Safety Tests

Devlin trudges through his job on the space station waiting for retirement and hoping he won't die first. A test pilot with Licensing and Regulation, he makes sure only the most qualified pilots make it to the test flight, let alone pass it. But sometimes, even the most jaded tester misses something. And the difference between life and death on a space station? Missing nothing. Nothing at all.

"Rusch takes a fairly mundane scenario and makes a most readable story. Through the well-observed downbeat and wry narrative voice of a spacepilot licence examiner, we look at some of the issues in making a life out there in the solar system."

—Best SF

"Safety Tests" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch puts the mundane role of the driver's test instructor in space, increasing the danger and thus increasing the excitement. I had no clue where this story was going to go but was happy to go on the ride. In the end Rusch surprises! (A)

—Stainless Steel Droppings

"Kristine Kathryn Rusch has one of the most pleasant and easily readable styles in the sf field today. 'Safety Tests' is no exception…it's a fun, quick read."

—Tangent Online

"Devlin's narrative is deeply toned with entertaining cynicism. Rusch pulls off a tough one, making the license tester [we've all met this guy] sympathetic, the regulations [stoopid rules] make sense, and the story enjoyable."

—Locus

"Kristine Kathryn Rusch's grimly comic 'Safety Tests' is all about how tremendously dangerous flying a spaceship is."

—The Idea Refinery