★★★★☆ Sticks with You
(Horror) A grieving father tries to recreate the son he lost. (1,247 words; Time: 04m)
"Where Gods Dance," by Ben Serna-Grey [bio] (edited by Jason Sizemore), appeared in Apex Magazine issue 118, published on March 5, 2019.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2019.170 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: He tries remaking his son from things the boy had loved or been close to, mixing in some of his own memories and emotions about the child.
The results are all elements of what makes a child (good and bad), but none is complete, and none lasts. Worst of all, apparently these memories were sacrifices; at the end he has nothing left.
Con: It's good enough for what it is, but it's so self-contained that we learn little or nothing about the man, his son, or the world they live in. It seems to be making a larger statement about what you lose if you don't cope with loss, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Ben Serna-Grey Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: He tries remaking his son from things the boy had loved or been close to, mixing in some of his own memories and emotions about the child.
- Glass with nostalgia and love and memories of gentleness.
- Toys with guilt and memories of neglect.
- The dog with nostalgia.
- Sand with memories of summer and feelings of fatherhood and the urge to nurture.
- Clothing with memories of fall and feelings of longing and comfort.
- The boy's own dead body with guilt and unknown memories.
- His own body with nothing.
The results are all elements of what makes a child (good and bad), but none is complete, and none lasts. Worst of all, apparently these memories were sacrifices; at the end he has nothing left.
Con: It's good enough for what it is, but it's so self-contained that we learn little or nothing about the man, his son, or the world they live in. It seems to be making a larger statement about what you lose if you don't cope with loss, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Ben Serna-Grey Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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