The Fix finally reviewed November’s Strange Horizons, yay! But the reviewer did not dig my story that much, boo.
K. Tempest Bradford offers an interesting look at the effects of continually reflecting on national tragedy in “Until Forgiveness Comes,” but the story is a little too ambitious for its length. Set in a fictional world with very direct real world analogies (setting it in the real world would have strengthened the gut level emotional response), Bradford questions the reasons people have for needing to remember and the methods in which they remember. Told within the unnecessary framing device of a radio report, the ghosts of the victims of an al-Qaida-esque terrorist attack reappear each year on the anniversary of the attacks when a memorial service, haitai, is held in their memory. The piece looks at the individuals who come to see their loved ones in their final moments. Unfortunately, given its brevity, and the mock radio reportage, Bradford can’t fully explore any of the issues she raises, leaving the piece an interesting one, but not one that fulfills its potential.
Ah well. But! I am glad they reviewed it. I need to create a reviews section for this story, methinks.
I didn’t find it too ambitious – the form of the story told me precisely why I wasn’t going to get a lot of context on its contents, and while I agree with Dianne that I’d read more about that world in a hot second, I just accepted and went with the flow of seeing only a fragment written for insiders who don’t need every detail of “how we got here” spelled out.
I think the reviewer found it compelling, but wanted more. Not really a bad review.
I was intrigued by the concept of a culture in which the colonizers and conquerers had come, centuries before, from Egypt and the resulting “terrorists” were from the U.K. I’d read more about that world…
“Too ambitious for its length” sound like something to take heart from!
Actually, it sounds like the reviewer liked it enough to explore its shortfalls, and to imply that you may want to do a longer version to get what he/she feels you missed.