★★★☆☆
(Fantasy Horror) For the community to live, most young people need to sacrifice themselves to the Godflower before age 20, but the narrator has serious reservations. (4,068 words; Time: 13m)
"The Petals of the Godflower," by Kyle Kirrin [bio] (edited by Scott H. Andrews), appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies issue 292, published on November 28, 2019.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2019.677 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: At some level, this is a story about how the narrator deals with her crisis of faith. Unlike in our world, she finds a way to conduct an actual test.
It’s no surprise that the narrator wants out of this horrible situation. Her scheme to test the claims of the priests is as good as any, given the circumstances.
Con: The whole thing is so contrived it’s hard to feel much of anything about it. And a lot doesn’t seem to make sense. These flowers provide both food and heat? Is the village just making more and more of them, or do they die in time? If the sacrifice has to be willing, why would the priest try to kill the narrator?
It's annoying that the narrator never gets a name.
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Kyle Kirrin Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: At some level, this is a story about how the narrator deals with her crisis of faith. Unlike in our world, she finds a way to conduct an actual test.
It’s no surprise that the narrator wants out of this horrible situation. Her scheme to test the claims of the priests is as good as any, given the circumstances.
Con: The whole thing is so contrived it’s hard to feel much of anything about it. And a lot doesn’t seem to make sense. These flowers provide both food and heat? Is the village just making more and more of them, or do they die in time? If the sacrifice has to be willing, why would the priest try to kill the narrator?
It's annoying that the narrator never gets a name.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Kyle Kirrin Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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