Pogue Too Capsule Reviews

Reviews from contributor copy, will omit our own from the ratings. Loved the idea behind this anthology, the vast majority of men and women in uniform aren't frontline fighters but those also serve who turn a wrench, stir a pot, or deliver the mail. 
​ Another Man's Treasure, by Ted Begley: Charming story of a logistics boffin wheeling, dealing, and making a continuous series of trades starting with expired MREs and ending with...well, it's a spoiler, but it's a hilarious series of events, all framed in said shuttle driver's dressing-down by his sergeant. *****
   Al in Logistics, by Addison Reid: Classic sci-fi short story premise, but told through a milSF lens. "Hide the AI" stories are all about the final discovery, and it's told well here. ****
   Manifest Destiny, by D. S. Ligon: Cryo-tech and a janitor save the day on a battle station under attack by aliens. Fun premise, exactly the kind of "lower decks personnel save the day" story I'd hoped to see in this series. *****
    Composting Status: Offline, by Xavier Anderson: Great little mystery where it's not about figuring out who did the crime, but how to solve the crime and exonerate the innocent being framed for it. For an anthology often about misappropriating military supplies, it's nice to see one story that makes it clear that not all theft is equal. Well-written. *****
   The Shell Script of Destruction, by T. R. Benjamin: Nice to see not every story is logistics or custodians, now we're in Bureau of Weapons. This one's a quick-hit sci-fi "figure out the technical problem" story that manages to be gripping and urgent, I like it. *****
   Masters of Mechamagic, Z. M. Renick: This one will be controversial. Everything else here is milSF, this is firmly in the "High Fantasy" genre. The fantasy mages here are technically backline support staff for the POG designation, but it ends with spell-slinging magi-battles, so it's not backline, either. I like fantasy so I was fine with this. ****
   Snipe Hunt, by Jason B. Hobbs: Another charming quick-hit, this time about a private being sent out on a snipe hunt where the snipe is (oops) actually real, leading to a snipe hunt of the snipe hunter. Classic "so no shit there I was..." story that feels very authentic, I love that stuff. *****
   Revision 12, by Daryl F. Mallett: I'm a sucker for this story, which is "officious bureaucratic clerk saves the day by reading the manual". If you want to make an argument that any story involving someone reading a tech manual is fantasy I won't fight you, but it's got good sci-fi action and I enjoyed it. 
   Life of a Deliveryman, by B. K. Gibson: This one was ours. We're really proud of it, an action-comedy adventure featuring deckhands and engineers as a small but heroic cog in a very large machine. It was a blast to write this one. 
   Sudden Death Overtime, by Malory: Final story in the anthology is a hilarious story about a bunch of radar operators misusing sensors to catch a rugby match and letting in a lot more than they bargained for. Personal favorite of the whole collection, this thing is funny throughout and has some genuine peril and stakes, too. Love it. *****