Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Dall's Last Message, by Antha Ann Adkins

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(SF) Dal approaches the end of it's life and wishes to leave a worthy message to posterity--if the waterwraiths will leave it alone long enough. (2,104 words; Time: 07m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Captivating, Moving, and yet Completely Alien

"Dall's Last Message," by (edited by Trevor Quachri), appeared in issue 01-02|17, published on by .

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

Pro: Even though Dal is very, very alien to us, we completely understand its desire to leave something behind to guide future generations, and we admire the lengths it goes to to make that happen. In the moment of its death, it achieves a triumph beyond anything it had imagined.

The author does an excellent job of introducing us to the seasaucers and their world without ever resorting to an infodump. More impressive, we buy into Dal's quest and feel a mix of joy and pain when it succeeds right at the moment of its death.

Con: Arguably, the solution is too easy. Dal gets what it wants simply by asking nicely.

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