Saturday, July 1, 2017

The Significance of Significance, by Robert Reed

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(SF) A young woman reacts to the news that our universe is just a simulation by making wild choices that her family has to deal with. (5,330 words; Time: 17m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

"," by (edited by Neil Clarke), appeared in issue 130, published on .

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

Pro: It’s an interesting exploration of how different people would react to such unsettling news.

Con: Nothing of interest is done with the idea itself. It’s all about the people who’re affected by Sarah’s decision to have (and then dump) a baby. One could have had the same effect in a mainstream story where Sarah simply came to believe the universe was a simulation.

There’s no protagonist and no plot. The focus character, Sarah, has no goals and is completely unlikable.

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4 comments (may contain spoilers):

  1. Very philosophical! An interesting look at how different beliefs can put people in different "universes" from each other.

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  2. A rather simple analysis. The fact that Sarah was pregnant in itself created a universe within a universe and the parallel is much more interesting than if she had just 'had a thought' In addition, her unconventional view of Motherhood as a young nisve girl where it is a curiosity and objective spectacle also parallel the society she lives in and her change as an older mother... I mean, if you dissmiss this aspect of the story telling then it's understandable that you didn't find it that interesting!

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    Replies
    1. My comment was in regard to Greg Hullenders 'pros and cons' remark.

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    2. I'm glad you found something to like about the story, but I'm still not seeing what you're seeing. Reed is a great writer, but he writes an awful lot of stuff. It can't all be good nor appeal to all people.

      Generally, if I dislike the protagonist I'm not going to explore the story in depth. Once I've explained why I didn't like a story, it feels like I'm piling on if I go on and on about why it was so bad. These are called "mini-reviews" because they're intended to be the starting point for discussions about the stories. I don't pretend that they represent the absolute, complete truth. :-)

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