[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, September 23, 2024

“#000000: From the Permanent Collection” by Leeann Perry

Reviewed by Michelle Ristuccia

“#000000: From the Permanent Collection” by Leeann Perry presents as a collection of art installments in a futuristic museum, that is, as the descriptions accompanying each piece, which readers must then imagine. Overall Perry’s experimental format is clever and accessible, and eventually paints a picture of what has become of the humans who created the pieces. At times I felt the story could have been a bit shorter due to the natural strain of such an experimental nature, but I also suspect that different readers would choose different art pieces to cut out of the story, if they cut any at all. At other times I quite appreciated the layered effect of mentioning mathematical models, time periods, and events important to the exhibit, plus the focus on blackness as a representation of nothingness. Removing any of these layers would have reduced the story to a formatting idea that is merely clever. Mentions like Vantablack worked as grounding nods to reality. While I did not find the moral conclusion of the timeline inspiring, even readers who are not into environmental horror can still appreciate the layered aspects of Perry’s writing.