Sunday, September 9, 2018

A House by the Sea, by P.H. Lee

[Uncanny]
★★☆☆☆ Not Recommended

(Pastiche) We know about the ones who walked away from Omelas, but what the heck happened to the kid in the basement? (1,394 words; Time: 04m)

This story will make zero sense if you haven’t already read “The Ones Who Walk away from Omelas,” by Ursula K. LeGuin

"A House by the Sea," by (edited by Dominik Parisien), appeared in issue 24, published on .

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Review: 2018.516 (A Word for Authors)

Pro: It’s a cute (if ghastly) idea that the child in the story has to be replaced regularly, and it’s pleasant to think they got to “retire” to someplace nice. It’s sad, but not unexpected, that they never recover from their mistreatment in the basement.

Since “Omelas” is Salem, O[regon] spelled backwards, one can expect that “Vallcoris” is Corvallis, Oregon, just to the south.

Con: The story asks, “Are you missing something else altogether?” Maybe, but I’m not seeing what it might be. There are no characters, there is no plot, and the setting is not original. It's an idea story and nothing else.

Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 24)
P.H. Lee Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline

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