★★★☆☆ Average
(SF Horror) Cassie’s brain implants fixed the things she lost before birth due to her mom’s drug abuse, but she needs something more to cope with the abuse she gets from her classmates. (7,317 words; Time: 24m)
"The Names and Motions," by Sheldon J. Pacotti [bio] (edited by Neil Clarke), appeared in Clarkesworld issue 147, published on December 1, 2018.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2018.687 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: Cassie’s story is a really sad one. Suffering from fetal alcohol/drug syndrome. Given treatments to make her more empathetic, but each treatment having a side-effect, leading to the next disaster and the next treatment.
Poor Noah, sticking with her despite being the victim of almost every disaster. “I been in the Cassie Show my whole life, and every time it’s gone too far.”
The end is logical, but sad, with the death of both of them and the survival of whatever soulless mass mind she created.
Con: The idea that a penniless teenager would find and persuade a highly-illegal team of neuro hackers to make her superhuman is just impossible to buy. Even then, the magical power of the implants is too great and operates too fast to credit.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 147)
Sheldon J. Pacotti Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Pro: Cassie’s story is a really sad one. Suffering from fetal alcohol/drug syndrome. Given treatments to make her more empathetic, but each treatment having a side-effect, leading to the next disaster and the next treatment.
Poor Noah, sticking with her despite being the victim of almost every disaster. “I been in the Cassie Show my whole life, and every time it’s gone too far.”
The end is logical, but sad, with the death of both of them and the survival of whatever soulless mass mind she created.
Con: The idea that a penniless teenager would find and persuade a highly-illegal team of neuro hackers to make her superhuman is just impossible to buy. Even then, the magical power of the implants is too great and operates too fast to credit.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites (Issue 147)
Sheldon J. Pacotti Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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