Diabolical Plots #76, June 2021
“One More Angel” by Monica Joyce Evans
“We Will Weather One Another Somehow” by Kristina Ten
Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett
There are two new short stories in the 76th issue of Diabolical Plots. Both stories were entertaining reads.
“One More Angel” by Monica Joyce Evans
Unexpectedly she finds herself in Heaven in this short SF/fantasy. It turns out that using a transporter breaks down one’s atoms, which is tantamount to death. And so every transporter trip means the person dies and a copy takes their place. Heaven is filling up with these repeater deaths, and the rumors start that Heaven cannot accommodate this growth.
This story was barely longer than flash fiction and was a quirky alternative view of the consequences of the transporter a la Star Trek. An entertaining insight.
“We Will Weather One Another Somehow” by Kristina Ten
Benj is disappearing in this short fantasy. He isn’t going anywhere. He is literally sloughing off his body as the edges change to dust. And his girlfriend is trapped, watching her lover dissolve over the years. Only now it’s speeding up.
She desperately wants to help him, but he has come to accept the same fate that befell his father. Should she try to stop the inevitable or try to let him go with dignity and love?
This poignant story explored the situation many people experience when their partner suffers from an irreversible disease. It had the idiosyncratic feel of the Benjamin Button tale.
You can follow Kevin P Hallett’s writing on www.kevinphallett.com.