Teaser

Rooted in cutting-edge developments from the world of science come seventeen stories of science fiction. Gathered here are the new generation of Hard SF, the heirs to Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein . . .

Review

Though I know him best as the author of over a hundred novels, including the epic Grand Tour universe, Ben Bova is perhaps equally well-known to science fiction fandom at large as an editor, most notably of Analog magazine. Together with Eric Choi, Bova edited this collection of hard science fiction stories from some of the biggest names in the field (including the editors themselves, naturally) as well as some names that are less familiar to me. I listened to the first two stories during my trip to New York, and was sufficiently intrigued by the premise that I bought myself a copy to finish when I got back home.

As with all anthologies, Carbide Tipped Pens is a mixed bag, so I’m just going to pick out some of the stories that worked for me, and some that didn’t.

My favourite of the batch is also the shortest, though the two facts are not related. ‘The Play’s the Thing’ by Jack McDevitt is a perhaps more interesting now than it would have been if I’d read it when first published a decade ago. It’s about a man who creates an AI replica of Shakespeare, expecting it to regurgitate facts and anecdotes in a conversational manner. Yet when put before a class of drama students, the full creative potential of the new Shakespeare becomes known. As a story free of context, there are shades of Isaac Asimov’s ‘Someday’ in the idea of a machine putting stories together using existing information. In our modern world of generative art and ChatGPT, however, it’s a hauntingly prescient story that raises the question of machines’ ability to create original fiction.

Other highlights include the bittersweet opener ‘The Blue Afternoon That lasted Forever’ by Daniel H. Wilson, which sets the tone for the collection going ahead. The adherence to physics is rigid, and nature is shown to be utterly unforgiving. At the centre of the story, however, is not just facts and figures, but the bond between a father and his son. Taking a slightly gentler approach to the anthology’s themes of technology and change is Ben Bova’s ‘Old Timer’s Game.’ While it may be yet another baseball-oriented story (seriously, what is it with the US and this sport?) it’s a refreshingly humourous tale of sports stars staying in the game long enough to eclipse younger players. As a follower of Formula 1, I can definitely understand this one.

It’s not all good news though. Aliette de Bodard’s ‘A Slow Unfurling of Truth’ is rife with biopunk ideas, but crams enough into a one-hour short story to fill a full trilogy. The end result is a somewhat overstuffed affair that lost me in a sea of names and jargon. At the other end of the spectrum, Howard Hendrix’s ‘Habilis’ is a bizarre piece about how right- and left-handedness determine all of existence that leaves enough hints at a larger universe that I wish those elements had been explored instead of what we got. I suppose you can’t win them all.

There’s enough in this anthology to please any fan of Hard SF, but I don’t think there are any authors here that I plan to read more from, beyond those who have already piqued my interest. More of a greatest hits album than an introduction to something new.

Book Stats

• Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, J. Paul Boehmer, Cassandra Campbell, Gabrielle de Cuir, Alex Hyde-White, Judy Young
• 17 stories
• Released 2014 by Blackstone Audio
• 12hrs 50mins