[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, June 8th & 16th, 2025
“View Window” by A. T. Greenblatt (June 8th)
“Because I Held His Name Like a Key” by Aimee Ogden (June 16th)
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
The magazine has an unusual schedule this month, which requires some explanation. No fiction was offered in the issues that appeared on the first two Mondays of the month. Instead, a special fund-raising issue appeared on the second Sunday. Its contents, including fiction, are only available one by one as certain levels of funding are reached. As of this review, only one of the two stories listed in the table of contents is available. The other (“The Ache of Hollow Places” by Avra Margariti) awaits further donations from readers, and will be reviewed when and if it becomes available. Meanwhile, the usual single story appeared on the third Monday of the month.
“View Window” by A. T. Greenblatt takes place in a version of the modern world where people interact with beings from another realm who are variously called ghosts, neighbors, or others. The protagonist refused to leave his apartment after his sister disappeared to join one of these beings. He emerges to accept an assignment to interview various people involved with the others. The outcome involves his own experiences with such a being.
The interviews read like miniature short stories. The most interesting character encountered by the protagonist is a man married to one of the others, which does not prevent her from participating in wild revels outside their home with others of her kind.
The work as a whole seems more like an attempt to create a setting for further tales than a complete story. The ending is ambiguous, which may be the intent. The author’s gift for characterization and ability to make a fantastic premise seem real leave the reader wishing for more than is supplied.
The narrator of “Because I Held His Name Like a Key” by Aimee Ogden is a being of Faery. He creates a door to the mortal world, through which the famous mathematician Alan Turing arrives. The two become lovers, but their relationship changes as Turing leaves and comes back several times over the years.
The author writes effectively from the point of view of a character very different from a human being. Readers need to be familiar with events in the life of Alan Turing, both tragic and triumphant, to fully appreciate the story. The interesting aspect of the plot is the way the narrator transforms Turing’s shadow into a replica of the living man. Others parts of the story, such as the differing nature of time in Faery and the mortal world, are not quite as compelling.
Victoria Silverwolf thinks she can pass the Turing test.