★★★☆☆
(Shopping Horror) The narrator goes into a “big box” store that appeared overnight where they sell magical goods that exact a price. (1,348 words; Time: 04m)
"Big Box," by Greg Van Eekhout [bio] (edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas), appeared in Uncanny Magazine issue 29, published on July 2, 2019.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2019.394 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: The story reads more like a nightmare than anything else, but it’s rich with allusions to other stories. Two that I spotted were the watch that can stop time, which featured in "That Hell-Bound Train" (Robert Bloch; The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction; September 1958) which won the 1959 Hugo for Best Short Story, and, of course, the famous monkey’s paw. I particularly loved the “Comes with Free Wish” on the box.
Con: It’s a nice setup, but the ending is a bit disappointing. I gather the protagonist stays in line until he dies, unable to turn these things down.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Greg Van Eekhout Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: The story reads more like a nightmare than anything else, but it’s rich with allusions to other stories. Two that I spotted were the watch that can stop time, which featured in "That Hell-Bound Train" (Robert Bloch; The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction; September 1958) which won the 1959 Hugo for Best Short Story, and, of course, the famous monkey’s paw. I particularly loved the “Comes with Free Wish” on the box.
Con: It’s a nice setup, but the ending is a bit disappointing. I gather the protagonist stays in line until he dies, unable to turn these things down.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Greg Van Eekhout Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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