★★★★☆ Short but Very Effective
(Dystopia) Levi is not telling this story. He is not a freedom fighter—the world is so perfect no one needs to be a freedom fighter. Secrets don’t exist anymore. (525 words; Time: 01m)
Recommended By: SFRevu+1 RHorton+1 JMcGregor+1
"A List of Forty-Nine Lies," by Steven Fischer [bio] (edited by C.C. Finlay), appeared in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction issue 01-02|18, published on January 2, 2018 by Spilogale Inc.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2018.047 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: It tells such a sad story about a suicide bomber avenging his wife and child and striking a blow against a totalitarian state. Presumably by thinking only in lies he can defeat the hovering machines that read minds.
These lies tell quite a story. About a revolution that put the New Dawn in charge, about Levi’s personal tragedy, about the counterrevolution, and even about their strategy.
The last three lies: “I am not afraid. I am not afraid. I am not afraid” are chilling.
Impressive how much is packed into 500 words.
Con: Given its length, it doesn’t have much character development or setting description.
It’s a song of praise to a suicide bomber.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01-02|18)
Steven Fischer Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: It tells such a sad story about a suicide bomber avenging his wife and child and striking a blow against a totalitarian state. Presumably by thinking only in lies he can defeat the hovering machines that read minds.
These lies tell quite a story. About a revolution that put the New Dawn in charge, about Levi’s personal tragedy, about the counterrevolution, and even about their strategy.
The last three lies: “I am not afraid. I am not afraid. I am not afraid” are chilling.
Impressive how much is packed into 500 words.
Con: Given its length, it doesn’t have much character development or setting description.
It’s a song of praise to a suicide bomber.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 01-02|18)
Steven Fischer Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Amazingly effective for such a short piece.
ReplyDeleteAuthor's last name is spelt "Fischer" with a c.
DeleteThanks, fixed. The error was in F&SF's TOC (repeated in reviews by other reviewers) but I should have noticed the discrepancy when I looked up the author's website.
DeleteAh, yes, I see it at Tangent and Goodreads. They've corrected it in the Kindle edition now. I noticed Rich Horton in his Locus column got the last name correct, but called him Simon -- oops.
Delete