Asimov's Science Fiction - September/October 2017

Powerful novelettes bookend Asimov’s September/October 2017 issue. Sarah Pinsker’s lyrical tale set aboard a generation ship shows us that humanity may have the strength to adapt and evolve as long as “Wind Will Rove.” All that lies between civilization and brutal marauders is an outcast and a library in Suzanne Palmer’s thrilling “Books of the Risen Sea.”

Fall is here, which means the September/October issue has its share of slightly spooky tales: Kit Reed investigates the “Disturbance in the Produce Aisle”; Carrie Vaughn introduces us to “Dead Men in Central City”; Sandra McDonald demonstrates the peril of “Riding the Blue Line With Jack Kerouac”; and William Preston unlocks “The Cabinet.” We learn that it may not be wise to open Michael Swanwick’s “Universe Box”; discover why “Squamous and Eldritch Get a Yard Sale Bargain” in Tim McDaniel’s short story; and climb “The Fourth Hill’ with new author Dennis E. Staples; On the nonspooky side, “Arriving at Terminal: Xi’s Story” and “The Ganymede Gambit: Jan’s Story” reveal the secrets of two more pilgrims in James Gunn’s intriguing series; Harry Turtledove brings us the deeply disturbing tale of the “Zigeuner”; Allen M. Steele returns with a cryptic account of “An Incident in the Literary Life of Nathan Arkwright”; and far flung action continues in R. Garcia y Robertson’s “Grand Theft Spaceship.”

Robert Silverberg’s Reflections column examines the end of empires and the plight of “The Last Hittite”; James Patrick Kelly’s On the Net spends time “Remembering Bertie”; Norman Spinrad’s On Books considers locations “Outside America” as he traverses works by Bruce Sterling, Nnedi Okarafor, Lavie Tidhar, and Indra Das; plus we’ll have an array of poetry and other features you’re sure to enjoy.