(Mainstream) Two women mourn the death of a childhood friend and try to make peace with themselves by returning the mysterious skeleton that tore them apart as teenagers. (6,750 words; Time: 22m)
Rating: Not Rated No Speculative Element
"The Cold Side of the Island," by Kali Wallace [bio] (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction issue 12|16, published on October 27, 2016 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: This story is really about mourning not just a lost friend, but a lost childhood, and a lost past. Both women seem to come back stronger from the ritual.
Con: There's absolutely no indication of anything supernatural at all.
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Con: There's absolutely no indication of anything supernatural at all.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites
I can't believe I wasted my time on this story. This is not science fiction. It's not even fantasy. Its a depressing story that about boring people with boring lives. I don't read Asimov to read about other people's boring lives. I read to escape my own life for a while.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why they occasionally publish non-speculative stories, but all the magazines seem to do that from time to time. The best I can say is that it's rare. But I agree entirely that it's annoying.
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