(SF) Haelice pilots the starship Sanctuary of Divine Intent on behalf of the "angel" who commands it. The angel has detected one of her kind, a feral, and risks the starship chasing it. (6,783 words; Time: 22m)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended
"The Angel of Divine Intent," by Tim Akers [bio] (edited by Niall Harrison), appeared in Strange Horizons issue 03/07/16, published on March 7, 2016.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: Once you realize the religious language simply describes technology, it's fun to unravel it. The notion that the angels of scripture were actually aliens who could be awakened and partner with us to explore space was interesting.
Con: Too much of the story is incomprehensible. As the rogue angel said:
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 03/07/16)
Tim Akers Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB
Con: Too much of the story is incomprehensible. As the rogue angel said:
Not understanding is part of it. Not understanding is it.But that's not good enough for a story. We're left with too many questions. Also, much of the content of the story is hard to understand--not just the ending. For example, is Haelice immortal or not? Does she change bodies or just die? Are the saints just copies of pilots? Why so many after just two centuries? What good were they anyway? etc. And, of course, why was Divine Intent so determined to find this angel? Why was he so determined to die?
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 03/07/16)
Tim Akers Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB
Using Christian imagery to describe a space mission was intriguing but ultimately too cryptic for me.
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