Saturday, November 21, 2015

On the Night of the Robo-Bulls and Zombie Dancers, by Nick Wolven

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In a nightmarish near-future New York where wake-up pills mean no one ever sleeps, Gabriel investigates strange behavior by his financial trading company's AIs. (21,200 words; Time: 1h:10m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Recommended
Recommended By: SFRevu:5

"," by (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in issue 02|15, published on by .

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Pro: There's a lot of symbolism here, and you pick up more the more you look at it. Gabriel, for example, is the angel who blows the trumpet that announces the end of the world. In this story, though, he journeys through a series of challenges, with his wife Marisol (a version of the Virgin Mary) giving him aid when he needs it. You can spend time trying to decide what each step in his journey means, or you can just enjoy the ride. It works either way.

He finds that the holy hermit whose advice he sought is a madman, escapes him too, rejoins his wife, and finally sees the world as it really is.

Con: Symbolic journey or no, it describes a place so broken it couldn't function at all. We're not really emotionally invested in Gabriel, so the ending hasn't got much punch.

Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 02|15)
Nick Wolven Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline

1 comment (may contain spoilers):

  1. This time I felt the story goes way longer than it should and it drags. Settings and plot is not too bad altho it’s filled with symbolism messages. Also the insanity of the city makes Gotham even without Batman seems like a toddler’s playpen.

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