★★★☆☆
(Allegory) Newlyweds try to get by in a world there there’s not enough reality to go around, and where the things you write in your marriage book become part of your reality. (1,529 words; Time: 05m)
"The Marriage Book," by Mitchell Shanklin [bio] (edited by Vanessa Rose Phin), appeared in Strange Horizons issue 01/06/20, published on January 6, 2020.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2020.040 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: Under the surface, this is the story of how two very different people struggle to make their marriage work. Each tries to change the other—sometimes with the consent of his partner, sometimes not. But the result is a mess, not a work of art, and after just four years, it all falls apart.
Con: I’m not sure what the ending is supposed to symbolize. John rips Sammeth out of existence and replaces him with someone by the same name who’s much more compatible with him. An act that Sammeth himself contemplated but ultimately rejected. But in real life, couples can’t do that, so I’m not sure what the author is trying to say. Pity, because it’s a very powerful scene.
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Mitchell Shanklin Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: Under the surface, this is the story of how two very different people struggle to make their marriage work. Each tries to change the other—sometimes with the consent of his partner, sometimes not. But the result is a mess, not a work of art, and after just four years, it all falls apart.
Con: I’m not sure what the ending is supposed to symbolize. John rips Sammeth out of existence and replaces him with someone by the same name who’s much more compatible with him. An act that Sammeth himself contemplated but ultimately rejected. But in real life, couples can’t do that, so I’m not sure what the author is trying to say. Pity, because it’s a very powerful scene.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Mitchell Shanklin Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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