★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended
(Surreal) Cal has never recovered from his war injuries. Injuries to his psyche, not his brain or even his mind. But the effects keep bleeding through into the real world. (5,000 words; Time: 16m)
"Stars so Sharp They Break the Skin," by Matthew Sanborn Smith [bio] (edited by Jason Sizemore), appeared in Apex Magazine issue 108, published on May 1, 2018.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: There are some good humorous moments, such as learning that Ginny’s pet is really just a portrait of a parrot. And then finding the portrait of an egg at the bottom of the cage.
And we do learn why Ginny hangs out with him: she’s the one who injured him in the first place.
Con: It’s very difficult to make any sense of it. Somehow a war simulation twisted the fabric of reality? And Cal lost some ability to relate to people? And fell through the ice and died? (But he got better.)
There’s a peculiar paragraph in second-person, making me wonder if the whole story were originally in second-person and later rewritten.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 108)
Matthew Sanborn Smith Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
And we do learn why Ginny hangs out with him: she’s the one who injured him in the first place.
Con: It’s very difficult to make any sense of it. Somehow a war simulation twisted the fabric of reality? And Cal lost some ability to relate to people? And fell through the ice and died? (But he got better.)
There’s a peculiar paragraph in second-person, making me wonder if the whole story were originally in second-person and later rewritten.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 108)
Matthew Sanborn Smith Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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