★★☆☆☆
(SF Surfer Humor; Delbert & Zep) Zep invents a board that can surf through time, and he and Del have an excellent adventure. (19,680 words; Time: 1h:05m)
Recommended By: 👍STomaino+1 (Q&A)
Although there are many other Delbert and Zep stories, there’s no need to read the earlier ones before reading this one.
"Surfers at the End of Time," by Rudy Rucker [bio] and Marc Laidlaw [bio] (edited by Sheila Williams), appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction issue 11-12|19, published on October 18, 2019 by Penny Publications.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2019.617 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: As always, the story is a mix of surreal events, hilarious commentary from Zep and Delbert with occasional bits of valid science. But the point isn’t to analyze the events; the point is to enjoy the ride.
Con: It goes on too long without anything resembling a compelling plot. I actually got tired enough I would have put it down if I weren’t going to write a review of it. Worse, I got tired of the characters. You don’t read Delbert and Zep stories for the plot; you read them for the characters, so if Del and Zep are boring me, it’s a disaster.
I think one problem is that the boys were more lovable when they were younger. They’ve graduated from being beach bums to just bums, and that’s not a pretty look.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Rudy Rucker Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Marc Laidlaw Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Pro: As always, the story is a mix of surreal events, hilarious commentary from Zep and Delbert with occasional bits of valid science. But the point isn’t to analyze the events; the point is to enjoy the ride.
Con: It goes on too long without anything resembling a compelling plot. I actually got tired enough I would have put it down if I weren’t going to write a review of it. Worse, I got tired of the characters. You don’t read Delbert and Zep stories for the plot; you read them for the characters, so if Del and Zep are boring me, it’s a disaster.
I think one problem is that the boys were more lovable when they were younger. They’ve graduated from being beach bums to just bums, and that’s not a pretty look.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Rudy Rucker Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Marc Laidlaw Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Boing :(
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