I’ve been buying Analog Science Fiction and Fact for over 40 years. Remarkably little has changed in that time. It’s still a digest magazine. It still has interior art by Vincent Di Fate. And I still read “Probability Zero” first.

The July’August issue has a big novella by Martin L. Shoemaker, “Not Far Enough,” featuring the return of Captain Nick Aames, Carver, and Smith, who’ve previously appeared in the pages of Analog in “Murder on the Aldrin Express” (September 2013), “Brigas Nunca Mais” (March 2015), and “Racing to Mars,” (September 2015, winner of the Analog Award for Best Novella of the year). Here’s editor Trevor Qachari on the issue.

We kick off our July/August issue by checking in on Captain Nick Ames and his crew, last seen in “Racing to Mars,” September 2015, by Martin Shoemaker. When a routine mission goes off the rails, it’s more than just a matter of shipboard politics: lives are at stake, and people will die if they go too far, or “Not Far Enough.”

Then we have the kind of fact article that we only pull off all too rarely: H. G. Stratmann gives us a look at the science behind Stanley Schmidt’s story in this very issue, “The Final Nail.”

We also have fiction ranging from “Across the Streaming Sea,” an adventure that perfectly embodies Clarke’s Law, by Rob Chilson; to a story of the bond between a captain and his ship in Brian Trent’s “Galleon”; a follow-up to Maggie Clark’s “Seven Ways of Looking at the Sun-Worshippers of Yul-Katan,” in “Belly Up”; and an almost-could-have-happened-this-way tale of early space travel, “For All Mankind,” from C. Stuart Hardwick.

There’s also a slew of short pieces from such folks as Andrew Barton, Tom Easton, Tim McDaniel, Robert R. Chase, Ron Collins, Kyle Kirkland, Aubry Kae Andersen, Edward M. Lerner, Eve Warren, Holly Schofield, Uncle River, and Howard V. Hendrix, as well as an awesome array of compelling columns.

Although Trevor says “H. G. Stratmann gives us a look at the science behind Stanley Schmidt’s story in this very issue, ‘The Final Nail,'” don’t look too hard for Stan’s story. It actually appeared last issue.

The cover this issue is by Rado Javor. Here’s the complete Table of Contents.

NOVELLA

“Not Far Enough,” Martin L. Shoemaker

NOVELETTES

“For All Mankind,” C. Stuart Hardwick
“Belly Up,” Maggie Clark
“Galleon,”, Brian Trent
“Across the Steaming Sea,” Rob Chilson

SHORT STORIES

“The Fool’s Stone,” Aubry Kae Andersen
“The First Rule Is, You Don’t Eat Your Friends,” Robert R. Chase
“Alouette, Gentille Alouette,” Andrew Barton
“Fat Bubble,” Tom Easton
“Perspective,” Kyle Kirkland
“Clarity of Signal,” Holly Schofield
“Pitch,” Bruce McAllister & Patrick Smith
“Phuquiang: A History,” Uncle River
“Blinking Noon and Midnight,” Tim McDaniel
“Teamwork,” Eve Warren
“Often and Silently We Come,” Ron Collins

SCIENCE FACT

The Science Behind, “The Final Nail,” H.G. Stratmann

PROBABILITY ZERO

“A Little Spooky Action,” Howard V. Hendrix

POETRY

A Theory of Gravity, Josh Pearce
Space Junk, Bruce Boston

DEPARTMENTS

GUEST EDITORIAL: MARS NEEDS CHILDREN, Rosemary Claire Smith
ANALYTICAL LABORATORY RESULTS
THE ALTERNATE VIEW, John G. Cramer
IN TIMES TO COME
THE REFERENCE LIBRARY, Don Sakers
BRASS TACKS
UPCOMING EVENTS, Anthony Lewis

Analog Science Fiction and Fact is edited by Trevor Qachari and published by Dell Magazines. The cover price is $7.99 for 208 pages; a one-year subscription is $34.97 (US) or $49.97 (International). It is also available in a variety of digital formats. Check out the complete TOC, story excerpts, and additional free content at the website.

The July/August issue is on sale until August 22.

We last covered Analog with the May/June 2017 issue. See all our Analog coverage here.

Our July Magazine Rack is here. See all of our recent fantasy magazine coverage here.