★★★★☆ A Fun and Satisfying Romp
(Modern Fantasy) A closeted young Hawaiian man bails a devious Native-American god out of a Honolulu jail and watches his life spiral out of control. (5,392 words; Time: 17m)
"Coyote Now Wears a Suit," by Ani Fox [bio] (edited by Jason Sizemore), appeared in Apex Magazine issue 112, published on September 4, 2018.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2018.520 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: There's a lot of Hawaiian Pidgen in the story. Here's my best attempt at translations: On the surface, this is Kupu’s coming-out story. But it’s a bit more than that. Not only does he come out, he asserts his right to leave home for school. To have his own life, his own way. And he learns he doesn't have to lose his family in the process.
Coyote, whom only Kupu can see, does cause a sequence of disasters, but every disaster brings a benefit too. The car crash saves Kaipo’s life because he’s already at the hospital when the heroin bag in his stomach bursts. The encounter with Santiago on the bus shows Kupu what Santiago really thinks of him, and frees him of a tie that might have kept him from taking Harvard’s offer. Coyote's a force of chaos, but not a force of evil.
Family means a lot to Kupu. He hides in the closet for fear of losing them, and he's ready to give up his hopes of Harvard for the same reason. Perhaps the brightest lesson of this story is that family accepts you as you are, and family wants the best for you. Otherwise it's not worthy of the name.
Con: Kupu is the only solid character in the story; everyone else is part of the background.
Arguably, the Pidgin is overused; the story may be hard to follow for anyone who doesn’t already know it and doesn't want to look it up.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 112)
Ani Fox Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: There's a lot of Hawaiian Pidgen in the story. Here's my best attempt at translations:
- Akamai
- Smart
- Akua
- God
- Aumakua
- family gods
- Da Kine
- This one can mean a lot of things, but “you know what I mean” seems to fit all uses in the story.
- Hang a Mouse
- To punch someone (okay, this one isn’t Hawaiian)
- Haole
- Caucasian
- Hapa
- Half white (mixed-race)
- Keiki
- Child
- Kama’aina
- Resident of Hawaii (regardless of race)
- Kuliana
- Duty
- Lanai
- Outdoor Patio
- Mahalo
- Thanks
- Mahu
- Gay or Trans (as the story shows, it's a bit more complicated than that)
- No Ka Oi
- The Best
- Ohana
- Family
- Poho
- Useless
- S’Kebei
- Dirty old man
- Shaka
- A friendly hand signal, meaning “hang loose”.
- Wahines
- Girls
Coyote, whom only Kupu can see, does cause a sequence of disasters, but every disaster brings a benefit too. The car crash saves Kaipo’s life because he’s already at the hospital when the heroin bag in his stomach bursts. The encounter with Santiago on the bus shows Kupu what Santiago really thinks of him, and frees him of a tie that might have kept him from taking Harvard’s offer. Coyote's a force of chaos, but not a force of evil.
Family means a lot to Kupu. He hides in the closet for fear of losing them, and he's ready to give up his hopes of Harvard for the same reason. Perhaps the brightest lesson of this story is that family accepts you as you are, and family wants the best for you. Otherwise it's not worthy of the name.
Con: Kupu is the only solid character in the story; everyone else is part of the background.
Arguably, the Pidgin is overused; the story may be hard to follow for anyone who doesn’t already know it and doesn't want to look it up.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 112)
Ani Fox Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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