In this long novella published in two parts in the last two issues of Asimov’s, Nancy Kress tells a very action-packed futuristic exciting story with plenty of cool concepts and ideas. It is a future with sort of a next-level AI internet where people interface with it through a brain implant and some have even managed to upload themselves to a digital afterlife, in a cloud setup with no communication to the world of the living. Though all of that is threatened by a recent increase in solar activity.

Asimovs May/June 2025

We follow young Kenda and her 5 year old sister as they are struggling to survive, and are forced to move into an especially bad part of the city in an apartment with frequent “ghost” appearances. As in electromagnetic disturbances from the nearby upload center for the rich dead people that messes with people chip implants. The story also follows Robert who is running for governor, and his daughter Hailey is seeking to get her chip removed as there is a growing sceptical movement on the effects and safety of the implants. The storylines converge in one big plot heavy action adventure.

Read in Asimov’s March/April & May/June 2025
Rating: 3+