Nightmare #142, July 2024

“Grottmata” by Thomas Ha

“Automaton Boy” by Sara S. Messenger

“The Museum of Cosmic Retribution” by Megan Chee

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

This issue adds science fiction to its tales of terror.

“Grottmata” by Thomas Ha takes place on a human colony world after its inhabitants surrendered to human invaders. The occupying forces fall victim to what seems like mass insanity, often ending in murder and suicide. A neutral investigator studies the situation, and has a complex relationship with one of the locals.

The story alternates sections of narrative from the points of view of the local and the investigator. This structure serves an important purpose during the climax. The speculative content allows for gruesome and surreal images, appropriate to the magazine, while remaining plausible and imaginative. The author deals with themes of invasion and occupation in a thoughtful way, acknowledging that such situations are often complicated and ambiguous.

Less than four hundred words long, “Automaton Boy” by Sara S. Messenger depicts the title character as able to produce barbed wire from his body, in order to protect an oppressed people from violence. There is much more to this tiny but extremely dense tale, much of it difficult to understand. It creates an eerie mood, but seems more like a prose poem than a story.

“The Museum of Cosmic Retribution” by Megan Chee takes place at an exhibit in Singapore where the blessed entering Paradise and the damned suffering the torments of Hell are depicted by statues. A caretaker shows a boy the basement, where real sinners endure their punishments.

Among these victims are an inhabitant of an alien planet and the rulers of an ancient galactic empire. These touches of science fiction are interesting in themselves, but seem out of place with the rest of the story. The author appears to be saying something about evil acts done for a good cause, but this theme is treated in a vague way.

Victoria Silverwolf has never been to Singapore.