(SF) Every refugee in the camp has a lotto number, and if it hits, he/she gets to go to the Mars colony. Eighteen-year-old William passes the time trying to score with the girls. (3,616 words; Time: 12m)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended
"Lotto," by Rich Larson [bio] (edited by Andy Cox), appeared in Interzone issue 263, published on March 23, 2016 by TTA Press.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: We're a little surprised that Yan is transsexual, but all the hints were there.
Con: There's no plot here; just a string of events. William doesn't do anything that advances his effort to get on the ship; his number comes up by luck. Nor does his background nor Yan's make any difference to the story; they're just random facts that never jell.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 263)
Rich Larson Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Con: There's no plot here; just a string of events. William doesn't do anything that advances his effort to get on the ship; his number comes up by luck. Nor does his background nor Yan's make any difference to the story; they're just random facts that never jell.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 263)
Rich Larson Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
This was rather slack and disappointing, wasn't it?
ReplyDeleteLarson often writes characters who are a bit Bro-ish, but this one was full-on douche.
I suppose the twist of "character tells a story and it turns out to be about them" was fairly well played, but that's the most I can say.