Tor.com, October 2023
“Jack O’Dander” by Priya Sharma
“Not the Most Romantic Thing” by Carrie Vaughn
“The Locked Coffin: A Judge Dee Mystery” by Lavie Tidhar
“On the Fox Roads” by Nghi Vo
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
Readers have a choice among contemporary horror, space-going science fiction, and a Gothic whodunit in this issue.
In “Jack O’Dander” by Priya Sharma, alternating sections of narrative describe the disappearance of the main character’s sister when they were both young children, and what happens when the missing woman shows up after many years. The title refers to the supernatural being responsible for the abduction of the child, and for the unexpected consequences of her return.
Much of the story deals with the unpleasant relationship between the protagonist and her mother. This portrait of a dysfunctional family and the tragedy that worsens their already unhappy situation is more effective than the fantasy concept, which resembles familiar urban legends.
Two extraction experts, each one with his own secret, are the protagonists of “Not the Most Romantic Thing” by Carrie Vaughn. Their assignment is to retrieve so-called tissue samples from an asteroid that is soon to be destroyed, now that all of its valuable resources have been removed. The samples turn out to be something very different.
This synopsis makes the story sound like space opera, and it has that feeling at first. However, the revelation of the true nature of the samples transforms the mood into that of a romantic comedy. This change in tone avoids the usual clichés of science fiction adventure stories, but some readers may find it jarring. Others are likely to appreciate an optimistic, lighthearted tale.
“The Locked Coffin: A Judge Dee Mystery” by Lavie Tidhar is one of a series of stories about a vampire detective and his reluctant human assistant. In this adventure, they investigate the murder of a vampire who was inside a seemingly impenetrable coffin locked from within, which itself was inside a room that appeared to be impossible to enter.
As can be seen, this is a pastiche or parody of the classic locked room mystery. There is a great deal of intentional humor, and the solution to the murder is itself rather silly. Readers looking for very light entertainment are likely to best appreciate this tongue-in-cheek tale.
The narrator of “On the Fox Roads” by Nghi Vo joins a pair of bank robbers during the Depression. At first, the narrator’s goal is to obtain a deed for a store that was repossessed by a bank they robbed. Later, the narrator becomes their getaway driver, discovers an unsuspected talent, and sees the female member of the duo for what she really is.
I have deliberately avoided mentioning the fantasy content of this story, although it is of major importance to the plot. In particular, the title refers to magical paths that allow the robbers to escape the police. I have also not stated that the characters are Chinese-Americans, despite the fact that racial prejudice plays a part in the story, and traditional Chinese mythology is involved. This is because the story is most effective as historical fiction and crime fiction, painting a vivid picture of a Bonnie-and-Clyde style duo and their apprentice. Although the story is compelling, some readers may be put off by the fact that they are expected to empathize with the criminals.
Victoria Silverwolf would like to point out that the Judge Dee character in the story discussed above is in no way related to the Judge Dee character in mystery stories set in ancient China by Robert van Gulik.