Friday, April 5, 2019

A Conch-Shell's Notes, by Shweta Adhyam

[Lightspeed]
★★★☆☆ Average

(Fantasy Adventure) We learn the fates of three young villagers who follow the advice of the magic conch shell, which always offers two choices about the future and is never wrong. (2,563 words; Time: 08m)


"A Conch-Shell's Notes," by (edited by John Joseph Adams), appeared in issue 107, published on .

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Review: 2019.200 (A Word for Authors)

Pro: The best part of this story is the way the different threads come together such that hard work and honesty ends up rewarded:

Kwa is brave, and he doesn’t take the easy choices, so he beats the dragon and returns home a wealthy hero.

Var consistently make the honest choice, not the most self-interested one, and after a period of poverty, he ends up wealthy and becomes mayor.

Shai lies to Kwa and she hides her actions from Var, so she comes to an unhappy end.

Con: Shai talks about the conch singing of the men’s work and sacrifices, but, the story doesn't really show that; we only see it talking to individuals. Her actions at the end seem spiteful and shameful, and the whole story ends on a sour note.

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1 comment (may contain spoilers):

  1. I think you need to reread the story. The story is a parable explaining how the power structures of society are inherently beneficial to men while ignoring the work that women do.

    When Kwa returned home, the town was ready to welcome him with fanfare because, "the conch-shell had sung of Kwa's exploits to every citizen." Imagine if Kwa had come home, and everyone ignored him.
    Kwa: "Everybody, where is my welcome? I killed the dragon that was going to destroy this town."
    Everybody: "What dragon? You just wondered off for seven years without a word."

    I feel like you have fallen for the conch's spell. It has limited precognition so you feel it is trustworthy, but it also has it's own motives, and it is not infallible. Otherwise, why did it not save it's own life. It did not even know Shai was going to destroy it. I can not take it's advice on faith. I can not trust that if Shai had waited Kwa that he would have eventually become dissatisfied with her.

    She has to bear a child while starving herself and crawling on hands and knees just to make the husband happy. The conch knew all this when it told her to marry Var.

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