[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 9, 2021

“The Loneliness of Former Constellations” by P. H. Low

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

The narrator of “The Loneliness of Former Constellations” by P. H. Low was once a mighty space warrior. Now, centuries later, her powers taken away and her body racked with pain, she lives alone in a large house. She accepts a young woman as a houseguest. The boarder fights supernatural monsters with a special sword. Tending for the young woman’s wounds after an unsuccessful battle brings them closer together, as does the arrival of a visitor from the space warrior’s past.

The combination of concepts taken from both space opera and dark fantasy makes for a unique tale, but the effect is often jarring. The fact that the setting is, in other ways, the familiar modern world adds to the sense of incongruity. The relationship between the two women is appealing, but the story is often confusing.

Victoria Silverwolf is easily confused.