(Historical Fantasy) In 1968 Montreal, Gus joins the FLQ and helps mount terrorist attacks in the name of Quebecois independence. (4,828 words; Time: 16m)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended
"Le lundi de la matraque (Nightstick Monday)," by Claire Humphrey [bio] (edited by Jane Crowley and Kate Dollarhyde), appeared in Strange Horizons issue 05/08/17, published on May 8, 2017.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: It makes for a visit to a bit of history we rarely hear much about these days.
Con: Although Gus is clearly some sort of supernatural creature, we never find out quite what she is. “Vampire” doesn’t quite work, unless daytime just doesn’t bother her.
Nor is Gus really trying to accomplish anything. She doesn’t really care about the FLQ—she just likes Marguerite. The text doesn't develop the romantic plot either, however. None of the characters is developed very much.
That leaves us with no plot and a completely superfluous supernatural element.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 05/08/17)
Claire Humphrey Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Con: Although Gus is clearly some sort of supernatural creature, we never find out quite what she is. “Vampire” doesn’t quite work, unless daytime just doesn’t bother her.
Nor is Gus really trying to accomplish anything. She doesn’t really care about the FLQ—she just likes Marguerite. The text doesn't develop the romantic plot either, however. None of the characters is developed very much.
That leaves us with no plot and a completely superfluous supernatural element.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 05/08/17)
Claire Humphrey Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
I got a good halfway through thinking this was historical fiction when it finally clicked that Gus was supernatural. Apparently Gus is a recurring character of Claire Humphrey's. Here's a blog post I found: http://dickensianfantasy.blogspot.com/2017/05/fictionfightsback-civil-liberties.html
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