Thursday, May 2, 2019

The Gates of Paradise, by Edward M. Lerner

[Analog]
★★★☆☆ Average

(Lost Colony; Paradise) Cam travels on Paradise’s first space launch to investigate the “Big Ship” that supposedly brought their ancestors here thousands of years ago and which will fall from orbit in just days. (6,349 words; Time: 21m)

Recommended By: 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)


"The Gates of Paradise," by (edited by Trevor Quachri), appeared in issue 05-06|19, published on by .

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

Review: 2019.230 (A Word for Authors)

Pro: The tight timetable generates lots of tension, and it’s fun watching Cam try to figure things out as he explores the remains of Big Ship. His sacrifice is logical, but still rather sad.

I liked the fact that although it would be an easy solution for him to find a working AI and get it to boost the ship to a higher orbit, the much more believable truth is that across thousands of years, nothing on the ship still works.

Con: It ends right when it’s getting interesting.

The narrator drones on and on, and his pauses to reflect on the origins of words are tedious.

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