ISAAC ASIMOV'S SPACE OF HER OWN

by Shawna--Ed. McCarthy ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 20, 1983

A reasonably varied but YA-ish and lightweight collection of 18 stories and two poems, 1982-83, drawn from Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine--with an all-female author list as the trite, dated theme. The better entries include, in the humor department: a man obsessed with elves, harmonics, and gourmet cooking (J. O. Jeppson); a Monty Python-ish climbing piece from Ursula K. LeGuin; and a clever item from P. A. Kagan about a mysteriously missing part. There are three fair post-nuclear variations (Julie Stevens, Connie Willis, Pamela Sargent), and one on a dramatic shift in climate (Leigh Kennedy) with similarly catastrophic results. The others? Some so-so sf: mining a dead star, interstellar travel, computer intelligence, a philosophical dilemma. And some wispy fantasy: a woman who makes things disappear, an Aztec sacrifice, a ""Monkey's Paw"" variant, a Shakespearean demon, an imprisoned queen, a fire-raiser. A determined and hardworking bunch, overall, but the ideas are often weary or toothless, with only a few genuine gleams.

Pub Date: Jan. 20, 1983

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dial/Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1983

Categories: FICTION