This was a wonderful issue! I can imagine that many people were there just for Bot 9’s latest adventure, but there were other great stories to like.

Better Living Through Algorithms by Naomi Kritzer – I have enjoyed Naomi Kritzer’s stories before, and was happy to find one here. It’s simply about a new lifestyle app – and the story is so touching, so humane. 4.7 stars.

Through the Roof of the World by Harry Turtledove – a first contact story that gets into the aliens’ heads. This is hard sci-fi that is classic in all the right ways. It gave me a cozy feeling. Harry Turtledove is a veteran author and he could probably have written this story in his sleep. I mean it as a compliment :) 4.4 stars.

To Sail Beyond the Botnet by Suzanne Palmer – the first two Bot 9 stories were a delight (here is the first one, and here is number two), and so is this one. I lost count of how many times I laughed while reading, feeling happy.
“If I had learned nothing else about it, it was that Bot 9 did not acknowledge, or seem to be bound by, any recognition of its own limitations.”
It was nice to meet 4340 again, too:
“With ambiguity in interpretation, I selected the definition that seemed most advantageous and reasonable to me.”
Bot 9 meets cool aliens, has occasion to reflect on its nature and on what friendship is; and tries being emotional. In the end, the bots and the aliens, with some help from the humans, save the day once again. Of course they do. 5 stars.

LOL, Said the Scorpion by Rich Larson – rich entitled tourists in a world of climate-crisis. Excellent and spooky, 4.3 stars.

Sensation and Sensibility by Parker Ragland – two droids that love to annoy each other are regulars at a café where they talk about senses, lack thereof, and the nature of humans and droids. Very nice, I liked the combination of gentle humour and more serious issues. 4.0 stars.

The Giants Among Us by Megan Chee – two sentient species from the same planet are at war… and are also exploring the galaxy. I loved the worlds described and the lyrical prose. The ending is beautiful. 4.5 stars.

Action at a Distance by An Hao – hard sci-fi that goes to weird places (a weird planetoid, to be exact). It’s a cool story! Note to self: don’t look at alien crystal structures. 4.4 stars.

The Fall by Jordan Chase-Young – space exploration with ghosts. 4.0 stars.
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So far only read:

- Better Living Through Algorithms by Naomi Kritzer - 3.5*
I want that app :/ I like the first 3/4 of the story but felt it didn't end as strong as it started.

- LOL, Said the Scorpion by Rich Larson -3*
Seemed to be multi-layered. On the surface we have our couple who want to go on vacation. they are going to try new bio suits "things" that protect them from all the unpleasantries and even enhancing their enjoyments. the woman really takes to it. the layers being that we witness the ignorant fucks that just care about themselves. they are visiting a place with real people and real pollution but they can "ignore it all" thanks to their bio suits.

- To Sail Beyond the Botnet by Suzanne Palmer - DNF
I started and decided it's not for me.

Overall this is a very solid collection! I really enjoyed several of them, and didn't dislike any of them.

Quick thoughts on the individual stories:

"Better Living Through Algorithms" by Naomi Kritzer
Given Kritzer's "Cat Pictures Please," this story should not have surprised me. I really enjoyed that short, and this one too! I don't normally think "hopeful" when I think of algorithms, but this story was certainly hopeful... though also showed some of the less nice parts of humanity, too. Definitely worth a read.

"Through the Roof of the World" by Harry Turtledove
Fun short story that has a bit of a twist to it. (I knew early on what the basic situation was going to be; it's well written enough that much of the "surprise" is forecast early on. I just wasn't positive about the specifics.) I enjoyed this one; it reminded me of a favorite short story I discussed with my dad when I was younger.

"To Sail Beyond the Botnet" by Suzanne Palmer
I love these stories of Bot 9! This one (novella length) compares the botnet and machines to a biological alien lifeform that is able to combine consciousness. Really neat look at different ways of belonging to a community. But it's also just a lot of fun! I would love to be able to buy all of the Bot 9 stories in one printed volume. Maybe someday.

"LOL, Said the Scorpion" by Rich Larson
I don't understand the title for this one. The story itself, though, is a weird kind of not-quite-dystopian. Thought-provoking for sure, but it's hard to say whether or not I liked it. I am glad I read it though (and I try not to be that kind of tourist).

"Sensation and Sensibility" by Parker Ragland
This is a sweet, wistful story about robots in a near-future civilization. I'm not used to slice of life stories from a bot's POV, but that's what this is and it's really cute.

"The Giants Among Us" by Megan Chee
Neat concept! This feels a bit like a Star Trek story, though it is not. Cool worldbuilding.

"Action at a Distance" by An Hao, translated by Andy Dudak
This is translated from Chinese, and it’s interesting how the story somehow has a sense of that translation. Perhaps it’s that I don’t know the dragonfly story presented as a fable? Or maybe it’s a more subtle way the sentences/paragraphs are framed. Regardless, this was a very neat story even if I’m not fully sure what happened.

"The Fall" by Jordan Chase-Young
Interesting story and worldbuilding, but the ending felt rushed to me. Like there are definite implications for what happened, but not enough hints or references early on for the ending to be as creepy for me as it feels like it’s supposed to be. ( )