[On May 10, 2021 Strange Horizons officially expressed its political support for Palestinian solidarity. The views of Tangent Online reviewers are not necessarily those of Strange Horizons. Fiction critiqued at Tangent Online is, as much as is humanly possible, without prejudice and based solely on artistic merit.]
Special Double Review
Strange Horizons, February 21, 2022
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
“Annunciation” by P. Akasaka is a brief, surreal, and satiric tale in which the narrator, like the Virgin Mary, receives an angelic message about a miraculous pregnancy. In this case, however, instead of a child, the narrator carries a language halfway between Japanese and English in her womb.
The combination of theological and linguistic speculation, with a realistic look at the complications of pregnancy, certainly makes for a unique story. Barely over one thousand words long, the work doesn’t really have enough room to explore its multiple themes in any depth. How readers react to the author’s sly parody of the biblical Annunciation may depend on their personal religious beliefs.
Victoria Silverwolf has never experienced pregnancy.
♦ ♦ ♦
Strange Horizons, February 21, 2022
Reviewed by William S. Duffy
The February 21, 2022, issue of Strange Horizons features one original story.
“Annunciation” by P. Akasaka
This short but memorable story follows Chitose, a woman chosen by the archangel Gabriel to, seemingly literally, give birth to a new language. The episodic story follows Chitose through various points of the gestation, using the gestating language within her bringing up discussions of communication, relationships, parenthood, and to a lesser degree (at least to this white, male reviewer) religion and belonging.
This story features a distinctive narrative voice with a clear purpose and a powerful ending. While one or two vignettes felt a little redundant, and more could perhaps have been done with the central metaphor, this is a thought-provoking piece that is more than worth the short time it takes to read.