Interzone 242

A different format for the September/October issue of the British SFF magazine, smaller but thicker. The contents remain the same, though, with six short stories, news, and reviews of books, cinema films and DVDs. This time there's also an interview with David Brin alongside a review of his latest novel, Existence, which sounds like one I ought to read. To the stories:

Wonder by Debbie Urbanski, illustrated by Richard Wagner. The consequences of the arrival of a large number of blue humanoid aliens intending to settle on Earth are observed by a child living in a rural home. More like an extract than a complete story.

The Message by Ken Liu, illustrated by Mark Pexton. A far-future archaeologist who specialises in the ruins of alien civilisations visits a world with a strange empty city which apparently has no function - but is it as harmless as it seems?

Needlepoint by Priya Sharma, illustrated by Martin Hanford. A medieval fantasy with a ghostly twist.

Beyond the Light Cone by C.W. Johnson, illustrated by Richard Wagner. Spaceships permanently stuck in an above-light-speed existence and manned by exiled criminals are used as relays for high-speed interstellar communications. Some are plotting a return to the slow universe, but what might be the consequences?

The Remembered by Karl Bunker, illustrated by Richard Wagner. An alien love story echoes a fable of the past.

Strigoi by Lavie Tidhar, illustrated by Warwick Fraser-Coombe. A data vampire visits the Earth in search of the lover she had abandoned. Set in the same universe as The Indignity of Rain (see Interzone 240).

None of these made a strong impact on me but I suspect that Strigoi and The Message will prove to be the most memorable.