(Fantasy Horror) Bishop created Mary, a living doll, and charges local men to see her perform. She resents doing it, and she resents the way he keeps tinkering with her. But what can she do? (4,700 words; Time: 15m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
"The Bells," by Lyndsie Manusos [bio] (edited by Jason Sizemore), appeared in Apex Magazine issue 93, published on February 7, 2017.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The hints that Mary used to be human and has been reduced to this state make the story horribly chilling. The final scene, where he takes away most of her mind, is the most chilling of all.
Con: It doesn’t quite make sense. If she was human to begin with, then why does she have the joints of a puppet? If not, what does it mean that she and Bishop loved each other? What is Henry’s issue? And what is the meaning of Abraham’s poem?
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 93)
Lyndsie Manusos Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Con: It doesn’t quite make sense. If she was human to begin with, then why does she have the joints of a puppet? If not, what does it mean that she and Bishop loved each other? What is Henry’s issue? And what is the meaning of Abraham’s poem?
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 93)
Lyndsie Manusos Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Intriguing, but brutal. It was just way too ambiguous though.
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