Synopsis
A team of human explorers land on an alien planet to explore. They find a very large creature that is linked to both other creatures and ai technologies.
History
First publication: Analog, May/June 2020
Review
This is traditional hard science fiction. It is much more current than stories by Poul Anderson or Hal Clement, but the basic idea and structure is there. Humans land on a distant planet faced with a creature and a very weird environment. Gradually they learn more by studying the planet and establishing communication. The story is all about the idea, which is a specific speculation about an alien physiology and science, and how it evolved. The sort of thing Clement used to do. Asher did this excellently. The only thing I am left wanting is to know more about the Polity Universe and to read more of Asher’s work. Even so I don’t feel this quite rises to classic or Top Tale status. But definitely recommended to fans of traditional science fiction.
Videos
We have the story in these editions:
Analog Science Fiction and Fact, May/June 2020, edited by Trevor Quachri, magazine, Dell, 2020-05-00
All of the stories in the Polity Universe series:
Moral Biology
Jack Four
Weaponized
The Gire and the Bibrat
Adaptogenic
Blue Holes and Bloody Waters
Dragon in the Flower
Snairls
Spatterjay
Always with You
The Engineer
The Thrake
Blue Holes
The Gurnard
Walking John and Bird
Putrefactors
Choudapt
The Sea of Death
Snow in the Desert
Scar Tissue
Garp and Geronomid
Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck
Acephalous Dreams
The Gabble
Bioship
Alien Archeology
The Rhine’s World Incident
Shell Game
Monitor Logan
The Host
The Bosch
The Skin
Bad Boy
Dr. Whip
Monitor Logan
Plenty
Raising Moloch
The Relict
War Bodies
Jenny Trapdoor
1 Prador Moon
3 The Technician
7 Hilldiggers
