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Our October issue again includes a variety of human-alien contact stories. John G. Hemry’s lead novella, with the deceptively simple title “The Rift,” deals with two different kinds of alienness: one within a species, and one between ours and another that has started behaving in a way startlingly (and lethally) different from what human colonists have come to expect. The question, of course, is why, and what can be done about it. The answer requires understanding each side from its own point of view—and they see things very differently. . . .
Dave Creek’s “Midwife Crisis” is set in the same universe as many of his other stories, but the details of its setting and its’ heroine’s dilemma are . . . unique. And Arlan Andrews’ “The Alien at the Alamo” is set exactly where it sounds like, but the encounter that happens there is very different from the one you’re thinking of.
Richard A. Lovett’s latest fact article is “Visit to the Forgotten Planet: What Scientists Are Learning As Messenger Prepares to Orbit Mercury.” Most of us have tended to view Mercury as one of the less interesting planets, if only because it’s so blatantly inhospitable—but it turns out to hold a good many surprises, and we’re on the verge of learning much more about them.
Last but by no means least, we have a couple of stories that could reasonably be construed as seasonal, and still others that couldn’t, by authors including Allen M. Steele, Jerry Oltion, Justin Stanchfield, and a relative newcomer or two.
Analog is Up In Space!
Chosen for the library
on the International Space Station.
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To understand what others do, you must understand how they see the world - which can be much easier said than done.
Imtep—Fifth planet from its star. Close to Earth-like (.95 on Ming-Hoffman Scale). Dominated by a single massive continent sprawled across equatorial regions. Eastern areas of the landmass are very rugged, but the central and western regions feature extensive prairies or steppes around a large, shallow inland sea. Native sentient species the Izkop (“People”) are humanoid, organized into tribes or clans, the majority living on the plains in agrarian/
herder communities. Technology is very limited, primarily craft-metallurgy which allows the construction of durable implements. The Izkop are evaluated as “competitive but non-belligerent,” research reports identifying their dominant culture as well-integrated with their environment. A research facility with a staff of eighty has been established on Imtep. Imtep is classified Type Three for human visitation, with pre-clearance required and only small parties allowed to avoid disrupting relations with the native population.
They had to pry Goldera out of the last set of armor when the power pack drained to exhaustion. After forcing open enough of the suit to get Goldera free, they left the armor lying there as they resumed walking, the empty carcass sprawled in the short, tough grass like a body denied the benefit of burial. There wasn’t any simple way to conceal it, and they lacked the time and the strength
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