Book Review 145
Analog Science Fiction Magazine (11-12/22)
This one will be quite similar to my review 138 (Asimov's Science Fiction magazine). And, again, I am not planning to review each issue of this magazine, since they are, essentially, the same.
"Analog" is the second of two the most famous Science Fiction magazines. And it is also not freely available in audio form (the form in which I consume the most of literature due to my busy schedule). The only way to get an audio is to rent a specific medium from the society for the blind. You can't legally buy it. And I don't know how this distribution works.
There is mostly Sci-Fi short stories. Some popular science articles. Some book reviews and fandom notes. Even some Sci-Fi poetry. The stories are good, and to read a magazine like this is a great way to open a new author for you. Also, some great authors are writing short stories only and some of them are writing not enough for a dedicated collection, so for those to read a magazine will be the only way to enjoy their writing.
Editors are doing a good job selecting stories for an issue. But I've got an impression, that "Asimov's" is more about soft sciences, literature in general, sociology and such. While "Analog" is more about hard science. I really enjoyed its popular science articles. I don't know, if it is just a property of a specific issue I've read, though.
And it is a peculiar thing. While I love the science in science fiction, and admired it in "Analog", I've got an impression that "Asimov's" stories are slightly better from the general literature standpoint.
Anyway, both magazines are good. They are offering a variety of stories by both mature and amature authors and highly recommended to anyone who wants to stay in touch with the modern Sci-Fi tendencies.