(Colony SF) A couple of children are lost on the dangerous Barren Isle, which still has the original flora and fauna of Coyote. The search and rescue team will have their hands full. (10,806 words; Time: 36m)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended
"Barren Isle," by Allen M. Steele [bio] (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction issue 01-02|18, published on December 15, 2017 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The children are rescued, the native life is not harmed, and the evil cult leaders are slain.
Con: The enormous infodumps at the start of the story make for a tedious read. The author’s offer that we “feel free to skip this part” doesn’t help much.
Beyond that, the Book and Candle people are pure cardboard villains, and they’re hopelessly outclassed by the SNR team, so the victory at the end is unsatisfying.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01-02|18)
Allen M. Steele Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Con: The enormous infodumps at the start of the story make for a tedious read. The author’s offer that we “feel free to skip this part” doesn’t help much.
Beyond that, the Book and Candle people are pure cardboard villains, and they’re hopelessly outclassed by the SNR team, so the victory at the end is unsatisfying.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01-02|18)
Allen M. Steele Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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