I thought this was a weak edition, with few stories I connected. Me favorite were:- “The Dog and the Ferryman” by Brian Trent- “The Shadows of Alexandrium” by David Gerrold- “Of Them All” by Leah Cypess

This is the first issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction that I've read. The quality of the fiction writing is SO good. I expected to like it, but was delighted that it was impressively high calibre from start to finish. It ended with one of the most depressing stories I've read in a long time...but that one too was undeniably remarkably written, powerful and thought provoking.

Because of the first story "Shadows of Alexandrium" I see what you did there! :-)

This issue of F&SF contains a wealth of variety, with eleven stories ranging from a short-short science fiction vignette with a nicely understated melancholy ("The Cry of Evening Birds" by James Sallis) to a lengthy fantasy novella ("Of Them All" by Leah Cypess), alongside articles on books, games, televison, and printing technology.Leah Cypess's novella proved to be one of my favorite pieces in the issue, a fairy tale that brilliantly exlores why a woman might want beauty even though it warps h...

Not really impressed with this issue. The science fiction stories were not very good, especially the cover story "The Shadows of Alexandrium" - which had a cool setting on the surface, but it just dragged on with no meaningful point in sight with characters rambling about the existence of reality. The fantasy stories were better written in general and it seems the balance has shifted towards fantasy rather than sf. Nothing wrong with that, but it is not for me anymore and I will probably not be

One very good story and several pretty good ones, but a larger than usual number of stories that are just too nebulous and/or odd.David Gerrold - The Shadows of Alexandrium - 3 stars - A nice idea, but largely nonsense.Marc Laidlaw - Weeper - 3 stars - An OK story, but it just seemed kind of lifeless.Angie Peng - Do AIs Dream of Perfect Games? - 4 stars - A young woman interferes with the equipment at a baseball game in order to enable her favorite baseball pitcher to complete a perfect game, th...

Not a lot of stories clicking for me in this issue, to be honest, but there were a few that I really enjoyed, even if in a twisted way, as all of them had a dark/bleak mood - it’s October anyway.“My name was Tom” by Tim Powers was the main standout for me - a Kafkaesque story that can be read as a metaphor of our current global situation. The main character travels in a massive cruise ship, of such dimensions that some people haven’t ever reached the deck. In his search for the command bridge, t...

3.5/5 rounded up. Personally enjoyed “Of Them All,” “Little and Less,” and “The Dog and the Ferryman”

Starting off with thinly-veiled Doctor Who fanfic was...interesting.Faves were "Of Them All", "My Name Was Tom", and "The Fairy Egg". Loved these three, especially the last one!

Of late, the quality of the stories in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction has been most excellent. In fact, 4-star is now average and 5-star is above average.Here are my favorites from this issue:- The Shadows of Alexandrium by David Gerrold. The Proctor escorts a group of tourists through Alexandrium, a Library at the End of the Galaxy. A grand and glorious romp…in a timey-wimey sort of way.- Weeper by Marc Laidlaw. The further adventures of Gorlen, Plenth, and their gargoyle companion...

An ecclectic mix of entertaining fiction and features. My favorite stories were Marc Laidlaw’s “Weeper,” Leah Cypess’ “Of Them All,” James Sallis’ “The Cry of Evening Birds,” and Brian Trent’s “The Dog and the Ferryman.” The introduction to Laidlaw’s yarn also highlights his Games column with the promise “We think you'll appreciate his insights into the narratives of this new-ish medium, even if you don't play games.” I don’t, but it did prove to be an issue highlight. I also greatly enjoyed Jer...

An average issue that starts with an unusual tour through a library by David Gerrold with other interesting tales by Marc Laidlaw and Angie Peng, a fun piece by Brian Trent featuring some Greek Gods and a dog and a long fairy-tale like story by Leah Cypess that shows that fairies may not have the best interests of the people at heart when they give blessings.- "The Shadows of Alexandrium" by David Gerrold: a guide leads a tour group through an ever expanding location that holds a record of reali...

Lot of fun stories in this issue. R.S. Benedict's "The Fairy Egg" was probably my favorite, though Angie Peng's "Do AI Dream of Perfect Games" was cool. "The Dog and the Ferryman" by Brian Trent brought a smile to my face. "Little and Less" by Ashley Blooms was chilling. Having David Gerrold write Doctor Who (Proctor Who?) fan fiction was certainly an... interesting choice.

8 • The Shadows of Alexandrium • 30 pages by David Gerrold OK/So-so. A group of tourists are visiting the Alexandrium. Which is a museum or library of everything that has or could exist. An infinity of infinities, larger than the universe itself. The proctor answers questions and leads them around. I got tired of statements like the "Alexandrium is safe except when it isn’t" and "I’m right except when I’m wrong," but it was readable. The question about the Legend completely forgotten by the time...

Zine I love the way it was not immediately clear whether it was the best thing ever invented by a few years and have been the same time you get

A great issue. I cannot express what a value I think this magazine is. The newsstand price may seem a bit high for a magazine, but you are getting close to 300 pages of original fiction from new and established voices in the science fiction & fantasy genres in each issue. I occasionally picked up an issue here and there on the newsstand, but I'd been enjoying it so much lately that I finally subscribed. And I'm not even a hardcore sci-fi fan. I just like good writing no matter the genre, and thi...

NOVELLASOf Them All – Leah CypessThis is the 3rd cynical fairy tale from this author. Upon her birth, Princess Margarete was visited by a fairy who stated, "You will be beautiful only to those who wish you harm." Would Margarete ever find someone who would love her without thinking she's beautiful? Margarete also has a tendency to cultivate hatred so that others will think she's ever more beautiful. I continue to find myself surprisingly pleased by these stories, though less surprised now that t...