★★★★☆ Clever and Chilling
(SF Horror) On the moon, Laurie returns from investigating the aftermath of a large, nearby impact with nothing interesting to report. Until a second “Laurie” turns up a few minutes later. (4,678 words; Time: 15m)
"In Event of Moon Disaster," by Rich Larson [bio] (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction issue 03-04|18, published on February 15, 2018 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The story gradually ratchets up the seriousness of the situation, telling us that only two “Lauries” will survive. When we see the sea of Lauries milling around the launch site, we realize just how terrible the situation is.
The ending, showing a second hopper approaching the rendezvous is perfect.
Con: Sol is a pretty wishy-washy character who's hard to root for. We don’t get emotionally attached to him or any of the Lauries.
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The ending, showing a second hopper approaching the rendezvous is perfect.
Con: Sol is a pretty wishy-washy character who's hard to root for. We don’t get emotionally attached to him or any of the Lauries.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 03-04|18)
Rich Larson Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
This was really well-done (as Larson always is) - but it's also basically Rogue Moon without the latter story's intense psychological dynamics.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree the ending with the second hopper is perfect, it's also the kind of thing that doesn't stand up to the slightest bit of scrutiny afterward.
Yeah, it's not exactly hard SF. :-)
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