Beneath Ceaseless Skies #412, July 25, 2024

“This Unintelligible World” by Samuel Chapman

“God’s Breath” by W. A. Hamilton

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

Two stories in which mortals confront gods appear in this issue.

In “This Unintelligible World” by Samuel Chapman, the disabled daughter of a dying king offers to marry a volcano god in order to prevent her scheming uncle and his ambitious ally from claiming the throne. The deity agrees to do so if she performs a series of seemingly impossible tasks.

There is much more to this imaginative fantasy than I have indicated, from the story’s unique setting to the details of the protagonist’s quest. The plot goes in unexpected directions, and the main character’s struggle comes with a very serious cost, leading to a bittersweet conclusion.

In “God’s Breath,” by W. A. Hamilton, a man witnesses a goddess approach his granddaughter. In an attempt to prevent the infant from having to serve the deity all her life, he convinces the child’s father and the villagers to block further visits from the goddess. He fails to understand the reason for the deity’s actions, and must make his own pilgrimage to her to make up for this mistake.

The story appears to deal with the theme of making one’s own choices in life, contrasted with the desire to serve an ideal. If this interpretation is correct, the work’s attitude is ambiguous. Strictly considered as entertainment, the plot is rather simple and straightforward. More satisfying are the characterizations of the protagonist and the very human goddess.

Victoria Silverwolf is working extra today.