[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.]
Strange Horizons, April 15, 2024
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
In “Nuca” by Ana Hurtado, three young women journey to a waterfall in a cave in the Ecuadorian jungle. Their goal is to dive into the pool at the bottom of the waterfall in order to remove the duplicate faces they all have on the backs of their necks.
The fantasy premise is treated as if it were a common occurrence in the modern world, in the tradition of magic realism. The author’s description of the environment is extremely vivid and sensuous, and is by far the most effective part of the story. The characters and their interactions are more interesting than the simple, episodic plot. The text includes quite a bit of Spanish, and readers not fluent in that language may have to seek out translations to fully enjoy the work.
Victoria Silverwolf has never been to Ecuador.