★★★★☆ Nonstop action and excitement.
(SF Action/Adventure; Draiken) Draiken kidnaps a hired killer from a space station and spirits him away for a “demonstration.” But what sort of demonstration could possibly change the man’s mind? (21,452 words; Time: 1h:11m)
Recommended By: 👍RSR+1 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)
Although this story can stand alone, it’ll be extra fun for anyone who’s read the previous stories in the Draiken series.
"The Savannah Problem," by Adam-Troy Castro [bio] (edited by Trevor Quachri), appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact issue 01-02|19, published on December 15, 2018 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2019.001 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: Without a doubt, the best part of this story is the nonstop thrills, chills, and excitement. Hunting Jathyx, knowing Draiken is likely to lose, trying to get Jathyx off the space station, trying to escape unnoticed, talking to Jathyx at risk of being stabbed, trying to evade the “Dart,” etc. Every point in the story is drenched in tension, and every scene has a good payoff.
We do end up wondering (up to the very end) what possible demonstration could convince a man like Jathyx, so the ending is quite satisfying.
As a bonus for anyone who read the previous story, we knew that Andrea Cort sent Draiken here to get him out of her hair, but we didn’t know what she told him. Now it seems clear that she told him that Jathyx had been kidnapped from the Belari Alliance and was the victim of the sort of mind control Draiken is fighting. In between stories, he must have gone to Belari, made his case to the general, and then come to Piithkarth to capture Jathyx and bring him to her as proof.
Con: It ends on a cliffhanger.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Adam-Troy Castro Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: Without a doubt, the best part of this story is the nonstop thrills, chills, and excitement. Hunting Jathyx, knowing Draiken is likely to lose, trying to get Jathyx off the space station, trying to escape unnoticed, talking to Jathyx at risk of being stabbed, trying to evade the “Dart,” etc. Every point in the story is drenched in tension, and every scene has a good payoff.
We do end up wondering (up to the very end) what possible demonstration could convince a man like Jathyx, so the ending is quite satisfying.
As a bonus for anyone who read the previous story, we knew that Andrea Cort sent Draiken here to get him out of her hair, but we didn’t know what she told him. Now it seems clear that she told him that Jathyx had been kidnapped from the Belari Alliance and was the victim of the sort of mind control Draiken is fighting. In between stories, he must have gone to Belari, made his case to the general, and then come to Piithkarth to capture Jathyx and bring him to her as proof.
Con: It ends on a cliffhanger.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Adam-Troy Castro Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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