(Modern Fantasy) Imani mourns the loss of her grandfather, so she goes to a clinic where sufferers of chronic grief can get over it by learning to “airswim.” (4,091 words; Time: 13m)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended
This is really a mainstream story with a very small speculative element added to it.
"Airswimming," by Aisha Phoenix [bio] (edited by Jane Crowley and Kate Dollarhyde), appeared in Strange Horizons issue 10/09/17, published on October 9, 2017.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: It makes the point that sometimes we grieve for people who don’t deserve our sorrow, but our grieving is no less real. When the girls let themselves mourn for their abusive relatives, they finally get peace.
Con: This is a mainstream story with a tiny bit of fantasy clumsily stuck into it. It’s pretty dull into the bargain. Among other things, it’s almost half-way over before you even find out what the plot is.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 10/09/17)
Aisha Phoenix Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Con: This is a mainstream story with a tiny bit of fantasy clumsily stuck into it. It’s pretty dull into the bargain. Among other things, it’s almost half-way over before you even find out what the plot is.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 10/09/17)
Aisha Phoenix Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
I liked the atmosphere, and I thought the airswimming was an apt metaphor for working through grief.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely had its strengths.
DeleteI couldn't help feeling this was originally a mainstream story that didn't sell, so the author stuck a little bit of fantasy onto it.
Hmmm, doesn't seemed tacked on to me.
Delete