I downloaded this in 2021 for the Read Harder Challenge but never read it, and no longer remember the challenge I downloaded it for, but I managed to make it fit perfectly into this year’s Read Harder. Efficiency!
The issue itself after all of that was a bit of disappointment. I’m noting here at the top that the five-star rating is solely for “The Secret Life of Bots” by Suzanne Palmer, a 8,000~ word novelette that won the Hugo in 2018, a win that is absolutely deserved. I suppose reading this was worth it for me to confirm my suspicion that subscriptions to literary magazines would be a waste of money for me (especially when I can just read the best of the year compilations instead). I hated the first story in here so much that it nearly put me off the whole thing. But I had heard that “The Secret Life of Bots” was great so I pushed through. And OMG, yes, I loved it!
So let’s just talk about it. I’m not going to say much because it is so short, but it’s a sci-fi/space opera story set in the future and told half in the POV of a decommissioned Bot (9) that is suddenly reactivated after a very long time and put to work getting the ship ready for an intense and unexpected mission. We also get scenes from the crew, a much needed counterpoint to the Bot POV. I liked both POVs, though. I liked the whole story, as you can see. I don’t normally care for short stories, so this is a big deal! But it’s really not a huge time investment, and you will have a good time.
HERE is a link to “The Secret Life of Bots,” so you don’t have to buy the full issue. And HERE is a link to the sequel, “Bots of the Lost Ark,” which I just learned about yesterday! And have not read yet, but will be very soon.
Read Harder Challenge: Read a new-to-you literary magazine (print or digital).