Strange Horizons, February 1, 2021

“A Serpent For Each Year” by Tamara Jeree

Reviewed by Seraph

More allegory and near-poetry than fiction, nonetheless this short story is full of thoughtful reflection and takes a meandering pace. The snake is such an allegorical creature in literature to begin with, but a mass of snakes writhing and covering one’s body as a day-to-day condition of life is probably more horror than fiction for most. Nal is the poor character covered in snakes, and although no time or place is given, the setting is less important than the imagery in this manner of writing. The imagery is descriptive, clearly meaningful to the author, and is carefully scripted and presented. There are more than a handful of themes present to unravel, so expect to be thinking this one over for a while.