Diabolical Plots #30, August 2017

“For Now, Sideways” by A. Merc Rustad

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

Two authors offer stories about ordinary people facing apocalyptic situations.

In “For Now, Sideways” by A. Merc Rustad a bloody war with aliens has just ended. The protagonist is a soldier who fought the enemy in mechanized armor. Her husband was among the many human colonists missing when the aliens first attacked. She learns the truth about his fate and tries to adjust to peacetime. This is an intimate portrait of survival after emotional trauma.

New York City in a universe of superheroes is the setting for “Typical Heroes” by Theo Kogod. The main character cares little for the mighty battles constantly waged by these powerful beings against the forces of evil. He worries more about his low-paying job and his young son. When the violence of a world-threatening conflict touches him directly, he learns what a hero really is. Despite many fantastic elements, this is primarily a realistic character study.

Victoria Silverwolf is neither a soldier nor a superhero.