(Time Travel) An "illness" causes a man to wake each morning in the previous day, and as he lives his life backwards, he sees the mistakes he made. (3,036 words; Time: 10m)
Rating: ★★★★☆ Recommended
"Against The Stream," by A Que [bio] (translated by Nick Stember, edited by Neil Clarke), appeared in Clarkesworld issue 118, published on July 1, 2016.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The sad descriptions of how he stifled his poor wife's desire to live give this story enormous poignancy. By the end, we realize the protagonist doesn't want to be a bad man, and his choice to edit himself out of reality rather than ruin his wife's life makes complete sense. He fails to cure his illness, but he wins a more important victory.
Narration and dialogue are both clean and natural.
Con: The scientist offering advice is a little too convenient.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 118)
A Que Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Narration and dialogue are both clean and natural.
Con: The scientist offering advice is a little too convenient.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 118)
A Que Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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