★☆☆☆☆ Needs Improvement
(Horror) In Iraq in 2103, a young archaeologist from Britain finds something that interferes with “the Solution,” which has kept the peace for 12 years. (7,356 words; Time: 24m)
"The Standard of Ur," by Hassan Abdulrazzak [bio] (edited by Cristina Jurado), appeared in Apex Magazine issue 113, published on October 2, 2018.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2018.550 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: By the end, we figure out what broke the chips and why the temple was locked up.
Con: There are too many problems with the writing. Among other things, the author keeps switching between present and past tense. For another, much of the dialogue is unnatural, and there’s a lot of intrusive narration, especially at the end.
The story has lots of hard-to-believe bits, but the idea that the goddess Inanna has risen again and she’s a consummate hacker is really hard to swallow.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 113)
Hassan Abdulrazzak Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Pro: By the end, we figure out what broke the chips and why the temple was locked up.
Con: There are too many problems with the writing. Among other things, the author keeps switching between present and past tense. For another, much of the dialogue is unnatural, and there’s a lot of intrusive narration, especially at the end.
The story has lots of hard-to-believe bits, but the idea that the goddess Inanna has risen again and she’s a consummate hacker is really hard to swallow.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 113)
Hassan Abdulrazzak Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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