Several columns, essays, poems and book reviews. I thought this was a weak issue. The fiction story content is:

The Fountain • novelette by G. David Nordley
Skylight • novelette by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Hypervigilant • shortstory by Eric Del Carlo
A Love Song Concerning His Vineyard • shortstory by Megan Arkenberg
Precious Mental • [The Great Ship Universe] • novella by Robert Reed

I found G. David Nordley's "The Fountain" quite interesting and entertaining. An insect-like race with a hive-Queen comes to earth on a diplomatic mission. We experience the story from the visitor's point of view. There are threats out in the universe. Will Earth help? I liked this story.

KKR's "The Skylight" was interesting, but not much of a story. A young girl is left at the gates of an Assassin's Guild. She's taken in but rebels against killing.

I think I have a bias against stories that involve psychic abilities. However, "Hypervigilant" by Eric Del Carlo didn't seem too far of a stretch. It was an OK story about a "Vigil", a sort of empath who can usually detect when someone is about to go postal. The story started well, but I thought it fizzled out towards the end.

Megan Arkenberg's "A Love Song Concerning His Vineyard" was very odd and confused to me. Was there a point to this? Do we angst over everything? I didn't care for it.

Robert Reed has another "Great Ship" novella here, "Precious Mental." I've read quite a few of Reed's stories and they are hit or miss with me. The Great Ship stories seem to be more miss (for me). I think fans of the Great Ship stories will probably enjoy this. Hidden identity, kidnapping, mysteries of the immortals and all that. I found it interesting. It was readable, unlike some, but I'm just not much of a fan of these stories. Maybe I've missed the great ones. ( )

One of the better issues. I thoroughly enjoyed Hypervigilant and Skylight. The editorials were interesting. The only downside was I couldn't really get into Precious Mental. ( )

One of the better issues. I thoroughly enjoyed Hypervigilant and Skylight. The editorials were interesting. The only downside was I couldn't really get into Precious Mental. ( )