★★★☆☆
(Modern Fantasy) A teenage boy in Western Tennesse decides to head into the swamp to preach the Gospel to a very unusual old man. (2,299 words; Time: 07m)
"The Spirit of the Leech," by Alex Bledsoe [bio] (edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas), appeared in Uncanny Magazine issue 32, published on January 7, 2020.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2020.059 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: Okay, it’s not really modern fantasy, but it’d be a mild spoiler to say it was a vampire story set in an alternate reality where it was vampires, not communists, that Americans targeted in the 20th Century. And the old man Miles is trying to preach to is the last surviving vampire.
The twist is delightful. They got rid of vampires by developing a vaccine, but idiot anti-vaxxers have quit vaccinating their kids, so poor Miles is vulnerable.
Con: I’m not thrilled with a story that celebrates the murder of a teenage boy, particularly when it plays it for laughs. Also, if Enoch was weak and barely functional, how come Miles couldn’t get away from him?
Other Reviews: Search Web
Alex Bledsoe Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: Okay, it’s not really modern fantasy, but it’d be a mild spoiler to say it was a vampire story set in an alternate reality where it was vampires, not communists, that Americans targeted in the 20th Century. And the old man Miles is trying to preach to is the last surviving vampire.
The twist is delightful. They got rid of vampires by developing a vaccine, but idiot anti-vaxxers have quit vaccinating their kids, so poor Miles is vulnerable.
Con: I’m not thrilled with a story that celebrates the murder of a teenage boy, particularly when it plays it for laughs. Also, if Enoch was weak and barely functional, how come Miles couldn’t get away from him?
Other Reviews: Search Web
Alex Bledsoe Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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