★★★☆☆
(Slipstream) Nora has a tendency of turning into whatever she’s dating. She became a rock climber when she dated a rock climber, a comedian when she dated a comedian. But the amateur acupuncturist goes differently. (2,290 words; Time: 07m)
"Tend to Me," by Kristina Ten [bio] (edited by John Joseph Adams), appeared in Lightspeed Magazine issue 118, published on March 1, 2020.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2020.138 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: Like any good slipstream story, the best part are the bits that make you stop and giggle. As in when the acupuncturist reacts to Nora turning into a cactus by inviting her to move in with him.
Con: I keep expecting the story to mean something, but it never seems to. The transformation isn’t a way to punish Nora or her boyfriend, both of whom seem to be very nice. And, weirdly, it doesn’t go away when she leaves him. Nor is it ever explained why the “rules of becoming” changed.
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Kristina Ten Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: Like any good slipstream story, the best part are the bits that make you stop and giggle. As in when the acupuncturist reacts to Nora turning into a cactus by inviting her to move in with him.
Con: I keep expecting the story to mean something, but it never seems to. The transformation isn’t a way to punish Nora or her boyfriend, both of whom seem to be very nice. And, weirdly, it doesn’t go away when she leaves him. Nor is it ever explained why the “rules of becoming” changed.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Kristina Ten Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
The "rules of becoming" changed when she finally stopped changing herself to become like her lovers, and then she literally outgrew her boyfriend. Fun story.
ReplyDeleteSlipstream stories are usually entertaining, provided they don't go on so long you get exhausted.
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