Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Summer at Grandma's House, by Hao Jingfang (translated by Carmen Yiling Yan)

Clarkesworld Magazine, October 2015; 4,843 words
Rating: 3, Good, ordinary, story  Recommended By:   SFRevu:4

In China, a failing student decides to spend the summer with his grandmother, an eccentric scientist.

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

Pro: Grandma's crazy house is a nice metaphor for how things can be different from expectations and yet still be perfectly useful. Zhanzhan gradually learns his grandmother's lesson; that making the best use of your past (the only way evolution works) can be the best choice for the future.

Con: The ending is a bit forced. The thief next door serves little real purpose in the story. And, unlike evolution, real people need to make some intelligent decisions.

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