Monday, June 6, 2016

Lost: Mind, by Will McIntosh

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(SF) Before Mimi dies from Alzheimer's, Walter gets her an illegal consciousness transfer done in India. Then all he has to do is sneak the copy back into the US. (9,502 words; Time: 31m)

Rating: ★★★★★ Tense, Clever, and Moving
Recommended By: SFRevu:4

"Lost: Mind," by (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in issue 07|16, published on by .

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

Pro: A marvelous story, with lots and lots of tension and lots of emotion too.

From the very start, the author shows us how much Mimi means to Walter, and we feel his very real pain at each step of her reconstruction. Each step of the recovery process tells us more about Walter's family and friends, and, of course, more about Walter himself.

By the time Walter goes to meet with Agent Winnette, we know that only a day or so is left, and we know that Mimi cannot continue as she is. If Walter can't get those nine pieces, he's lost everything--and by this point we understand just how much that is.

The scene at the end where Winnette throws the duplicate pieces at Walter punctures the tension perfectly, and it tells us that Winnette isn't going to report them to the FBI (because now she's complicit). The ending is 100% satisfactory.

Con: Why didn't they just ship the pieces via DHL or FedEx?

Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 07|16)
Will McIntosh Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline

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4 comments (may contain spoilers):

  1. Replies
    1. It's nice to find stories that are well-written (good narration and dialogue) and well-plotted, with 3D characters whom I actually like.

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  2. I had a glimmer of hope when I saw the cover story was a Will McIntosh one. I was not disappointed.

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    Replies
    1. Hmmm. So far, I've reviewed four of his stories, and given them 2, 3, 4, and 5 stars--in that order. Either he's improving dramatically or else he's growing on me. :-)

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