic tale, we follow a couple of cops as they investigate a death threat on an inventor. They live in a world where rapid fabrication and matter assembly/disassembly has affected the culture on almost every level. This inventor's creation threatens to unhinge that whole paradigm...or does it? If you enjoy the story, there is at least one more of these detective stories in the same universe. "The Missing Metatarsals" was reprinted in Lightspeed Magazine back in May of this year. The "d-mat universe" is apparently the setting for Williams' larger "Twinmaker" series. "The Call of the Pancake Factory" by Ken Liu The Drabblecast Ep. 293 ~35 mins -- This story contains no dead parents and only a brief mention of Asia...so how could it be a Ken Liu story? Well, it is, and it's a fantastic one at that. There is a significant humorous vibe throughout, which is nice, because it offsets the Lovecraftian overtones splendidly. Essentially a crafty corporate spy on the run hides out on a strange tropical island. There he meets a cult worshiping a familiar elder god. The direction this one takes may catch you off guard and perhaps make you laugh. Whether farce or homage, I cannot tell, but I love seeing an author put their own spin on the Cthulhu mythos. "The Easily Forgotten" by Philip M. Roberts Pseudopod Ep. 348 ~28 mins -- This is a harsh story so be warned. When people fall through the cracks, bad things can happen to them, especially violent things like those seen in this story. The speculative element in "The Easily Forgotten" is downplayed to the point where it might not have happened at all, but I liked the way the protagonist, a woman living under the protection of a rich halfway house operator, takes the weirdness in stride along with the rest of the madness in the house. I'll be eager to hear what people think of this one. "Open 28 Hours" by Darin Ramsey Cast of Wonders Ep. 91 ~12 mins -- On a lighter note, this YA story about a convenience store out in space should make you smile. A hapless cashier must make the best of his situation as a number of potentially hostile aliens crowd into his establishment. It's a quick one, so think of it as a palate cleanser between two tougher stories. "Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast" by Eugie Foster Tales to Terrify Ep. 86 ~1 hr -- This is a trippy story. I think that's the best word for it. Too much introduction would ruin the gradual exposition, but I'll say what I liked about it. I liked the conflict in the protagonist between its b...