(Time Travel) Fifty older copies of the narrator have come back in time to warn him not to make a terrible mistake. Pity none of them agrees on what it is. (5,611 words; Time: 18m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
"Shakesville," by Adam-Troy Castro [bio] and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro [bio] (edited by Trevor Quachri), appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact issue 03-04|17, published on February 16, 2017 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: It’s a cute and amusing concept. The most consistent explanation of what’s happening is that the copies will all vanish and only the original will survive, meaning that Four has lured the narrator to his death. But the narrator’s life is so empty that he doesn’t care.
Con: It’s silly and contradicts itself. If the copies don’t eat, drink, or eliminate, then why do they smell? Why do they need showers? And how can Four replace the narrator, given that he doesn’t eat or drink? For that matter, why did all the rest believe Four when he told them it was over?
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 03-04|17)
Adam-Troy Castro Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Alvaro Zinos-Amaro Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Con: It’s silly and contradicts itself. If the copies don’t eat, drink, or eliminate, then why do they smell? Why do they need showers? And how can Four replace the narrator, given that he doesn’t eat or drink? For that matter, why did all the rest believe Four when he told them it was over?
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 03-04|17)
Adam-Troy Castro Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Alvaro Zinos-Amaro Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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