★★★☆☆ Average
(Fantasy Sports) In a world with a bloody equivalent of live wrestling, a divorced father takes his little son to watch his hero fight. (4,287 words; Time: 14m)
"How the Mighty," by Dan Micklethwaite [bio] (edited by Scott H. Andrews), appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies issue 265, published on November 15, 2018.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2018.680 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: It’s very moving the way Boden holds his weeping son at the end. Whatever else the story accomplishes, it does an excellent job of making Boden and Tal real people who care about each other.
Con: There’s almost zero speculative content; this is “mannerpunk” at most. The focus on the bloody, pointless fight is tiresome, although sports fans may disagree.
It almost seems like the story has a bigger message involving Branco’s death (inevitable given his career), Boden’s physical deterioration, Boden’s loss of money betting on Branco, etc. but it doesn’t quite seem to come together. Maybe someone else saw something I didn’t see, if so, please say so in the comments!
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 265)
Dan Micklethwaite Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Pro: It’s very moving the way Boden holds his weeping son at the end. Whatever else the story accomplishes, it does an excellent job of making Boden and Tal real people who care about each other.
Con: There’s almost zero speculative content; this is “mannerpunk” at most. The focus on the bloody, pointless fight is tiresome, although sports fans may disagree.
It almost seems like the story has a bigger message involving Branco’s death (inevitable given his career), Boden’s physical deterioration, Boden’s loss of money betting on Branco, etc. but it doesn’t quite seem to come together. Maybe someone else saw something I didn’t see, if so, please say so in the comments!
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 265)
Dan Micklethwaite Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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