★★★☆☆ Average
(SF) Nell left Koohar long ago, but now she’s trying to help the people fleeing from the ruins of the planet. (6,326 words; Time: 21m)
"Without Exile," by Eleanna Castroianni [bio] (edited by Neil Clarke), appeared in Clarkesworld issue 139, published on April 1, 2018.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: Nell gets back in touch with her roots and determines to use the prestige that comes with her unusual childless status to help lead her people.
Con: Very little happens in this story, and the situation at the end looks pretty hopeless.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 139)
Eleanna Castroianni Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Con: Very little happens in this story, and the situation at the end looks pretty hopeless.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 139)
Eleanna Castroianni Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
I enjoyed the style of the story. It reminded me a lot of the epic SF poem Aniara, written by Harry Martinson.
ReplyDeleteI tend to think of style as icing on the cake. It can make a good story great.
DeleteBut I felt this was a case of icing with no (or very little) cake.
I should definitely make more of a point of crediting stories for their style, though, even when I felt the story needed more substance.