Reactor“Slippernet” by Nisi Shawl (reprint, not reviewed)
“The Name Ziya” by Wen-yi Lee
“The Sack of Burley Cottage” by Rich Larson
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
The narrator of “The Name Ziya” by Wen-yi Lee is one of a group of people who are born with symbols on their bodies, each one of which serves as a part of their names and which bestows magical powers. In order to afford to go to a university located in an area where people do not have these symbols, the narrator sells three symbols, having them painfully cut away. At the school, other students who also sold their symbols in this manner react to their losses in ways that sometimes end in tragedy.
The story can be seen as dealing with multiple issues, such as being a stranger in a strange land and the appropriation of parts of cultures not fully appreciated by those who make use of them. (The students who are born without symbols can purchase those that have been sold and removed, but only as stylish decorations.) It also involves the contrast between rich and poor as well as the loss of one’s identity.
The magical aspect of the symbols is minimal, and plays little or no part in the plot. The setting is an exotic one, made real by the author’s elegant style.
Some elements of the background are distracting. In particular, much of the text involves the narrator learning how to properly eat fish eyes. Although this demonstrates the theme of culture shock, it is irrelevant to the plot and is likely to have a stronger impact on the reader than other, more important things.
In “The Sack of Burley Cottage” by Rich Larson, the main character plans to rob living art from a mansion. He has to take his teenage niece along when his partner in crime is unable to join him. Their struggle to escape with the loot takes a dangerous turn. They learn something about each other in the process.
This is an effective futuristic heist story, with speculative technology that plays an important part in a cleverly designed plot. It also offers characters with whom one can empathize, despite their illegal activities. The climax creates a great deal of suspense, with a resolution that is logical and satisfying.
Victoria Silverwolf has to buy some half-and-half for the cats on the way home today.