[B2] Short stories: A reading guide by quality - Part 6 of 10

This file does not contain any new content - at least at the time of creation. It contains a portion of the short story B1 list that existed on 23 May 2008 because that list has grown too big & unwieldy - later half of that B1 list is now in this file (what was in B2 list on that day is now in new B3/B4 files). Some opening remarks of main story list document conventions, if you are here the first time.

This file will again be split in future when it grows big - so it's not safe to link to. Links should be only to original main story list that contains initial part & links to remaining parts; that's the only stable URL among the files comprising this list.

Idea is to keep each file between 25 & 50 stories.

List navigation.

Current file's name is in bold. Files earlier in the list hold better stories; those later in the list worse stories. Files names Ai contain A-rated stories, etc.

first, previous, next.
A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, [B2], B3, B4, C1, C2.

Story list (best first).

1. * David D Levine's "Titanium Mike Saves the Day" (B); download; F&SF, April 2007; science fiction: Elevation of an ordinary man to a heroic legend - over the course of a century.
   
2. Larry Niven's "Intent to Deceive" (B); Galaxy, April 1968; humor: A software bug creates major chaos at a fully automated restaurant.
3. Robert Heinlein's "Requiem" (B); Astounding, January 1940; science fiction: A man dies perusing a dream.
4. * Hirai Kazumasa's "A Time for Revolution" (B); download; Hayakawa SF Magazine, January 1963; translated from original Japanese by David Aylward; science fiction: Humans from far future dystopia telepathically & parasitically control those from a much earlier era - in an effort to change history & avoid this dystopia!
5. * Karen Joy Fowler's "Always" (B); download; Asimov's, April/May 2007; non-genre: Description of life in a commune of to quasi-religious cult.
   
6. Larry Niven's "At the Bottom of a Hole" (B); Galaxy, December 1966; science fiction: Human explorers to Mars are killed by the natives.
7. * [ff] J Alan Brown's "Fine Tuning" (B); AntiSF, #110 (July/August 2007); download; science fiction: Starship captain gets a very competent new crew member.
   
8. * David Moles' "Finisterra" (B); download; F&SF, December 2007; science fiction: Description of a criminal gang on an artificial world.
9. * [ff] Rodney J Smith's "Framework" (B); download; AntiSF, #110 (July/August 2007); fantasy: A thief ends up regretting the attempt to steal an apparently very valuable antique.
   
10. * Mark McAuliffe's "Ad Nauseum" (B); download; AntiSF, #113 (October/November 2007); non-genre: Very well written, very relevant, & somewhat dark. Relentless all-pervading advertising & spam are driving a man crazy.
11. William Barton's "The Rocket into Planetary Space" (B); Asimov's, April/May 2007; science fiction: Privately funded space travel adventure.
12. * Ted Chiang's "Seventy-Two Letters" (B); download; Ellen Datlow (Ed)'s "Vanishing Acts", 2000; fantasy: Discussion of certain modern subjects using a mystical story-telling device.
    
13. Henry Kuttner & C L Moore's "Two-Handed Engine" (B); F&SF, August 1955; science fiction: The idea of sin has survival value! Rather dark future dystopia story.
14. * Beth Berbobich's "A Flight of Numbers Fantastique Strange" (B); download; Asimov's, June 2006; science fiction: A serial killer is on the loose.
    
15. * John Scalzi's "The Sagan Diary" (B); download; Subterranean, Fall 2007; science fiction: A violent cyborg warrior falls in love, & decides to become a normal human.
    
16. * Pat Forde's "In Spirit" (B); download; Analog, September 2002; science fiction: A collection of stories about 9/11 bombings in New York, but presented in a contrived & complex format.
17. J Robert Lennon's "Zombie Dan" (B); Playboy, March 2007; science fiction: When technology to revive the dead became available, it had some side effects too!
18. R Neube's "Studies in the Field" (B); Asimov's Science Fiction, June 2007; science fiction: A human plays protector on an alien world.
19. Carrie Vaughn's "Marrying In" (B); Asimov's Science Fiction, June 2007; non-genre: Pains of a country newly divided into smaller ones.
20. [flash fiction] Ray Bradbury's "January 1999: Rocket Summer" (B); Planet Stories, Spring 1947; science fiction: Launch preparations of a rocket have substantially heated up a neighborhood.
    
21. Kelly Link's "Most Of My Friends Are Two-Thirds Water" (B); non-genre: An unsuccessful love story.
    
22. Neal Asher's "Alien Archaeology" (B); Asimov's Science Fiction, June 2007; science fiction: A robber is chased & punished.
    
23. * Will McIntosh's "One Paper Airplane Graffito Love Note" (B); download; Strange Horizons, 22 October 2007; non-genre: A doomed loved story.