reading (Asimov's June)

I finished the June issue of Asimov's on Friday evening while nursing my blisters from hiking. I think my favorite tale this month was Felicity Shoulders' "Apocalypse Daily". It didn't go where I thought it was going to at all. Second place goes to "Kiss Me Twice" for an almost Asimov's style robot mystery. Well, it's actually an AI story, but I like the way it mixed things up. I liked the twist at the end of the "The Fighter" by Colin P. Davies, but the twist came at the cost of some readability for me. Alan DeNiro's "Walking Stick Fires" didn't do it for me.

Overall, not a bad variety of stories.

16. Asimov's June 2011

reading (Making Money)

I finished Terry Pratchett's "Making Money" on Monday night, if I recall correctly. I think this book suffered from too many subplots disease. There were a lot of little things going on and getting around to all of them was like waiting the counter at a fish and chips shop on Good Friday. The other result was that the climax of the book started at about 2/3 of the way through the book and the remainder was denouement.

This book lacked the pointed criticism that accompanies many of Pratchett's explorations of professions. Yes, he makes fun of people bloated with indulgence, but it's just generally poking them in their oversoft bellies and vague mentions of bank failures. It illustrates the historic argument around the gold standard. But Pratchett didn't offer a word on the manipulation of money markets, bubbles, and carefully orchestrated insanity where those conducting get rich and those playing along lose their shirts, their homes, and their jobs. Maybe that's because he couldn't figure out how to make the good guys win under such circumstances. That I can understand, neither can I.

17. Terry Pratchett "Making Money"