Clarkesworld Issue 200

A better than average issue, with a lovely Bot 9 story from Suzanne Palmer, an interesting one about social engineering by Naomi Kritzer and a good story by An Hao.

• "Better Living Through Algorithms" by Naomi Kritzer: a new smartphone app appears, suggesting to people things to do to lead happier lives. But the motives of the people behind the app become suspect and, as with most apps, scammers begin to take it over, its popularity falls. But maybe by then, people have learned to lead happier lives anyway.

• "Through the Roof of the World" by Harry Turtledove: creatures living in a place when there is a bottom and a roof to their world are startled to hear what appears to be a giant creature grinding its way down to them through the roof. Those familiar with speculations of life in other parts of our Solar System may recognize where the story is probably set.

• "To Sail Beyond the Botnet" by Suzanne Palmer: another story involving Bot 9 and Ship, who are still on their journey back to Earth. But now, hostile aliens have taken over their ship, and Ship was forced to eject Bot 9 into space towards another alien ship in hopes of getting help. What Bot 9 finds will test its sense of individuality and group coordination as it puts together a plan to save itself and Ship with the help of the aliens it finds.

• "LOL, Said the Scorpion" by Rich Larson: two people go on holiday, wearing special biological suits that only allow approved compounds through it. But as one wearer discovers, the suits also come with some extreme protection measures.

• "Sensation and Sensibility" by Parker Ragland: two droids enter a human café for a meal and a discussion over what they can sense from the meal and whether it is sensible for droids not to be equipped with all the human senses.

• "The Giants Among Us" by Megan Chee: two intelligent species from a planet are at war with each other. But their researchers work together, exchanging information about how various other species on other planets live with each other. That exchange may save one of the species at the end of the war.

• "Action at a Distance" by An Hao, translated by Andy Dudak: an asteroid with a strange kind of material is found. Equipped with a strange crystal 'transmitted' from the asteroid from a previous mission, one person would learn more of its secrets, after a change in his way of seeing.

• "The Fall" by Jordan Chase-Young: an astronaut on the moon has an encounter with another astronaut from an earlier time; or does she?