Aurealis “Red Rain” by John Ter Horst
“The Market of Loss” by Matt Tighe
“Black Rock” by Stephen Higgins
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
Two science fiction stories surround a single fantasy in this issue.
“Red Rain” by John Ter Horst takes place in a future world where huge flying machines draw water out of the atmosphere to relieve areas stricken with drought. The failure of such a device causes a family to send its household robot up to investigate and repair the damage, with unfortunate results.
The story is narrated by a man looking back on the incident, which occurred when he was a young boy. The narrator’s naivete at the time adds a great deal of subtlety, as he was not able to fully understand what was happening. The plot is more complex than I have indicated above, with interactions among the members of the boy’s family of great importance. Futuristic touches throughout the text add verisimilitude.
In “The Market of Loss” by Matt Tighe, people can sell their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. After her son dies, a poor woman sells her love for her children, even though this will diminish her affection for her surviving daughter. The wealthy woman who purchases it acts in an unexpected way.
This is a simple, emotionally appealing fable of parental sacrifice. The fantasy premise is intriguing and used in an effective manner, but readers are likely to wish more had been done with it. The narrative alternates sections of text told from the points of view of the daughter and the wealthy woman. There is nothing wrong with this technique, but it doesn’t really add anything either.
In “Black Rock” by Stephen Higgins, people discover mysterious dark stones on the Moon. It turns out that these can be assembled into a larger object. When completed, the object acts in a strange way.
Astute fans of classic science fiction may be able to tell from this brief synopsis that the story is based on a very famous work. This is made explicit in the text. The result is little more than a whimsical joke, although one can appreciate the tribute it pays to its inspiration.
Victoria Silverwolf bought a lot of cheesecake today.