★★★☆☆ Average
(SF Thriller) In a future where most humans are immortal, young Erin accepts an assignment to go to Van Maanen’s star to hunt for a man who might have been a terrorist in the early 21st Century. (10,814 words; Time: 36m)
"The Gift," by Julie Novakova [bio] (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction issue 11-12|18, published on October 18, 2018 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2018.582 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: The best thing about this story is the way the pieces gradually come together. We learn who Arienti really was, what his connection was to Sebai, what impact the immortality of the “gift” had on humanity, etc.
I liked the implication that in her zeal to kill everyone involved in the bombing that caused her daughter’s death she herself became a monster. And that the only way to enjoy immortality was to keep changing yourself with “rewire jobs” so you’re really not the same person—or even deliberately forgetting most of your past so you can start over.
Habitable worlds orbiting white dwarf stars are thought to be possible (albeit unlikely).
Con: The odds that she could successfully kill a dozen or more fairly nasty people without getting killed or captured are ridiculously long, particularly since her training was as a physician, not a killer.
I never did quite figure out what Bellugi’s role was in all of this.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 11-12|18)
Julie Novakova Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: The best thing about this story is the way the pieces gradually come together. We learn who Arienti really was, what his connection was to Sebai, what impact the immortality of the “gift” had on humanity, etc.
I liked the implication that in her zeal to kill everyone involved in the bombing that caused her daughter’s death she herself became a monster. And that the only way to enjoy immortality was to keep changing yourself with “rewire jobs” so you’re really not the same person—or even deliberately forgetting most of your past so you can start over.
Habitable worlds orbiting white dwarf stars are thought to be possible (albeit unlikely).
Con: The odds that she could successfully kill a dozen or more fairly nasty people without getting killed or captured are ridiculously long, particularly since her training was as a physician, not a killer.
I never did quite figure out what Bellugi’s role was in all of this.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 11-12|18)
Julie Novakova Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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