★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended
(Near-Future Horror) Resentful of the punishment the Church has sentenced him to, Father Augustine plans to reveal one of its dark secrets. (5,002 words; Time: 16m)
"Render Unto Caesar," by Eduardo Vaquerizo (translated by Rich Larson, edited by Trevor Quachri), appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact issue 07-08|18, published on June 15, 2018 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: The dialogue is natural and the narration is transparent, which speaks to an unusually excellent translation.
Con: Too many things break suspension of disbelief. Giving a man a uterus and forcing him to have a baby as a punishment is just bizarre. If nothing else, the drugs needed to make it work would likely harm the infant. Second, the reporter doesn’t talk like a reporter, and if he wanted to kill the story, he wouldn’t have showed up in person. Third, if the church wanted kids to brainwash, why not just run an orphanage?
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 07-08|18)
Eduardo Vaquerizo Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Con: Too many things break suspension of disbelief. Giving a man a uterus and forcing him to have a baby as a punishment is just bizarre. If nothing else, the drugs needed to make it work would likely harm the infant. Second, the reporter doesn’t talk like a reporter, and if he wanted to kill the story, he wouldn’t have showed up in person. Third, if the church wanted kids to brainwash, why not just run an orphanage?
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 07-08|18)
Eduardo Vaquerizo Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
No comments (may contain spoilers):
Post a Comment (comment policy)