Thursday, January 7, 2016

The Mama Mmiri, by Walter Dinjos

(African Fantasy) The narrator's twin died in a caisson, but he's sure the foreigner supervising the construction sacrificed him to the water spirit. (4,208 words)

Rating: 3, Good, ordinary, story
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"," by appeared in the issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies (Issue 190).

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

Pro: The story does a good job of building up suspense. We wonder if the narrator will somehow manage to sacrifice Baba Tunde after all. He does, but at terrible cost to himself.

Con: The story is simple and linear. It's also a bit disappointing that the story seems to glorify destroying the bridge, which must be a real loss to the villagers. 

2 comments (may contain spoilers):

  1. I enjoyed listening to the podcast read by the author himself.

    I think the construction of the bridge was more of an outside imposition on the villagers than a potential benefit. Particularly since they were literally being sacrificed for it.

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  2. There wasn't anything I disliked about this story. It was well-written and the pacing was good. But at the same time, there wasn't anything I really loved about it either. An enjoyable read, but pretty average.

    3/5

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