reading (Asimov's Dec)

[eor]

I finished the last story in this month's Asimov on Sunday. I enjoyed this month's selections. "'Run,' Bakri Says" was a creepy short that laced together the imaginative theme with reality and humanity. Tim McDaniel's "The List" had good detailed imagery with a classic short story punch. The flow of Pamela Sargent's "Strawberry Birdies" made me 'ooh' with glee in the first few pages, then 'oh' with disappointment when I thought the plot was turning down a well traveled path (spies), then 'oh' with surprise when it turned down a different path altogether. The end of Steve Rasnic Tem's "Ephemera" simply broke my heart, but I'm sure that would be the reaction of many book lovers. I really liked how Suzanne Palmer pulled off the change of pace and character representation in "Surf". The invincible alien tech was getting a little deep there for a bit, but in the end it fit right in.

38. Asimov's December 2011