★★★☆☆
(Alternate History) In an alternate England where the ice sheets still come down to Yorkshire, a veterinarian gets a call from a farmer whose mammoth has broken a tusk. (7,390 words; Time: 24m)
"The Yorkshire Mammoth," by Harry Turtledove [bio] (edited by Neil Clarke), appeared in Clarkesworld issue 155, published on August 1, 2019.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2019.437 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: In an odd way, this tale of dentistry on a mammoth scale is actually a hard SF story, since the plot revolves around the technical challenge of fixing a broken tusk. From the technology and other references, this is set in the late 1930s.
Con: There’s no real challenge in the story. George encounters no serious problems at any stage.
The alternate history is a bit sloppy. If Scotland is covered with ice, how was there a James I? It’s as though there were a major change to history (i.e. the ice sheets didn’t retreat as fast) but then the rest of the events of history occurred anyway and at the same dates.
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Harry Turtledove Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: In an odd way, this tale of dentistry on a mammoth scale is actually a hard SF story, since the plot revolves around the technical challenge of fixing a broken tusk. From the technology and other references, this is set in the late 1930s.
Con: There’s no real challenge in the story. George encounters no serious problems at any stage.
The alternate history is a bit sloppy. If Scotland is covered with ice, how was there a James I? It’s as though there were a major change to history (i.e. the ice sheets didn’t retreat as fast) but then the rest of the events of history occurred anyway and at the same dates.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Harry Turtledove Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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