★☆☆☆☆ Needs Improvement
(Near-Future SF) Qina works as a nurse on a ward of comatose patients, but she’s having boyfriend trouble and she’s extra distracted today. (2,783 words; Time: 09m)
"The Loneliest Ward," by Hao Jingfang [bio] (translated by Ken Liu, edited by Neil Clarke), appeared in Clarkesworld issue 143, published on August 1, 2018.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: It’s amusing that the treatment doesn’t merely soothe people’s minds—it tells them they’re right and everyone else is wrong. (Sort of like social media today.) It’s no surprise that they get addicted, and it's no surprise that Qina is so vulnerable to it.
Con: Intrusive narration and as-you-know-Bob infodumps spoil this story.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 143)
Hao Jingfang Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Con: Intrusive narration and as-you-know-Bob infodumps spoil this story.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 143)
Hao Jingfang Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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