The Issahar Artifacts by J.F. Bone

The Issahar Artifacts Reviews

• 
  Norm Davis

  The Issahar Artifacts by Jesse Franklin Bone /
  http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?1107
  
  Ok, must admit I was slow on the uptake for this short story. It's what I call a frame story. A story within or surrounded by another story, not to be mistaken with a sub-plot. J.F. Bone seems very adept at the twist at the end of the story. In this story, at the end, I thought, “Oh...” but then went back and re-read the beginning of the story to make sure I was understanding the story correctly.
  
  The beginning was a bit tedious with the 'contrived' techno-jargon, which might put off an average reader who would prefer techno-jargon they are more familiar with. But get through it, it is relatively short and it does contribute to the story.
  
  The Issahar Artifacts are essentially a brief diary of a stranded astronaut discovered ten thousand “cycles” after it was written. It describes his struggles being stranded on a habitable alien planet.
  
  I've read a couple of J. F. Bone short stories recently and I keep thinking “O. Henry”, known for writing flash fiction with wit and a strange twist ending. Remember O. Henry's story “The Gift of the Magi” which is a story about a young poor couple who each sells their most precious object in order to buy a Christmas gift for their partner, but in doing so they end up making each others gift worthless? The Bone stories I've read so far don't rise to O. Henry (Real name William Sydney Porter) expertise or briefness, but that twist at the end of the stories I've read have me wanting more of Jesse Franklin Bone stories.
  
  BTW, there are other reviews of this story under J.F.Boon, same title.
  
  Amazing Science Fiction Stories, April 1960
  Librovox reader Tim Casey (short-science-fiction-collection-040) FREE, Feedbooks edition of
  Gutenberg.org/etext/29271, FREE
• 
  Trevor

  A quirky and fun short
• 
  Denise

  A construction project is halted when the crew strikes a metallic object. Fortunately, the foreman realizes this planet has no known history of metalworking. The object turns out to be the remains of a spaceship, left before the Expansion Age. Even odder is a wooden box which contains sheets composed of cellulose inscribed with runes of lingua antiqua.
  
  Please read the full review
  here.
• 
  Ralph McEwen

  This short story is written well and has enough suspense to keep your interest whether reading or listening.
  The narrator is well spoken, but stumbles occasionally. The recording is clear with no background noise, there is a slight echo.
• 
  Katy

  A quick but interesting scifi short.