Saturday, March 31, 2018

Never the Twain, by Michael Reid

[Interzone]
★★★☆☆ Average

(SF) A single “twain” experiences being Saif Haddaoui, a young man dying of cancer in 2018, and Hjørdis Landsverk, a young woman living in 2681. The twain doesn’t know what happens if Saif dies, but it also fears the effects of saving him. (3,969 words; Time: 13m)


"Never the Twain," by (edited by Andy Cox), appeared in issue 274, published on by .

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

Pro: This very emotional story recounts how Hjørdis ultimately experienced and accepted the death of Saif, which was the death of half of herself.

Perhaps the most moving thing is that Devon loved her despite how strange she was. From the text, we’d expect Devon to have a very hard time believing this story about being two different people in different times, and yet he’s consistently accepting. His last line, “Tell me about Saif,” shows that even if he doesn’t understand, he still supports Hjørdis regardless.

Con: There’s a lot of material in the story that doesn’t go anywhere. Saif relates his experience of being persecuted as a Muslim in America, and Hjørdis ties it to the Catchment, but neither ever matters to the story.

Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 274)
Michael Reid Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline

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