★★★☆☆ Average
(SF Colony) The hard work and omnipresent dust from the Deadlands mines have ground the locals down to where they and their lives are literally gray. (4,358 words; Time: 14m)
"The Grays of Cestus V," by Erin Roberts [bio] (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction issue 09-10|18, published on August 16, 2018 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: Laila sees that there is no way out for her or her people, so she brings them the blue moss that will drive the gray away and make everyone happy for a while before it kills them all.
Con: I’m sure it has a symbolic meaning of some sort, but it’s super depressing. More practically, her situation doesn't really seem to be as hopeless as she thinks it is. Why doesn’t Laila use her interview to describe her people’s plight and maybe get them rescued? And how realistic is it that the Deadlands are a place where technology doesn’t work?
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Con: I’m sure it has a symbolic meaning of some sort, but it’s super depressing. More practically, her situation doesn't really seem to be as hopeless as she thinks it is. Why doesn’t Laila use her interview to describe her people’s plight and maybe get them rescued? And how realistic is it that the Deadlands are a place where technology doesn’t work?
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 09-10|18)
Erin Roberts Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
4-stars from me. This story works for me.
ReplyDeleteThe way I read this story - I think the environment is causing depression in Laila, or some sort of psychological harm. The story is depressing because she is depressed.
Technology does work, but the sand still gets into things. Constant strong winds can do that. At a guess the mining company spends adequately for their staff but does not spend to get the best. There does seem to be job shortages in this world, which explains why people opt to work in places like this due to very limited opportunities.