The two earliest published science fiction stories of Nebula-winning author Richard Chwedyk. Both were first-prize winners of the ISFiC Short Story Contest, held in conjunction with the Windycon science fiction convention. "Getting Along with Larga" is a "first contact" story about an alien who wants to understand poetry. "A Man Makes a Machine" is about a bio-engineered humanoid "intelligence" named Maggie operating a sub-light carrier with a cargo of aliens in cold sleep. A freezer unit malfunctions, leaving an alien youngster awake and perhaps destined to live out his entire life on the ship unless Maggie breaks one of the corporate rules that govern her life. Included is a lengthy Afterword that details some of the background and inspiration for the two stories.
Description:
The two earliest published science fiction stories of Nebula-winning author Richard Chwedyk. Both were first-prize winners of the ISFiC Short Story Contest, held in conjunction with the Windycon science fiction convention. "Getting Along with Larga" is a "first contact" story about an alien who wants to understand poetry. "A Man Makes a Machine" is about a bio-engineered humanoid "intelligence" named Maggie operating a sub-light carrier with a cargo of aliens in cold sleep. A freezer unit malfunctions, leaving an alien youngster awake and perhaps destined to live out his entire life on the ship unless Maggie breaks one of the corporate rules that govern her life. Included is a lengthy Afterword that details some of the background and inspiration for the two stories.