Aurealis“A Dead World Wakens” by Amy Dawn Buchanan
“The Bridge from the City Midst” by J R Dunbar
“Are You Shivering?” by John M W Thompson
Reviewed by Mina
Three short stories that explore life, death, and disconnectedness.
“A Dead World Wakens” by Amy Dawn Buchanan is beautifully written; with its simple, crystalline language, it is almost lyrical. The story begins with a lone human waking up in a distant future in a synthetic Eden. It is a coming-of-age story, which asks many questions: are we born when we first “awaken” or when we become truly self-aware and capable of making decisions? What is belonging? Is it possible for knowledge to border on cruelty? Through all these questions we learn about the “kin”, who bring up the human, and “the Work” – we are shown not told, which for me is the sign of mature writing. The protagonist must find answers for themself, as must the reader.
“The Bridge from the City Midst” by J R Dunbar is worth reading just to find out what the “bridge” turns out to be. It is a curiously restful look at death and an intriguing take on the job of the ferryman. I have read many stories about death, and none asked whence the ferryman came or whither he was going. This story does and has an unapologetically satisfying ending that brought tears to my eyes. The answer in this story is clear: life is for the living, even in death.
“Are You Shivering?” by John M W Thompson is more of a mood piece. The backdrop is a ski resort in today’s world; the triggering event is the arrival of the lights, which bathe everything in their oppressive, red afterglow. The story leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions about whether anything has happened, or is it all in the protagonist’s mind. It would have been more effective at half the length.
Mina notes that this issue includes an article on speculative fiction spin-offs that have more lives than a cat, and other non-fiction pieces, including book reviews.