Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Greeves and the Evening Star, by Matthew Hughes

Old Venus, 2015; ~11,700 words
Rating: 3, Good, ordinary, story  Recommended By:   SFRevu:4

Bartie (accompanied by his accomplished butler Greeves) is shanghaied to Venus by an old school friend who is studying the local wildlife and needs a bit of help.

This is done in the style of P.G. Wodehouse's "Wooster and Jeeves" stories. Start with Carry On Jeeves, if you're interested in the original.

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

Pro: If you're a Wodehouse fan, the voice of Bartie (for Bertie) is pitch-perfect. The endless classical allusions are hysterical. The plot is straightforward: Bartie wants to solve Baldie's problem so he can return to Earth; once the problem is solved (albeit not the way Baldie wanted it solved) and everyone is on the ship back, the story ends. It's a great twist that Baldie's great love is a great newt, but that all she sees in him is food for her young. As expected, Greeves is the real hero.

Con: If you are not a P.G. Wodehouse fan, the narration is likely to drive you nuts. (If not, definitely consider reading "Carry On Jeeves.) Stripped of the connection to Wodehouse, the story loses most of its magic and just seems silly.


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