★★★★☆ Funny and Full of Surprises
(Space Opera Humor; Kango and Sharon) Sharon and Kango have to go back to their home worlds to capture an ultimate weapon that threatens the galaxy, or else they’ll never achieve their dream of opening a restaurant. (10,600 words; Time: 35m)
Recommended By: 👍BASFF.hm+1 👍GDozois.r+1 👍RHorton.r+1 👍RSR+1 (Q&A)
"A Temporary Embarrassment in Spacetime," by Charlie Jane Anders [bio] (edited by John Joseph Adams), appeared in Cosmic Powers (RSR review), published on April 18, 2017 by Saga Press.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2017.035 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: The story is hysterical. “How may we pervert you today?” Or “I am everything, and I’ve been robbed!” (Think about that one a bit.) Or Kango saying “I like my equations ice cold” upon discovering a stowaway.
The characters are likewise excellent. Jura’s observation that Sharon and Kango “are everything to each other” is really poignant.
There’s plenty of tension throughout the story, and the twist at the end is beautifully foreshadowed and yet still comes as a surprise.
We’d like to read more about the adventures of these two.
Con: The story is silly enough that we aren’t emotionally attached to any of the characters.
Other Reviews: Search Web, GoodReads.com
Charlie Jane Anders Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Pro: The story is hysterical. “How may we pervert you today?” Or “I am everything, and I’ve been robbed!” (Think about that one a bit.) Or Kango saying “I like my equations ice cold” upon discovering a stowaway.
The characters are likewise excellent. Jura’s observation that Sharon and Kango “are everything to each other” is really poignant.
There’s plenty of tension throughout the story, and the twist at the end is beautifully foreshadowed and yet still comes as a surprise.
We’d like to read more about the adventures of these two.
Con: The story is silly enough that we aren’t emotionally attached to any of the characters.
Other Reviews: Search Web, GoodReads.com
Charlie Jane Anders Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Possibly a bit too gonzo for me but definitely great fun.
ReplyDeleteIt falls in the category of "Too much fun not to recommend."
DeleteI keep thinking of Jura apologizing for yelling "You are everything!" because it's just too strong a habit.
This is hilarious. I love it.
ReplyDeleteNow online at Lightspeed:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/a-temporary-embarrassment-in-spacetime/