★★★☆☆ Average
(Time-Travel Humor) The aliens have offered pharaoh his choice of miracles. Why is he set on getting a pyramid? (2,509 words; Time: 08m)
"Another View of the Matter Addressed in Shelley’s “Ozymandias”," by Tim McDaniel [bio] (edited by Trevor Quachri), appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact issue 05-06|18, published on April 19, 2018 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The ending, when we realize they ended up making pyramids for the Mayas too, is pretty funny.
Pharaoh’s arguments for wanting a pyramid aren’t completely nuts, but they’re comical if you don’t think too hard about it. The consternation of the aliens is the best part, of course.
Con: The history and geography are pretty bad. Khufu dates from about 2589 BC, but he talks about things (e.g. “the Sea People”) from much later in history. Likewise, the aliens talk about returning to “the other big southern continent” but the Mayan pyramids are in North America. For that matter, Africa is more in the northern hemisphere than the south.
And, of course, the idea that the aliens would offer just a single work to a single ruler on the planet is really hard to believe. They're as nutty as he is!
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 05-06|18)
Tim McDaniel Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Pharaoh’s arguments for wanting a pyramid aren’t completely nuts, but they’re comical if you don’t think too hard about it. The consternation of the aliens is the best part, of course.
Con: The history and geography are pretty bad. Khufu dates from about 2589 BC, but he talks about things (e.g. “the Sea People”) from much later in history. Likewise, the aliens talk about returning to “the other big southern continent” but the Mayan pyramids are in North America. For that matter, Africa is more in the northern hemisphere than the south.
And, of course, the idea that the aliens would offer just a single work to a single ruler on the planet is really hard to believe. They're as nutty as he is!
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 05-06|18)
Tim McDaniel Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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