Terraform, October 1, 2015
“A Job Opening” by Devon Maloney
Reviewed by Eric Kimminau
“A Job Opening” by Devon Maloney is supposed to present a future New York where the mega-conglomerates are the only official places to work and jobs are rabidly fought for. Maya is a single mother to her son, Tony, and she does not have a job. She must try to make ends meet by providing services, like cleaning or child care, for those with disposable income. She currently works for her neighbors, a 3-income home, who give her an inside track on a job in the nursery in the Brynn-Rockefeller Tower, a luxury condominium fortress. If she were to get the job, it would be a life changing experience for both her and her son. This entire story just seemed a disheveled, disorganized stream of disjointed thoughts. I had to re-read the 5th and 6th paragraphs multiple times to understand the gist of what the author was trying to get across. This story just left me wishing that the anti-climactic ending would have answered some of the problems and questions raised without raising even more that were left unanswered. I just felt lost. Perhaps this was the intent?
Eric Kimminau is a BBS geek turned IT professional for a Fortune 10 global IT company.
Terraform, October 8, 2015
“Who’s a Good Boy” by Marlee Jane Ward
Reviewed by Eric Kimminau
“Who’s a Good Boy” by Marlee Jane Ward is the story of a lonely woman, Sera, who yearned for the happy times when her dog, Hershaw, a beautiful golden retriever, would greet her happily when she returned from work. But she also wanted more. She wanted a friend she could talk to and share her life with. At the Uplift office, she chose the “full lift,” a talking dog with full human consciousness. She really should have done her homework. After a short time, when she called Uplift customer support, she was told that “Noone who goes with full lift stays that way. Either the animal chooses to go back, or the owner chooses for them.” I‘ve often times wondered what my dog is thinking. Wondered what they would say to me at certain times, or how they would answer my whimsical questions? How cruel would it be for your loving pet to realize that their existence is completely dependent upon being owned by another for their entire life? A great story that really got me thinking about how my dog would see the world and whether I would “want it to be like it used to be.” I think I would.
Eric Kimminau is a BBS geek turned IT professional for a Fortune 10 global IT company.