Fair warning, I’m about to recommend a story I have not yet read. Why? Because it’s a finalist for the Hugo Awards. Because it’s by Scott Lynch, author of The Lies of Locke Lamora and many more excellent works. And because it has a great title.
[Time Reference Unavailable]—August, 1946
The watchseed is planted in a watery hemisphere of a watery world. The place spins around a yellow star, wearing its magnetic field like a proud little hat. It’s ridiculous with life.
Hence, a watchseed, with the best of intentions. Let’s give the seed-planters that much. They mean well. Crawling from star to star at not-quite-c, they make their surveys, consult their charts, launch a seed now and then. Old thinkers, they make an endless circuit of the galaxy on behalf of young thinkers. Young thinkers are rare and precious and must be protected, particularly from themselves, because young thinkers are stupid as hell and prone to misadventures with anything they can dig out of their planetary crusts. Hydrocarbons, radioactives, anything.
This planet is rich in ingredients for misadventure.
A terrific opener. Also, it’s free at Uncanny Magazine, one of the best venues for short fiction out there today.
So yes, I expect this story to be a fun read. Perhaps you’d like it too?
Note from the future: I was right, the story was a great read!
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