Thursday, March 8, 2018

Dix, by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

[Asimov's]
★★★☆☆ Average

(SF Adventure; Diving Universe) An accident in foldspace stranded the Ivoire 5,000 years in its own future, and Dix, the second-in-command, had more trouble adjusting than anyone else. Maybe even enough to make him a threat to everyone else. (19,426 words; Time: 1h:04m)

Although this is an episode in a much larger universe, this story stands alone well enough to be read in isolation.

"Dix," by (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in issue 03-04|18, published on by .

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

Pro:  It’s a real pleasure to watch Yash and Coop working together in a calm, professional, way to solve the problem of Dix’s suicide and sabotage with no loss of life.

Con: They’re so calm and professional that the whole thing has a very sterile feel to it, and there’s not much tension at all. The lack of direct involvement of any other characters gives the story a spooky feel, as though these three are the only people around at all.

Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 03-04|18)
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5 comments (may contain spoilers):

  1. I liked this. I rate it a 4-star myself, and I don't read a lot of military SF as a general rule.

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    Replies
    1. Can you articulate what you liked about it? (I know that's hard to do sometimes.) This one probably merits an honorable mention, since the narration and dialogue are perfect (as in all KKR stories) and there's a clear plot. I'll add that to the fix list.

      But I'm not seeing that special extra something that makes it 4 stars.

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  2. I really liked how it started and just drew me in as the story progressed. Reading it, I really started to feel for all the characters who are in the predicament - putting on a brave face knowing they will never get home. I did feel tension in the story.

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    Replies
    1. Have you read the other stories in the Diving Universe?

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  3. I've read Lieutenant Tightass (published in Asimov's). I liked it so much I nominated it for Best Novelette in the Hugos. Three of my other nominations in this category did get short-listed.

    I think it won an Asimov's Readers Choice.

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