★★★☆☆ Average
(Space Opera; Xuya) In the penal colony on a hot planet of a red dwarf star, every day is like the one before. Song Ha is trying to remember what happened before and why she’s the only inmate left. (3,092 words; Time: 10m)
If you’re not already familiar with the Universe of Xuya, this is not the place to start. Although this was originally published in the UK in 2017, the first US Publication was in March 2018, so it should be eligible for the 2019 Hugo Awards at the 2019 WorldCon, to be held in Dublin.
"A Game of Three Generals," by Aliette de Bodard [bio] (edited by Nick Gevers), appeared in Extrasolar (RSR review), published on March 1, 2018 by PS Publishing.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: Song Ha learns what has really happened and (we think) manages to escape from the insane ship mind that has kept her captive for so long.
Nên lò sưởi giả means “fake fireplace” in Vietnamese, e.g. one that uses light bulbs or candles to create the impression of warmth and comfort of a real fireplace but without the actual heat--an ideal name for the fake environment created by the ship mind.
Con: You have to already have a good understanding of the elements of the Xuya universe like Mind Ships or else this will be hard to understand.
It’s not clear what Song Ha did to make her escape or whether it was her daughter Mind Ship who rescued her.
Other Reviews: Search Web, GoodReads.com
Aliette de Bodard Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Nên lò sưởi giả means “fake fireplace” in Vietnamese, e.g. one that uses light bulbs or candles to create the impression of warmth and comfort of a real fireplace but without the actual heat--an ideal name for the fake environment created by the ship mind.
Con: You have to already have a good understanding of the elements of the Xuya universe like Mind Ships or else this will be hard to understand.
It’s not clear what Song Ha did to make her escape or whether it was her daughter Mind Ship who rescued her.
Other Reviews: Search Web, GoodReads.com
Aliette de Bodard Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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