[On May 10, 2021 Strange Horizons officially expressed its political support for Palestinian solidarity. The views of Tangent Online reviewers are not necessarily those of Strange Horizons. Fiction critiqued at Tangent Online is, as much as is humanly possible, without prejudice and based solely on artistic merit.]

Strange Horizons, August 12, 2024

“The Problem With Feelin’ Flo-Jo’s Glory Pose” by Aurelius Raines II

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

The protagonist of “The Problem With Feelin’ Flo-Jo’s Glory Pose” by Aurelius Raines II is a young man who can run extremely fast. He accepts a mission to outrace a police robot so that the people who hire him can capture it and sell its valuable components. Complicating matters is the fact that he can’t be too far from the machine, or the jamming device he wears won’t be able to prevent it from summoning backup. Bad luck makes it seem likely that he will fail and wind up in jail.

The author creates a realistic near future with plausible technology. The plot creates a great deal of suspense and captures the feeling of running very fast vividly. Although the main character is not always on the right side of the law, the reader is able to empathize with him and cheer him on in his desperate race.

Victoria Silverwolf doesn’t run very fast.