Diabolical Plots #26A, April 2017

Reviewed by Rebecca DeVendra

José Pablo Iriarte writes a heart-wrenching tale in “O Stone, Be Not So” that will leave readers with a good idea of what it means to be a parent who has experienced a loss. The story starts with young Otto, only ten, waking up backward. He cannot communicate or understand anyone, and doctors are baffled. The tale channels the same ethos of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but with more heart. No explanation is ever given for Otto’s condition, and none is needed. The experience of this story is a must. Fine fiction.

Rebecca DeVendra is a figure artist and speculative fiction writer living in Boston. She grew up in Ohio and went to school there, and has a background in curriculum writing. She’s also a mom to three cacophonous, early-rising children. She’s probably in her pajamas, but she has an emergency collar shirt for video calls. Check out her blog.