Diabolical Plots #79, September 2021

“Rebuttal to Reviewers’ Comments On Edits For ‘Demonstration of a Novel Draconification Protocol in a Human Subject'” by Andrea Kriz

“A Guide to Snack Foods After the Apocalypse” by Rachael K. Jones

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

Two very different stories by female authors appear in this issue.

The lengthy title of “Rebuttal to Reviewers’ Comments On Edits For ‘Demonstration of a Novel Draconification Protocol in a Human Subject'” by Andrea Kriz indicates that it is a satiric look at scholarly articles. By reading between the lines, one can tell that the researchers who have created a magical method of changing a person into a dragon are hiding something from their peers. Those who work in academia are likely to appreciate this spoof more than others, who may find it little more than an extended one-idea joke.

In “A Guide to Snack Foods After the Apocalypse” by Rachael K. Jones, two children survive by scavenging in a world ravaged by monsters from another dimension. When one of them is captured by the creatures, the other follows him into the other reality, where they discover what use the beings have for young people. This gruesome horror story provides plenty of visceral chills, but it may be hard for the reader to accept that the children would remain so calm, or even sane, after witnessing such terrors.

Victoria Silverwolf has been seeing a lot of wild turkeys near her home lately.