Thursday, February 9, 2017

The Lights We Carried Home, by Kay Chronister

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(Cambodian Horror/Mystery) Thirteen years after Dara’s sister Sopha disappeared, a foreign film crew comes to their village asking awkward questions about what really happened to the little girl. (4,977 words; Time: 16m)

Rating: ★★★★☆ Chilling and Gripping

"," by (edited by Niall Harrison), appeared in issue 02/06/17, published on .

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

Pro: Dara solves the mystery, and she buries Sopha’s body in the middle of town to admonish all the townspeople who were complicit in her death. The filmmakers finally believe her to at least some degree—the sacks of rice they leave attest to that.

The revelation that the neighbors killed Sopha due to their fear of ghosts is a real shocker. One of those moments that surprises us with something we instantly know is true. At the same time, it raises our opinion of Ming, and it tells us how naΓ―ve Dara is.

Con: The solution is too easy. We’re told Dara is at risk from the angry ghosts, but she takes no real precautions and we never feel she’s in any danger.

It’s hard to believe the film crew would stay around after the director died.

Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 02/06/17)
Kay Chronister Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline

1 comment (may contain spoilers):

  1. Here's an interesting blog I found on the Cambodian background of the story: https://www.fictionunbound.com/blog/ghosts-of-cambodia

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