(SF Adventure) A rich aristocrat hires Kaslo to track down her young heir, who has gone off to a wild, dangerous continent with an off-world woman he barely knows. (8,566 words; Time: 28m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average
"Solicited Discordance," by Matthew Hughes [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 best part of this story is the plot twist where we learn that Clotilde is doing actual research, that Mah, a stalker, is the real threat, and that Clotilde and Delabond are genuinely interested in each other.
It’s also nice to learn that the staff really like Delabond. It makes the whole investigation seem worthwhile.
Con: None of the characters really comes to life somehow.
The “solicited discordance” idea seemed interesting in concept, but here it mostly seems to serve as an excuse for stalking someone.
There’s some confusion as to the planet’s name. In some places it’s called “Novo Bantry” but in others it seems to be called “Indoberia,” although it’s possible the latter is a continent or something.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01-02|18)
Matthew Hughes Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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It’s also nice to learn that the staff really like Delabond. It makes the whole investigation seem worthwhile.
Con: None of the characters really comes to life somehow.
The “solicited discordance” idea seemed interesting in concept, but here it mostly seems to serve as an excuse for stalking someone.
There’s some confusion as to the planet’s name. In some places it’s called “Novo Bantry” but in others it seems to be called “Indoberia,” although it’s possible the latter is a continent or something.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01-02|18)
Matthew Hughes Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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