★★★☆☆ Average
(Post Apocalypse) Decades after the collapse, a man called “Daddy” leads a small group of refugees and recites poetry to them in exchange to bits of technology they find for him. (3,564 words; Time: 11m)
"Poems Written While," by Natalia Theodoridou [bio] (edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas), appeared in Uncanny Magazine issue 26, published on January 1, 2019.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2019.066 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: As a trans man who, in his own words, doesn’t quite pass, Daddy has some insecurities, despite the fact that he’s the respected leader of what seems to be a strong group of survivors. When Nora arrives and he’s smitten with her, he thinks he’s too old for her (among other things), so he’s happy that she’s interested in him. It has been so long that he’s “forgotten how to be touched.” It's a magical time for him.
But she’s travelling to find her husband, so it can only be for a few days, and it leaves Daddy more empty than he was before.
Con: There’s no real tension in the story, the plot is very low-stakes, and the speculative element is disposable.
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Natalia Theodoridou Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: As a trans man who, in his own words, doesn’t quite pass, Daddy has some insecurities, despite the fact that he’s the respected leader of what seems to be a strong group of survivors. When Nora arrives and he’s smitten with her, he thinks he’s too old for her (among other things), so he’s happy that she’s interested in him. It has been so long that he’s “forgotten how to be touched.” It's a magical time for him.
But she’s travelling to find her husband, so it can only be for a few days, and it leaves Daddy more empty than he was before.
Con: There’s no real tension in the story, the plot is very low-stakes, and the speculative element is disposable.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Natalia Theodoridou Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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