Diabolical Plots #66, August 2020
“Finding the Center” by Andrew K. Hoe
“For Want of Human Parts” by Casey Lucas
Reviewed by Tara Grímravn
Given recent events, it seems fitting that Diabolical Plots #66 would center around the theme of identity, forced “otherness,” and its consequences. Both stories deal with the preconceptions we may have about others, how we’re often wrong about the judgments we make, and just how deep those incorrect assumptions can cut.
“Finding the Center” by Andrew K. Hoe
The unnamed Asian narrator in this story is a former police officer turned superhero with an interesting power—he can use the racist indignities he suffers daily to transform himself for various purposes. Essentially, he becomes whatever thing the person is thinking he is based on his race and then weaponizes it in one way or another. Right now, he’s on a mission for revenge over the murder of his wife by the Syndicate, a shadowy organization of unknown nefarious intent. At the same time, he’s also got to protect his daughter.
Hoe presents an interesting discussion on the effects of systemic racism. Disguised as a tale about superheroes, it exposes the burden that overt racism, microaggressions, implicit bias, and other seemingly innocuous behaviors can have on those who have been “othered” by those around them; how stereotypes and culturally ingrained notions about other people can negatively affect someone’s sense of identity. It’s a thought-provoking read, to be sure.
“For Want of Human Parts” by Casey Lucas
Every morning, Bone Pile watches as a woman dressed in bright colors passes the storm drain that connects to its lair in the sewer. It remembers very little of the time when it was alive; it doesn’t even know when or how most of its parts were lost. All it knows is that it must find a way to reach out and say hello to this woman who has so caught its attention for whatever reason, and that is going to mean rebuilding itself somehow.
Lucas makes every effort to tug at the heartstrings in this story, and she does so successfully. While I’d place it under the label of “horror” (its main character is, after all, an undead amalgamation of bones, leaves, and trash), it isn’t scary in the least. Instead, it’s very moving—not only because of the plight of Bone Pile, this poor, lonely, once-human thing, but because its situation was not of its own making. Its original demise was due to harm inflicted by others and it is aware that fear of its appearance causes living humans to consider it a monster, something it neither wants nor intends to be.
There’s honestly a lot of points for philosophical discussion that can be pulled from both stories in this issue of Diabolical Plots. I’ve only touched on the least of them here, but I think readers will enjoy teasing them out. I certainly did.