Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Tongue, by Ashok K. Banker

Read this issue
(SF Horror) Married at age 10, she was determined to do anything to support her husband. No matter what. (2,580 words; Time: 08m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
Recommended By: RHorton:4

"," by (edited by John Joseph Adams), appeared in issue 87, published on .

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

Pro: Beyond the surface story, this seems to be a metaphor for the way young girls are married way too young and then exploited by older men. In this story, the exploitation literally takes away everything except her brain and her tongue.

There are a couple of ways to interpret the title. Maybe the most optimistic would be that as long as she has her tongue, she still has the power to change her fate--if only she'd decide to use it.

Con: The message is very heavy, and the character is so accepting of her fate that she’s difficult to identify with or even to sympathize with.

Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 87)
Ashok K. Banker Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline

Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.

1 comment (may contain spoilers):

  1. The point was just way too over-the-top exaggerated for me.

    ReplyDelete