Saturday, January 9, 2016

The Virgin Played Bass, by Maria Dahvana Headley

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(Fantasy) In a war-torn Europe, a refugee meets a man-sized cat, and they create a travelling show, picking up others as they keep ahead of the fighting. (8,722 words; Time: 29m)

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended

"," by (edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas), appeared in issue 8, published on .

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

Pro: This story combines elements from the Musicians of Bremen, Puss in Boots, and probably a few other Grimm Fairy Tales. It has a few really funny lines. E.g. "Who do you seek in the sepulcher?" said the Virgin. "No, that asshole of a Cat has risen. Seek him in the bar."

Con: It's a long, stream-of-consciousness mess. Tedious to read, and although it all seems highly symbolic, it's not at all clear what it's supposed to mean. The interview with the author suggests that it doesn't mean anything at all. The pieces have meaning, but the whole doesn't appear to.

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3 comments (may contain spoilers):

  1. This was weird as hell, but the dream-like fairytale mashup worked for me.

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    Replies
    1. Yes. I've really struggled with some stories from this writer, but the ones that work really connect for me. I find I have to really turn down my critical faculties and just go with the flow to see where it ends up.
      Another story of hers I really liked was "And the winners will be swept out to sea"

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    2. Thanks, I'll have to check that one out. Sometimes a really quirky story will resonate with me for whatever reason. In other cases, I won't be able to get into them at all.

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