[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, October 3, 2022

“Ants and Wasps” by Jay Jellicoe

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

The narrator of “Ants and Wasps” by Jay Jellicoe is an unmarried pregnant woman relating the story to her unborn child. She lives with an aunt, a cousin, and a servant in England during or just after the Second World War. Her relatives want her to make out a will. Meanwhile, she and the servant become lovers, and try to think of a way to run off together.

I have tried to indicate in the above synopsis the fact that this work is episodic, open-ended, and almost free of speculative content. A single scene at the end, in which the people oppressing the narrator act in a bizarre manner, involves a fantasy premise. The author skillfully depicts the time and place, and provides a pair of vivid dream sequences at the beginning. It may be worthy of note that these are more compelling than the rest of the narrative.

Victoria Silverwolf won’t bother ants and wasps if they don’t bother her.