Lightspeed #153, February 2023
“Learning Letters” by Carrie Vaughn
“The House of Linear Change” by Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe
“In(con)solation” by Octavia Cade
“Real Magic” by Sharang Biswas
“The Day the Earthman Didn’t Show” by Adam-Troy Castro
“Guidelines for Using the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library” by Marie Brennan
“Subject: More Monsters Will Not Make Us Safer” by Paul Crenshaw
“His Guns Could Not Protect Him” by Sam J. Miller
Reviewed by Mike Bickerdike
“Learning Letters” by Carrie Vaughn is nice enough; well-written, as one might expect from Vaughn, and quite readable. It tells the story of a simple farming community after ‘the Fall’. The small town has no cars or industry, and literacy is passed down to the few children by the village investigator, Enid. One day, an aeroplane, never seen before by the townsfolk, lands on the outskirts of town. The tale is quite successful in presenting a future that is not entirely dystopian, but which is also tinged with light and hope. And yet, some aspects of the scenario (such as the townsfolk having usable vaccines three generations after the collapse of technology and industry) seem highly unlikely, which slightly undermines the premise.
“The House of Linear Change” by Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe is flash fiction, a format in which success is hard to achieve. And yet, this is really rather good. It may be fantasy, magical realism, or it may be allegory and metaphor; ultimately the reader can probably decide. The protagonist commits patricide in a house that provokes change (or so the protagonist thinks). The tale suggests that change in one’s life represents violence against the status quo and that evoking change can require a violent sacrifice. Whatever one’s interpretation, it’s thoughtful and better than most flash fiction, as its rather poetic approach suits the form.
“In(con)solation” by Octavia Cade is also flash fiction, but it’s a little less successful than the preceding story, as it lacks novelty, and its grimness is unrelenting. In a post-nuclear world, everyone lives underground, though the lack of natural light presents as great a problem as the radiation above ground. Apart from the message that we need natural light, it’s not clear this short tale has very much to say.
“Real Magic” by Sharang Biswas is a short fantasy tale, told in the form of a child’s fairy tale. Three separate folk from the same village visit the ‘Witch in the Woods’ to seek solutions to their problems: difficulty finding a husband, recurring nightmares, and the need for more intelligence. The witch offers non-magical help; she reserves real magic for things that really matter. The tale is quite readable, but the underlying thesis isn’t wholly convincing, and the end may be a touch saccharine for some readers.
“The Day the Earthman Didn’t Show” by Adam-Troy Castro is a humorous short tale (sort of). Castro has come up with a neat little idea here: a distant alien race can foresee the future and they harbour an expectation that an Earthman will materialise on their world. By adding his genetic stock to theirs, he is expected to improve their lot. To encourage the Earthman to breed with a beautiful Princess following his arrival, they pre-arrange for him to have all sorts of adventures that mirror the tropes and clichés of sword and sorcery fantasy. It’s a fun conceit. The author takes the opportunity to heap a good deal of criticism on humankind, and while this is all very tongue in cheek, the overt cynicism goes a little too far for the tale to remain simply droll.
“Guidelines for Using the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library” by Marie Brennan is really what the title says: a list of rules and suggestions for navigating a fantasy library. Written in a wry, subtly humorous style, it’s quite engaging for flash fiction.
“Subject: More Monsters Will Not Make Us Safer” by Paul Crenshaw is a further flash fiction piece, presented as a letter from a concerned American parent to his senator. The parent argues why the use of fantasy beasts, such as basilisks are not the answer to protect schoolchildren from other fantasy threats. Doubtless making a point about current proposals to employ armed security guards to counter school shootings, rather than address the underlying issues, the piece somewhat softens political messaging with its humorous approach and fantasy metaphor; overall this is quite effective, albeit it’s rather a blunt tool.
“His Guns Could Not Protect Him” by Sam J. Miller is fantasy, or perhaps magical realism, and it’s also the most well-written story in the issue. In Miller’s vision of an alternate present, there is a monster out there for each person. A monster who at some stage, probably after they reach their forties, will attack and probably kill them. Two boys learn from their mother that their father was attacked by his monster on his return from work and they are sent to stay with family friends for the night. The story is about growing up and realising uncomfortable truths about the world, but also is simply a neat and well-told fantasy, and is recommended.
More of Mike Bickerdike’s reviews and thoughts on science-fiction can be found at https://starfarersf.nicepage.io/