Monday, June 13, 2016

Life in Stone, Glass, and Plastic, by José Pablo Iriarte

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(Modern Fantasy) Sergio is called to remove an offensive mural, but when he touches it, it makes him "remember" things from other people's lives. (4,361 words; Time: 14m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Recommended
Recommended By: Readers

"," by (edited by Niall Harrison), appeared in issue 06/13/16, published on .

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

Pro: Sergio sets out to remove the mural, then to understand it, and finally to get one for himself. It's a nice setup that lets us know how much he loves his wife, and how bad her dementia is, and abruptly realize that the magic of the murals might be enough to bring her memories back. The symmetry of murals that remember too much and an elderly woman who doesn't remember enough.

Vita, the artist, gets something from it too. Her art is literally magical, yet she has only used it to show pain and suffering. Sergio and Carolina show her that there is more to life than loss.

Con: It seems odd that there's no price for these murals. Not in money, and not in blood either. It weakens the story a bit that Sergio gets something so valuable for so little cost.

The final sentence is a bit awkward, telling us things we already know.

Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 06/13/16)
José Pablo Iriarte Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline

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