(Tale) In the style of the Arabian Nights, this story tells the tale Batyr related to his wife after an evening with a great poet. (6,571 words)
Rating: 2,
Not recommended
"Do Not Forget Me," by Ray Nayler, appeared in the March 2016 issue of Asimov's Science Fiction, published February 18, 2016, by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The chiastic style (nested stories) is typical of the Arabian Nights stories. Likewise the countless sidetracks to explain some detail only to announce its unimportance. The core story of the ancient immortal has a more modern feel to it, and we're both surprised at the murders in the night as well as the survival of the slaver.
Con: Modern stories have structure; tales do not. In a modern story, almost everything happens for a purpose; in a tale, things happen for no apparent reason. This is a good tale, but it's a bad story.
Con: Modern stories have structure; tales do not. In a modern story, almost everything happens for a purpose; in a tale, things happen for no apparent reason. This is a good tale, but it's a bad story.
No comments (may contain spoilers):
Post a Comment (comment policy)