★★★★☆ Recommended
Uplifting story in which Dave, a scientist who is losing his sight and hearing to Usher syndrome, attempts to communicate with aliens that neither see nor hear. (8,700 words; Time: 29m)
Recommended By: πRSR+1 (Q&A)
"Usher," by Jay Werkheiser [bio] (edited by Trevor Quachri), appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact issue 01-02|15, published on November 3, 2014 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2015.014 (A Word for Authors)
Pro:Usher Syndrome is a real thing. It doesn't really help Dave solve the puzzle, of course, but that's okay. His insight that the aliens use magnetic fields and that they experience spectra is what solves it, and he does this despite his handicap. The end is very satisfying not just because the puzzle is solved but because Dave has found a valuable role he can fulfill now.
Con: The rush by the UN to take over seems a bit contrived. It artificially adds urgency. The notion that the aliens are about to leave seems odd, since they seemed to be in desperate need of boron--where were they going? And the idea of doing a gravitational assist off another star to come here is ridiculous.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01-02|15)
Jay Werkheiser Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro:Usher Syndrome is a real thing. It doesn't really help Dave solve the puzzle, of course, but that's okay. His insight that the aliens use magnetic fields and that they experience spectra is what solves it, and he does this despite his handicap. The end is very satisfying not just because the puzzle is solved but because Dave has found a valuable role he can fulfill now.
Con: The rush by the UN to take over seems a bit contrived. It artificially adds urgency. The notion that the aliens are about to leave seems odd, since they seemed to be in desperate need of boron--where were they going? And the idea of doing a gravitational assist off another star to come here is ridiculous.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01-02|15)
Jay Werkheiser Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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ReplyDeleteI kinda like this one, how alien is potrayed as truly alien with incomprehensible way of communication unlike most sci-fi aliens. it got the vibes of the film Arrival, but even better as this was released 2 years before the movie! Yes I'm aware of the novella but most people haven't heard of it before the adaptation.
ReplyDeleteFor aliens that are hard to communicate with, I like the ones C.J. Cherryh created for "Pride of Chanur" and its sequels. The written form is two dimensional, and all the paths (or all the orthogonal ones) mean something.
DeleteThanks for the tip! Added to my (ever-growing) list π
ReplyDelete