(Metafiction) Cynae lives in a house in the woods, where she making a living spinning silk. She has reasons to want to be alone. (5,969 words; Time: 19m)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended
"Bombyx mori," by Kerstin Hall [bio] (edited by Niall Harrison), appeared in Strange Horizons issue 01/09/17, published on January 9, 2017.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The prose is very pretty. Presumably at the end we learn that Cynae is a ghost, so the lie when she said “I live here alone” was that, in fact, no one lived there.
Con: There’s not really a story here—just an extended word game. Who was the man? Why did he die? What does the yellow silk mean? Who is the one-legged girl? Perhaps there’s a meaning to extract from all this, but I’m not seeing it.
The author does repeatedly warn us to “stop reading now.” It’s good advice.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01/09/17)
Kerstin Hall Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB
Con: There’s not really a story here—just an extended word game. Who was the man? Why did he die? What does the yellow silk mean? Who is the one-legged girl? Perhaps there’s a meaning to extract from all this, but I’m not seeing it.
The author does repeatedly warn us to “stop reading now.” It’s good advice.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01/09/17)
Kerstin Hall Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB
You stole my joke in your con section! >_<
ReplyDeleteYeah, this was just too rambling. It was kind of entertaining at first, but then it just goes on every which way.
ReplyDelete