(Post-Apocalypse) Even though she’s just a little girl, Aneko keeps looking for a way to escape the slavers who ambushed her mother’s coach and captured her. (11,493 words; Time: 38m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
"Last Chance," by Nicole Kornher-Stace [bio] (edited by Neil Clarke), appeared in Clarkesworld issue 130, published on July 1, 2017.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The author captures Aneko’s childish voice perfectly. Aneko’s desire to escape—or at least to not die—keeps her going. It’s gratifying when she and Nina find technology that might help them fight the scavengers.
Con: It’s hard to believe any technology would still work after all that time.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 130)
Nicole Kornher-Stace Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Con: It’s hard to believe any technology would still work after all that time.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 130)
Nicole Kornher-Stace Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Yes, I liked the child's voice too, and Kate Baker does a nice job with it in the podcast.
ReplyDeleteMy thought about the armor was that a girl small enough to go where adults can't would be lost in it unless it adapts to the wearer.
Lots of world-building here. I wonder if there will be more in this setting.
Ah, just learned that this is in the same setting as her novel Archivist Wasp and its forthcoming sequel Latchkey.
ReplyDeleteI really need a way to flag a story with something like "I don't recommend the story itself, but if there's a novel in this universe, I want to read it."
DeleteSeveral times now I've actually bought (and enjoyed) a novel set in the world of a short story I only gave three stars. This happens because some concepts are very cool but they just need more space to develop them.