Daniel Abraham's "The Best Monkey" (novelette, free)

Cool concept, but average execution.

Idea is: we're told the human perception of beauty has to do with symmetry - something that supposedly indicates least exposure to disease. What if the brain could be rewired, by some sort of surgical treatment, so we see beauty in asymmetry instead?

See also.

1. A very long discussion on this story at Torque Control, including a comment from author.
   

Fact sheet.

First published: George Mann (Ed)'s "The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume 3" (2009).
Rating: B.
Download full text from Pat's Fantasy Hotlist. [via 42Blips]
Related: Fiction about the concept of beauty.

* Daniel Abraham's "The Support Technician Tango" (short story, non-genre)

I suppose you could call it science fiction, but you would have to stretch the definition. Key thesis of the story is: few people are immune to superstition.

David Osgood is a computer sysadmin at a law firm. There has been a computer virus outbreak overnight; David spent the night at office patching systems with the result that his firm is operational next day while its competitors' operations are badly affected. There is a rumor that a competitor is looking to hire David. As a defensive move, Mr Elms, a partner at the firm, offers David a week's salary as bonus plus a pat on the back.

But just before David was called to office of Mr Elms, he happened to look at one of those dime-a-dozen self-help books with generic advice indistinguishable from astrology. After hearing of the reward, he is kind of feeling superstitious about the contents of that book - which has vanished from where he left it, & seems to be destined to infect many minds in the office.

Fact sheet.

First published: "Subterranean" magazine, Fall 2007.
Rating: B
Download full text.

Note: Why is this post so short?