Strange Horizons, April 19, 2021
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
The narrator of “Sandrine” by Alexandra Munck has a romantic relationship with a woman who has three planets orbiting her head. In this surreal version of the modern world, such people are rare, but otherwise try to lead fairly normal lives. One of the planets has intelligent life. The woman, who is something of a god to these beings, suffers when they go to war with each other. Eventually, she abandons the responsibility of godhood, and the narrator learns something important about one of the other planets.
The most interesting thing about this story is its unique premise. The author’s realistic style makes the concept believable. The way in which the woman is able to free herself from the planets is less plausible, even as pure fantasy, given what the reader learns about this strange situation earlier in the tale.
Victoria Silverwolf almost forgot to review this issue.