★★★☆☆
(Uncanny Horror) When Gary catches his girlfriend teleporting, he struggles to convince her to go public about her ability. (6,536 words; Time: 21m)
Recommended By: 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)
"Personal Space," by Lawrence Watt-Evans [bio] (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction issue 09-10|19, published on August 16, 2019 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2019.493 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: The limitations on her ability are interesting. She can always teleport into her personal space, and when she does, it creates a permanent doorway back to where she came from. But to leave her space, she can only go through an existing door; she can’t create new exits from what amounts to a hub.
Given her background as a refugee, it’s not a surprise that she’s prepared to defend herself.
Con: Gary isn’t quite a cardboard villain, but he’s certainly a stereotype. We definitely don’t feel sorry for him when she dumps him in North Korea. Trouble is, we’re left wondering why she trusted him in the first place.
Rationally speaking, that might not be the best move on her part. Yeah, they’ll arrest him as a spy, but if they believe his story, they’ll go after her. Yes, they can’t kidnap her, but they might kidnap her mom.
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Pro: The limitations on her ability are interesting. She can always teleport into her personal space, and when she does, it creates a permanent doorway back to where she came from. But to leave her space, she can only go through an existing door; she can’t create new exits from what amounts to a hub.
Given her background as a refugee, it’s not a surprise that she’s prepared to defend herself.
Con: Gary isn’t quite a cardboard villain, but he’s certainly a stereotype. We definitely don’t feel sorry for him when she dumps him in North Korea. Trouble is, we’re left wondering why she trusted him in the first place.
Rationally speaking, that might not be the best move on her part. Yeah, they’ll arrest him as a spy, but if they believe his story, they’ll go after her. Yes, they can’t kidnap her, but they might kidnap her mom.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Lawrence Watt-Evans Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Yeah, Gary is such a selfish, thoughtless jerk, I found it impossible to believe that Anna would even go on a date with him, let alone risk telling him her secret.
ReplyDeleteA nice illustration of how a magical ability (teleportation) doesn't break our suspension of disbelief at all, but someone dating a jerk can really mess a story up.
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